NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Feeding the correct diet to rabbits is fundamental to maintaining health, particularly of the dental and gastro-intestinal systems.
Rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas have teeth which grow continually, if fed unsuitable foods they fail to wear the teeth sufficiently and this leads painful dental conditions such as malocclusions (misalignment of the teeth).
The rabbit requires high levels of fibre in its diet for efficient gut movement and to encourage chewing to keep their continually growing teeth trim. Feeding good quality hay alongside a prepared pet food is always advised.
Rabbits absorb calcium at a level that directly relates to the level offered in their food – this means that even if they do not require any more calcium, they will still continue to absorb it. As a result, both the calcium content and the calcium: phosphorus ratio are important and should be approximately 1.0% and between 1.5:1 and 2:1 respectively.
An imbalance of calcium, together with limited opportunities for chewing can result in dental problems, such as overgrown teeth and even dental abscesses.
There are life stage products available for rabbits – these include products appropriate for growing rabbits or light products for adult rabbits that are inactive or prone to weight gain.
Is Your Rabbit a Healthy Weight? Use our Pet Size-O-Meter to find out.
