• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

Next to no veg okay?

happypreso

Alpha Buck
I am just checking that this is okay for my bunnies diet. I have 4 rabbits that all live together so it is hard to 'seperate' the food but 1 of the rabbits gets really runny poo's if they have to much veg.

So their diet is

hay - (always there in their shed and lots of different sorts to choose from)
pellets - fed once a day 2 level bowls full (much less than they used to get!)
grass - they are free range all day every day from 6am ish until 7pm or later
herbs - fresh herbs from the garden but they are all out of bunnies reach so I picked them and feed them ... sometimes I buy them dried herbs too

and then maybe once every two weeks or longer they get some veg - carrots, kale, cue, etc. Normally just one 'item' and just a little - enough for one piece each.

Is this okay? I feel mean about the veg side of things however the runny poo's is not good, is it?
 
Can you identify the veg causing a problem? I remember the first time I fed cabbage:shock::lol:

With my group, I separate one bun to feed him pellets twice a day - it's only for 5 mins while I sort hay & water - could you maybe do that with your one that has the problem? Also what pelllets do you use? I've heard of excel causing a problem - though I feed it with no issues:D
 
They are on excel and if they dont eat veg she dont get runny poo's so that isn't the problem!

The rabbit concerned to be honest doesn't seem to be able to eat anything veg/fruit wise without causing her runny poo's - she is fine normally (ie no veg/fruit) but any hint of fruit/veg and she gets the runny poo's (always been like it but she lived on her own for a while until she was old enough to be spayed so I could feed the others veg/fruit and not her and she didn't know any different!)
 
I am just checking that this is okay for my bunnies diet. I have 4 rabbits that all live together so it is hard to 'seperate' the food but 1 of the rabbits gets really runny poo's if they have to much veg.

So their diet is

hay - (always there in their shed and lots of different sorts to choose from)
pellets - fed once a day 2 level bowls full (much less than they used to get!)
grass - they are free range all day every day from 6am ish until 7pm or later
herbs - fresh herbs from the garden but they are all out of bunnies reach so I picked them and feed them ... sometimes I buy them dried herbs too

and then maybe once every two weeks or longer they get some veg - carrots, kale, cue, etc. Normally just one 'item' and just a little - enough for one piece each.

Is this okay? I feel mean about the veg side of things however the runny poo's is not good, is it?

This isn't really enough veg in my opinion... I understand that one bun gets an upset tum but this could be as said above a 'particular' veg, or it could be a veg that has gone yellow or has been washed by a supermarket in strong chlorine for example, however, more likely that you have a bunny with a sensitive tummy and caecal flora imbalance. Pelleted food, I hate to say it, is higher in starch/carbohydrate and more likely to cause caecal upset than veg which buns are designed to eat. I would be inclined to slowly cut down their pellet ration and up their veg ration - but I would be very careful about how I did this. I would start them all off together, introduce a new veg only once every 48-72 hrs (as i'm guessing caecal passing is around this in your buns) and choose certain types of veg at the outset. I would even take it a bit slower and introduce a new veg once every 3-4 days, and then increase this to every other day. Commercial watery veg which have been bred for human consumption are not the best veggies for bunnies...they lack nutrients and are mostly water and starch. I would begin with 'leafy greens' but for now leave out cabbage, spinach and swiss chard - with my sensitive tum bun these are the first ones to cause upset if she is given too much.
I would offer things that rarely cause upset....carrot tops, celery tops, pea tops, watercress, parsley, mint, basil, coriander, radish tops and beet tops, brocoli and purple sprouting brocoli, and then slowly give spring greens/cabbage/spinach a go much later on when their tolerance to veg has increased. Ideally buns should be having a bowlful of veg each every day. Mine consume a huge plateful between them every evening...I have had to omit or cut down/out certain veg for my sensitive bun, and if she has a day where she produces an excess caecotroph I give her hay and grass only and take my other bun aside and feed him separately - perhaps during his daily brush. I don't feed pellets either - the levels of starch in these really caused her terrible caecal upset but i'm not recommending you do this!

I do however think you need to get more veg into your buns, but I would do it slowly and AVOID any starchy or sugary veg - this means NO carrots or fruit to start with - these are the worst to cause upset caecums. If you've got anything in the garden like apple tree leaves? willow? hazel? and yes definitely keep going with the home grown herbs :D Veggies are important for gut hydration, variety and essential vitamins/nutrients in a more natural form.
http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/content/info-sheets/safefoods.htm
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=670
 
That sounds like a lot of pellets. I wonder if it is the combination of too many pellets, plus the veg that causes the problem, rather than just the veg.

I would personally concentrate on cutting the pellets down further, then thinking about trying to increase the veg intake.

