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Nutrition of large breed bunnies.

FunnyBunnyRunny

Warren Scout
I am trying to find out as much as I can about the care of large breed rabbits before I get my Frenchie, I read on the Rabbit Rehome site that supplimentation with a vitamin suppliment may be a good idea for a junior big bunn to help guard against problems in later life.
I am planning on feeding my rabbit when it arrives on ad-lib timothy hay, free flow( within reason and keeping an eye on weight gain) Excel Junior , up until 6 months of age and occasional veggies, my Lionhead has been on this diet and is now a very fit and healthy 10 month old who is not carrying excess weight, he is now eating hay as his main staple with 20 gms of Excel per day ( this is about a small eggcup full).
Should I suppliment the baby French Lop's diet and if so with what?
Any help from those more experienced will be much appreciated.
 
Personally I would not supplement a giant breed rabbit. Too much will make it grow too quickly and could cause joint problems in later life! I fed my British Giant like any other bunny and he was perfectly healthy until a liver disease took hold of him!

Vera
 
LurcherGirl said:
Personally I would not supplement a giant breed rabbit. Too much will make it grow too quickly and could cause joint problems in later life! I fed my British Giant like any other bunny and he was perfectly healthy until a liver disease took hold of him!

Vera

Yes this would have been my take in it too, Rabbit Rehome say on their site however that it may be wise to suppliment to guard against joint problems etc, personally I would think that if the rabbit is fed ad lib quality food ( keeping the bun to a healthy weight and growth rate ) that this would be enough while it is very young. I've studied the growth and nutrition of large breed dogs in some detail as regards avoiding over-supplimentation and too rapid growth leading to developmental bone disorders and skeletal abnormalities, I guess that with some common sense the same principles apply to other mammals.
 
I was never told to give Zeus any supplements. I do make sure he gets some high calcium veg at least once a week to keep his bones strong (and also access to sunlight) but what you suggested sounds like a perfectly fine diet to me.

The main problems with giants are usually that their organs can't cope with the excess size so my vet recommends keeping the giants on the slim side to cut down on strain as much as possible.

Caz
 
We don't really do anything different with Boscov (French lop) except increase his pellets compared to the little buns. He's left all day with nowt but hay and water, and then in the evening he gets some veggies and a bowl of pellets. I would personally only give supplements to a bunny with a known medical condition which required them. A healthy diet should provide your bunny with all the vitamins it needs.
 
I've studied the growth and nutrition of large breed dogs in some detail as regards avoiding over-supplimentation and too rapid growth leading to developmental bone disorders and skeletal abnormalities, I guess that with some common sense the same principles apply to other mammals

That's exactely where I am coming from... :)
 
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