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Forum DIET & CARE Treats!

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    • PeachyCream
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        Hey, I kind of get WHAT to feed rabbits for treats, but I’m wondering how…. Do you just put it with the rest of their food? Or should I feed it to him separately? If I do feed it to him separately, what if he doesn’t take it?

        I know I’m posting a lot of questions here, sorry about that… It’s just, this is my first bunny and I want to make sure he has a happy life


      • kamdynandsunshinesmom
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          I just feed it to my rabbit seperately and they don’t get a treat everyday just once in a while.


        • PeachyCream
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            yeah like once or twice a week, right? But when I try to feed him a treat he doesn’t notice it I can’t get him to take it…


          • Deleted User
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              May I ask what are you feeding as treats? And does he eat them if you do leave them in the cage with him? Mine get their daily fruit ration presented as a treat and they are usually so pleased to see their raisin, banana or pineapple that they come eat it out of my hand. If for some reason they don’t feel like eating it right away I leave it on the edge of their salad plate and it is eaten later. I’ve found that they are a bit difficult the first time a food arrives, and my most recent introduction (strawberries) was only eaten after it sat there waiting a very long time. Hand feeding is a great way to encourage close contact but if you are simply giving them a treat because its healthy for them and/or they enjoy that particular food then I don’t see why it would matter if it is eaten when he is on his own.


            • Eucalyptus
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                I feed fresh or freeze dried fruits as treats – it’s natural and healthier than any processed treat that usually contains other ingredients in them.

                As for when to feed – it doesn’t matter. But it’s a good way to bond and have quality time with your bunny so I recommend hand feeding the treats rather than just tossing them with their veggies. You also don’t have to worry about whether or not you feed treats every single day or just once or twice a week. If you’re not feeding large portions of treats, you can do it daily. We feed a litle bit of fruit every night unless for some reason we can’t, or we’re out of fruit.


              • PeachyCream
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                  As treats I’ll give him a leaf of romaine lettuce or a bit of fresh strawberry… He seems more keen on the lettuce than he does the strawberries… I avoid broccoli or cauliflower because I hear it can cause gastric-intestinal problems with some breeds of rabbit… The breeder gave us oats and dried corn for food for regular food I mix a few of it in with his pellets and he seems to enjoy it fine… I think lettuce will be his daily vegetable treat.. I might try dandelions as well (it’s fine to pick it from our yard since we don’t use any pesticides or unnatural fertiliser)
                  He eats pretty sparingly and seems to ration his food quite well…

                  Anyways yeah he eats the lettuce as long as I leave it nearby him… The first day when I was sitting with him on the sofa he ate part of the lettuce leaf and then picked it up with his mouth and left it on my lap… Why would he do this?


                • Deleted User
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                    Peachy Cream, I am very worried about the diet you are describing. The bulk of a rabbit’s diet should be hay (at least seventy-five percent of it) with lots of leafy green vegetables, some other veggies, a very little fruit, and some pellets. I strongly suggest you check the resource links on this forum, do searches under diet, and read this and other articles you can find on rabbit.org: http://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabbit-diet/

                    Broccoli and cauliflower fall into the second category of vegetables that I mention and they are safe to feed, but they do not need much of these. Oats on the other hand should mainly be avoided. Please do some reading on the topic, I’m sure you want the best for your rabbit, and a good healthy diet does make general good health a lot more likely.


                  • MoveDiagonally
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                      I would stop feeding him the corn and oats as neither are good for him or necessary.

                      Generally speaking and adult rabbits daily diet should look like:
                      1/4 -1/2 cup plain timothy hay based pellets per 6lbs body weight
                      Unlimited high quality hay
                      Minimum of 2 cups of veggies per 6lbs body weight.

                      Here are really good resources for diet and veggies/fruits:
                      http://rabbit.org/faq-diet/
                      http://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabbit-diet/


                    • LittlePuffyTail
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                        Definitely check out the links provided. They are the “bunny diet bible”.

                        For treats, my bunnies prefer fresh fruit (banana, apple, pear, peach) or Oxbow Cookies. Make sure to give only tiny pieces of fresh fruit as any new foods can cause tummy upsets.


