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What Does a Healthy Rabbit Diet Consist of?
- Jul 13, 2021
- 8 min read
Updated: Sep 3, 2024
In addition to finding a vet and having a great first aid kit, their diet is a major importance. Rabbits have a naturally sensitive digestive system and it is for that reason that you must feed them properly. Rabbits should have 24/7 access to unlimited amounts of grassed-based hay, 1-3 cups of leafy greens every day and around ¼-1/2 cup of fortified pellets. Treats, should always be given in very small amounts. Digestive illnesses are very common in bunnies and if you don’t catch it in time, it can be fatal.
First up is unlimited grass hay! Your rabbit is going to be in need of constant and unlimited grass-based hay. The nutrients is grass hay are fiber and protein which make them the greatest option for regulating your bunny’s digestive system. Grass-based hay should make up 80% of your rabbits diet. Not only does it aid in your rabbits digestive health, it also helps to maintain optimal dental health and prevents hairballs from building up in the gut. Giving your rabbit hay in a large litter box or a under bed storage bin allows them to use those natural instincts of curiosity and foraging. I also sprinkle herbal foraging blends on their hay. Not only does it make the room smell good, it also jump starts their foraging instincts.
What is all this hay talk? What should I be looking for in the hay that I do get?
Most of the hay should really be Timothy Hay. Years ago I started them on Oxbow Timothy hay. When I came across Small Pet Select, I tried to switch them because I had heard such great reviews. I love Small Pet Select. The quality of all of their products is amazing; however, my rabbits just didn’t take to that hay. I am not entirely sure as to why but the scent is very different than that of Oxbow, which is what they really prefer. Both brands are excellent and I purchase from both, for different items. I go to Small Pet Select for their toys and Oxbow for their hay & toys. Either or is great for your bunny. The reason we want timothy hay to be majority of the diet is because it is the most fiber-dense kind of hay and the coarsest. This means that their teeth and digestive health will be taken care of well.
There are also many different kinds of grass hay that you can mix into the timothy hay to give them more variety so they don’t get bored eating the same thing over and over. Every now and then I add in Oxbow Meadow Hay or Oat Hay. I like to think they appreciate me more for that lol
The different kinds of grass hay are:
Timothy
Orchard (I get the Oxbow half timothy, half orchard grass and my buns love the variety)
Meadow
Oat
Bluegrass
Herbal
Marsh
Fescue
Ryegrass
Where can you get hay?
You can get it from a local farmer (although I would be very careful with that now since RH2V is prevalent and fatal for rabbits). Pet stores such as PetSmart, Petco & Chewy have great sales, auto-ship options and discounts, as do their respective online stores. I have always trusted getting my hay from Chewy, which is essentially Oxbow. Small Pet Select has varieties of hay that are hard to find at other pet stores, but the common pet stores also have a small selection of varieties too.
Your rabbit should be eating hay all throughout the day. This high in fiber ensures that the gut is constantly moving which is optimal for your rabbit. If a rabbits gut slows (usually gas or a blockage of hay) or stops, it is known as GI stasis. This can be fatal if not caught quickly. If your rabbits stops eating, drinking, urinating and defecating, GI stasis is the culprit. This means you need to get to an emergency vet ASAP. Having clean hay always available keeps them eating, keeps blockages at bay.
Like I mentioned briefly before, hay is also very good for their teeth. Rabbits teeth continuously grows throughout their life, as do their nails. The rabbit need hay to help wear down those choppers. You can also provide them with toys made out of rabbit-safe wood and all natural unbleached loofah’s, to help wear down their teeth in addition to the hay. If they do not eat hay or are picky, it is very likely at some point in their life that they will need their teeth trimmed by the vet. This is costly. Once a rabbit has dental issues, it is something they will have for the rest of their life and their teeth will need to be trimmed 2-4 times a year. Each time they go in for the procedure they are put under anesthesia.
You have probably at some point heard about Alfalfa Hay…what is it?
Alfalfa is a legume and not grass. This type of hay is higher in protein and calcium than in fiber. It is great for babies up to 6 months, but beyond that it isn’t great. It is also great as a mix with timothy hay for an elderly rabbit that needs to gain weight. In your rabbit, alfalfa hay can contribute to the formation of bladder stones and sludge.
Salad’s for the bun!
Do you want thriving bunnies?
