Rabbit Web Discussion Board - Mix Feed / Biscuit Treats Questions

hi everyone, i would like to ask some questions concerning mix feed / biscuit treats...

according to a website which i browsed [url=\"http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/diet.html\"]here[/url], it says i shouldn\'t feed my rabbit mix feed which usually contains nuts and corn (dried) because the corn is very dangerous to the rabbit\'s digestive system. it says the same for biscuit treats for rabbits which i see pet shops selling.

what i\'m wondering is if we can feed rabbits these mentioned treats. this is because from a lot of books about rabbits and rabbit care which i\'ve seen, they say its alright to feed rabbits those items, and they even have pictures of the items.

if we can\'t feed rabbits these things, then why do pet shops still sell them and say they\'re edible by rabbits? are they intentionally making us put our rabbits\' life in danger?

The special feed mixes and feeding biscuits, pose a problem because 1) The rabbit will dig through the pellets looking for \"goodies\" and fail to eat the more balanced pellet - also wasting a lot of feed. 2) The biscuits should be considered \"candy\". It\'s too easy to go overboard and replace quality calories for empty ones.

The best diet is to limit-feed a good balanced pellet; give grass hay free choice; offer a small amount of veggies or fruit (no more than the rabbit will clean up in 10 minutes) as a treat. A pinch of old-fashioned oatmeal is also a good treat.

Charlcie Gill
Zodiac Rabbitry
Astoria, OR
http://www.zodiacsatins.com

i see... so the idea is to take these items as \'special treats\' for rabbits and only give it to them once in a while?

but the corn getting stuck in the rabbit\'s intestine is quite scary...

right now we feed shibby with oat + hay mix, timothy, rabbit pellets and carrots... if we feed her the a bit of the mix treat along with her regular ration of the above food, she will still have enough fiber to clean her intestine right?

will giving her a chunk of wood and mineral stone for gnawing to keep her teeth short be alright?

we don\'t know why she has a very very strong liking for eating newspaper... we do our best to make sure she doesn\'t get herself any newspaper to eat...