enough of a varried diet?

[aadwoods]

Just like a first time parent I’m stressing over everything we do for Luna to make sure we do it just right! LOL! And it seems like everyone does things differently, so I’m just worried we aren’t doing it right, or that she’s getting too much or not enough of something.

 

So this is what Luna has on a daily basis: constant supply of timothy grass and a half a cup of alfalfa free pellets. At night we give her fresh veggies which varries based on what I’ve got but we switch in and out the following: romaine lettuce, kale, carrots, broccoli, collard greens, spinach and we’ve given her little slivers of banana on occasion. 

 

Any suggestions on things that she really needs or is missing? I used to keep her pellet bowl full all the time, but she will eat whatever I give and I read that as they get older the pellet can make them fatter.

 

She is definitely healthy! Lots and lots of poop. And we have two water bottles in her cage. She prefers one over the other, but just in case I always want her to have plenty of water. And she will go through the big bottle in 2-3 days.

 

TIA for any advice!

[Megabunny]

You are absolutely right. Everyone does things differently and all you can do is collect advice and make the best choice for what works for you and Luna. Don’t stress. You’ll be fine. Sounds like you are on top of things. I, personally, would take it easy on the broccoli and spinach. Those can be harsh. Cilantro can be a nice add in and I’m a HUGE fan of dandelion greens, though I’ve now moved where I have to BUY them instead of pick them in my yard 🙁

People seem to recommend varying their diets, so I switch between a base of romaine and leaf lettuces then add some other greens, too, in varying amounts depending on which they are and whether the buns can have a lot or a little.

[Flabebe]

You seem to be doing fine to add on about the diet: How much carrot is Luna getting? Carrots are actually extremely high in sugar and should be fed in a small amount, like a treat

[Flopsie]

agreed with what has already been said. Cut down on the carrots and spinach and if you are cost conscious, cilantro and parsley are usually cheap and yummy

[aadwoods]

Thanks ladies. I will have to pick up and try some cilantro and parsley today. Her main staple is the romaine lettuce. I then add in a little kale, broccoli, spinach or carrots. I don’t do the same thing every day, more of a what I have at the house, and just try to varry it. She may get 2 baby carrots a week. I usually snap them in half and give her a half every few days.

I will have to go look for some dandelion greens too.

So am I ok in cutting back her pellets a bit? She gets about a 1/3 to 1/2 cup a day. Most of the time she eats them all, and sometimes there is a little left over. I just want to make sure she is getting everything she needs! Thanks for all the advice ladies.

[litheandgraphic]

I agree with what’s already been said, and just want to add: kale and spinach are both extremely high in calcium, and spinach is particularly high in oxalic acid – if I were you I would only give her a small amount of kale, which it sounds like you’re doing already, and I’d nix the spinach entirely and replace it with cilantro and maybe a bit of parsley – parsley also has higher contents of oxalic acid, so again, I’d only do small amounts of it if you want to go with it. Some other options you can consider are red and green leaf lettuce, tango lettuce, butter lettuce, and many other things from the House Rabbit diet article (linked below) and the BB veggie list (also linked below). Dandelion greens are good too.

As for the pellets, you’re good to cut down to 1/4 – 1/8 cup a day. If you’re worried, you can stay at 1/4, but I’d go down from 1/2 cup as you plan to do.

HRS diet page: http://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabbit-diet/
BB veggie list: https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/VeggieList/tabid/144/Default.aspx

[Flopsie]

if you are being conscious of funds, some of the cheapest foods that are good are:

romaine lettece
red leaf lettuce
green leaf lettuce
cilantro
parsley

please note, no iceburg lettuce, very bad for buns.

I usually get those as my base, and then I mix up some dandelion greens, some kale somtimes, carrot tops, etc to keep it interesting

[Author]

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