I was just wondering how much veg is OK for a bunny to eat, i don't want her to get a poorly tummy! i currently give her half a carrot, one of the head/stalk kind of bunch things whatever they are called, of broccoli and some grass or if i can find them, dandilion leaves a day. Should i give her more? i am testing her with other veg, she likes spinich, but i will only give her a leaf or two at a time.
i suppose thinking about it, it is not a lot, but i didn't want to make her poorly. She is 5 months old and a medium sized bunny if this helps.
thanks
Hi :wave:,
Actually the carrot isn't so much a risk of diabetes, but more of a risk of caecal dysbiosis which is far more common. Any fruit, sugary veg (like carrot) or cereal based food (pellets/mix) is high in starches (which are sugars) and therefore can upset the bacterial balance in the caecum which is what causes excess caecotroph production and often soft stools - this is the tummy upset most people refer too. However, certain veg fed in excess, or ones which bunny is not so tolerant too can also cause this. (As can stress, antibiotics, dental health etc)
Some buns tolerate all veg and lots of it and some tolerate less and only certain types. I have one bun of each but both my buns eat a huge plateful between them of between 4-5 different veggies per day. You should aim to feed around 3-4 different types daily for variety and nutritional balance. However, this is more important for me as I don't feed a commercial feed at all, so if you do give some pellet/mix food then you don't need to worry so much about missing the nutritional points. However, all buns appreciate veggies and greenery in their diet, it provides interest, variety and hydration.
As your bun is still adolescent I would begin SLOWLY. To build your bun up to eating a large volume of veg daily should be done carefully and over several weeks-months, especially when they are young. Establishing caecal flora that tolerate the levels I give takes a few months.
Any new veg should be introduced one at a time over a 24-72 hr period depending on how long caecal passing is in your rabbit. A rabbit with a more mobile GI tract will probably be more like 24 hrs. Therefore, if I give a veg that upsets my less tolerant bun, she will produce an excess caecotroph within 24 hrs. She is sensitive to cabbages and spring greens so I feed her these sparingly. My other bun can eat piles of the stuff!
Scours/runny stool can be caused by sudden acute upset from too much sweet Spring grass (grass should be introduced slowly, especially in Spring where the growth is full of sugar) or veg that has gone yellow or been washed in strong chlorine. For this reason only feed 'fresh' veg as buns are more susceptible to upset from old veg than we are! and WASH all veg before feeding. True diarrhea is watery and requires URGENT vet attention.
The best greens in my opinion are the leafy greens that mimick the wild diet more closely, including safe wild plants if you can access them. A lot of human veg has been designed for a processed human diet and tends to lack fibre and nutritional benefit for rabbits and is often just watery and starchy.
Fresh herbs are always a winner! Coriander, mint, basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme, and then green leafy stuff like carrot TOPS, spring greens, celery TOPS, radish TOPS, beetroot TOPS, watercress, pea tops, rocket etc... Then things you might find in your garden such as apple and pear tree leaves/twigs, hazel and willow, jerusalem artichoke leaves, dandelions, groundsel, mallow, nettle (dried to remove sting), sow thistles, goosegrass, plantain, blackberry/raspberry leaves, etc. as these are what wild buns access.
If your bun experiences digestive upset - excess caecotrophs/soft stools, you would need to withdraw all feed except for hay and water for a day or two until it clears up. (Providing she does eat hay?) If it persists or there are other symptoms then vet attention should be sought.
Most importantly, a bun's diet should be around 90% hay and the rest made up from veggies/greens and only an eggcup full of pellets (if at all).
Here are some links:
http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/content/info-sheets/safefoods.htm
http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/content/leaflet_pdfs/going_green_oct_06.pdf
http://www.rabbit.org/journal/3-4/pellets.html
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=670&S=5
