Fenugreek....Im thinking maybe its not so good....?

Hi all! Was thinking about add fenugreek into some baking ideas for rabbit treas...as it seems that fenugreek crunchies are a delcious treat for the buns...mine have not yet tried them...but was thinkig perhaps to add them to what I have here...so did a bit of research...and am now wondering if they are really good for rabbit at all:?
Seems they stimulate the uteris......theres abit of info below...any thought on here?

Also if they are effective in this sense & we have spayed & neutered rabbits...would this still effect as such?

Im starting to think that this is another thing that rabbits would not usually eat in the wild...but love anyway:?

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16472574

http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_fenugreek.htm

I would have thought that the leaves would probably only be used rather than the seeds. I've never known anyone ever have a problem using the stuff either which is probably a more reliable outcome than what was seen in that paper.

Helen xx

Fenugreek is added to Science Selective food, I doubt they would add it to a rabbit food if it was bad for them........surely?

According to the website where I buy dog supplements fenugreek is used in food products as an appetite stimulant.

Blackberry & Co said:

According to the website where I buy dog supplements fenugreek is used in food products as an appetite stimulant.

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No wonder our bunnies nearly have our hand off with this stuff!!
I bought my lot the sprouts last yr.......they loved em fresh!!

If it only affects fertility then it won't harm neutered rabbits. It is only really something that a breeder would be concerned with. I have read somewhere before that you are not supposed to feed it to pregnant females because it can stimulate early uterine contractions.

Pegasys said:

If it only affects fertility then it won't harm neutered rabbits. It is only really something that a breeder would be concerned with. I have read somewhere before that you are not supposed to feed it to pregnant females because it can stimulate early uterine contractions.

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good to hear all your comments.....! I thought it cant be bad as its in so much bun stuff -but then thought - well I dont actually know!:?

I can see the pregnant doe thing...makes sense....

Hmmm i'm finding it worrying to be honest. What effect does this stimulation have on the hormones of entire does-as in those too young for spay? And even those who are done-it must be a chemical reaction with hormones whichs causes this effect. Going to look further into it I think-i wonder if there are any effects on males-obviously not on the uterus side but hormone wise.

linzi1loveanimals said:

Hmmm i'm finding it worrying to be honest. What effect does this stimulation have on the hormones of entire does-as in those too young for spay? And even those who are done-it must be a chemical reaction with hormones whichs causes this effect. Going to look further into it I think-i wonder if there are any effects on males-obviously not on the uterus side but hormone wise.

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Yeah - def worth abit of research....update us with anythiung else you find...always keen to learn!

Well done findingg info about animals rather than humans. :thumb:

Looking at the 2 sites given I wouldn't worry about the hormonal effects on the uterus & testes in neutered buns, cos the parts aren't there.
It occurs to me that if a doe was very hormonal before neuter, oestrogens may set off behavioural problems if they're the right sort.

Sounds a good way to stimulate the appetite & weight gain in a bun who's lost weight during illness.

I'm mainly concerned about concentrated starches & sugars in many commercial treats. A bun's gut isn't really designed to handle them. Unfortunately buns are "hard wired" to go for sugar, cos their natural diet is low in it. A high sugar plant is a very rare bonus. It's about the only area where buns go for something which isn't good for them in large quantities.:lol:
Of course we tend to give our buns treats in larger quantities more regularly.

I haven't read the full scientific article but I think it's pretty unlikely you're going to get anywhere near 30% of a diet made up of them if your just adding it as flavouring to treats. Anything fed in that excess is likely to have consequences.

Hmmm i'm wondering if last weeks purchase of these highly recommended treats is the reason for my two girls suddenly becoming more stroppy? They're not done yet. Bramble is about 3.5 months but being a giant she is able to be done-my vet has agreed this so she will be after my op-as I want to be fit enough to provide her after care, and misty is going to be far too small till 5-6 month old I think.
They had already started being a bit minxy but this week it's got a bit more destructive and moody! I'm gonna knock the crunchies on the head for them I think just incase! I don't tend to give my buns many treats. They have some protexin fibre before bed. A pinch each. I used to give treats regularly but find more hay is eaten now biscuity pet treats have been taken out of the mix. mean aren't I lol!

The list of ingredients on fenugreek crunchies is fenugreek & ground corn, which is why I don't mind letting my boys have one each a day, cos they're not bound with honey or other sugary stuff like some treats.

Blackberry & Co said:

The list of ingredients on fenugreek crunchies is fenugreek & ground corn, which is why I don't mind letting my boys have one each a day, cos they're not bound with honey or other sugary stuff like some treats.

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i was getting worried then i changed casper and poppys treat to crunchies a few months ago, hope its ok they have oone each in the morning and one each when they go to bed i thought it was good for them