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Conflicting advice on broccoli

T

Teepee

Mama Doe
:wave:

Can somebody clear this up for me and "put me straight" on the matter of broccoli please?

On the thread in FAQ it is deemed by RU members as "safe for rabbits", however, elsewhere on the web it is recommended that bun doesn't have this. I assumed it was therefore (happy medium and all!) okay in "small amounts and probably not too regularly"...Then I came across advice that said: "DO NOT give your rabbit broccoli as it gives it wind. Rabbits can't pass wind so if you give them this they can die" (or similar - certainly the "do not" bit was in capitals !):shock::shock::shock:

Now I'm not too sure if it's okay for all/some/none bun and also whether sparingly/none best.:(

Thanks in advance for any enlightenment.

TP;)
 
it's so confusing isn't it?

like "yes" to parsley then you hear it's really high in calcium, drives me made!

generally i would avoid anything that could cause bloat of wind so i won't offer broccoli or cabbage, etc. i try and stick to things that are 100% safe. (or until i hear otherwise! :roll: :lol:)
 
Teepee said:
:wave:

Can somebody clear this up for me and "put me straight" on the matter of broccoli please?

On the thread in FAQ it is deemed by RU members as "safe for rabbits", however, elsewhere on the web it is recommended that bun doesn't have this. I assumed it was therefore (happy medium and all!) okay in "small amounts and probably not too regularly"...Then I came across advice that said: "DO NOT give your rabbit broccoli as it gives it wind. Rabbits can't pass wind so if you give them this they can die" (or similar - certainly the "do not" bit was in capitals !):shock::shock::shock:

Now I'm not too sure if it's okay for all/some/none bun and also whether sparingly/none best.:(

Thanks in advance for any enlightenment.

TP;)
Click to expand...

My interpretation of this is that rabbits who are prone to gastrointestinal dysfunction should not be fed broccoli or cauliflower as this can turn a stable gut into one which becomes bloated and full of gas. For those rabbits who are not prone to this it can be fed, however I would only feed it in small amounts to help reduce the probablility of problems occuring.
 
I have heard so much conflicting evidence too. I feed Arthur tiny florets of it as I'd heard that it causes gas. Same as Cabbage really I feed tiny amount of it.
 
Oh goodness I've fed it to all my buns before, but I'll make very sure they only have very small amounts now! :shock:
 
I usually only feed the stalky parts that we don't eat :) They usually let me have them for free from the supermarket, as people often break them off so they don't pay as much - they only get chucked away otherwise!

I think with any veg that causes wind in us [broccoli, sprouts, cabbage etc] should be introduced with caution and fed in moderation - I've never had any problems feeding broccoli 3 or so times a week, but I'm sure it depends on the bun :)
 
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my vet told me only the other day i should be feeding high fibre veg, broccoli, cabbage, kale and cauliflower.. i said what about the gas and he dimissed it as not a problem... he said obviously new foods should be fed in tiny amounts to avoid such problems... its good for the teeth so i shall be feeding it regulary from now on :)
 
You are supposed to watch the amount of greens you give your rabbit as it can upset their stomach,wind etc.Lettuce is a no no apparantly as it's of no nutritional value,but i would give mine a wee bit as a treat and it never did them any harm.Just make sure you vary the vegetable,fruit diet with their dry feed and hay.If it's something they haven't had before just give them wee bits to get them used to it.:wave:
 
I feed mine broccoli every day as well as spring greens, brussell sprouts and carrot. They have 2 of the little broccoli heads and a bit of stalk each, a spring green leaf each, 2 or 3 brussells and quarter of a large carrot.
I've fed them the same things since they were 6 months old and the oldest two are now 4 years old and none of them have ever had any tummy problems.
 
Most of them get fed broccolli on a frequent but not daily basis. Fudge on the other hand will only really eat brocolli and carrot at the moment (he's poorly), he has broccoli in large amounts which the vet said is fine, better to eat that than nothing!!! He has never had any tummy problems or bloat because of it! :D
 
my bunnies have always had a small piece of brocolli daily - about the size of a ping-pong ball, and not so much stalk as the stalk is what gives them wind. I started them off with just a tiny tiny piece for a week or so, and even now if they don't have any for a couple of days I give them slightly less than normal for a day, just incase - they do love it though and do the back twitching thing while eating it :)
 
My buns get broccoli and sprouts and they love it, they're not so keen on cabbage though. I've not had any problems with gas so far.
 
To...abbymarysmokey and anyone that could give me advice :)

I have just read your comment and i have the same problem but i do not know what has cause my rabbit to have gas, see forum on soft droppings for my whole problem. I was wondering how do you get your bun to pass gas or have you got any advice on how to get rid of the gas, any methods or types of food etc.
any advice would be great :)
 
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mine have brocolli every day and it doesn't cause any problems with wind. However, nothing seems to have caused any digestive upset with these guys, except for readigrass. Possibly in buns who are prone to trouble it might cause wind.
 
Blacktiger1991 said:
To...abbymarysmokey and anyone that could give me advice :)

I have just read your comment and i have the same problem but i do not know what has cause my rabbit to have gas, see forum on soft droppings for my whole problem. I was wondering how do you get your bun to pass gas or have you got any advice on how to get rid of the gas, any methods or types of food etc.
any advice would be great :)
Click to expand...

Your rabbit needs vetinary attention, this is not something you can treat yourself.

When your rabbit has recovered I would suggest you avoid broccoli, cauliflower, sprouts as with some buns this can provoke illness in the form of bloat, with your rabbit who has had an episode of bloat, the least you can feed which potentially causes problems the better.

It is the same in humans some people can tolerate one type of food others cannot.
 
Can I just ask:

How please will I know if my rabbits suffer gas from broccoli?:?
If they do experience problems from consuming it how would I know to avoid it in the future? As rabbits are good at hiding pain am I looking for other signs such as a change in droppings or similar?

TP - Who has just fed her buns a little floret each and is now watching them like a hawk.:oops:
 
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