What treats do you feed your buns and what one(s) are their favorite?

[White Rabbit]

[EDIT BY MODERATOR: Please see cautions in some of the posts below. Some of the treats shown here are not recommended.]

So as the title says, i'm looking around to see what everyone feeds their buns for treats to help myself and others look for different ideas, brands, etc. Be it something healthier, maybe something more sweet, etc. Would be good to see what is out there in other states or even countries and to see how common certain treats are liked amongst users buns here and to see which are the most commonly used or not used. I don't think there is a poll function on the site, if there is I'm just missing it. Id love to add one to allow users to type in what they use if it's already not listed. But anyway, for mine I use berries as a "real" treat, blueberries, black berries, raspberries, etc. I also give Banana sometimes and other safe fruits.
For more processed treats I use(and no mine doesn't get all these treats at once, they are spaced out and given on different days to prevent her getting bored of them)

Yogies which are tied for first place favorite, had to use a stock picture since i ran out haha. She can down these like you could your favorite food, it's amazing to watch how she eats them.


Her other favorite tied for first place is Extreme hoops. I have to be careful with these and the yogies as she will chase me down for them and climb her cage begging for them, lol.


Her next favorite would be berry loops, healthier then the above options but still on the sweeter end.


And her least favorite of the bunch that she still likes though, I'm sure she just wishes it was sweeter. But she loves eating them as I mix them in her pellets.

 

[ISAC QUIN HOOER]

We don't feed our rabbits sugar heavy treats, mostly fresh blackberry leaves, fresh clover, I'll have to try the selective natural berry loops tho . Mainly just fresh greens, and a occasional banana peel.

 

[BunLover]

We don't feed our rabbits sugar heavy treats, mostly fresh blackberry leaves, fresh clover, I'll have to try the selective natural berry loops tho . Mainly just fresh greens, and a occasional banana peel.

Wow, I did't know rabbits could have banana peel. How much can I give my rabbit?

So as the title says, i'm looking around to see what everyone feeds their buns for treats to help myself and others look for different ideas, brands, etc. Be it something healthier, maybe something more sweet, etc. Would be good to see what is out there in other states or even countries and to see how common certain treats are liked amongst users buns here and to see which are the most commonly used or not used. I don't think there is a poll function on the site, if there is I'm just missing it. Id love to add one to allow users to type in what they use if it's already not listed. But anyway, for mine I use berries as a "real" treat, blueberries, black berries, raspberries, etc. I also give Banana sometimes and other safe fruits.
For more processed treats I use(and no mine doesn't get all these treats at once, they are spaced out and given on different days to prevent her getting bored of them)

Yogies which are tied for first place favorite, had to use a stock picture since i ran out haha. She can down these like you could your favorite food, it's amazing to watch how she eats them.
View attachment 61555

Her other favorite tied for first place is Extreme hoops. I have to be careful with these and the yogies as she will chase me down for them and climb her cage begging for them, lol.
View attachment 61556

Her next favorite would be berry loops, healthier then the above options but still on the sweeter end.
View attachment 61557

And her least favorite of the bunch that she still likes though, I'm sure she just wishes it was sweeter. But she loves eating them as I mix them in her pellets.
View attachment 61558

I give my bun banana, carrot, raisins, etc. I gave bunbun a rabbit treat ice cream cone, Don't worry, it did not have ice cream.

 

[Blue eyes]

CAUTION: MOST STORE BOUGHT "TREATS" ARE UNHEALTHY (AT BEST) AND SOME ARE HARMFUL​

Seeds are not a part of a rabbit's diet. Rabbits are not rodents. Only black oil sunflower seeds are ok for rabbits to eat.

Corn kernels have hulls -- the outer layering on each individual kernel. The hulls of corn kernels are indigestible to rabbits. Rabbits have died from gut impaction caused by an accumulation of corn hulls in their gut.

Yogurt is a dairy product. Once weaned, rabbits can no longer digest dairy. Rabbits should not be offered any milk products including yogurt. The only exception would be if a vet suggests a small amount of yogurt to introduce bacterial cultures for a specific purpose.

Sugar can imbalance the very delicate bacterial balance in a rabbit's digestive system. This is why even natural treats like fresh fruit must be so severely limited. The natural sugar found in fruit, however, is a far better option than the processed sugar found in packaged treats.

Grains (wheat, rye, oats, barley) and rice may be found in packaged treats as well as in cereals, crackers, and cookies that some use as rabbit treats. They may be high in fiber, but that doesn't mean they are ok for a rabbit. They are very starchy and not good for a rabbit's digestion. They can lead to fatty liver disease and cecal dysbiosis. These should not be fed to a rabbit.

Artificial coloring is in almost every one of the packaged treats. Artificial food dyes have no health benefit and are suspected of causing health issues. Colors are usually added to appeal to the buyer, not to the pet.

 

[Blue eyes]

It is unfortunate, but most treats advertised for rabbits are deceptively unhealthy. Labels use words like 'healthy" and "natural" and even show pics of cute rabbits. But as explained above, most of the ingredients are patently unhealthy -- some even harmful.

