Are pellets really that life threatening?

[Sabine]

I am a member of a rabbit forum in which the over all consensus is that dry rabbit food is bad without exception and only the fresh food diet is the way to go even if it means a rather limited selection of rather starchy/sugary or watery vegetables.
I personally prefer to feed my rabbits a bit of everything.
in this forum they constantly warn against the danger of rabbits suffocating on pellets and claim the consistency and shape causes dental damage.
If suffocating was such a great danger it surprises me that they are still being produced. I have heard though that some dried carrot sticks due to their shape and hardness have caused suffocation.
I am on this forum here for a few years and I've never encountered a thread about someone's rabbit suffocating on a pellet:?
Is a rabbit really more likely to suffocate on a pellet than on a piece of hay of stringy vegetable?

 

[elrohwen]

I don't really know the answer to your question about choking on pellets, but I know many many shelters and breeders feed only pellets and I would assume they would've noticed if it was causing tons of choking.

My general diet philosophy is similar to yours - I want my bunnies to get a bit of everything. I think that pellets provide nutrients and vitamins that veggies may not - especially if you have a picky bun (like mine) who won't eat a wide variety of veggies. He'll only eat lettuces and I can't imagine a variety of just lettuce and hay would meet his nutritional needs.

 

[Mrs. PBJ]

Personally Storm is on a 100 percent pellets and hay diet and I have never had him choke.

And he loves his food. Full face dig into the food bowl.

 

[Pipp]

We've actually had a few rabbits on the board choke on pellets, but I lean towards it being an underlying problem like a throat abscess or something else not allowing them to swallow properly.

This is just a guess, but because the pellets are dry and compacted and suddenly expand when crushed by the molars, I can see a sudden dry mass in the back of their throats.

But to say pellets are dangerous because of this is ludicrous. It's like saying humans can choke on steak because of its mass and texture. Its certainly not a reason to stop eating steak. (Bad example, mind you, seeing as I'm a vegetarian so scaring people off steak is a good thing).

The bottom line is that rabbits need an awful lot of variety -- and volume. Whatever they require depends on what they're getting. The bulk of the diet should be hay, and that means an awful lot of hay, and different varieties.

If that's supplemented by a wide variety of other natural vegetation, and they maybe able to do without pellets and still get the proper vitamins and nutrients, but its tough providing that variety.

Pellets were developed as a far easier way of providing a balanced diet, although because the science of rabbit nutrition is still in its infancy, and they were developed for short term health and conditioning and little concern or knowledge for old age, pellets alone have been deemed unhealthy.

A rabbit guardian should provide a wide range of vegetation beyond hays/grasses (leafy greens, vegetables, flowers, trees, etc), on a daily basis. If this is impossible, we're stuck with hay and pellets as a minimal requirement.

Hopefully one day the pet industry will develop healthier and more accessible packaged food sources.

Meanwhile, your 'bit of everything' is great.


sas :bunnydance:

 

[kirbyultra]

Well said, Pipp!

 

[pinupchick]

Pellets were initially developed for the meat industry and were created to fatten up rabbits as quickly as possible. The quality of nutrients was not a big concern, but rather, bulk-enhancing grains and what not.

Pellets have come a long way and some vet-recommended brands (Oxbow, Zupreem, etc.) are very high quality.

Rabbits need a varied diet and they would get this in the wild by grazing. Since domestic rabbits are dependent on us to provide them with varied diets, pellets are often a simpler way to ensure that they get the proper vitamins when we can't always give them the required multitude of veggies that will provide proper nutrition.

I echo the above posts in saying that freely available hay, a variety of veggies, and a small amount of pellets as supplementary nutrition are probably the best way to ensure adequate nutrition. From my experience, most rabbit-savvy vets say the same thing.

I haven't heard of pellets causing choking or anything like that. I have heard of them causing obesity, but I imagine that has more to do with how much is being fed rather than pellets themselves.

