Posted by Russell Gibbons on 25th May 2017
What Treats can I give my Pet Rabbit?
Rabbits and Guinea pigs make awesome pets, and recently I have been getting some questions regarding what Pet Treats should one give their Pet Rabbit and Guinea Pigs?
As pets, Rabbits are growing in popularity not just within Australia, but also around the world.
In-fact, as an example, there are over 5.3 million Pet Rabbits in the USA as per an article in Petfinder.com .
In Japan, the Pet Rabbit is also taking off with close to 2 million Pet Rabbits…….
And it is increasing in Australia as well!
They are simply so cute, fluffy and cuddly, and make great pets for inside the home.
They can be so interactive and they also love to be treated with affection, as well as being Treated with food........ As Rabbit lovers understand, plus Guinea Pigs and Hamsters, these animals do have a sweet thooth and would happily nibble away at sweet junk food all day long.......But his is extremely bad for them.
However, there are some treats which they can eat. This includes certain fruits and other plants along with specially made Rabbit and small animal treats.
With this in mind, I wanted to highlight the features of some of the Huds and Toke Bunny Treats and Guinea Pig Treat range and why they are designed the way they are!
If you are planning on owning a Pet Rabbit or Guinea Pig, or already own one of these awesome pets, it is important that you choose your treats wisely as these animals are very sensitive to certain foods, and additives such as sugar, which can have serious consequences if not chosen wisely.
Lets understand the Rabbits mouth first!
The Rabbits Mouth.
A Rabbits Teeth have evolved to be able to bite and grind extremely fibrous and tough plants. Further to this, they have been designed to grind and eat an enormous variety of such plants.
To accomplish this, they have highly specialised teeth……..AND NOT just front ones!!!
Many people don’t realise that Rabbits have two smaller incisors behind the main incisors, called Peg teeth , plus they have 6 other teeth on the roof of their jaw towards the back of their mouth with a further 5 on the bottom.
These are grinding teeth. These grind the vegetation and plant matter that the incisors have ripped off.
Because of the wear and tear on these teeth caused by such tough roughage and food, they are “open Rooted”.
This means they actually grown continuously over their lives. As such, it is super important that one understands the implications of not having good dental health for your bunny.
If the teeth are not being ground down, they will continue to grow and hence cause a lot of damage to the health of your Pet Rabbit.
AND the undisputed best way to do this is by them chewing on……. You guessed it……… high fibre food and other items such as untreated wood……
As such, that is why the Bunny Bix made by Huds and Toke are made with grains high in fibre and are designed to be quite hard so as to mimic the food they would find in the wild.
This is also true for the Munchie Muffins as well. They are made with heaps of fibrous material and then baked so it is hard and will take some time, and effort to eat.
The Munchie Muffins will need the use of both the front incisors and the back grinders.
Rabbits Diet
It is absolutely imperative that a rabbit has a diet high in fibrous material and low in simple carbohydrates not just so the teeth and gums are kept in good health.
But so their whole health is optimised.
Rabbits are Hind Gut Fermenters. This means it is a mono-gastric herbivore. Essentially, Cellulose is digested with the help of bacteria via a fermentation process.
Obviously we could go down “the rabbit hole” on this one (pun Intended), but I feel this is best left for another time.
Needless to say, the bacteria are very sensitive so ensuring the gut health of a Rabbit is vitally important.
Food with high simple carbohydrates and a low diet of fibre, can cause problems.
The simple carbohydrates, cause the bacteria to rapidly overgrow in the cecum. This leads to multiple problems which can in-turn have severe repercussions for Pet Rabbits.
This type of condition is called enteritis and is typically caused by lack of fibre in a Rabbits diet.
So with all this in mind, one needs to understand the dietary requirements for Rabbits in order to keep them healthy.
OK, now that we understand some of the factors which affect Rabbits, one can see the importance of choosing a Rabbit Treat correctly.
Firstly, and let me emphasis this point, although your Rabbit will love it’s treats, REMEMBER, that no Treats are a substitute for their Food.
They are a treat. Regardless of whether you have purchased them or you give them your own rabbit treats.
Why Treat your rabbit you might ask?
Well, consider these points:
- Adds variety to their Diet
- Helps increase your bond with them
- Helps with their teeth management
- Helps manage them with getting bored.
- Plus, it’s healthy for you to spend time with
your pets……..
- Helps your stress levels
- Releases endorphin's.
- Small animal treats will also help with grooming.
So choosing your treat is really important. Just make sure what ever you feed them is High in Fibre and low in sugar, plus, ideally it should be quite firm.
The Huds and Toke Bunny Bix and Munchie Muffins are just that.
The Bunny Bix have a mix of flavours and are made with those real ingredients with no added sugar.
They are designed to mimic a hard bit of vegetation they might find in the wild, and are designed to be round with a whole through the middle to help prevent any choking issues.
These Bunny Bix are quite hard and will provide some great Crunch which will really be good for their grinding teeth at the back.
At the same time, they are small, so you have complete control over how much you treat them!
The Munchie Muffins are more of a longer lasting treat. Shaped like a muffin, they are hard, so the front incisors will have an adequate challenge to gnaw off delicious pieces.
The shape itself is designed so it will roll around. This will keep them mentally challenged as they chase it around and work out how they will eat it.
Yet it isn’t too large so it won’t over fill them!
So there you have it!!! A lot of understanding needs to go into Rabbit Treats, Guinea Pig Treats and Hamster Treats!
If you choose wisely, and give sparingly (because they are only treats NOT FOOD) your little fury friends will love you for it.
If you choose to give them Huds and Toke Treats, why not take your photos whilst they enjoy their pet treat and share them with us via your socials.
tag@hudsandtoke
@hudsandtoke
#hudsandtokefamily
Have a wonderful day and enjoy those pets in your lives, and enjoy “creating Awesome memories”.
PS: Please feel free to post a review on one of these review sites…….we appreciate the thought and it all helps. Thanks.