For Vegetables

Rabbit Vegetables?

I got a new rabbit about a week ago, we got her from a local pet store, she's around 3-4 months old (the people there weren't sure) I've read tons of stuff on the internet about rabbits, and everything I read suggests i should be feeding her green leafy vegetables in favour of pellets. The problem is, my rabbit won't eat ANY of the vegetables or fruits i give her. I've tried peppers, basil, carrots, celery, and even a bit of banana. She won't even try them, she seems afraid of them. she runs away whenever i even get close to her with one. She's sniffed a few of them, but then she turns away in disgust. She's still a little skittish, but she seems to be pretty comfortable with me so far. How can i get her to try the vegetables and eat them, i'm worried about her health :( HELP!

Public Comments

1. You don't need to feed veggies as long as she has pellets and all the timothy hay she can eat plus water she will be perfectly fine. I breed LionLops and hardly ever give veggies because all it does to any of my rabbits is give them diahrea so don't push the veggies if she does't want them its fine. I hope this helps.congrats on your new bunny. ~Hayley~ if you need any info on rabbits e-mail me any time hayleynicole411@yahoo.com
2. I would try feeding either alfalfa sprouts, kale, or spinach and see how that goes. Never feed iceberg lettuce though, as it has no nutritional value to it. Or, try supplementing at first. provide both the pellets and the veggies. Good luck, and if you have any questions, email me! ~Holly swedish_massage13@yahoo.com
3. Unfortunately, a lot of what you read on the internet regarding vegetables is not true. For the most part, you want to avoid feeding vegetables. As one other person mentioned they can give your rabbit diarrhea if given in excess. And due to their high energy content they can also make your rabbit put on fat while at the same time losing weight due to losing muscle mass since they have a lot of energy but very little protein. And you also have to be careful because many vegetables can have toxins in them that can build up and over time can be harmful to your rabbit's kidneys and liver. Many of the articles you will see on vegetables are often written by people that raise only a handful of rabbits. They give them vegetables thinking that since it's fresh and since vegetables are good for humans they should be good for rabbits too. I prefer to stick with rabbit nutrition research that has come from universities that study animal nutrition and actually know what they are talking about instead of guessing from off of a handful of rabbits that they have raised. Rabbit feeds are designed by people that have studied animal nutrition in college. Rabbit nutrition has been studied scientifically since about the 1940's. If you are going to get information on rabbits, I'll give you a couple of good sources: The American Rabbit Breeders Association - This is a club you can join. It has over 40,000 members all across the US and has been in exhistance since about the 1920's. This organization puts out a quarterly magazine on rabbits called Domestic Rabbits. The organization also works with many universities on rabbit research regarding rabbit nutrition and rabbit diseases. Their president Dr. Chris Hayhow is a veterinarian that does research in microbial organisms. So as you can guess, they've been around for a long time, have a lot of members that can contribute a lot of knowledge, and they know their stuff. They also sanction all of the rabbit shows in the US. Their web page is http://www.arba.net Another good source is the book: Rabbit Production, 8th Ed. This book was written by about four people that raise rabbits. One of the authors is Peter R. Cheeke. He is a researcher at Oregon State University and has done a lot of research on rabbit nutrition. In fact, you will find if you read many books on rabbits, that many books reference his research when it comes to rabbit nutrition. What better of a way to learn about rabbit nutrition than from reading a book by one of the top experts on rabbit nutrition? Whenever considering advice on rabbits always look at the quality of the advice, the references, and the experience of the person who gave the advice. I guarantee if you look at most the people who wrote that stuff about vegetables. Most of them havent' raised over about seven rabbits. I've raised thousands. I think a person who has raised thousands over 25 years and studied animal nutrition in college and has done his research reading up on articles and books regarding rabbit nutrition knows a little more about rabbits than someone that's only raised seven rabbits as pets.
4. it could be that you just got her that she's not quet ready and is not aware of her surroundings. when i first got my rabbit, she would just sit there and wouldnt eat anythings i gave her unless you see that i leave. She's pretty new so im guessing you should be patient. As soon as she's ready,she'll be begging for food, atleast thats what my rabbit did. I give her bananas, roman lettace, carrots, and other stuff, but you dont have to give them vegetables. Thats more like either a once a week thing, like a treat. To much could give them gas or loose stool. Good luck and i bet she'll be fine!!
5. They dont really need them as long they have pellets, hay, and water. They sell those salt and mineral wheels also at local pet stores so when the rabbit licks them they get vitamins, but not all rabbits like them. Also they sell food with dried veggies and vitamins in it thats what my aussie eats. I would wait till its a little older when there young it may cause diarrhea. These are all safe foods for rabbits to eat. Suggested Vegetables Alfalfa, radish & clover sprouts Basil Beet greens (tops)* Bok choy Broccoli (mostly leaves/stems)* Brussels sprouts Carrot & carrot tops* Celery Cilantro Clover Collard greens* Dandelion greens and flowers (no pesticides)* Endive* Escarole Green peppers Kale (!)* Mint Mustard greens* Parsley* Pea pods (the flat edible kind)* Peppermint leaves Raddichio Radish tops Raspberry leaves Romaine lettuce (no iceberg or light colored leaf)* Spinach (!)* Watercress* Wheat grass Suggested Fruits Apple (remove stem and seeds) Blueberries Melon Orange (including peel) Papaya Peach Pear Pineapple Plums Raspberries Strawberries