Rabbits are animals that are becoming increasingly popular as pets. Therefore, if you have just adopted a newborn or have saved a rabbit to care for, keep in mind that at every stage of their life, rabbits need a number of specific treatments, including the most important type of diet. Right.
The correct diet of a baby rabbit should be based on more than just a random selection of green foods or commercial foods, because the health of the rabbit depends on the diet. Do you want to raise your rabbit properly from the beginning, week after week? So keep reading this Animal Expert article about rabbit puppy food and have all the information to improve your pet’s life!
- Breast milk is the only food for baby rabbits during their first days of life.
- It would be advisable to consume milk from birth to the seventh week of life.
- But we know that this is not always possible.
- So.
- If you have to feed a newborn rabbit.
- You should use a formula made with goat’s milk.
- Administered in a small bottle in the afternoon.
- As the mother would.
Never try to administer foods that are not age-appropriate, as this would cause the rabbit to suffer diarrhoea that, at this early stage, could lead to death from dehydration in a few days.
Homemade milk for a newborn rabbit should provide you with the same nutrients as the original breast milk, without causing discomfort, gas or diarrhea. For this reason, it is recommended to prepare a special milk formula for bunnies based on goat’s milk, an egg yolk and a tablespoon of corn syrup. If you can’t find it, the formula for newborn cats is also suitable for rabbits. NEVER administer cow’s milk.
Before you start feeding the newborn rabbit, heat the milk a little and place it in a small or drip bottle, checking if the temperature is too high. Follow the steps below to feed the puppy:
As you can see, it’s very simple. Although rabbits feed their young once or twice a day, because you don’t have real breast milk, you’ll probably need to feed them more often, so you need to control the behavior to notice when you’re hungry.
The amount should be increased gradually, starting with only 3 milliliters each shot during the first week of life, twice daily, to 15 milliliters per diet during weeks 6 or 7. Of course, these values are indicative only, as each rabbit has different nutritional needs depending on its size, so we recommend that you re-examine the newborn and set the exact amount the body needs to be satisfied.
If you have just adopted a newborn rabbit, see also: Names for rabbits
Eating hay has multiple benefits, both for the teeth and digestive system of the puppy, and to help eliminate dangerous hairballs. In nature, baby rabbits nibb to grass or grass near their nests, but at home it is better to use hay.
The most important thing is to provide you with hay, whether alfalfa or grass, although at this early stage alfalfa is more recommended because it contains a greater amount of nutrients and calcium. However, it is suitable for rabbits older than six months.
If you’re wondering when to start giving hay to your rabbit cub, you should know that from the third week of life you can start introducing it, while you give it milk. As with all puppies in the animal kingdom, it is best to make a gradual change in the diet, gradually removing the milk and introducing more and more hay into the rabbit diet.
Also know: vaccines for rabbits
It is recommended that food and pellets be administered moderately for good rabbit feeding, always making sure they are of good quality. Don’t get carried away by the advertising that accompanies them and closely monitors the ingredients, some brands are certainly not suitable for puppy food. Many say it’s better for your rabbit, but by quickly looking at labels, you can see large amounts of fat, sugars and even protein. Discard anything containing nuts, seeds or others.
Quality foods and granules are made of pure fiber, which is much better suited to your rabbit’s health, providing you with the right nutrients and avoiding the problems of obesity, flu, foie gras and sugar dependence. Then, from the fifth week of life, you can start incorporating this food into your puppy’s diet.
The stomach of these small mammals is very sensitive, so it is recommended to try the different vegetables gradually, without offering a great variety. Otherwise, it will cause diarrhea and stomach problems.
The most recommended vegetables for feeding the rabbit are
Try giving your bunny cub small pieces of one of these ingredients every day and observe the reactions. You can also add small pieces of fruit such as:
Now that you know which foods are right for a bunny, we explain how to handle them on a case-by-case basis.
If you saved a baby rabbit or a litter of rabbits and don’t know how to feed them, here’s how. Adopting one of these animals as a pet is not the same as saving one to help bring him back to nature, so if you want to take care of a baby rabbit until he can fend for himself, follow these steps. Recommendations:
There are several reasons why a baby rabbit may run out of its mother, may be dead or rejected. If a newborn rabbit has run out of mother and you have adopted it, follow this schedule to feed the rabbit:
Remember to increase the milliliters of milk during the first few weeks, as explained above, and reduce their amount again until it is completely suspended to weate.
From the eighth week to seven months the final growth of the rabbit occurs, from puppy to young rabbit or adolescent. Until three months of age, most foods will consist of feed, alfalfa hay, occasional granules and small portions of fruits and vegetables.
Starting in the fourth month, portions of raw food will increase to gradually replace food. When the rabbit arrives in the seventh month, it will feed like an adult. If you offer a varied diet of vegetables and fruits, you will not need processed rations or vitamin supplements. However, if you think the diet should incorporate this food, seek the advice of a veterinarian. In addition, that same month, you should start replacing alfalfa hay with grass hay, which is much healthier for adults.
Never forget to offer fresh water at all these stages and observe all your rabbit’s reactions to food.
If you would like to read articles similar to Food for Rabbit Puppies, we recommend that you visit our Nursing section.