How important are pellets?

[Reh]

Hey all,

I just had a quick question regarding pellets.

I notice big changes in my rabbits droppings every time I am giving him pellets with his leafy greens.

On days that I do, his droppings are smaller, darker and not so 'soft' or 'grassy' and can sometimes feel slightly wet.

On days that I don't give him any pellets his droppings seem super regular, exactly how you would want them.

It could be that my pellets are not high enough quality, but to be honest I only give him a teaspoon with his leafy greens (not much at all).

So my question is, can I avoid pellets altogether or are they a dietary requirement?

 

[dogwoodblossoms]

Pellets have the protein your bunny needs. They don’t need a lot of pellets if your feeding him lots of greens and hay (maybe 1/8 cup or 1/4 cup depending on how big your bunny is). Sure hay and veggies have protein but they still need that additional stuff the pellets have to keep their weight up and correct.

 

[Diane R]

Many people feed pellet-free diets and our rabbit vets recommend to just use pellets as treats and never give more than 1 tbsp a day. If you do that you should make sure you give a variety of greens and forage though. Herbs are good, they can can have all of them apart from chives. Wild plants like dandelions, plantain, willow branches, etc. are great too.

 

[odyssey~]

Agreed with @Diane R
I consider pellets to be a supplementary food and a treat as if the rabbit is getting a good amount of veggies and hay they don't necesarily * need * pellets. A couple tablespoons a day is the max I'd give unless the rabbit is young (under 4 months), pregnant/nursing.

What brand of pellets are you using?

 

[JBun]

Pellets are essentially a vitamin supplement. It's an easy way for pet rabbit owners to make sure a rabbit is getting the necessary nutrients. But they aren't essential to a rabbits diet if you're willing to carefully plan and balance your rabbit's diet with other foods(hay, forage, greens, veg).

https://www.harcourt-brown.co.uk/articles/free-food-for-rabbits
If you want to continue feeding pellets, I would suggest trying a different higher quality brand. It may be the brand you're using is too high in carbs and this is what's causing the smaller darker poop. Or it could be there is something wrong with those pellets. With how little you feed of them and it still causes digestive issues, I would suspect that either your rabbit has a digestive sensitivity to something in those pellets, or there is something off with them(mold/mycotoxins, something bad in the mixture, etc). If this is the case, you definitely need to stop feeding those pellets immediately.

 

[FuzzyBunny ph]

hmm may I know what kind of pellets you're giving? the ingredients and nutritional value might not be ideal for bunnies

https://www.therabbithouse.com/diet/rabbit-food-comparison.asp -- this is a chart for different kinds of pellets and their nutritional value and ingredients

Pellet Analysis --this is an infographic that can help you determine if the pellets you are feeding is ideal for them

 

[Indywtf]

hmm may I know what kind of pellets you're giving? the ingredients and nutritional value might not be ideal for bunnies

https://www.therabbithouse.com/diet/rabbit-food-comparison.asp -- this is a chart for different kinds of pellets and their nutritional value and ingredients

Pellet Analysis --this is an infographic that can help you determine if the pellets you are feeding is ideal for them

This site can’t be reached
www.therabbithouse.com refused to connect.

 

[Blue eyes]

http://www.therabbithouse.com/diet/rabbit-food-comparison.asp
Try clicking on this to see if you can get it.

 

[Reh]

Agreed with @Diane R
I consider pellets to be a supplementary food and a treat as if the rabbit is getting a good amount of veggies and hay they don't necesarily * need * pellets. A couple tablespoons a day is the max I'd give unless the rabbit is young (under 4 months), pregnant/nursing.

What brand of pellets are you using?

Pellets are essentially a vitamin supplement. It's an easy way for pet rabbit owners to make sure a rabbit is getting the necessary nutrients. But they aren't essential to a rabbits diet if you're willing to carefully plan and balance your rabbit's diet with other foods(hay, forage, greens, veg).

https://www.harcourt-brown.co.uk/articles/free-food-for-rabbits
If you want to continue feeding pellets, I would suggest trying a different higher quality brand. It may be the brand you're using is too high in carbs and this is what's causing the smaller darker poop. Or it could be there is something wrong with those pellets. With how little you feed of them and it still causes digestive issues, I would suspect that either your rabbit has a digestive sensitivity to something in those pellets, or there is something off with them(mold/mycotoxins, something bad in the mixture, etc). If this is the case, you definitely need to stop feeding those pellets immediately.

hmm may I know what kind of pellets you're giving? the ingredients and nutritional value might not be ideal for bunnies

https://www.therabbithouse.com/diet/rabbit-food-comparison.asp -- this is a chart for different kinds of pellets and their nutritional value and ingredients

Pellet Analysis --this is an infographic that can help you determine if the pellets you are feeding is ideal for them

I feel like its the quality of pellets more than digestion sensitivity. I was given Peters Pellets which I have since removed from their original package to store them somewhere airtight - so I am not sure of the nutritional value, but after looking them up online, they are on the 'extremely' affordable side of things and are like one of you mentioned, high in carbs which is what may be causing the issue.

I am more than happy to dump the pellets and obtain a higher quality pellet!

 

[Blue eyes]

I am more than happy to dump the pellets and obtain a higher quality pellet!

Not sure what brands are available in your country. If available brands are not found on the chart linked above (& below), then at least the opening paragraphs provide a good summary of what to look for in a pellet brand.
Rabbit Food Comparision - Brand, Type, Nutritional Analysis

 

[JBun]

I know Oxbow is sold in Australia, and that's a good quality rabbit food.

(how to change or transition onto new pellets correctly)
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/pellet-food.html

 

[Reh]

Ba

Not sure what brands are available in your country. If available brands are not found on the chart linked above (& below), then at least the opening paragraphs provide a good summary of what to look for in a pellet brand.
Rabbit Food Comparision - Brand, Type, Nutritional Analysis

Based on the extremely helpful comparison table I am able to get my hands on the Supreme Science Selective Adult pellets, which seems to be high quality.

There are so many to choose from.

 

[FuzzyBunny ph]

Based on the extremely helpful comparison table I am able to get my hands on the Supreme Science Selective Adult pellets, which seems to be high quality.

There are so many to choose from.

Awesome choice! thats what we give too =)