Marietta
Well-Known Member
Dear all,
Back in 2000, when I was a new and totally ignorant bunny mom,I'd searched all over the web for nutrition advices, among many other issues. Everybody (or, at least, the vast majority) seemed to value the diet proposed by HRS, i.e. unlimited hay, moderate pellets (preferrably timothy pellets, which we don't have in Greece where I live, anyway...) and an abundantvariety of over 3 veggies per day. So, since this wasTHE diet, this is what I've also followed up to this day.
However, most recently I've seenthe above diet been heavily questioned, at least at one internet group. There is a debate on if veggies as a primary diet option (along with hay, of course) are beneficial or detrimental to a rabbit's health, compared to a hay + pellet diet with veggies only as sporadic treats, which seems to be the new proposal in rabbit diet.
This controversy has put me in doubts, for the first time in 7 years and I started wandering ifI'm feeding my bunny in thecorrect way or not. In our particular case I also have an added dilemma, since my bunny, Vitto,being a dwarf hotot, has a genetic predespositionfor the megacolon syndrome (he actuallyexperiencedhis firstsevere GI stasis incident on September-it was dreadful for both of us!). So, this means that he should be well hydrated at all times (i.e. the daily addition of veggies in his diet would produce an extra amount of water, so I guess it's necessary), but, at the same time, a good amount of pellets per day (I provide 1/4 of a cup for Vitto being 1,070 kgr.) is also needed,because when he got ill he lost 230 grams and he has to get them back, as he's currentlyleaning more towards the skinny side. On the other hand, I've also read that for GI stasis-prone bunnies pellets should be given with caution, as if they eat a lot of pellets their stomach gets filled and then they neglect their hay, which is a "must".
I love my bunny very much, as all bunny parents do, I've read A LOT of material on this subjectand always buy him the fresher andhealthiest food there is (NEVER sugar drops, candy bars or other junk food), to make him healthy and happy. But now I'm not sure anymore if I'm doing the right thing for his nutrition or not...
I'd love to hear about your views and practice on this issue.
Thanks a lot / Marietta
Back in 2000, when I was a new and totally ignorant bunny mom,I'd searched all over the web for nutrition advices, among many other issues. Everybody (or, at least, the vast majority) seemed to value the diet proposed by HRS, i.e. unlimited hay, moderate pellets (preferrably timothy pellets, which we don't have in Greece where I live, anyway...) and an abundantvariety of over 3 veggies per day. So, since this wasTHE diet, this is what I've also followed up to this day.
However, most recently I've seenthe above diet been heavily questioned, at least at one internet group. There is a debate on if veggies as a primary diet option (along with hay, of course) are beneficial or detrimental to a rabbit's health, compared to a hay + pellet diet with veggies only as sporadic treats, which seems to be the new proposal in rabbit diet.
This controversy has put me in doubts, for the first time in 7 years and I started wandering ifI'm feeding my bunny in thecorrect way or not. In our particular case I also have an added dilemma, since my bunny, Vitto,being a dwarf hotot, has a genetic predespositionfor the megacolon syndrome (he actuallyexperiencedhis firstsevere GI stasis incident on September-it was dreadful for both of us!). So, this means that he should be well hydrated at all times (i.e. the daily addition of veggies in his diet would produce an extra amount of water, so I guess it's necessary), but, at the same time, a good amount of pellets per day (I provide 1/4 of a cup for Vitto being 1,070 kgr.) is also needed,because when he got ill he lost 230 grams and he has to get them back, as he's currentlyleaning more towards the skinny side. On the other hand, I've also read that for GI stasis-prone bunnies pellets should be given with caution, as if they eat a lot of pellets their stomach gets filled and then they neglect their hay, which is a "must".
I love my bunny very much, as all bunny parents do, I've read A LOT of material on this subjectand always buy him the fresher andhealthiest food there is (NEVER sugar drops, candy bars or other junk food), to make him healthy and happy. But now I'm not sure anymore if I'm doing the right thing for his nutrition or not...
I'd love to hear about your views and practice on this issue.
Thanks a lot / Marietta