What Do Rabbits Eat?
If you have just gotten a new pet rabbit, you should quickly find out what rabbits eat. You want to keep your new pet happy, and part of that is knowing what kinds of food you give her. Since you don’t want her to get fat, you want to provide treats and foods that are good for her. Keeping your rabbit healthy by giving them the right food is going to pay off in saved vet bills and will give you a happier rabbit.
Pet rabbits have a more controlled diet. Most vets advise that you feed your pet rabbit a mixture of Timothy grass and alfalfa grass with rabbit pellets. The pellets are made to include all the vitamins and nutrients that you rabbit will need to stay healthy.
Many people place the alfalfa grass in a block that will allow their pet rabbits to sharpen their teeth as they eat. The pellets that they consume are already broken down into partially digested nutrients to aid their ingestion.
Maintaining a diet that is high in fiber is very important for your rabbits digestive health. It keeps the digestion working the way it is supposed to and keeps the intestines clean.
Treats
You can give your rabbits special treats such as small amounts of steam rolled oats and barley for breakfast to give them energy for the day.
Your rabbit needs to be fed twice a day to insure adequate food intake and to make sure they have time to allow their digestive tract to process their food. Rewarding them with treats is always fun to do, but remember to not overdo it. It should be a treat and not a routine thing. As long as you keep it infrequent, they will appreciate it and love you more when they get it.
Your rabbit will enjoy bits of fruits and vegetables as a change of pace in their diet. You can supplement their normal food with a small amount of fresh produce clippings from your garden or bits of fruit. Most stems or leafy greens from the garden are good choices, but they would also enjoy some pieces of the actual vegetable, as well. Carrots, tomatoes, peas and spinach will always be a hit. Try to stay away from too many items that are high in sugar as they can lead your rabbit down the path to obesity.
Picky Eating
If your rabbit becomes a selective eater, it is best to resort to a pellet based food from a feed supply store. Eating selectively will not provide good health for your rabbit and can lead to other more severe problems. The feeds are designed to provide the correct nutrients, fiber and carbohydrates for the health of your rabbit.
Commercial feeds also provide the right vitamins and minerals for the overall health. The pelletized food will also help the rabbit keep their teeth in good health. The abrasive nature of the pellets will help keep these teeth trimmed down. If your rabbit teeth are not being taken good care of through their food you may want to place an abrasive stone in the cage with them.
Rabbits Are Efficient Eaters
In the wild, rabbits eat tender shoots of grass, weeds and wild flowers. They spend most of their days eating. They select grass shoots and eat them completely before they move along and find another area to graze.
They are very efficient eaters. They process their food twice by excreting the food as sticky pellets after a first coarse digestion. They then consume the pellets, allowing them to continue digesting and ensuring that they remove all the nutrients from the grass that they eat.
Dehydration
One problem with rabbits that is very easy to remedy is that they are prone to dehydration. All you need to do to solve the problem is to make sure that they always have plenty of water to drink. To avoid getting their food wet and generating a problem with diarrhea, make sure the food bowl and water container are well separated. This would only make the dehydration problem worse.