Wednesday, December 16, 2015

What Can Dwarf Bunnies Eat

Don't give your dwarf rabbit too much lettuce or it might get diarrhea.


Netherland dwarfs, often called dwarf rabbits, have short ears on a round head and small body. They can be found in many different colors. The bunnies are more active in the morning and at night. Dwarf bunnies should be fed hay, a small amount of fruits and vegetables, and a small amount of food pellets for vitamins and minerals. Take care with dwarf rabbits' feedings because they have sensitive stomachs. Provide the rabbit with toilet paper rolls or boxes to play in and chew. Keep a water bottle or bowl in the cage with the rabbit so it's adequately hydrated.


Hay


Your dwarf rabbit should eat a good quantity of hay to give it a source of roughage and prevent intestinal blockage. This keeps everything moving along smoothly in its body and prevents hair balls from forming. (Dwarf rabbits can dislodge hair balls like cats can.) Rabbit teeth are always growing and hay will keep this under control by filing down the rabbit's teeth to a manageable size.


Pellets


Choose a high-quality pellet from a well-known brand so your rabbit gets the vitamins and minerals that it needs. Choose pellets over a mixed food brand, or the rabbit might only pick out what it likes to eat. Give the dwarf rabbit a moderate amount, so it also eats its hay. Otherwise your rabbit might become overweight and have teeth issues. Don't feed your rabbit pellets that are intended for mice or hamsters. These don't contain the proper nutrients for a rabbit.


Fruits and Vegetables


Fruits and veggies are important and tasty to dwarf rabbits. It will eat them up like delicious treats. Give it leaf vegetables like kale and broccoli, and root vegetables such as carrots with the tops. Don't overdo the vegetables, though, or the pet might get diarrhea. A lot of cabbage and lettuce will cause this problem. Introduce a small amount of the vegetable at first to see how the rabbit handles it.


Changing the Diet


If you find it necessary to change your dwarf rabbit's diet, do so slowly because dwarf rabbits have sensitive stomachs and digestive systems. Introduce new food by mixing it with the old over a period of time so you can see how your pet is handling it. Continue doing this until the new food has completely replaced the old.

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