Proper Diet for Buns

[TrioAGI]

 I just thought I would share with you guys the information my vet gave me. (If anyone lives on Long Island, her name is Dr. Saver at Catnip and Carrots and she’s amazing). 

*pellets: 1/4 to 1/3 cup per 5 lbs of body weight per day. Dietary changes should be made gradually.

Babies: Birth to 3 wks: mother’s milk 
3-7 wks: mother’s milk, alfalfa and pellets 
7 wks to 7 months: unlimited pellets, unlimited hay 
12 weeks: introduce vegetables (one at a time, quantities under 1/2 oz) 

Young Adults (7 months to one year) 
-introduce timothy hay, grass hay, and oat hays, decrease alfalfa 
-decrease pellets to 1/2 cup per 6 lbs body weight 
-increase daily vegetables gradually 
-fruit daily ration no more than 1 oz to 2 oz per 6 lbs body weight 

Mature Adults (1 to 5 years) 
-unlimited timothy, grass hay, oat hay, straw 
-1/4 to 1/2 cup pellets per 6 lbs body weight 
-minimum 2 cups chopped vegetables per 6 lbs body weight 
-fruit daily ration no more than 2 oz per 6 lbs body weight 

Senior Rabbits (over 6 yrs) 
-if sufficient weight is maintained, continue adult diet 
-frail, older rabbits may need unrestricted pellets to keep weight up 
-alfalfa can be given to underweight rabbits, only if calcium levels are normal 
-annual blood workups are highly recommended for geriatric rabbits

[MoveDiagonally]

It looks like your vet copied much of this from the HRS website:
http://rabbit.org/faq-diet/

[TrioAGI]

Maybe, or it’s just that the proper information is distributed widely, which is good too!

[Sarita]

I love the name “Catnip and Carrots” – I have heard of Dr. Saver too so I’m pretty sure she is familiar with the House Rabbit Society as she is recommended on the NYCity Chapter of the House Rabbit Society.

[MoveDiagonally]

I was definitely not using the word “copy” with a negative connotation. Just that the HRS website is likely the source.

[Author]

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