                      • PeachyCream
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                          ok! He does actually have hay, i forgot to mention that… His poo was a little weird when I went to clean his cage today (softer and stickier than usual) so I’ve ceased the corn and oats… I’ll definitely read up what type of veggies to give him but I’ve been giving him lettuce leaves each day along side his store-bought pellets… I will perhaps give him a bit of broccoli with his lettuce and see how he takes that. I appreciate you guys helping me, I’d be lost without you xD Perhaps for treats I will try a bit of apple


                        • Eucalyptus
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                            Both the corn and the oats should not be in his diet. Please stop feeding that stuff. Also, there’s nothing wrong with broccoli or cauliflower, they’re just not leafy greens, but perfectly fine to feed. I believe I read somewhere that the gassyness from those two veggies is a reaction that humans get, but bunnies do not. I might be wrong, but I feed broccoli in every salad and have never had a problem. Because gas in the GI tract can be problematic, I feel like any veggie that causes gas would be a problem to most, if not all, bunnies. Again, just my opinion.

                            Lettuce isn’t really a treat, but a good veggie to feed as a staple in your bunnies diet. Some bunnies are picky, which could explain the nonchalant reaction to strawberries. I do highly recommend adding some more greens to his diet because one alone is not enough. Cilantro is pretty cheap and a good green to add. The recommendation is that you feed at least 3, and I would highly recommend more than that, and varying it up when you can.


                          • PeachyCream
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                              Don’t worry he’s off the corn and oats… I’ve decided not to follow the breeders advice since I question her actual concern for the rabbit’s happiness and health… Also the veggies have become part of his regular diet.. I put a couple very small pieces of broccoli and romaine lettuce leaves and he just loves them! I’ll try adding cilantro, some other types of lettuce and maybe some turnips, can rabbits eat turnips ok? I’m at a loss as to what he would like for treats.. I’ve tried apple but he won’t take it, strawberry he won’t take and a bit of grape but he won’t take that either! I feel like fresh treats would probably be healthier than packaged ones.. What other treats can I try?.. I think the breeder’s version of a treat was the corn and oats but I don’t think she fed them treats properly.. It’s also a fight to get him to eat his pellets… What a picky bunny!


                            • Sarita
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                                No turnips!

                                It may just take him awhile to try anything new – you may just have to keep trying and eventually he may try the bits of fruit as well.


                              • PeachyCream
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                                  ok no turnips… What about parsnips? Or just other veggies that rabbits can have in their daily meals? Would raisins make an acceptable treat?


                                • Deleted User
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                                    Be sure to introduce all the new and wonderful vegetables one at a time, three days feeding a new vegetable before adding another new one to the diet is recommended. He may not react well to some and if you do it one at a time you’ll know which one has caused a problem if he has any negative reactions.

                                    Raisins are a treat, always remember dried fruit has much more concentrated sugar in it so he really shouldn’t have many. Another “treat” to try is banana slices. Because these foods are all so new to him you may want to try letting him sample something for the first time on his own, then after it has been eaten offer it by hand the next day.

                                    Again I really urge you very strongly to read the article about rabbit diet on rabbit.org that was posted to you a couple of days ago. Not only does it have general information that will help you understand what he needs and plan a good well rounded diet, but it is a good starting list of vegetables that are safe, and what amounts you should feed of which vegetables, and there is a list of safe and healthy fruits on it too.


                                  • Sarita
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                                      Yes, please read the link that was posted for you…if you cannot find it, let us know and we will repost it.


                                    • PeachyCream
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                                        I did read it actually, I’ve just not got a great memory.. I’ll probably go down the list of fruits to try and make it a weekly treat for him… I think I’ll add some bok choy to his veggies then…


                                      • Eucalyptus
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                                          Parsnip is great. It’s not a fruit, so you can feed a bit more generously, but not as much as a leafy green. So, only 15% of the diet.


                                        • Deleted User
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                                            I’m so glad you read it! Perhaps what you could do is copy and print the four lists (leafy green vegetables, oxilate rich leafy green vegetables, other vegetables and fruits) and keep them somewhere easy to check. I know the first few shopping trips I made I’d look over each one to remind myself what was and wasn’t good. Since until now the availability at the grocery store has played a large role in dictating what I could get I learned quickly, but we should have a productive garden again in a month or so and I’ll be going back to double-checking what is safe and good that I can pick from it. So having those lists handy has been a terrific help.