I personally don't believe that veg is absolutely essential for rabbits though, if they really can't tolerate it. I had some bunnies that couldn't eat veg for months (due to a gut problem - anything sent them into stasis, even pellets). Apart from the progressive gut problem, they didn't suffer any ill health as a result of a limited diet of different types of hay, and dried herbs. The vet frequently checked them over and said they were fine, maintained their weight etc etc.

If I have bunnies again, I will feed veg, but only in small amounts.
 
This isn't really enough veg in my opinion... I understand that one bun gets an upset tum but this could be as said above a 'particular' veg, or it could be a veg that has gone yellow or has been washed by a supermarket in strong chlorine for example, however, more likely that you have a bunny with a sensitive tummy and caecal flora imbalance. Pelleted food, I hate to say it, is higher in starch/carbohydrate and more likely to cause caecal upset than veg which buns are designed to eat. I would be inclined to slowly cut down their pellet ration and up their veg ration - but I would be very careful about how I did this. I would start them all off together, introduce a new veg only once every 48-72 hrs (as i'm guessing caecal passing is around this in your buns) and choose certain types of veg at the outset. I would even take it a bit slower and introduce a new veg once every 3-4 days, and then increase this to every other day. Commercial watery veg which have been bred for human consumption are not the best veggies for bunnies...they lack nutrients and are mostly water and starch. I would begin with 'leafy greens' but for now leave out cabbage, spinach and swiss chard - with my sensitive tum bun these are the first ones to cause upset if she is given too much.
I would offer things that rarely cause upset....carrot tops, celery tops, pea tops, watercress, parsley, mint, basil, coriander, radish tops and beet tops, brocoli and purple sprouting brocoli, and then slowly give spring greens/cabbage/spinach a go much later on when their tolerance to veg has increased. Ideally buns should be having a bowlful of veg each every day. Mine consume a huge plateful between them every evening...I have had to omit or cut down/out certain veg for my sensitive bun, and if she has a day where she produces an excess caecotroph I give her hay and grass only and take my other bun aside and feed him separately - perhaps during his daily brush. I don't feed pellets either - the levels of starch in these really caused her terrible caecal upset but i'm not recommending you do this!

I do however think you need to get more veg into your buns, but I would do it slowly and AVOID any starchy or sugary veg - this means NO carrots or fruit to start with - these are the worst to cause upset caecums. If you've got anything in the garden like apple tree leaves? willow? hazel? and yes definitely keep going with the home grown herbs :D Veggies are important for gut hydration, variety and essential vitamins/nutrients in a more natural form.
http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/content/info-sheets/safefoods.htm
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=670


thank you esp for the links. So they have to have grass hay rather than any hay? is that right? I will stock up on grass hay (and other types as they do like it) and slowly cut down the pellets and re-introduce the veg then. So if I stick to 'green food', cut down the pellets and keep up the hay & herbs then they should be okay?

just to add too, that I have no concerns for them as such, they are all lively and seem to be healthy I was just feeling guilty as I know they do like their veg but I didn't want Holly to get runny poo's ....
 
Last edited:
thank you esp for the links. So they have to have grass hay rather than any hay? is that right? I will stock up on grass hay (and other types as they do like it) and slowly cut down the pellets and re-introduce the veg then. So if I stick to 'green food', cut down the pellets and keep up the hay & herbs then they should be okay?

just to add too, that I have no concerns for them as such, they are all lively and seem to be healthy I was just feeling guilty as I know they do like their veg but I didn't want Holly to get runny poo's ....

Yes....but very SLOWLY make the changes...any digestive upset - a day or two of just hay (and pellets). Follow the advice on the links. You may have to as said take sensitive tummy bun out for a cuddle or brush away from the others whilst they tuck into greens/veg and then put him/her back when there is only a small amount left....I often let our male bun tuck in before our female if her tummy is a little upset - this way they eat together but she gets less - you have to do this out of sight though - it is easier to do something like brushing elsewhere to distract them.
Hay is grass! :D
You can get cereal hays like alfalfa and oats and wheat - I would only feed the Oat and Wheat hays to an adult bun. Alfalfa is too high in calcium for any bun over 6 months of age.
The hayexperts do a great selection:
http://www.thehayexperts.co.uk/ and I also get my main base diet hay from here: http://www.willowwarren.co.uk/
 
Yes....but very SLOWLY make the changes...any digestive upset - a day or two of just hay (and pellets). Follow the advice on the links. You may have to as said take sensitive tummy bun out for a cuddle or brush away from the others whilst they tuck into greens/veg and then put him/her back when there is only a small amount left....I often let our male bun tuck in before our female if her tummy is a little upset - this way they eat together but she gets less - you have to do this out of sight though - it is easier to do something like brushing elsewhere to distract them.
Hay is grass! :D
You can get cereal hays like alfalfa and oats and wheat - I would only feed the Oat and Wheat hays to an adult bun. Alfalfa is too high in calcium for any bun over 6 months of age.
The hayexperts do a great selection:
http://www.thehayexperts.co.uk/ and I also get my main base diet hay from here: http://www.willowwarren.co.uk/

Thank you and yes I will do it very slowly. I might also take out Holly for a bit and let the other 3 tuck into the veg (they have always been okay) and put her back when there is only a little left ... seems a fair way to deal with it (for the other 3 and her).

