Oxbow rabbit food comparison

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Number1Sticky

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Just curious which you guys think is best for a female spayed 9 1/2 year old mini rex. Not worried about the cost. Just want the best. Or I could always mix formulas.

Also I give her joint and senior supplements from oxbow.

Essentials
Garden Select
Natural Science
Organic

Essentials
Ingredients
Timothy Grass Meal, Soybean Hulls, Soybean Meal, Cane Molasses, Wheat Middlings, Sodium Bentonite, Soybean Oil, Salt, Lignin Sulfonate, Hydrolyzed Yeast, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Sulfate, Yeast Culture, Zinc Proteinate, Niacin, Copper Sulfate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Manganous Oxide, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Magnesium Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Vitamin A Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Proteinate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Cobalt Carbonate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Iodate

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein min 14.00%
Crude Fat min 2.00%
Crude Fiber min 25.00%
Crude Fiber max 29.00%
Moisture max 10.00%
Calcium min 0.35%
Calcium max 0.75%
Phosphorus min 0.25%
Vitamin A (min) 10,000 IU/kg
Vitamin D (min) 900 IU/kg
Vitamin E (min) 190 IU/kg

Garden Select
Ingredients
Timothy Grass, Oat Grass, Orchard Grass, Oat Hulls, Canola Meal, Whole Barley, Whole Yellow Pea, Tomato Pomace (dehydrated), Calcium Sulfate, Flaxseed, Lignin Sulfonate, Salt, Canola Oil, Sodium Bentonite, Rosemary, Thyme, L-Ascorbyl-2-Monophosphate (Vitamin C), Hydrolyzed Yeast, Inulin, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Yeast Culture (dehydrated), Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Niacin, Copper Sulfate, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Manganous Oxide, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Magnesium Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Proteinate, Pyridoxine Hydrochlorine, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Cobalt Carbonate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Iodate

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (min) 12.00%
Crude Fat (min) 2.50%
Crude Fiber (min) 22.00%
Crude Fiber (max) 26.00%
Moisture (max) 10.00%
Calcium (min) 0.35%
Calcium (max) 0.75%
Phosphorus (min) 0.25%
Vitamin A (min) 10,000 IU/kg
Vitamin D (min) 900 IU/kg
Vitamin E (min) 190 IU/kg

Natural Science
Ingredients
Timothy Grass, Orchard Grass, Oat Grass, Oat Hulls, Canola Meal, Whole Yellow Pea, Whole Barley, Tomato Pomace (dehydrated), Cane Molasses, Flax Seed, Yeast Culture (dehydrated), Sodium Bentonite, Salt, Lignin Sulfonate, Calcium Carbonate, Dried Rosemary, Dried Thyme, L-Ascorbyl-2-Monophosphate (Vitamin C), Inulin, Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Copper Sulfate, Selenium Yeast, Vitamin A Supplement, Folic Acid, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Copper Proteinate, Riboflavin Supplement, Manganese Proteinate, Biotin, Manganous Oxide, Thiamine Mononitrate, Magnesium Sulfate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Cobalt Carbonate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Calcium Iodate

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (min) 12.00%
Crude Fat (min) 3.00%
Crude Fiber (min) 22.00%
Crude Fiber (max) 26.00%
Moisture (max) 10.00%
Calcium (min) 0.40%
Calcium (max) 0.80%
Phosphorus (min) 0.35%
Copper (min) 35 mg/kg
Vitamin A (min) 19,000 IU/kg (min)
Vitamin D (min) 900 IU/kg (min)
Vitamin E (min) 190 IU/kg (min)
Omega 3 Fatty Acid (min) 0.45%
Omega 6 Fatty Acid (min) 0.90%

Organic
Ingredients
Organic Grass Hay, Organic Canola Meal, Organic Wheat Straw, Organic Sunflower Meal, Organic Barley, Organic Flax Seed, Sodium Bentonite, Limestone, Sea Salt, L-Ascorbyl-2-Monophosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Organic Dandelion Leaf, Organic Ground Rosemary, Inulin, Organic Cranberry, Organic Blueberry, Dried Yucca Schidigera, Yeast Culture Dehydrated, Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Copper Sulfate, Selenium Yeast, Vitamin A Supplement, Folic Acid, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Copper Proteinate, Riboflavin Supplement, Manganese Proteinate, Biotin, Manganous Oxide, Thiamine Mononitrate, Magnesium Sulfate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Cobalt Carbonate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Calcium Iodate

