Rabbit Nutrition

Rabbits need a constant supply of hay as fibre is vital to their digestion and forms the bulk of their diet. Good quality hay such as Oxbow Timothy Hay is recommended. In addition you will need to feed your rabbit a commercial rabbit mix to ensure that they are receiving all the correct nutrients. There are a large variety of rabbit feeds on the market however it is important that rabbits do not selectively feed i.e. only eat the yummy bits and leave the rest. For a rabbit to have a good balanced diet it must eat every part of the feed therefore it is recommended that you feed your rabbit a pellet based mix. This way all the bits are the same and your rabbit cannot selectively feed. A commercial pellet mix should be given in addition to hay. An example of a good readily available pellet mix is the Excel® Supa Rabbit. It also comes in a junior or light version. 

An adult rabbit needs a food that has a fibre content of around 18-20%. They should also be fed fresh fruit, vegetables, plants or flowers daily. Examples include carrots, cabbage, celery, cauliflower leaves, dandelions, raspberries, strawberries and bananas. Poisonous plants and foods best to avoid include potato tops, carrot tops, tomato leaves, ivy and lettuce.

Rabbits are copraphagic (meaning to eat their own faeces) as this way they obtain maximum nutrition. The faeces that they re-eat is often sticky and irregular in shape and stuck around the rabbit's bottom. It is completely normal for a rabbit to do this and should not be prevented. The final faeces which are NOT re-eaten are the small ball like pellets so these can be removed with daily cleaning.

Protexin® Fibreplex is an oral paste, which can be used in rabbits and other small animals. It contains prebiotics and probiotics, which help to encourage normal digestive function. It prevents gut stasis and enteritis, stabilises gut flora and assists in digestive efficiency improving feed utilisation and weight gain. Gut stasis is when the guts stop moving and stop producing faeces. This can be caused by pain, dental problems, low fibre in the diet, stress, heat stroke or if the rabbit ingests too much fur whilst grooming. Gut stasis can be fatal if left untreated. Enteritis is inflammation and swelling of the intestines which can cause abdominal pains, dehydration and may lead to gut stasis.

Oxbow® Critical Care can also be used in the diet. This is a powder which when mixed with water forms a paste. Critical care can be syringe fed to rabbits if they are having difficulties eating on their own. It also helps the digestive system function and keeps the guts healthy.