Make sure your pet bunny is getting enough of the right foods to keep its digestive system happy.
You may or may not know, but rabbits have a very specific diet that is crucial to their health and survival, and no, it does not consist of lettuce and carrots!
Rabbits are herbivores and have evolved to develop a digestive system that digests fibre and extracts other nutrients. This is amazing, but it does mean they must be fed a very specific diet.
80% of this diet should be hay and long, fibrous grass, which they should have access to at all times.
The other 20% is made up of pellets and vegetables/plants.
This very specific digestive system can cause problems if rabbits are not fed the correct diet.
Gut Stasis is a common health (and potentially life threatening) issue for our pet rabbits, caused when food stops moving along the digestive tract. It is, therefore, crucial that rabbits are always eating to ensure food is constantly being digested.
Dental health
Bunnies also require a specific diet for their dental health, much like cats and dogs.
Did you know? Rabbits have 28 teeth!
Their incisors grow 2mm a week and their molars, 3mm a week.
Eating hay and grass helps to wear the teeth down at the same rate as they grow. If these elements are not incorporated into a rabbit's diet, they will develop overgrown teeth, which are extremely painful and discourage regular eating habits, potentially leading to Gut Stasis.
Did you know? Rabbits can live to up to 12 years old!
Annelise (our rabbit-savvy nurse) is around to answer any questions you may have about these complex animals, or to give advice about rabbit nutrition!
For more useful rabbit resources, check out Westley’s World and The Rabbit House.