Sorry re the hay, I just assumed that all hay was good, I buy a mixture of hay from all places (inc hay experts) ... like grass hay, alfalfa, oat, herb etc etc. I have two rabbits that are a year old and two rabbits that are 7 months old (and they have always been offered all sorts of hay - like I say I assumed all hay was good).
 
Sorry re the hay, I just assumed that all hay was good,

Nothing to be sorry for! :D all hay in general is good....rabbits can eat any variety of grass species in fact, but some are better than others. I would stick to a quality meadow or timothy hay for the main diet and add into this any other hay that you like! I would just watch the alfalfa now all your buns are nearly adult and leave that one out now. :D:wave:
 
Hey, sorry to hear Holly isn't doing too well poo wise. You really can't get worse for poo than one of my buns but she is fine now I have her diet sorted. I really think you are feeding too may pellets (sorry if you think I'm criticising), my 3 have 1 handful a day between them. I would also suggest swapping from excel to SS maybe. It's expensive but 1 handful a day really isn't expensive. As already suggested you should go for cutting out the veg and just giving one sort in order to try and work out what sets her off.

You are welcome to steal some SS mature from me if you wanted to try it before spending over a fiver on a bag. My youngest has been on mature from 10 months and he is really healthy.
 
Hey, sorry to hear Holly isn't doing too well poo wise. You really can't get worse for poo than one of my buns but she is fine now I have her diet sorted. I really think you are feeding too may pellets (sorry if you think I'm criticising), my 3 have 1 handful a day between them. I would also suggest swapping from excel to SS maybe. It's expensive but 1 handful a day really isn't expensive. As already suggested you should go for cutting out the veg and just giving one sort in order to try and work out what sets her off.

You are welcome to steal some SS mature from me if you wanted to try it before spending over a fiver on a bag. My youngest has been on mature from 10 months and he is really healthy.

Hey no, that is why I asked as I wanted to know if I was doing the right thing! I have cut down the pellets alot already - they used to get a bowl each, twice a day (the rabbits were seperate at the time so altogether that = 4 bowls x 2 a day!) and now they get 2 bowls (only leveled fill not full up) between the 4 of them and only once a day.

I have fed them some brocoli tonight, the other 3 had a head start and Holly just had a little at the end, so will keep an eye on them tomorrow and see what re-action that gets ....

I did try the SS a little while ago (mixed some in with the excel) but they didn't eat it!

I am just going to introduce some different 'green' veg every 3-4 days and see if it is just one veg that upsets her or veg in general and will slowly reduce down the pellets too and hopefully that will work.

totally off topic but any tips on litter training? Since moving into the shed, all 4 bunnies wont really use the trays I have. Bugs & Star did use them before Star went in for her op and these two will generally go in the same corner of the shed (I place the litter tray there and they generally chuck it out the way!) but the younger two still seem to go whereever they fancy!
 
i just feed my buns pellets very few, fresh hay and grass and dandelion leaves, i think this is a natural diet, i might be wrong but i don`t think buns need bought veg, they would`nt get it in the wild.:D
 
i just feed my buns pellets very few, fresh hay and grass and dandelion leaves, i think this is a natural diet, i might be wrong but i don`t think buns need bought veg, they would`nt get it in the wild.:D

No you're right they wouldn't and neither would they get a nice little bowl of carefully balanced pellets/cereal mix! :lol:
That's the point I was making about commercial veg grown specifically for human consumption being of little dental, digestive and nutritional benefit for rabbits...all starch and water. Vet dentist specialist David Crossley talks about this in his article on rabbit tooth root elongation.
However, few of us have the variety of wild plant species growing in our gardens that wild rabbits would have access to....such as clover, thistle, dandelions, blackberry, nettle, sheperds' purse, plantain, mallow, geranium, the list goes on....then tree bark, roots, all the grass species that grow wild, berries that fall to the floor etc. and therefore to mimick a natural diet in a domestic setting you may need to 'buy' the odd veg. This is why I always say buy veggies for the 'tops' these mimick wild plants much more than the root vegetable itself....carrot 'tops', celery 'tops' radish 'tops' etc...and fresh herbs....mint, parsley, thyme and other herb species can grow wild.
Not forgetting that wild buns rarely live longer than a year, but their domestic counterparts stretch on to 10 yrs and beyond with all their associated age-related changes that of course need more nutrition to support....hence an egg cup full of pellets is a good idea if you wish. :)
 
Back
Top