Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 2: Getting the right green forage
• Part 2 of 2: Feeding your rabbit

Your rabbit deserves a healthy and balanced diet with a mixture of hay, pellets and fresh vegetables.Not only will this ensure that your rabbit is getting enough nutrients every day, but it will also keep your rabbit healthy throughout its life. Rabbits have a sensitive digestive system, and they need a diet high in fiber, with pellets, hay and vegetables, for their digestive system to function properly. Keep your rabbit healthy and happy with a daily serving of the right vegetables.

To step

Part 1 of 2: Getting the right green forage

1. Choose at least three types of vegetables per diet, including one high in vitamin A. Each vegetable will provide your rabbit with different nutrients, make her eat different vegetables and make her chew different motions. Your rabbit's teeth are constantly growing, so helping her work her teeth will help with sanding. Good vegetables for your rabbit are:
   • Kale (lots of vitamin A)
   • Beetroot green (the above-ground parts, lots of vitamin A)
   • Lettuce: Roman, red or green leaf lettuce (no iceberg lettuce or light colored leaves)
   • Spinach
   • Parsley
   • Basil
   • Mint
   • Bok choy
   • Dandelions
   • Sarepta mustard
   • Pods (peels only)
   • Brussels sprouts
   • Swiss chard
   • Broccoli (the leaves and stems)
   • Coriander
   • Dill
   • The green of carrots
   • Celery leaves
   • Watercress
2. Avoid overfeeding your rabbit with certain vegetables. Some vegetables can be harmful if your rabbit eats too much of them in too short a time, or if she develops a build-up of certain nutrients in her body. Vegetables such as cabbage, parsley, mustard and spinach should be fed sparingly to your rabbit, as they are high in oxalate and goitrogen.
   • Vegetables such as eggplant, potatoes and tomato plant leaves are poisonous to rabbits and should under no circumstances be fed to them.
3. Use carrots and fruit as treats. The image of a rabbit chewing a mountain of carrots is in fact an unhealthy image, because carrots contain a lot of sugar and oxalate, the latter can promote bladder stone formation. Carrots should only be used as a treat for your rabbit.
   • Give your rabbit an inch of carrot to gnaw on, no more than once every two days, to avoid a sugar build-up in her diet. Rabbits also like sugar and tend to prefer sugary foods to healthy foods.
   • Fruit is also high in sugar and sugary fruits such as bananas and grapes should only be given to your rabbit as a thrifty treat. Limit your rabbit's fruit intake to one or two tablespoons per 2.3 pounds of rabbit weight and opt for fiber-rich fruits such as apples, blueberries, oranges (no peel), papaya, and pineapple.

Part 2 of 2: Feeding your rabbit

1. Wash all vegetables before feeding them to your rabbit. This will clean the vegetables and remove any pesticides or harmful chemicals on the surface of the vegetables.
   • Whenever possible, opt for organic products to avoid exposing your rabbit to harmful pesticides.
2. Give your rabbit a daily serving of vegetables based on her body weight. The standard formula is a minimum of one cup of vegetables per day for every six pounds of body weight. Most rabbits weigh between 2.2 and 3.5 pounds. Determine your rabbit's weight and then use the formula to determine the amount of vegetables to feed your rabbit.
3. Give new vegetables one at a time. This will allow you to check for sensitivities in your rabbit and will not upset her system. Start with just a little bit of a vegetable, and keep an eye out for intestinal problems in your rabbit, such as diarrhea and soft stools.
   • Rabbits also have individual preferences when it comes to taste, so if your rabbit doesn't like a particular vegetable, remember that and replace it with a vegetable she might like.
4. Create a balanced salad for your rabbit. Start forming a balanced salad with each meal, with a base of green leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce or butter lettuce, and two other herbs or vegetables, one of which contains vitamin A.
   • For example, you can try a salad with romaine lettuce, spinach and mint. Watch your rabbit respond to this salad and, if she responds well, continue feeding her a variation of this salad, alternating the spinach with beet leaves or kale. After a few times of feeding, replace the base with a different type of lettuce and another vegetable with a high content of vitamin A.
5. Maintain your rabbit's diet of hay and pellets. Fresh hay is the most important element of your rabbit's diet as it is high in fiber and good for your rabbit's digestive system. Your rabbit's diet should consist of mostly fresh hay, vegetables, fresh pellets and fresh water. Give adult rabbits timothy grass, grass and oat hay, and younger rabbits alfalfa hay. Do not give adult rabbits alfalfa as it contains too much protein, calcium and sugar.
   • If your rabbit isn't used to vegetables, try cutting them into small pieces and mixing them through their hay or pellets. Your rabbit may not notice it among her hay and end up enjoying it.