 

[ZoeyGirl]

Not that I know alot about bunnies but I would think it's similar to the pellet issue w/ guinea pigs (which I've been a slave for almost 5yrs). We stress to give guinea pigs a plain pellet diet w/out the nuts & dodads that can come in the cheap pellets sold in general stores. Those extra bits are the things that can & do cause choking in guinea pigs not necessarily the pellets.

And I have a dog, hamster, rabbit & guinea pigs, all of the animals are on a plain pellet diet (along w/ regular diet for that species). Just my 2 cents.

 

[Silver Star Rabbitry]

I feed all of mine pellets and have never had any problems with them.

Emily

Silver Star Rabbitry
Raising and Showing Quality Silver Marten Rabbits in North Louisiana.

http://silverstarsilvermartens.webs.com/
http://silverstarrabbitry.blogspot.com/

[email protected]

 

[Happi Bun]

My opinion is -high quality- pellets are a very good thing! They will have all the daily needed ingredients. The key is not over-feeding them! I could never feed a pellet free diet, I would be too concerned about missing something important. Of course hay is the most important part and veggies/greens are also very important. These things all combined and I believe you got a really awesome diet for your bunnies with plenty of variety.

 

[tamsin]

Pellets are basically the commercial substitute for greens, the same way hay is a substitute for grass. They are just not quite such a good one.

If you feed no pellets then you need to feed a big range of greens. Most of us don't want to rely solely on our ability to provide an adequate range and quantity of greens so we add a few pellets to the diet to make up for anything lacking in the greens.

If you cut out pellets totally but don't provide a suitable range of greens instead then your rabbit is likely to miss out on getting all the nutrients it needs.

Pellets aren't great as substitute go so doing the opposite, feeding all pellets and no greens, isn't great either (unless your rabbit can't cope with greens) as pellets are more concentrated than greens so your bun missed out on eating time, some trace elements and enrichment.

 

[RandomWiktor]

Agreed with the other posters; the key to a healthy, happy, rabbit is feeding a varied diet including hays, fresh vegetation, and yes, some pellets to cover your tail unless you're very good at providing a massive variety of foods every single day (IME very few people can do this or don't keep it up long-term because it becomes expensive). Personally, I let my rabbits graze as much as possible, have unlimited timothy hay at their disposal, and give them ample greens plus a small ammount of pellets. Veggies, flowers, and fruits are fed a few times weekly. Since I started feeding my rabbits better (they used to get a large ammount of (lousy) pellets and some hay), I'm noticing a huge change in their feces, pelts, and behavior. I'm a convertee to the "varied diet" camp, but for me, that includes a small ammount of high quality pellet.

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

I don't agree that fresh veggies/treats should make up the bulk of a diet, but that seems to be the general consensus here so I won't do another post about the intricacies of diet. lol!

Anyway, it's ridiculous to say that pellets are a choking hazard. In all the years I've been keeping and raising bunnies, I've never had a choking incident. They've been fed to rabbits from 3 weeks on to 8 years old.

 

[Pipp]

OakRidgeRabbits wrote:

I don't agree that fresh veggies/treats should make up the bulk of a diet, but that seems to be the general consensus here so I won't do another post about the intricacies of diet. lol!

Uh, nobody's ever said that! LOL! The consensus world wide I think is that rabbits need hay -- as in natural vegetation -- and nobody said anything about 'fresh' and certainly not treats.

What most people in this thread have said is that rabbits need variety.

Most have also recommended a small amount of pellets.

There have been recommendations of huge amounts of vegetables for rabbit who don't eat hay and/or don't get pellets at all.

That's a far cry from recommending they should make up the bulk of a diet.

They certainly CAN make up the bulk of a diet, as my non-hay-eating dwarf has proved. Rather than increase her pellet intake I increased her veggie intake and all her health problems, which were mostly caused by her ridiculous refusal to eat one scrap of hay leaving her to a near pellet-only diet -- totally disappeared.

Pellets aren't evil, but I think anybody would recommend a natural diet over a processed one.

