gmo or not

[Cinnimon&Ollie]

I am hoping to switch my rabbit’s pellets to small pet select. I saw that they had one without soy and gmos. Is that better for them? Does it make a difference?

[LBJ10]

What do they consider a GMO and which GMO ingredients were replaced with non-GMO? I’m asking because I’m thinking some foods are simply non-GMO by default. If the GMO crop was soybeans, for example, then a soybean-free food may be non-GMO by default.

Potential GMO ingredients may include:

Soybeans

Canola

Alfalfa

My point is… sometimes non-GMO labeling is just there for the hype.

[DanaNM]

In my opinion it’s a marketing ploy  :p

. . . 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.  

[LBJ10]

Exactly

[BZOO]

I would avoid soy regardless of gmo or not.

Look for food with no fillers…soy, corn, wheat, etc.

Man, back in the day, rabbit food was just hay and vitamins/minerals.  Today you have to be vigilant about reading labels! 🤔

 

[Cinnimon&Ollie]

It does have fillers, ugh. The second and third ingredients are fillers. Do you guys know any that don’t have fillers?

[LBJ10]

Most rabbit pellets have some kind of filler or binder. Some things are just worse than others. If you want to avoid soybeans and grains, then I would suggest something like Sherwood. They use safflower and flax seed.

[Cinnimon&Ollie]

Which is better to avoid. I don’t want to feed one that’s not good for them.

[LBJ10]

Generally speaking, I think soybeans and corn are the worst in terms of fillers.

Also, if you look on Sherwood’s website, they have pie charts showing the proportions. The “fillers” make up a much smaller portion than other brands.

[Cinnimon&Ollie]

I was looking at Sherwoods and there’s is grain free, and gluten free. That’s okay? I worry for my bunnies, just want the best for them.

[LBJ10]

Yes, grain-free and gluten-free is just fine. A lot of people on BB use Sherwood and they seem to like it. I think it’s one of the more “simple” formulas that can be found in the US.

[DanaNM]

I think that a lot of the marketing (gluten-free, etc) is just that, marketing (like when companies put “fat free” on boxes of raisins, LOL). But annoying marketing tactics aside, Sherwood seems to be a good quality food and I’ve found my rabbits have done well on it. I also fed Oxbow adult essentials for years and my rabbits did really well on that too (my senior’s weight is stable, and my more overweight bun’s weight went down to a more healthy level). Some people choose to feed a variety of pellets, since no rabbit pellet is really “perfect”. I feed such a small amount of pellets anyway (I only give about a tablespoon per day), I really just consider it to be a multivitamin/treat for them.

Some buns are really sensitive to starches, but keep in mind that wheat is a grass, and if a wild rabbit was eating grasses they would be eating grass seeds as well. The goal is just to make sure the ratios of these seeds to the grassy parts are similar to what a rabbit would be eating when they eat grasses that have gone to seed. Commercially grown grains have also been selectively bred for the seeds to be really big, relative to their heirloom variety. That’s why reading the proportions of fiber etc. in the nutrient analysis can be helpful, because it helps you make sure the food wont have too much starch, fat, etc.

. . . 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.  

[LBJ10]

Yes, the labels aren’t necessarily inaccurate… but they don’t really mean much when it comes to rabbit nutritional value. Your best bet is to look at the nutritional analysis and try to get as close to the recommendations as you can. Sherwood does a good job of this, so does Oxbow. If you’re wanting to avoid cheap fillers, then I do think Sherwood is a good choice. The safflower adds protein and the flax adds healthy fat… but the pellets are over 75% hay so the added ingredients make up a much smaller portion than some of the other pellets on the market. I have heard good things about Sherwood. It sounds like a lot of bunnies thrive on their pellets.

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