It's a good idea to read the ingredients labels. If there is a huge list of words one can hardly pronounce, then it's probably loaded with junk. Usually the fewer ingredients, the better- provided those are good ingredients! If sugar is listed as the first ingredient, that means sugar is the primary (most) ingredient -- not a good choice. Anything with milk or yogurt is not appropriate for a weaned rabbit. Cracked corn has indigestible hulls. So check labels carefully.

Easier is just to feed greens or small amounts of fresh or dried fruit.

(Banana peel is fine in small quantities. Be sure the peel is thoroughly washed.)

 

[Blue eyes]

This is getting to be an old video, but here were a couple of my buns enjoying bits of fresh banana:



Other favorites were dried banana chips, sugar free craisins or raisins, and strawberry tops.

 

[White Rabbit]

Well moding my post just killed it for me, unwatching. Feel free to delete this thread.

 

[Cef81]

I feed my bun bun the treats from small pet select literally there is no preservatives or no added sugar 3 ingredients you can read and as always these are treats. They tell you feed no more than once a day which I break mine up to give to cadbury after his daily injections to kinda give him a positive reinforcement after having to poke him .

 

[user 34902]

[EDIT BY MODERATOR: Please see cautions in some of the posts below. Some of the treats shown here are not recommended.]

So as the title says, i'm looking around to see what everyone feeds their buns for treats to help myself and others look for different ideas, brands, etc. Be it something healthier, maybe something more sweet, etc. Would be good to see what is out there in other states or even countries and to see how common certain treats are liked amongst users buns here and to see which are the most commonly used or not used. I don't think there is a poll function on the site, if there is I'm just missing it. Id love to add one to allow users to type in what they use if it's already not listed. But anyway, for mine I use berries as a "real" treat, blueberries, black berries, raspberries, etc. I also give Banana sometimes and other safe fruits.
For more processed treats I use(and no mine doesn't get all these treats at once, they are spaced out and given on different days to prevent her getting bored of them)

Yogies which are tied for first place favorite, had to use a stock picture since i ran out haha. She can down these like you could your favorite food, it's amazing to watch how she eats them.
View attachment 61555

Her other favorite tied for first place is Extreme hoops. I have to be careful with these and the yogies as she will chase me down for them and climb her cage begging for them, lol.
View attachment 61556

Her next favorite would be berry loops, healthier then the above options but still on the sweeter end.
View attachment 61557

And her least favorite of the bunch that she still likes though, I'm sure she just wishes it was sweeter. But she loves eating them as I mix them in her pellets.
View attachment 61558

My rabbits have got willow sticks from Pets at Home.
One of them was starting to gnaw at the skirting boards.

 

[user 34902]

This is getting to be an old video, but here were a couple of my buns enjoying bits of fresh banana:



Other favorites were dried banana chips, sugar free craisins or raisins, and strawberry tops.

My rabbits also like banana and fresh cherries.

 

[ISAC QUIN HOOER]

Wow, I did't know rabbits could have banana peel. How much can I give my rabbit?


I give my bun banana, carrot, raisins, etc. I gave bunbun a rabbit treat ice cream cone, Don't worry, it did not have ice cream.

Maybe 1/4 of a peel.

 

[Orrin]

We have settled on the Selective Naturals Meadow Loops. We formerly used dried diced papaya; but, the sugar content is too high to be giving them every time a bun begs for a treat. My favorite rabbit died from GI upset and I attribute it to the papaya.

On the other hand, the Meadow Loops have not caused any problems, although a couple of the ingredients bother me, one of which is flax seed. It also runs in my mind that they contain locust bean which is poisonous, from what I understand.

The way I look at it, commercial treats are like fishing lures which catch the fisherman, not the fish. It's the same way with the junk that passes off for animal treats; they're marketed to be attractive for the human and not necessarily safe for the critter.

Meadow Loops are prohibitively expensive if purchased at most pet shops. We buy them in case lots and have them shipped to us. That way they are affordable.

 

[JBun]

My rabbits go nuts for willow leaves. At the end of summer before the leaves start to change color in fall, I would go out and strip leaves off the branches, filling up several flats of boxes for drying, to have a winter supply. When it was time to feed my rabbits at night, I'd grab a handful of those leaves. As soon as they heard the crinkle of me grabbing those dried leaves, they would start dashing over excitedly, climbing all over each other to try and be the first to the leaves.

I got in the habit years ago, of only ever giving healthy non sugary treats, due to having rabbits with sensitive digestive systems that would react negatively to any high carb treat, including rabbits with megacolon who were always on a very strict no carb/pellet free diet. Usually some sort of leafy green/forage was their only treat, and they always loved it because that's all they knew

(Not willow, but fresh apple leaves, ribwort plantain, and romaine)

On occasion I would sometimes give the non megacolon rabbits a small bit of carrot, which they of course loved, because rabbits have a sweet tooth. They love sugary foods. They're like little kids. Of course they like the junk food if we let them have it, but we have to do what's best for them by feeding them veggies and limiting the treats.

