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Greens, Veggies & Fruit: Greens are not treats! While a bunny can get by without greens (but NOT WITHOUT Timothy hay), nothing should be considered a substitute for greens. Greens not only afford the bunny a different kind of nutrition and roughage but supply moisture to the bunny through material digestion rather than just by drinking. Greens should be prepared as you would for your own consumption - rinsed and pesticide free. Offer no more than one cup of fresh greens per 5 pounds of body weight daily. Various greens have various nutritional values, so offer a variety to avoid a nutritional imbalance. Greens -- A list: Notice a couple of things NOT on the following list. Iceberg lettuce, as you may or may not know, has very little nutritional value - it's a waste of effort for a bunny to eat it. Cabbage, while having more nutrition, has something that will give a bunny gas and perhaps serious discomfort. Remember ... A rabbit can't regurgitate. Also note that most everything here is of the "green leafy" family.
Fruit -- No Problem: Just like for us, fruits of any sort are good. However, fruits should be considered to be treats - NOT a staple. You'll find an individual bunny's taste may vary ... one likes apples more than anything else, one likes pears better, etc. You can "experiment" with your bunny to find its favorite. It's been our experience that we've NEVER seen a bunny that would not devour a peach, if given a chance. There are a few things to watch out for, though. We simply advise those that ask to stay away from citrus. We've seen bunnies that loved an orange and we've seen bunnies that developed a very adverse reaction from lemon. "Better safe than sorry" is the "phrase of the day". CAVEAT: You must make absolutely sure that any apple does not have any seeds. Apple seeds are literally poison to a bunny (and other animals, as well). |
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