What do you think of animal planet fortified rabbit food

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tiabia0

tiabia0

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Location
Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA
It's the food the rabbit eats that I'm babysitting. I told the woman who owns him that Bunny Basics T is one of the best foods you can givea rabbit so I might see if I can switch him to that.



But any info on animal planet fortified rabbit food?
 
tiabia0 wrote:
But any info on animal planet fortified rabbit food?
Click to expand...

I am suprised by the ingredients -

Ingredients
Timothy Grass Hay, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Oats, Dehulled Soybean Meal, Oat Hulls, Ground Oats, Ground Wheat, Ground Corn, Sunflower, Wheat, Barley, Oat Groats, Shelled Peanuts, Safflower, Ground Flax Seed, Raisins, Dried Papaya, Dehydrated Carrots, Dried Bananas, Pumpkin Seed, Dehydrated Sweet Potatoes, Dehydrated Apples, Dried Cane Molasses, Dicalcium Phosphate, Soy Oil, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, L-Lysine, DL-Methionine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Vitamin A Supplement, Choline Chloride, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Zinc Oxide, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Ethoxyquin (a preservative), Copper Sulfate, Niacin, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of vitamin K activity), Cholecalciferol (source of vitamin D3), Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Calcium Iodate, Biotin, Folic Acid, Dried A. oryzae Fermentation Extract (source of protease), Dried Bacillus licheniformis Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus subtilis Fermentation Product, Cobalt Carbonate, Sodium Selenite, Artificial Color.

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (min.)................. 15.0%
Crude Fat (min.)....................... 5.0%
Crude Fiber (min.).................... 11.0%
Crude Fiber (max.)................... 16.0%
Moisture (max.)....................... 12.0%
Calcium (min.)......................... 0.6%
Calcium (max.)........................ 1.1%
Phosphorus (min.).................... 0.4%
Salt (min.)............................... 0.25%
Salt (max.).............................. 0.75%
Vitamin A (min.)....................... 4000 IU/lb
---

The thing that I am thinking is how much sugar it has in it with the carrot/papaya/raisins etc.

And I have never seen Choline Chloride used in rabbit food, or am I missing something?
There is a lot of ingredients that I havnt even heard of. :shock:


Edit: Just found the "product views" and some have said that its the best food some (including someone who says they are a vet) have said not to feed it to rabbits.
 
I'm switching his food to Bunny Basics T. I don't care what they think about that, I don't like the animal planet food much!
 
Just be sure to switch slowly...here's the formula I use:

FIRST WEEK: 1/4 new food, 3/4 old food
SECOND WEEK: 1/2 and 1/2
THIRD WEEK: 3/4 new food, 1/4 old food
FOURTH WEEK & ON: all new food

:biggrin2:
 
I only have him for another week unless she gives in when I beg her to let me keep him! The first time I switched my rabbits food it took me a couple weeks; I did the process you just told me about. Last time I switched my rabbits food it took a couple of days. As long as I can see that they're eating the new stuff it's good for me. He's doing good right now, he seems to like the new stuff.
 
I bought a bag before I knew any better. I don't like it because regardless of how they have changed the bag, it is still Kaytee. And what's with the dried cane molasses!? I don't think my Coco needs that in her diet. Coco didn't like it either, thankfully, so I switched.
 
Yes, it is made from Kaytee. I've used their products and I'm not really pleased!

They put some crazy stuff in their food that's why I decided to ask for opinions on this one.
 
If you're only going to have the bun for another week I would suggest not switching foods. It'll do more bad than good and in the end it's not your rabbit, it's not your say on what the bun gets fed.
 
I think that it's great that you want to switch the bun to a more healthy food, but it could cause stomach problems in the end, especially if you start feeding him Oxbow and then his owner goes right back to the AP stuff. I've seen the AP food in Target and it is junk. My two get Kaytee timothy hay because no one around here sells Oxbow hay. The only place I can get Bunny Basics T locally is at the vet's and it's $14.99 for a 5lb bag! I now order it from Rabbit Stop, even with shipping it's still cheaper than the vet!

If I were you, I would try to convince her to switch the food when she comes to pick the bun up, instead of switching him yourself. Let her know how unhealthy the food is for the bunny and maybe give her some of your Oxbow to get started. Good Luck to you, I hope you can convince her :)
 
I agree, I wouldn't switch foods on a bunny that I was watching for a week. If anything happens ( ...after you return the rabbit,God forbid! ) you leave yourself open to accusations that it's your fault because you switched foods/changed nutrition/upset the gut/ etc..

I would do all I could to show the owner that the food the bunny presently eats is not the best for her. (Banana's? High in sugar... Shelled peanuts? Very high in fat!, Dried Cane molasses? Whoa! Pure sugar!). If we don't educate fellow bunny owners, who will? But you have to be diplomatic and gentle. (No one likes to be critisized about their animal care, especially when they think they're doing the best for their bunny.)