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (min) 12.00%
Crude Fat (min) 2.00%
Crude Fiber (min) 23.00%
Crude Fiber (max) 25.00%
Moisture (max) 12.00%
Ash (max) 9.00%
Calcium (min) 0.60%
Calcium (max) 0.90%
Phosphorus (min) 0.30%
Copper (min) 25 ppm
Vitamin A 19,000 IU/kg (min)
Vitamin D 900 IU/kg (min)
Vitamin E 190 IU/kg (min)
Omega 3 Fatty Acid (min) 0.30%
Omega 6 Fatty Acid (min) 0.41%
 
Natural Science was my favorite, but it is gone now- they stopped making it. I think now I'm going to switch over to either the Organic or their new one- the Garden Select. I'm probably personally leaning toward organic because of the omegas- which would be particularly helpful in an older rabbit- they help to prevent arthritis/ inflammation. (I am not a fan of the organic label- I tend to avoid things labeled organic or GMO free due to personal beliefs, but I prefer the guaranteed analysis).

For the future- the most important aspects of the rabbit food are: the protein (in NON GIANT breeds) should be low (giant breeds need more protein) and the fiber crude fiber should be high. Calcium should be lowish, but not too low (0.4-0.8% or close to that is fine). Other than that, benefits are low fat, phosphorous should be ~0.3% (some variation is fine, it needs to be there, but should be small like that) and vitamins A and D are important. Vitamin E is important in the older animals, but not as essential as the other two. Any food with Omega 3 and 6 (for all pets) in my opinion gets a special bonus- they help decrease arthritis risk, can help a little if the animal already has arthritis, and have even been shown to reduce the risk of most cancers (in people and dogs and cats, I'm not sure if there have technically been any studies in rabbits, but in this case- a mammal is a mammal is a mammal). The omegas are why we take fish oil and/or flax seed.

Technically ingredients don't matter, just the molecules (the body doesn't need ingredients, but nutrients to quote a dog food company). However, in rabbits, the protein content is too high in alfalfa based pellets and thus we rabbit people avoid it in our non-giant breeds.

(Sorry, nutrition is a favorite subject of mine). I hope this helps you to decide, and isn't too much information!
 
Thank you that's very helpful!! I think what I'm going to do is mix their 3 formulas. The garden select is basically the same natural science. Currently I'm mixing the natural science and organic. I still have 2 bags of the NS left. So I'll just use that up and then switch to the garden select.

Also your bunny is very cute. Looks a lots line mine. :)

I do have to say the one thing I disagree with is ingredients do matter. I understand about the nutrients. But it makes a big difference where those nutrients are coming from. Just like calories. There are good calories and there are bad calories.
 
(I thoroughly enjoy discussion- so I'm going to disagree back :p)

A calorie is a calorie is a calorie. A calorie (technically what we eat are kCal) is the energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1C. No matter where it comes from. If you eat 40,000 kCal in veggies per day, you will be more fat than eating 2,000 kCal in donuts per day- our bodies store all extra energy the same way. Our bodies cannot tell the difference between tryptophan from corn, tryptophan from beef, tryptophan from hay (in the case of our herbivores). Digestibility (whether our bodies can get it out or not) is dependent on source and cooking, but you can technically make any ingredient work so long as you cook it right.

The reason veggies are 'good' calories is because they ALSO have other nutrients (calcium, iron, vitamins) and very little fat compared to donuts. But anything which is low fat and high in the macro- and micro-minerals and vitamins is healthy- no matter where it came from. This is why a variety of diets will work for different people/animals. This is why some people can be vegetarian or even vegan and be healthy or unhealthy and omnivorous people can be healthy or unhealthy. And why there are so many different pet food brands and types (e.g. raw, grain free, organic etc.). Our bodies are remarkable machines in terms of getting nutrients out, no matter where they start.
 
I bought a bag of garden select recently for my 6-year-old since they carry it at Petco. At first I was very confused by all the varieties, but I noticed the nutritional values on the varieties are very similar. I'd say the ingredients seem better since it includes more hay instead of soy, but it might not matter too much. I noticed the garden pellets are greener and have a fairly strong herbal scent. My rabbit seems to really like it.
 

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