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Fresh Wet Grass

Den

Mama Doe
Not mown cuttings but freshly growing wet grass. This if an outside rabbit has access to it daily and can chose to eat it.

If a rabbit eats this will it cause a rabbits stomach to swell and eventually kill it?

I'm fairly confident of the answer but am in a FB debate that it's ok for a wild rabbit but not a pet rabbit.

Thanks in advance.
 
I would say it's ok for a rabbit to eat wet grass, if you give them wet greens then why not wet grass.
 
It's fine - only exception might be if it is a young rabbit that hasn't had fresh grass before and should be introduced gradually. The rabbit should also have somewhere dry to shelter if they choose to.
 
Of course that's no problem per se, that's what rabbits digestion evolved with. Pet rabbits are still very close to wild ones, they are not domesticated for that long that there's much difference.

One thing is to consider: The rabbit has to be used to fresh grass, putting a rabbit that lived on hay and pellets alone in the middle of the meadow, no matter if dry or wet, will quite likely cause problems.
Introduce fresh grass slowly, like everything else, and offer it consistently every day (not just once a week, they would gobble it down like treats and their gut might not be adjusted).
If wet or not dosn't make any difference.
My rabbits get grass and forage whenever possible (90% of their food in summer), from spring to snow, in every weather, even when it's frozen. They eat it anyway when they are in the garden.

In my opinion, that "don't feed wet grass to rabbits"-myth comes from the observation that a pile of wet grass gets warm and spoils faster than dry grass, but in a hay rack it drains and drys faster than it spoils. Same thing with "don't feed warm grass", if it's getting warm by itself it's because bacteria are multiplying and spoiling it, but that doesn't mean that you can't feed grass in summer. That may be relevant for farm rabbits when you throw in a big pile grass once a day.

Mine don't touch spoiled grass anyway, but will nibble wilted stuff outside - when they have the chance to get used to it they know pretty good what they can stomach. Grazing wet grass is no problem whatsoever. When new to it, let him out a few minutes, 2 times a day, or start feeding him a small amount (start with half a fist full per day or so) now and then, and making that longer every day, should be fine after a week or so.

Rain doesn't bother them much, but they really do need a dry place sheltered from wind to rectreat if it's too much.
 
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One more thing - since every rabbit is different, and there are rare examples of problems with green stuff, keep a close eye on his poop and his behaviour, when something is amiss cut out the new stuff and try again later, more slowly.
 
Our bunnies nutritional needs aren't any different to wild bunnies (maybe they need less calcium as not reproducing) - I say let bunnies help themselves to lovely wet green grass
 
Not mown cuttings but freshly growing wet grass. This if an outside rabbit has access to it daily and can chose to eat it.

If a rabbit eats this will it cause a rabbits stomach to swell and eventually kill it?

I'm fairly confident of the answer but am in a FB debate that it's ok for a wild rabbit but not a pet rabbit.

Thanks in advance.


Fresh, wet grass is fine :D

After all, when a rabbit is poorly, we are told to wet their greens to get more moisture into them, aren't we?
 
Fresh, wet grass is fine :D

After all, when a rabbit is poorly, we are told to wet their greens to get more moisture into them, aren't we?

Exactly. The person I'm 'debating' with doesn't think it's worth vaccinating as she's had no problems in the past.

I despair.

Eta - Sorry I wasn't clear, this wasn't about my rabbits, they have regular access to grass. This was someone on a Facebook group asking if it was ok for her rabbits to keep part of their outside setup on grass during the winter when it was wet. Another person said if rabbits ate wet grass it would kill them.:evil:

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Exactly. The person I'm 'debating' with doesn't think it's worth vaccinating as she's had no problems in the past.

I despair.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

I agree with others, I think it's perfectly fine to give wet grass.

Btw, not to be insensitive, but if the person had had problems in the past, then she may no longer have a rabbit to vaccinate :(
 
I agree with others, I think it's perfectly fine to give wet grass.

Btw, not to be insensitive, but if the person had had problems in the past, then she may no longer have a rabbit to vaccinate :(

No - maybe I wasn't clear. She said as none of her rabbits have ever caught myxamatosis or RVHD1 and 2 previously (ie no past problems) she didn't see the point in vaccinating.:evil:
 
No - maybe I wasn't clear. She said as none of her rabbits have ever caught myxamatosis or RVHD1 and 2 previously (ie no past problems) she didn't see the point in vaccinating.:evil:

Yes, I understood that :) What I meant was, that if people decided to wait and see whether their rabbits ever caught Myx or RVHD 1/2, as criteria to help them decide whether or not to vaccinate, it might be too late for that decision anyway.
 
Yes, I understood that :) What I meant was, that if people decided to wait and see whether their rabbits ever caught Myx or RVHD 1/2, as criteria to help them decide whether or not to vaccinate, it might be too late for that decision anyway.

Sorry, it was me that misunderstood then.:oops:

This person has rabbits currently. By the very nature of some of some of her posts, I (possibly wrongly) assume she's a breeder.

So I used a few of every ones ideas and replied as follows:-

"I'm sorry but that is incorrect.

A pet rabbit's digestive system and nutritional needs are the same as a wild rabbits.

Clearly pet rabbits should not be allowed on grass that has been treated (weedkiller/lawnfood etc) and if a pet rabbit is not used to regular grass then they should be introduced to it gradually (whether wet or dry) but with rabbits who have constant access to grass there should not be a problem.

After all it is recommended to wet grass, herbs and veg when bunnies are poorly to help keep them hydrated."

And she replied thus:-

"absolutely disagree-washing greens is completely different from giving wet grass-if you want to expose your rabbits at risk-at least do not advise others to do that"

I'm shocked and have not responded further.
 
Sorry, it was me that misunderstood then.:oops:

This person has rabbits currently. By the very nature of some of some of her posts, I (possibly wrongly) assume she's a breeder.

So I used a few of every ones ideas and replied as follows:-

"I'm sorry but that is incorrect.

A pet rabbit's digestive system and nutritional needs are the same as a wild rabbits.

Clearly pet rabbits should not be allowed on grass that has been treated (weedkiller/lawnfood etc) and if a pet rabbit is not used to regular grass then they should be introduced to it gradually (whether wet or dry) but with rabbits who have constant access to grass there should not be a problem.

After all it is recommended to wet grass, herbs and veg when bunnies are poorly to help keep them hydrated."

And she replied thus:-

"absolutely disagree-washing greens is completely different from giving wet grass-if you want to expose your rabbits at risk-at least do not advise others to do that"

I'm shocked and have not responded further.


Den ... don't throw your pearls before swine, I say :lol:
 
There is no point in arguing about beliefs, doesn't help anybody. She sure heard that all her life many times from people who raised rabbits all their life, it is common myth here too. A farmer down the road says it, and he also strictly beliefes that rats can impregnate rabbits, that's his explanation why one of his does had an agouti litter - ignorant of small wild rabbits that fit through normal fences easily.

Myxo hit me in my first year with rabbits, hadn't any idea it existed, and it rears it's ugly head only every 6-8 years when the wild rabbit population has recovered enough in numbers to spread the disease. So, even when for 5 years there isn't any problem, the next wave will come.
 
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