Good luck convincing her.




 
This is most interesting. The Animal Planet food offered at Target is nothing more than Kaytee Fiesta...plain and simple. This leads me back to my position from the start....pellets should be fed to a healthy adult house rabbit in such a small amount that the brand of pellet is irrelevent. Unless the pellet is just total junk (and there are some of those out there) it really doesn't matter.

I would also like to point out that you should investigate all the brands....and the contents of same. Cane molasses? Is that shocking? Shouldn't be. You might be shocked by the brands that do contain it and some other questionableingredients. It's in nearlyevery brand of pellet. Please see below taken directly off Oxbow's site for BBT. Read carefully. The only real difference in Oxbow is that Basic T is timothy based rather than alfalfa based like others...but again, pellet offering should be so small that it doesn't matter. And I would also like to point out that there are other pellets out there that contain some beneficial components that BBT doesn't. In my non-profesional opinion based on my years of working rabbits...BBT is no better than any other pellet. I consider BBT kind of average.Pellets were originally developed to add weight to rabbits in an industry we don't like to discuss as well as lab rabbits (another unfavored subject). They were meant as a quick way to "fatten them up"....nothing more. Since that particular industry is no longer a factor....the manufacturers havemarketed pellets asthe "Complete" food that can be fed free choice without anything else. I have a stamp with two letters on it for that.

Before the war starts...I would like to suggest some research on each of the components listed for BBT and do the same for some of the other popular pellets...Kaytee, Nutri Phase, Purina, ZuPreem, Manna,etc. just to name a few. If anyone has the time and computer savvy (which I don't have the savvy part)....I think it would be both interesting and eye opening to have a spread sheet available to compare ingredients in some of the more popular offerings....and some data on some of the ingredients that we can't pronounce. I think there would be some lessons learned and some questions of why. With that being done....I think you will see why our rabbits get very little in the way of pellets regardless of brand name.

Submitted for your thoughts, comments and research.....Randy

Bunny Basics/T



Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (min) 14.00 %
Crude Fat (min) 1.50 %
Crude Fiber (min) 25.00 %
Crude Fiber (max) 29.00 %
Moisture (max) 10.00 %
Calcium(min) 0.35 %
Calcium (max) 0.85 %
Phosphorus (min) 0.25 %
Salt (min) 0.50 %
Salt (max) 1.00 %
Vitamin A, IU/kg 20,000
Vitamin D, IU/kg 880
Vitamin E, IU/kg 140
Copper, mg/kg 20

Ingredients
Timothy Grass Meal, Soybean Hulls, Wheat Middlings, Soybean Meal, Cane Molasses, Salt, Limestone, Yeast Culture (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement (tocopherol), Vitamin C Supplement (Ascorbic Acid), Colloidal Silica, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Vitamin K), Riboflavin, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, Thiamine, Choline Chloride, DL-Methionine, Pyrodoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite, Magnesium Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Cobalt Carbonate, Manganese Oxide, Zinc Oxide, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Mineral Oil, Calcium Iodate, Potassium Chloride

 
Great information Randy, thank you very much! I thought that Oxbow was top of the line, goes to show what I know :cool:

My 2 probably get 1/4-1/2 cup pellets to share (they are both in the 4-5lb range), along with unlimited hay and about 3 1/2 cups of veggies nightly. Should I cut back on the pellets? If they aren't getting any real nutrition out of them then I could reserve them as treats since they love them so much. Opinions?
 
Well, then look at the ingredients of Oxbow BBT. It's used in there too.
Btw, Choline Chloride is also known as Vitamin B4, there's nothing bad about it, and in fact it is necesary to both animals and humans, to ensure propper growth and development, especially in brain and nerve tissue.


Luv-bunniz wrote:
tiabia0 wrote:
And I have never seen Choline Chloride used in rabbit food, or am I missing something?
There is a lot of ingredients that I havnt even heard of. :shock:.
Click to expand...
 
Hi Randy, nice to see that someone else here shares my opinion on Oxbow :)
I have already posted info on some of the ingredients, in various posts. Your suggestion of a data base is interesting, I'd be willing to give it a go.
Since I have data on several of the ingresients already, it shouldn't be too hard to put it all together. Would make for a very long post, though....



ra7751 wrote:
This is most interesting. The Animal Planet food offered at Target is nothing more than Kaytee Fiesta...plain and simple. This leads me back to my position from the start....pellets should be fed to a healthy adult house rabbit in such a small amount that the brand of pellet is irrelevent. Unless the pellet is just total junk (and there are some of those out there) it really doesn't matter.

