Should I not be giving my bun fresh stuff?

[Stone_family3]

He said I should be dehydrating fruits and veggies instead of feeding fresh because it could cause water consumption problems?

My bun is 2 years old and has been getting fresh produce since the begging (6 mos when I got her). Aside from not eating hay I've not had any diet problems.

Is this owner just crazy or am I putting my bun in harms way?

 

[hillrise]

Never heard that one! Fresh is just fine, and generally more appealing to the rabbit.

 

[Stone_family3]

LOL, that's what I thought. I mean eating fresh is natural to them (or at least that's what I thought).

 

[MiniLopHop]

I think they were angling to get you to buy their dehydrated stuff. Don't ever listen to pet store people, they can be ill informed at best and down right only caring about profits at worst.

Glad you checked it out here, much safer option.

If a bunn isn't drinking enough water giving them wet, fresh food is a great way to help them stay hydrated.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Our vet says that fresh veggies and hay are what all bunnies should eat. Think that person has their head where it is usually anatomically impossible for most people to put theirs.

 

[Stone_family3]

Thanks everyone, I come to expect this kind of "advice" from chain stores. But not mom and pop places.

 

[plasticbunny]

MiniLopHop wrote:

I think they were angling to get you to buy their dehydrated stuff. Don't ever listen to pet store people, they can be ill informed at best and down right only caring about profits at worst.

Glad you checked it out here, much safer option.

If a bunn isn't drinking enough water giving them wet, fresh food is a great way to help them stay hydrated.

I actually work at a pet store and I am VERY well informed. To generalize pet store workers is unfair. You never know who may read what you write and you should probably think about that before doling out the insults.

I always put the animal's needs first... Why, just today, I was helping a lady who just got her first rabbit, and was buying all of these Living World treats (you know the ones, yogurt drops and honey sticks), and I told her they were a waste of money and not healthy at all. I ended up saving her a good $20, and her rabbit's health as well.

Plus, a lot of the people who work in pet stores work there because they love animals. Otherwise, they'd work there because it paid well (it doesn't) or they have a love of cleaning up stinky poo (we don't). So, it's likely that a pet store employee is giving you the best advice to thier knowledge.

After all of that, an OWNER may very well be angling to get the sale, because it's his livelihood, which is why it is so important to do your own research above taking the advice of someone else. And it's quite possible that he truly believes in the advice he gave you. This may make HIM ill informed, but it doesn't make us ALL ill informed.

 

[hillrise]

I used to work management for major retail, so I know how "training" can tend to brainwash employees to the corporate mindset such that the well-meaning employees think they are giving the best advice because their training told them it was the best option. It's a sad fact, but true. It never hurts to get a second opinion if something doesn't sound right.

 

[wawacrates]

assuming all pet store employees are equivalent to the used car salesman stereotype is quite a leap. it's possible that he may just have been confused. isn't it true that you're not supposed to give your rabbit lettuce due to the risk of diarrhea? (thats not rhetorical, im really asking! lol) id heard it somewhere before. perhaps he'd heard the same thing, misunderstood, and assumed all watery veggies could be bad. try to refrain from jumping to such negative conclusions. ignorance is one thing (not much better) but deception is A WHOLE OTHER BALLPARK

 

[Stone_family3]

I was told dark leafy greans are good, lettuce such as ice berg is bad.

 

[MiniLopHop]

Erin, I'm sorry if I offended you. I should have used more qualifiers in my statement. I have just heard so much bad advice given that it is hard to remember that sometimes there are well educated animal lovers in the pet stores. I feel bad for the people misled and even worse for their animals.

Stone-family3 is correct. The dark leafy greens are good, it's just the iceberg that is not. It doesn't have enough neutrition to make it worth feeding. It's not the best choice for people either for that reason.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

The advice you get at pet stores always can be hit or miss. Best is to talk to someone that has rabbits and there is loads of info here, as well as other places like HRS. We also have a bit of a library here too. Finally, you can check around for a rabbit-savvy Vet and usually get info from them too.