Re: Alfalfa vs Timothy

[MsBinky]

Grrrrrrrrrr lost my post...

Taken from: http://www.wisconsinhrs.org/Articles/Pellet%20Types.htm

The second special circumstance is for rabbits who have problems metabolizing calcium. This one is still rather a mystery. Rabbits are different from most animals in that their intestinal tract sucks up dietary calcium and puts it into the blood; most other animals (including people) have less efficient absorption of dietary calcium. This normally isn’t a problem, because the bunny’s excess calcium is just excreted in the urine. Rabbits are built to do that.

 

[MsBinky]

Posting in parts as I cannot post my message:

2nd part:

However, this process can go wrong in some rabbits, for reasons we don’t understand. An active infection of E. cuniculi may be one such cause; in humans, a urinary tract infection can trigger this. In those bunnies, instead of calcium being sent out the urine, it precipitates in the bladder and/or kidney. This can lead to bladder “sludge” and stones, and sometimes kidney calcification. Stones and sludge can be painful to pass, and may increase the risk for urinary tract infections. You can see this if the rabbit is straining to urinate, has urine with a mustard-like consistency, or (in fact) has little-to-no calcium in the urine. (Some calcium powder in the urine is normal and healthy.)

 

[MsBinky]

Ok my problem:

So if I understood correctly, some rabbits have problems while others don't. Those that do have problems though have serious effects from the high calcium content.

So how would one go about knowing if their bunny processes it correctly? My concern is that I am pretty sure that people are feeding alfalfa to their bun without really knowing if it is processing it well. Because if I understood, a good sign that it is going well is having calcium in the urine whereas a possible problem won't present any signs until it is serious? Am I getting this right? :?

Ipersonally wouldn't risk it seeing that there is the potential to have calcifications and stones and all that. But if there is a way to know for sure, then that is really a different situation.

So would someone mind explaining it because I am really confused and I'm quite embarassed about having given the wrong information. :embarrassed:

 

[Hazel-Mom]

Not sure what the original topic was, but the same article you post exerpts from also says this:

"This varies, however, with the stage of hay that is used, so always read the label on the back of the bag to verify the actual protein and calcium content. (For example, late bloom alfalfa and early bloom timothy have the same protein content.) Is one better than the other? For most rabbits, not really. This is because we feed limited pellet amounts to our rabbits, and therefore the rabbits are not receiving an excess of protein or calcium. If your rabbit is maintaining a steady weight, then you are probably feeding the right amount. Here at the main foster home for Wisconsin HRS, all our rabbits receive a low calorie, alfalfa-based pellet (Purina HF, or “high fiber”), and we have not seen protein or calcium problems in the nearly 400 rabbits who have passed through our facility."

So it looks like it all depends on the actual protein and calcium content of the pellet, not the type of hay or grass it is made of, and you can adjust the protein and calcium in their diet by choosing a pellet that lists a lower protein content or lower calcium content in the ingredients list.

How you would determine if your bunny is processing everything correctly is a different matter. You would really have to have it checked over completely, that means having it's blood, urine, and stools checked in a lab. Usually that isn't done unless there are health problems or concerns. If your bunny is healthy, not overweight, excretes the occasional calcium rich urine and doesn't produce excess cecals or "mushy poops", everything should be fine and you can continue feeding as you are.