The treat recommendations that are on the reputable pet rabbit sites, suggesting limitations on what is considered 'safe' and the amounts to give, which is the same info we share here, is done for a very specific reason. We aren't just trying to be a Debbie Downer, ruining the fun of giving rabbits something tasty that they really like. These recommendations have come about through lots of rabbit vet experiences and advice, and combined rabbit owner experience, some of it tragic.

Orrin isn't the only member to have lost a rabbit from suspected GI upset due to excess sugars. Many rabbit caretakers have either experienced a rabbit becoming sick from excess carbs in the diet, or tragically lost their rabbit due to it causing serious GI illness. I lost my lovely little bun Dash, from what I suspect to be the same thing, excess sugars from a single treat causing severe GI upset, before I knew and understood she had a GI problem, and before I understood rabbit health and diet like I do now.

There are also scores of people that come on here looking for help and information, about their rabbits that are experiencing GI issues or have gone into GI stasis, that end up being due to the rabbits getting too many treats and/or carbs in their diet. So the diet and treat recommendations are there to help all rabbit owners, to try and prevent cecal upset or the dreaded GI stasis, or worse from happening. We share this info because we care about fellow rabbit owners and their rabbits, and we're trying to help prevent; at a minimum, a rabbit becoming sick due to excess sugars/carbs causing GI upset and the owner possibly incurring an expensive vet bill; at worst, a tragic death.

Some rabbits aren't as susceptible to excess sugars/carbs causing problems, and may be able to eat foods and amounts not normally recommended, without ever having a problem. But it's a common enough occurrence and risk for excess dietary carbs to result in GI upset, that we moderators feel a responsibility and obligation to caution other RO members and readers of the potential risks of feeding too many high carb treats and/or ones not normally recommended; like the moderators note that was added to this thread, even when it's just a fun thread about what treats we all feed.

We just don't want any uninformed reader or new rabbit owner, coming on here reading this thread and thinking all of these treats are ok to be fed to any rabbit in any amount, and not understanding the proper diet and treat recommendations, the possible risks involved when not following those recommendations, and that some rabbits could be sensitive to excess sugars/carbs(sometimes any at all) resulting in illness. This forum is not only so we can share the fun things about our rabbits, but also to help educate and promote better care for the well being of our pets.

https://rabbit.org/disorders-of-the-cecum/

 

[Orrin]

JBun said "My rabbits go nuts for willow leaves."

So do all of ours. Once a day I give each pair of our rabbits a large willow branch, fresh off the tree. They will have it picked clean by the next morning.

JBun's practice of drying leaves sounds like an excellent thing to do. If I can find the time I might give it a shot, also.

That said, I've discovered that not all willows suit the rabbits' tastes. They won't have anything to do with the leaves from some trees. Close inspection shows there are slight differences between the yummy trees and the yucky ones, likely slight genetic differences.

In the winter we continue feeding naked willow branches. The buns love to chew the bark. In no time flat they'll strip a stick the size of your thumb and an arm's length long.

Willows are definitely a no-guilt treat.

 

[JBun]

I've only ever tried weeping willow, since I have a tree handy.

If you try the drying thing, I use the berry boxes from costco, lined with a layer of newspaper to prevent leaves from falling through the holes in them. They're short enough that you don't get too deep a layer that the leaves start to go bad, but deep enough that it makes turning the leaves easy and so they don't spill out of the top too much. They also have the slots in them for stacking.

The brances are so easy to strip. Just pinch near the tip of the branch and run your fingers down it. Pulls the leaves right off. I'll layer it in the boxes maybe 1/4-1/2 deep, depending on the box and on how flat the leaves pile in there(less for flatter laying leaves due to less airflow). Then I turn the leaves 2 times a day, for about a week. If you don't get any small bits of branches left on the leaves, they dry faster. I usually do it indoors in a bay window, but I've done it outdoors on a table too. It does dry faster outside, but also have critters to keep out of it, and making sure it doesn't rain on it at all.

 

[Preitler]

Common Hogweed. I havn't seen a rabbit that doesn't love it.
Ash leaves, the greener ones that fall from the tree in autum.
Dried nettle, butterbur, willow and apple tree leaves (I always have a stock of this stuff for emergencies when one loses appetite).

Anyway, if treats are just that, in fingernail sized amounts once or twice per day, it doesn't really matter if it's healthy or not. I also sometimes give little pieces of dry bread, oatmeal, and such. Fruits like plums, cherries, and whatever grows on my trees. A hazelnut picked out of my muesli now and then if they had to go through some torment like fur plucking, or a piece of chestnut. No corn though, too hard on their teeth. I fed quite a lot of corn to growouts (no worry about long term health issues there), cooked the whole cobs, but since I don't live next to a field where I could pick up leftovers I don't do that anymore. And I stay away sugary stuff that isn't fresh fruit.