Exposed Rabbit Health Secrets

What to Feed your Rabbit, to Keep them Healthy

Okay, so here’s the number one question and one of the most important, asked, by Rabbit owners, when discussing their rabbit.

‘What should I feed my rabbit?’

When I give the answer, I often get a look of puzzlement or disbelief, as many new rabbit owners, and even some ‘more experienced’ rabbit enthusiasts, are under the impression rabbits can eat all manner of things and stay healthy.

Well, they can’t! 

For example, something I often tell people that ask this question is, do not give your rabbit lettuce. Some say to me, ‘well we had a rabbit for years and always fed them lettuce’.  Well, you know what? With that rabbit, they just got lucky because with a different rabbit, they wouldn’t be so lucky, and lettuce can cause the rabbit serious digestive problems.

Rabbits have a very sensitive digestive system. They cannot expel gas in any way and therefore if fed the wrong foods, the gas builds up, leading to bloating and possible G I Stasis, which is a fatal complaint.

When asked, by anyone, I always say, ‘Think of what a rabbit eats in the wild, in its natural habitat and surroundings’, and when they do that, it becomes clear that perhaps what they are feeding their rabbit is not such a good idea, after all.

Have you ever seen a rabbit eating that muesli type mix, also known as ‘rabbit mix’ in the wild? Or noticed a rabbit munching on lettuce, cucumber, radishes, biscuits, bread or even chocolate in its natural surroundings? The simple answer is NO. 

Sure, you may get a rabbit straying onto a farmer’s lettuce patch or similar, but how do you know that rabbit doesn’t go away and have nasty digestive problems? Answer is, you don’t.

In any event, there are different species of wild rabbits, throughout the world, living in different habitats, and many of those species would not even have access to vegetables such as lettuce.

Of course, you might give your rabbit certain vegetables or nibbles of biscuits or chocolate for a while, without any trouble. But if you continually do this, after a while the rabbit can start having problems, and you will be unsure what it is.

Then if you’re lucky, and the rabbit survives, you have to change the diet and that can be a big problem for a rabbit.

Okay, so what does a rabbit eat in the wild or in its natural habitat/surroundings?

Well, the answer is they graze on a mixture of grasses and all sorts of plant material (hay is a mixture of the same), and undergrowth including wild growing herbs (some of which we use) and fallen leaves etc. 

And guess what? Even then, wild rabbits probably eat something they shouldn’t. Yet, it has to be said, that it’s very rare for wild rabbits to get some of the complaints domesticated pet rabbits commonly get. 

Time and time again worried rabbit owners take their rabbit to the vets with a problem, where if the rabbit had of been on the correct diet, there would never have been the need for a visit to the vets in the first place, thereby saving the rabbit pain and/or discomfort, and your worry AND money.

So, let’s look at what you should actually feed your rabbit.

1. Hay! 

Some rabbit owners think hay is just for bedding, and very often substitute it with straw. Please don’t do this!

Hay has to be the main part of a rabbit’s diet. Around 75% or 80% of their diet must be hay. Okay, you don’t sit there with a set of scales weighing what is 80%, but just make sure the rabbit always has plenty of good quality fresh hay to eat, and graze on. 

The hay should be a good quality meadow hay, grass hay or timothy hay. Alfalfa hay is best avoided, since it is high in calories and may make your rabbit fat. Do not feed