diet
Sorry to be a bit boring..... but. The right diet for a rabbit mimmics as closely as possible the natural diet of rabbits in central spain and portugal.
This is coarse grasses and scrubland in large quantities.
We all like to treat our buns but any owner should be aware that treating them with soft veg and fruit is perhaps not that wise and can have a severe detrimental effect on a rabbits teeth long term.
We always recommend "non man made veg" ie dandilions, handfuls of fresh grass, parsley , parcel and a specialist hay such as Timothy .
We never recommend fruit because of the sugar it contains and In fact we have a bunny with us now whose teeth were dark brown due to acid erosion and the diet it was on. As it would happen her rear teeth were in reasonable condition albeit brown and over the last two months with us on the right diet her teeth have gradually gone back to white from the roots.
I know this all sounds like a rant so I give my appologies ....but if anyone who reads this had seen all the bunnies we have with dental problems such as spikes ,spurs, abscesses and dental erosion and then read the recommendations people give as to what veg and fruit a rabbit can and will eat you would see my point.
One final point ...As a rescue centre we are unable to re-home rabbits with rear dental problems as listed above. Rear dental problems are re-occurring and in effect there is no permanent solution to them . This means the rabbit with such problems will suffer in future often in silence and without the average owner realising. This is the primary reason all such rabbits effected are put to sleep by a vet . Add in to this that it becomes more difficult to pair up, ensure both rabbits can eat the right diet and finally with a policy of complete openness...new owners just do not want rabbits with large ferequent vets bill attached. It is our own observation that 25-30% of all rabbits have dental problems caused by the wrong diet.
You have been warned.
.......keep to the right diet!
