Feeding bunnies yogurt???

[Moonlightbunny66]

I was at the pet store today buying pellets and water bowls for my bunnies I’m getting next week. The person working there (I think she’s the owner) asked me about my rabbits and I told her I’m adopting them and getting them next week. She told me she’s a vet tech and asked me a bunch of questions, one of those things was about belly bloat. I told her I haven’t heard of it but I’ve heard of GI stasis. She told me I should feed my rabbits pineapple yogurt and fresh papaya. I was like what…… She also said I should train them to be on a harness so they can be outside or put them in a covered x pen outside for a bit to play. I don’t like to argue but I don’t plan on taking them outside because I don’t think it’s safe. I don’t think harnesses are safe either because they can get scared and freak out and get wrapped up or strangle themselves (didn’t say any of this tho I was just like “okay”). Anyway the main thing I’m wondering is why she told me I should feed them yogurt? I thought they should not have dairy ever. And what is belly bloat? I know you can give little pieces of dried papaya as small treats. I just thought this was a weird conversation. She gave me a 10% discount on the stuff I bought because she was happy I was adopting though lol.

[Louiethebunny]

What you think sounds more correct to me… rabbits should essentially be vegan, so dairy is a no-no. Whether rabbits should wear harnesses really depends on the owner and how well they know their rabbit, but I choose not to use a harness in case Louie freaks out and gets tangled up in the leash. I read papaya can help tummy issues, and Oxbow sells papaya digestive support treats, but yogurt is a big no.

[Moonlightbunny66]

That’s what I thought! Thanks. I was not expecting her to say anything like that. It was very weird.

[DanaNM]

😯  wat. LOL

I would not listen to her… pet store employees are notoriously uninformed… and/or intentionally telling you things so you buy things (especially if it’s the owner!). Pet stores sell lots of bunny treats that are very bad for them, plus cages that are way too small, etc.

Definitely no dairy whatsoever. There are some digestive treats with papaya enzymes that some people think have helped their bun during heavy molting periods. Some people will also claim that pineapple helps with fur blocks, but really it’s just a sugary treat (and it’s likely it gives the bun some hydration and maybe perks them up from the sugar buzz). So there is debate on those too, but definitely not in yogurt form!

True bloat is rare, and an emergency. No amount of papaya would help a truly bloated bun. Most of the discussion around papaya/pineapple deals with regular gas and stasis prevention during molting. There are also some (non-dairy!) animal-specific pro-biotics such as Bene-bac, that can help a bun that has a digestive imbalance… but again not bloat! And not dairy!

Whether to take bun outside is a decision you should base on the safety of your yard (RHDV concerns, predators, etc.), your bun’s demeanor, and your comfort level with it all. Harnesses can be dangerous for sure. There is some debate on them… but if a rabbit spooks while wearing one they can hurt themselves. Every time I’ve taken Bun Jovi outside to a Hoppy Hour he just looks miserable and like he wants to go home. Bertha seemed to like munching the fresh grass and socializing, but she was much more outgoing and laid back.

At least you got that discount though! LOL

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Moonlightbunny66]

@DanaNM Yes the discount made it better lmao. I have no idea where she got that information on feeding them yogurt then. Everything I’ve read on google says dairy is dangerous. I’m not comfortable taking my bunnies outside because of the dangers and I have a St. Bernard who I wouldn’t be able to let out to pee if the buns are out. There’s a lot of dangers for me and my neighbour sprays his lawn. I wouldn’t take them out if those things weren’t a problem anyway. I don’t want anything bad happening to the buns. My cats aren’t even allowed out cause they’d get eaten. One of them escaped from the house one night and came back limping with a broken leg. Anyway I don’t think I’ll go back to that store cause I was very uncomfortable!

[LBJ10]

The old way of thinking (which included many vets) was that a little bit of plain yogurt could help with GI issues because they contain probiotics. The problem with yogurt, however, is that dairy products are not easily digested by rabbits. And, as the others pointed out, yogurt contains sugars which aren’t good for bunnies in excess. There are now probiotic products available that do not contain dairy and a specially formulated for small animals. So the thinking on yogurt has very much evolved.

Yogurt treats are completely different. They are literally just little balls of sugar. They don’t contain anything that would be potentially beneficial. Pet stores sell a lot of stuff like this… treats that simply are not healthy for bunnies and other small animals. Some places have been getting a little better about this, but not all.

There are some people that swear by papaya supplements. As long as they don’t contain a lot of additives, they are probably not going hurt anything. Whether they help with passing ingested fur is still up for debate though. I will admit though, I have used them in the past because they did seem to help. Placebo effect? Perhaps.

I don’t know what this person at the pet store was talking about regarding preventing so-called bloat. My guess is that this person was confusing true bloat (which isn’t common) with GI stasis or gas pain.

ETA: I could link to an article that explains what true bloat is. It’s pretty graphic though.

[Bu20055]

Wow. The stuff the pet store people tell you.
I was once in the store comparing prices on bedding for my hammy and I bought three bags (enough to fill his 75 gallon with half a bag left). The person checking me out laughed and made a joke about stocking for the apocalypse. I told her that it’d be gone in mere months. She was utterly confused and asked how many hamsters I have and I told her only  one. She asked how often I change his bedding (trying to teach me better) and I told her I change half the bedding out once a month or so and spot clean weekly. I told her I have a 75 gallon so I don’t need to clean it as often as I would a smaller cage. She then rambled in about how they don’t need anything more than a critter trail and it’s too much space and he’s going to hide and never come out and on and on.

I personally wouldn’t feel comfortable taking my future bun outside because of the amount of predators near me and the  unknown plants but it’s up to personally preference.

It’s neat you got a discount- makes up for the weird conversation lol.

[Moonlightbunny66]

@LBJ10 Thank you so much. Good information! Yeah, then I don’t know why she would recommend feeding them yogurt when there’s probiotics that are better for them. I don’t even have my bunnies yet and didn’t ask for information from her. 😬 I guess she was trying to help but ended up giving bad advice. I don’t believe the papaya is necessary but maybe as a little treat. If there’s issues with digestion and stuff I think I should just take them to the vet. Felt like I was being forced to feed the bunnies pineapple yogurt while cutting up papaya and walking them on a leash lol. I’ll be getting my rabbit pellets elsewhere…

[Moonlightbunny66]

@Bu20055 Yikes. She was probably being defensive since she doesn’t know the proper care. I wish pet stores knew better and would train the employees to give people better advice. Even though hamsters are small, it doesn’t mean they deserve a tiny cage to sit and be bored in! Your hamster should be glad it has you and not that worker. 🙂

[Bu20055]

@Moonlightbunnybunny66

I know! It bothers me so much! Small animal doesn’t equal small space! It’s an issue with all small animals, which is so sad. I’m definitely glad Pepper’s my little man instead of a toy for a child in a critter trail. Gosh! The thought of the mistreatment they go through makes me want to take them all!

[Moonlightbunny66]

@Bu20055 I get that. ): People need to do lots of research online before getting a pet… And never listen to the workers… lol

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