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Forum DIET & CARE Are Pellets Needed?

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    • DwarfNewbie2013
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        So, my son is completely over the top excited to have a new dwarf bunny to call his own!  We have been researching about her care.  Wow!  So many different opinions!  My first question is do they “NEED” pellets and if so why.  Can we offer hay only along with the occasional treat?  Not sure how old she is.  She is still a baby but not super tiny.  I will try to post a picture or video. 

        My other question is should we feed lettuce?  Lots of varying opinions on this one.  If we give apples or carrots as a treat how much and how often is appropriate?

        Thank you in advance everyone!  


      • Sarita
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          Hay must be free fed – they need hay all the time for digestion and dental care.

          I would recommend pellets daily but only in a very small amount – this is the smallest part of their diet – however that is for an adult rabbit – knowing your rabbits approximate age would be helpful.


        • Sarita
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            Veggies and lettuce – read this article IN FULL to explain how to introduce veggies and lettuce and what are recommended – this is by a very rabbit experienced vet and this website, House Rabbit Society, has tons of good info for new rabbit owners.

            Here is a link to the article:

            http://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetab…bbit-diet/


          • DwarfNewbie2013
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              We just got her yesterday and are offering her hay free fed. She is eating it. Does she need pellets? Can she get all her nutrients from the hay…and occasional treat after she’s been on the hay for a few weeks?


            • Sarita
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                She does need the pellets – the hay will not give her all the nutrients needed. She will also need to be slowly introduced to veggies and lettuce per the link.


              • LongEaredLions
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                  I would recommend giving pellets. Pellets are like a mulitvitamin, they provide extra vitamins that don’t come from hay, as hay really doesn’t contain much nutritional value, it is just good for the teeth and gut. If one were to take out pellets, those needed vitamins would have to be replaced, so anybody who is going pellet less has to provide extra greens, 10+ types daily. Lots of people have done it successfully, but it does take a lot of research, time, and money. For most bunny owners, it’s just more practical to give pellets.


                • Sarita
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                    LEL stated it perfectly!


                  • DwarfNewbie2013
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                      The link said to wait two weeks to introduce the greens so I think we will give her pellets so she has all her nutrients and then just give greens and veggies as an occasional treat. Thanks!


                    • LongEaredLions
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                        Even if you give pellets,greens and veggies aren’t just an occasional treat. All rabbits need veggies. Once she is old enough, she should get 1 cup atleast per day. Carrots and apples are occasional treats. Your rabbit(I will estimate her to be 2 lbs when she is full grown) should get the following every day.
                        -About 1/8 cup pellets
                        -Unlimited hay and water
                        -About 1 cup vegtables
                        -No more that 1 tbs carrots, fruit (I recommend not giving every day


                      • Sarita
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                          Absolutely greens and veggies should be fed everyday – they round out the diet.


                        • Diamond
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                            Lol yeah websites are pretty confusing. One site will say “this veggie is good, you can give it as a staple” and another might say “nooooo, only feed it occasionally!” It might take a while to figure everything out completely. Carrots and fruit are pretty high in sugar, so they’re definitely treat foods.

                            Congratulations on the new bunny though! What’s her name?


                          • DwarfNewbie2013
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                              Diamond…exactly!!  The websites are driving me nuts with the give lettuce don’t give lettuce comments.  That’s why I came here!  I know my son would love to give her lettuce every day!  At what age should we start giving the lettuce to her?  Does it say in the printout?  Now I will feel stupid if it does.  I’m searching the house for the printout…I think my son took it in his room!    

                              My son is so excited to have her.  He named her Annabeth because he’s a big Percy Jackson/Rick Riordan reader.  I was all for naming her Panda but she is his bunny and his responsibility.  

                              If we go away for the weekend can she be left with only hay or would it be better to give her more pellets?  Do they typically over eat them?  

                              We are VERY excited to have her.  My son, daughter, hubby and I just sit around and watch her.  She was interacting with the dogs through the plastic play pen and then hopped right through it!!  There was a hole on the bottom she could slip through. The dog was like…oh hello!   Is it possible to post video here? I have it on video…cute.  


                            • MoveDiagonally
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                                The Rabbit.org article is wonderful! Most of us feed by those guidelines and it’s considered a “trusted source”. I would give the article Sarita posted above a read if you have not.

                                Edited to Add: I also suggest checking out the “Bunny Info” articles at the top of the forum page. They are wonderful for first time bunny owners and helped me out a lot when I was a newbie bunny owner.  


                              • DwarfNewbie2013
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                                  Ok thank you!


                                • Stickerbunny
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                                    If you go away for the weekend and no one is home, it’s best to try to get a friend to stop by and check in once a day. Rabbits can get upset tummies / gas for seemingly no reason at times and if that happens, more than 24 hours without eating will put them into stasis, which over a weekend would likely be fatal. I wouldn’t leave mine alone for more than 24 hours at a time. Even if the friend doesn’t do anything but check in on them, drop the pellets in a bowl (you can zipperloc bag the right amount) and walk out the door once they start eating. And yes, rabbits will eat whatever pellets you put down. They can be pigs.


                                  • LongEaredLions
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                                      I agree that bunnies should be checked in on atleast once a day as they can get very ill very quickly.
                                      I also wanted to add that even though the rabbit is your sons pet, I would still check often to make sure she is getting everything she needs. Also make sure that your son knows that bunnies don’t like to be handled, they are fragile and easily can be injured by mishandling. She is your sons pet, but it still your responsibility to make sure she is well cared for.


                                    • DwarfNewbie2013
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                                        She is in the front room so I will have an eye on her care BUT he will be the one doing the work. He is eleven and perfectly capable of making sure she has all that she needs. But ya, I’m not going to leave the bunny with no food or water if my son forgot. He’ll just have major consequences if that happens. I doubt it will though, he’s super excited to have his own pet and very sensitive to animals and their needs.

                                        Thanks for the info on travel, I have a friend that might be able to come check on her if we go camping.

                                        p.s. Thank you everyone for being SO HELPFUL!! Seriously, it’s been very refreshing!!


                                      • Stickerbunny
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                                          Glad you have been able to find information you needed on here.

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                                      Forum DIET & CARE Are Pellets Needed?