If your answer is a “hell yes!!” than feeding your rabbits safe leafy greens is the way to go. Rabbits love, love, love their vegetables. Giving them a variety of flavors and textures keep them mentally engaged to their surroundings. I said earlier that 80% of their diet should consist of 80%, leafy greens should be 10% of their diet. For every 5-7 pounds they should be getting 2.5 cups of fresh greens. It’s a good idea to give them at least 3 types of greens but honestly, min are picky. They like romaine and green leaf. On occasion I will give them basil, cilantro and parsley. The one leafy green you should 100% stay away from is iceberg lettuce. It has almost no nutritional value and if you rabbit fills up on that, they won’t want their hay.
For more great information on rabbit diets, including a list of suggest safe-vegetables and fruits please check out: https://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabbit-diet/
Pellet’s, Pellet’s Pellets…which are good & which are bad?
First, pellets should make up 5% of your rabbits diet, leaving the additional 5% for treats. I’m sure if you have walked down the pet store aisle you have seen plenty of colorful rabbit pellets. That is, pellets mixed with colorful fruits and veggies mixed in. STAY AWAY! The ones that are actually best for your bunny pal are the boring looking ones. The ones that are colorful and contain, carrot, corn etc., are way too high in sugar and detrimental to your rabbit’s health. Two high quality brands that I love are Oxbow & Science Selective by Supreme Foods. Both of those brands, along with Small Pet Select are really the only reputable and reliable brands that any bunny mom or bunny dad should be buying.
Like all products that you use for yourself or your rabbits, you’ll want to check out the ingredient list. The very first ingredient that is listed, is what the product contains most of. This is very important. The first ingredient or second, should always be timothy hay. The fiber content in pellets should be 18%, protein 12-14% and fat should be 3% or less.
Treats!
Treats for rabbits can be organic rabbit safe fruit, dried fruit, baked or dehydrated cookies with hay, oat flour and ground oats or any fruit mixed with the latter. Treats should never be given in large quantities. I know, it’s hard to say no to that little cute face, but you must in order to keep them healthy. In addition to giving my rabbits my own brand or toys and treats, I also buy from The Well Kept Rabbit which can be found on Etsy. For the most part I only allow my rabbits to eat fruit for treats. If I buy treats in the store its always Oxbow or Tiny Farm Friends Treats by Supreme Pet Foods.
In my opinion those brands are the only ones that make treats that are healthy, besides my own business of organic natural treats. You definitely never want to overdo it with treats, but in addition to that, you never want to give your rabbit those yogurt treats. Yogurt treats are among the unhealthiest for your rabbit. In other words, I feed my rabbits the type of foods they would eat if they weren’t a domesticated rabbit. Would they find yogurt drops in the woods if they were a wild rabbit? No! Then for obvious reasons I am not going to feed them that. I give them fresh fruit, dried fruit and the occasional dehydrated cookie made with oats, oat flour and mixed with organic fruit.
Water
Water is a major source of their diet. Just like they need to be constantly eating healthy foods throughout the day, they also need access to fresh water daily. I give them fresh water twice a day, morning and night. I know that when it comes to water some people elect for purified water but tap works great too. Your rabbit will inevitably make that decision though, trust me they can tell the difference and will most certainly have a preference. I use water bowls. They can easily access large amounts of it with their tongue unlike taking from a water bottle. I know it may seem like less of a mess but I would much rather clean up their mess than preventing them from getting enough water in one given time.
You’ll also want to clean the bowl every day and make sure there is no rabbit sludge or mold build up. Rabbits generally drink around 1-2 cups of water per day. In the summer, expect them to drink more than that. Also, a pregnant rabbit and larger rabbits will drink more as well. While rabbits do drink a lot of water, you may notice that your rabbit isn’t drinking much sometimes, if you are giving them leafy greens they are most likely getting their water intake from that. But keep a close eye to make sure they are still eating, urinating and defecating normally.
As much as I personally wouldn’t use a water bottle, that doesn’t mean you have to rule them out. Sometimes rabbits will flip the bowls leaving them with no water. They may even make a mess of where there water bowl is and inadvertently get hay, food or poop in it. In this case, if you have a bunny like this, a water bottle would be a better option. But be sure you get a very large water bottle as rabbits drink A LOT. Rabbits are also picky when the water gets stale and won’t drink until you replenish it with fresh water, this is why I change it twice a day. I have seen some people who have the fountain water bowls, providing fresh water that is constantly moving. If this is your choice, you’ll want to make sure that you bunny proof the wire so they can’t get at it to chew. Rabbits love spicy hay (wires). You can find hard plastic tubing for wires at Home Depot or on Amazon.
Taking great care of your rabbit really comes down to the type of food you are providing. As long as you give them the highest quality, you’ll be good to go! Questions, comments, advice…write your comment down below! Till next time…..
Hay
Pellets
Safe & Healthy Leafy Greens, and Treats
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