Amanda Teixeira
There is a wide range of different treats in all colors and variations in pet shops. But some additives do more harm than good to rabbits. Read here which food you should absolutely avoid for your rabbits.
Each rabbit pen must have at least one hay rack, as fresh hay is the main food for rabbits. A species-appropriate diet for rabbits also includes fresh food, vegetables and fruit and, if necessary, some dry food. However, there are certain things that rabbits should absolutely not eat.
Rabbits shouldn’t eat this
Rabbit food and treats that contain grain, honey, and nuts, among other things, should not be fed to rabbits.
Snack sticks and other snacks don’t help the tooth abrasion, as often propagated by the feed industry, but rather harm the health of your rabbits.
Dried bread is also difficult for your rabbit to digest.
Likewise, a number of vegetables and fruits (onion plants, exotic fruits, avocados) and some legumes (beans, peas, lentils) are not suitable as rabbit food but are basically intolerable for rabbits.
Salt licks and limestone should also be avoided in an otherwise balanced diet.
Incompatible vegetables and fruits for rabbits
However, some types of vegetables and fruit as well as legumes are generally intolerable for rabbits and should therefore be banned from the diet. These include:
- onion plants
- Legumes (beans, peas, lentils)
- Exotic fruits (e.g. mangoes, papaya, lychee etc.)
- avocados
Unhealthy snacks for rabbits
Snack sticks and crackers from pet shops contain grain, honey, and nuts, among other things, and are said to meet the need to gnaw and serve to wear down teeth. But this is not the case! Therefore, it is better not to feed your rabbit with it.
Because feed ingredients such as grain and nuts make your rabbit ill: Rabbit feed with these ingredients leads to obesity and serious disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.
Tip: Regular tooth abrasion through intensive grinding of the molars is important for the dental health of your rabbit. To ensure adequate tooth wear, offer your rabbit high-fiber rabbit food such as hay and greens. This is the only way to ensure adequate tooth wear.
Other snacks that you might want to cut out of your rabbit’s diet usually include these ingredients:
- Grain
- sugar
- honey
- Bakery by-products
- milk and dairy products
- vegetable by-products
- nuts
Bread is incompatible with rabbits
Hard (dried) bread is often offered to rabbits as a treat. It’s best not to feed your rabbits that. Bread is difficult for the animals to digest and has no use for tooth abrasion.
Alternative: Instead of hard bread, offer your rabbit fresh, unsprayed twigs with leaves (e.g. apple, pear, hazelnut, currant, and blueberry). Your rabbit will enjoy nibbling on it. This is a healthy way to promote tooth abrasion.
Salt licks are superfluous
Salt licks and limestone are not only superfluous in a rabbit’s healthy diet, they are actually harmful. The animals take in far too many minerals due to the additives. Oversupply can lead to kidney problems, urinary stone formation, and other diseases in rabbits.
It can be dangerous for your rabbit if not fed properly. So be careful not to give them these things to eat.