Many people simply buy a dry muesli style small animal food
from a pet store or supermarket and give this to their rabbit day in, day out.
Rabbits can't tell you their diet isn't right for them, but if you pay attention
you can tell if your rabbit isn't as happy and healthy as he could be. Does his
fur look as silky, thick and glossy as it could? Are his eyes bright? Is he
lovable and full of fun or aggressive or perhaps very quiet and subdued? Your
pet's personality could be a reflection of their diet. A problem with the diet
can sometimes turn into a problem with their behaviour. Likewise, a lack of the
correct nutrients and vitamins in their diet can cause changes to their outward
appearance. With this in mind you need to ensure you choose the best rabbit food for your pets.
Rabbits, like humans, have many factors involved in their
dietary requirements. We need a mixture of foods to keep us healthy. For
example, spinach may be very good for us, but if we only ate spinach and
nothing else, we'd soon suffer from lack of other nutrients and we'd become
sick.
Rabbits have a huge need for fibre so a food with added
fibre is a good idea. When you think about rabbit food you think of a biscuit
or nugget type food and this type of food can be part of their diet, but it
should not though be used for 100% of their diet. Choose a good quality food
that your pet enjoys and pick one with added vitamins and minerals. A food
developed especially for rabbits will have had a lot of research put into it to
get just the right balance of nutrients so you can be sure your rabbit is
getting everything he needs.
You should also provide your rabbit with lots of hay to eat.
Some people mistake the packs of hay for bedding material and get concerned
when they realise bunny loves to eat it. This is the main purpose of hay
though, it's a delicious nutritious rabbit food that is packed full of
essential fibre and is great for keeping your rabbits teeth short and healthy.
Give your rabbit a big pile of hay every day and he'll be very happy.
As well as nuggets and hay, your rabbit will need plenty of
fresh water and fresh vegetables. Your rabbit may have preferences as to his
favourites and you'll soon learn them. Some have more nutritional content than
others so feed your pet a variety. I've found that rabbits adore cucumber, and
it's a good way to ensure they are getting enough water in their diet as
cucumber has a high water content. Dandelion leaves are an easy and free source
of greens for your rabbit. You may have them growing in your own garden, if not
you can pick them from the roadside; just remember to rinse them before you
give them to your rabbit.
Keep your rabbit's diet varied, feed lots of hay and choose
a good quality dry food and you can rest assured that you are providing
everything your rabbit needs in his diet. To find more about Burgess Excel visit the website today!