                                            He’s lucky to be with you since you obviously care about him being well and happy. Good luck, … I’m sure it will sort itself out and start to be easier as some parts of rabbit care become routine.


                                          • Sarita
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                                              Mark that page as a favorite so you can refer back to it and print out the lists as Grey Dove recommends to take to the store. In fact I recommend that you take a look at the whole House Rabbit Society site as well – very good reading – that is where I learned many things from when I first got a rabbit – there were no forums like this then…wish there had been, but nevertheless, it’s got great info. Also check out the Bunny Info Section on this website – BB has worked hard putting together information there as well, so make sure you read that too.


                                            • Stickerbunny
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                                                Treats should be fruits, bunny cookies (you can get them from oxbow or another reputable company) and even hay cubes. Make sure you don’t give oats, corn, starchy foods, seeds and such as treats.

                                                For lettuce and such, you can offer him a plate of salad (once he’s introduced to fresh one at a time to make sure his tummy can take it) with his other food.

                                                What I do for treats is I will give each bunny a baby carrot. Or, I will take a slice of banana and cut it in half and give them each a piece. Or, I will give them each 1-2 craisins. Stuff they shouldn’t have much of, but love.


                                              • Snowytoshi
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                                                  The treats I give my rabbits are extra veggies, before we go to bed they each get some parsely and a snow pea or two. This way they get something they like, but it is healthy too. Best of luck with your bunny!


                                                • Eucalyptus
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                                                    Fresh fruit is still healthy. Really, as long as your bunny can handle a little extra calories, the only real downside is having a lot of sugar – which is still naturally occuring and not bad unless you’re overfeeding. It’s a LOT better than bunny cookies and other baked goods, no matter how healthy those really are. I don’t think they’re THAT bad, but I prefer to just have a fresh fruit so you avoid the extra ingredients.

                                                    I do like the veggie route. I use carrots as treats, but use fruit for bonding time.


                                                  • Snowytoshi
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                                                      Posted By Eucalyptus on 05/31/2013 03:42 AM

                                                      Fresh fruit is still healthy. Really, as long as your bunny can handle a little extra calories, the only real downside is having a lot of sugar – which is still naturally occuring and not bad unless you’re overfeeding. It’s a LOT better than bunny cookies and other baked goods, no matter how healthy those really are. I don’t think they’re THAT bad, but I prefer to just have a fresh fruit so you avoid the extra ingredients.

                                                      I do like the veggie route. I use carrots as treats, but use fruit for bonding time.

                                                      I wasn’t disagreeing with you my rabbits get fresh fruit from time to time as well! I was just mentioning what I give to my rabbits as treats because some people assume that a treat has to be high in sugar and junky, when in reality a rabbit will be just as happy with parsely then they would be with a raisin.

                                                       


                                                    • Eucalyptus
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                                                        Posted By Snowytoshi on 05/31/2013 08:11 AM

                                                        Posted By Eucalyptus on 05/31/2013 03:42 AM

                                                        Fresh fruit is still healthy. Really, as long as your bunny can handle a little extra calories, the only real downside is having a lot of sugar – which is still naturally occuring and not bad unless you’re overfeeding. It’s a LOT better than bunny cookies and other baked goods, no matter how healthy those really are. I don’t think they’re THAT bad, but I prefer to just have a fresh fruit so you avoid the extra ingredients.

                                                        I do like the veggie route. I use carrots as treats, but use fruit for bonding time.

                                                        I wasn’t disagreeing with you my rabbits get fresh fruit from time to time as well! I was just mentioning what I give to my rabbits as treats because some people assume that a treat has to be high in sugar and junky, when in reality a rabbit will be just as happy with parsely then they would be with a raisin.

                                                         

                                                        Oh yeah, of course. Java gets extra excited and happy from fruits, and the sugar makes him binky a lot, so that’s why we like offering it.

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                                                    Forum DIET & CARE Treats!