Content
- Newborn rabbit feeding
- Rabbit's nest is critical to your survival
- Newborn rabbit feeding
- Feeding the young rabbit
- Adult rabbit feeding
- Old Rabbit Feeding
- Prohibited food for rabbits
Domestic rabbits are mammals that belong to the order Lagomorph, that is, they are not rodents as they were considered until the 20th century, they are of a different order. Rabbits are social and intelligent animals with a life expectancy of over 10 years. As with dogs, several breeds of rabbits are currently found.
If you have decided to adopt a rabbit, it is important that you are properly informed about the most suitable diet for the rabbits, thus ensuring a good quality of life and positive health status. Have you ever wondered what is the best food for rabbits? What to offer a newborn rabbit? In this article by PeritoAnimal we will explain about the rabbit feed at all stages, from puppies to the elderly. Keep reading and discover the tips for your rabbit to be healthy, happy and well taken care of.
Newborn rabbit feeding
Baby rabbits are very delicate and need special care to survive. Usually it is the mother who should feed her babies with breast milk, however, if the female rejects the babies or dies, you must take care of feeding the newborn rabbit to ensure its survival.
It is important to emphasize that the chances of survival of baby rabbits are low if they are far from their mother, so if you take care of the newborn rabbits, we recommend that you visit a veterinarian to ensure their health and receive concrete advice accordingly. with the case.
Rabbit's nest is critical to your survival
Before starting to explain about the feeding of the newborn rabbit, it is important that you know about some care with the baby rabbits. For this, it is worth highlighting the creation of a "nest" space for rabbits or a safety zone. You can make it with a cardboard box, which will accommodate some fluffy towels or a fur rug, you can even combine several materials for make the rabbit's nest more comfortable and soft.
You should leave this nest in a quiet place, with no drafts or direct light. In addition, if winter is more severe in your country, you should pay attention to the temperature and offer a thicker blanket.
Newborn rabbit feeding
Feeding the newborn rabbit is not an easy task, for this reason it is recommended to seek help from a veterinarian who specializes in exotic animals so that they can accurately indicate the procedure. You should have a baby bottle with a small nipple (such as those used for kittens) or a syringe without a tip and specific milk for kittens, ie, rabbit breast milk is sold at veterinary centers, pet supply stores or online stores.
The amount of milk is around 3 milliliters during the first week of life. At this stage it is convenient to feed him about three times a day and supervise him regularly to ensure that everything is fine. Gradually increase the amount of milk until you reach 15 milliliters during 6 or 7 weeks. From the third week or so, leave small amounts of fresh hay within reach of your puppy so he can start experimenting.
Some important advice for feeding the newborn rabbit are:
- Always bet on specific products for rabbits;
- Feed your puppy horizontally, never like a human baby;
- Weigh the baby rabbit daily to ensure weight gain;
- Do not force the rabbit to eat as this can cause aspiration pneumonia;
- Visit the veterinarian if you notice that the puppy does not defecate or shows any symptoms of illness;
- Do not overstimulate the newborn rabbit, let it rest for the necessary hours.
Feeding the young rabbit
The weaning age is around 8 weeks. However, it is important to note that each rabbit has its own rhythm and that some start eating solid foods before or after 8 weeks. At this point it is already possible to keep him in a cage of adequate size. For the animal's well-being to be ensured, the minimum dimensions for the cage should be between 1 meter and 1.5 meters, but it can be higher if you have space. Do not forget to put a nest inside the cage so that the rabbit can take refuge.
From weaning to 6 months of life, the rabbit must have unlimited hay available in the cage, so you can ensure a good, active and healthy intestinal transit. It is important that the rabbit always have hay available as the intestinal transit for the rabbit could suffer from serious health problems. In addition, you should also offer good quality unlimited pellets, ie those made up of 18% fiber.
You can complete the rabbit feed with oats and start adding new foods diet, paying particular attention to fruits and vegetables recommended for rabbits. Due to the high sugar content, fruits should only be used as prizes, but you can start offering green leaves such as arugula, escarole, carrot leaves, etc. daily. In addition to food, the rabbit must always have fresh, clean water available.
Adult rabbit feeding
When your pet reaches 6 or 7 months of life it is already considered a adult rabbit. At that point your diet will change to prevent obesity. Any changes in the rabbit's diet should be done gradually, as this can lead to gastrointestinal problems.
O rabbit hay adult should be offered unlimitedly as it will continue to be the basis of food and the guarantee of good intestinal transit. So make sure it's fresh, good quality hay. If your rabbit doesn't seem interested in eating the hay or has stopped eating, you should take him to the veterinarian to rule out any health problems but you can also try to cheer him up with different types of hay and herbs, like alfalfa, shamrocks, Timothy hay, etc.
At this stage of your pet's life you should limit the amount of pellets, so it is recommended to review the amount indicated for adult rabbits on the back of the package. It usually varies depending on the age and weight of the rabbit. Confirm that the amount is adequate and if you have any questions or if your rabbit has weight changes you should contact the veterinarian.
Old Rabbit Feeding
when your rabbit completes six years means that you are entering old age. It is important that you spend more time and pay more attention to behavior, habits and droppings to detect any problems and ensure the daily socialization your pet needs.
Elderly rabbits continue to maintain the same diet as adult rabbits, however, in this case, an increase in pellets is necessary to maintain the rabbit's weight. If you start to notice a noticeable weight loss, it is highly recommended to evaluate together with your veterinarian if the feed dose is adequate.
Please note that the elderly rabbits need more affection and attention. Remember that a rabbit can live longer than 8 years, but this depends directly on the diet, care it receives and socialization.
Prohibited food for rabbits
In addition to explaining which food for rabbits is most suitable, it is important that you know what are the toxic food for your pet:
- Dry fruits;
- Seeds;
- Sugar;
- Salt;
- Fruit in syrup;
- Fat;
- Starch;
- iceberg lettuce;
- Potato;
- Onion;
- Garlic;
- Avocado;
- Chocolate.
Also, there are some toxic plants for rabbits, like:
- Tea leaves;
- Easter flower;
- Belladonna
- Orchids;
- Cacti;
- Ivy;
- Fern;
- Sardines;
- mistletoe;
- Narcissus;
- Cannabis;
- Aloe vera;
- Juniperus.
It is not recommended to offer human food or any animal derivative, remember that rabbits are herbivorous animals. Fresh food is much more beneficial to the rabbit's body and it will taste much more willingly, so always pay attention to the expiration date.
Now that you know more about rabbit nutrition, which fruits and vegetables are recommended, which foods and plants are prohibited, you are more prepared to adopt a bunny. Remember that wild rabbits or those that live on farms have another type of food, however, any domestic rabbit will benefit from the diets mentioned above.
Remember that any changes in your pet's behavior should be taken immediately to a trusted veterinarian. Only a professional can make a correct diagnosis and provide the most appropriate treatment according to the conditions and needs of the animal.