And the effects of all-pellet diets, much like the effects of bad human diets, aren't readily apparent, they're internal. My friend survives on Kraft Dinner and Big Macs and he *looks* healthy. Or did until he had the heart attack.


sas :bunnydance:

 

[Mrs. PBJ]

having one bunny on a all pellet and hay diet and one bunny on a veggie, hay, and pellets diet.

I can say this.

My bunny that can not handle veggie but as a treat ever couple of weeks.

Eat hay like it is going out of style. He has good poops and get fresh farm grown hay.

My bunny that I recently got can handle veggies and she loves them get four veggie meals a week. Shoot me if you will but I can't afford to do 7. She does not eat much hay. she waits for the better stuff.

The rabbit diet is still being researched everyday. Meaning that no one may be right. Or everyone may be right. I think you should go by your choice and your bun.



In saying that. They are both healthy as a horse. Two different diets two different breeds. I really think in depend in the bunny weather we go into who needs or get what. I don't think Jessi would handle just pellets and hay and I know Storm can not handle veggies.




Kat
Ok now that I have got off subject let get back on LOL.

 

[nicolevins]

Mrs. PBJ wrote:

Personally Storm is on a 100 percent pellets and hay diet and I have never had him choke.

And he loves his food. Full face dig into the food bowl.

My rabbits are on a pellets, hay and veg. diet.

When they are given their pellets (in the morning especially), they chase me around as soon as the hear the rattling of the bag. The circle my feet and when I put it down they literally dive into the bowl!

I think maybe it's rabbits who arent fed enough - trying to get the food down as fast as they can.!

I've never experienced this though and I havent heard from anyone that did have this problem :?

ETA: my buns get an apple every 2 days and veg almost everyday. I read online that this can be bad for them. I dont believe that it is bad for all rabbits. I personally believe that it depends on the rabbit. Like people - some people love food and cant get enough of the "bad stuff". Lol that'd be me

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

Pipp wrote:

OakRidgeRabbits wrote:

I don't agree that fresh veggies/treats should make up the bulk of a diet, but that seems to be the general consensus here so I won't do another post about the intricacies of diet. lol!

Uh, nobody's ever said that! LOL! The consensus world wide I think is that rabbits need hay -- as in natural vegetation -- and nobody said anything about 'fresh' and certainly not treats.

What most people in this thread have said is that rabbits need variety.

Most have also recommended a small amount of pellets.

Yes, that is what I was commenting on. A small amount of pellets would indicate that a bulk of the diet is veggies, unless one is feeding a diet of hay, supplemented with a small amount of pellets. Which, in either case, is not a diet that I recommend, which is what I was explaining.

 

[Sabine]

I find the fear of pellets that I encountered on the other forum really strange and even dangerous at times as in one case a girl fed mainly hay and a minuscule amount of veg to several lactating does and their kits. Several babies died. If I had suggested pellets I would have been shot

 

[irishbunny]

That sounds pretty crazy :S

 

[Pipp]

The key word is still variety.

I personally don't trust the added nutrients in pellets, I'm not convinced they're doing it right, an all-pellet diet doesn't provide many needed properties and may also provide a bad mix of nutrients.

But achieving the required levels and variety of nutrients without any pellets is very very difficult.

People don't understand the true meaning of "unlimited hay", and they tend to stick to one type which is severely limiting.

A varied all-veggie diet is way healthier than an all-pellet diet. And with a wide enough selection -- variety -- vegetables can take the place of hay. (Not that I'm saying it should).

In reverse I don't think a total hay diet will provide what's needed, at least not without a whole whack of different varieties of hay and grasses.

Without that kind of volume and variety on either count, you need pellets.

Again, variety.


sas :twocents:

 

[Pipp]

PS: This isn't my setup, but as an example of what 'unlimited hay' really means, here's a good supply source. Darry and Mister would burn through this in 24 hours. (I can make it last only slightly longer by also giving them their large salad and 1/4 cup of pellets).