I would also like to point out that you should investigate all the brands....and the contents of same. Cane molasses? Is that shocking? Shouldn't be. You might be shocked by the brands that do contain it and some other questionableingredients. It's in nearlyevery brand of pellet. Please see below taken directly off Oxbow's site for BBT. Read carefully. The only real difference in Oxbow is that Basic T is timothy based rather than alfalfa based like others...but again, pellet offering should be so small that it doesn't matter. And I would also like to point out that there are other pellets out there that contain some beneficial components that BBT doesn't. In my non-profesional opinion based on my years of working rabbits...BBT is no better than any other pellet. I consider BBT kind of average.Pellets were originally developed to add weight to rabbits in an industry we don't like to discuss as well as lab rabbits (another unfavored subject). They were meant as a quick way to "fatten them up"....nothing more. Since that particular industry is no longer a factor....the manufacturers havemarketed pellets asthe "Complete" food that can be fed free choice without anything else. I have a stamp with two letters on it for that.

Before the war starts...I would like to suggest some research on each of the components listed for BBT and do the same for some of the other popular pellets...Kaytee, Nutri Phase, Purina, ZuPreem, Manna,etc. just to name a few. If anyone has the time and computer savvy (which I don't have the savvy part)....I think it would be both interesting and eye opening to have a spread sheet available to compare ingredients in some of the more popular offerings....and some data on some of the ingredients that we can't pronounce. I think there would be some lessons learned and some questions of why. With that being done....I think you will see why our rabbits get very little in the way of pellets regardless of brand name.

Submitted for your thoughts, comments and research.....Randy

Bunny Basics/T



Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (min) 14.00 %
Crude Fat (min) 1.50 %
Crude Fiber (min) 25.00 %
Crude Fiber (max) 29.00 %
Moisture (max) 10.00 %
Calcium(min) 0.35 %
Calcium (max) 0.85 %
Phosphorus (min) 0.25 %
Salt (min) 0.50 %
Salt (max) 1.00 %
Vitamin A, IU/kg 20,000
Vitamin D, IU/kg 880
Vitamin E, IU/kg 140
Copper, mg/kg 20

Ingredients
Timothy Grass Meal, Soybean Hulls, Wheat Middlings, Soybean Meal, Cane Molasses, Salt, Limestone, Yeast Culture (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement (tocopherol), Vitamin C Supplement (Ascorbic Acid), Colloidal Silica, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Vitamin K), Riboflavin, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, Thiamine, Choline Chloride, DL-Methionine, Pyrodoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite, Magnesium Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Cobalt Carbonate, Manganese Oxide, Zinc Oxide, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Mineral Oil, Calcium Iodate, Potassium Chloride
Click to expand...
 
RexyRex wrote:
Great information Randy, thank you very much! I thought that Oxbow was top of the line, goes to show what I know :cool:

My 2 probably get 1/4-1/2 cup pellets to share (they are both in the 4-5lb range), along with unlimited hay and about 3 1/2 cups of veggies nightly. Should I cut back on the pellets? If they aren't getting any real nutrition out of them then I could reserve them as treats since they love them so much. Opinions?
Click to expand...

HRS says that you can eliminate pellets completely, if you feed lots of veggies (and a variety). My vet told me to go to 1/8c pellets each (my bunnies are about 5lbs each), and I give 2c veggies/day/bunny. That's a lot of veggies! I still kinda have to force Muffin to eat the pellets because she prefers greens, but because of the vitamins in them I don't want to eliminate them totally. Forcing her to eat them means not putting out their veggie breakfast until she's eaten her share. I do use Oxbow BBT.


Basically, it's up to you if you want to eliminate pellets totally. I still think they have a little bit of helpful nutrition (and one of my buns is a little underweight), so I will continue to feed 1/8c/bunny/day. Some people do go to a pellet-free diet and it works fine.:)
 
I have a co worker who happens to have adopted a rabbit from our shelter. She has eliminated pellets entirely, and feeds him enormous amounts of veggies and hay everyday. And by enormous.. I mean 9 - 13 different kinds of fruits/veggies, in one helping, twice a day.

And this little guy is a dwarf O_O
 
A couple of words of caution on the "no pellet" diet. We do have some rabbits here that get only hay and water....mostly due to weight issues or trying to prevent weight issues. The primary diet of any rabbit should be grass hay. Some examples are timothy, orchard grass, bermuda, oat and brome. The key to offering a no pellet diet is high quality hay. They have to get the fiber for their gut. Another down side of offering only greens is that the teeth do not get worn down. With wild rabbits, they get dirt and grit off the grasses and barks they eat....domestics don't. Fresh grass is also a lot tougher to chew than lettuce, parsley, etc.....need that grass hay to work those teeth..as well ashelping the gut. It's not how hard something is....but how chewy it is that wears the teeth down.

And keep in mind that if your rabbit is not perfectly healthy, a no pellet diet might not be an ideal thing to do.

Randy


 
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