fresh veg for rabbits

Re: fresh veg for rabbits

Fiona Leathers — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 14:56:03 GMT

VEGETABLES

alfalfa, radish and clover sprouts
basil 
beet greens*
bok choy
broccoli*
brussels sprouts
carrots tops*
celery
chard
cilantro
clover
collard greens
dandelion greens (pesticide free!)
endive
escarole
green peppers
kale**
mint
mustard greens
parsley*
pea pods (a.k.a. chinese pea pods)*
peppermint leaves
radicchio
radish tops
raspberry leaves
romaine lettuce (NO iceberg or light-colored leaves!)
spinach*
turnip greens
watercress*
wheat grass

FRUIT (NO seeds or pits)
apple (no seeds)
blueberries
pineapple (beneficial enzymes)
melon
papaya (beneficial enzymes)
peach
plum
raspberries
strawberries
Sugary fruits such as bananas and grapes should be fed only as occasional
treats.

NO GRAINS, LEGUMES OR NUTS!

*Good source of vitamin A, feed at least one daily

**high in either oxalates or goitrogens, use sparingly

Re: fresh veg for rabbits

Vicky RVN — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 11:54:07 GMT

I like that theory Rachel, thinking about what they'd be able to get in the wild.

Re: fresh veg for rabbits

Rachel Jayne — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 22:29:17 GMT

I too tend to raid the reduced veg section in tesco's whenever I visit!

The main thing to remember when choosing fresh food for buns is think what they would eat if they were loose outdoors helping themselves to veg, they would eat greens & veg that grew ABOVE ground, so not carrots & other root vegetables... Not fruit either - they can't climb trees!!

I like the saying - "roots n'fruits", should only be fed as treats. Once or maybe twice a week.

I know it's tempting when they're blinking at you with their big brown eyes to want to spoil them, but we all know what horrors obesity in buns leads to!

Re: fresh veg for rabbits

Nicola Smith — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 09:27:13 GMT

Hi, salad items can cause squitty bums in some, and also an exotics vet I worked with once reckons rabbits got some kind of a hallucinogenic high from lettuce - not sure how true it is but I know plenty who do feed their rabbits lettuce with no problems. Stuff like cabbage and kale is ok in moderation as contains high levels of calcium so can cause sludgy urine or calcified kidneys.

In the past mine have had broccoli, sweetcorn, sugar snap peas, pepper but their favourite has to be fresh herbs - they love parsley, mint, coriander and basil!

I tend to go to the supermarket when the reduced stuff comes out and buy whatever is cheap!