Bring in the bags of food, or just the food bag labels, to have the discussion with your veterinarian. This will give him or her a better idea of the food’s nutritional value. Your veterinarian can also examine your rabbit to determine if he has specific health needs that would be best addressed with a different food.
Although mixes are more colorful and look more interesting, rabbits often pick out their favorite ingredients and leave the rest. This selective eating can lead to nutritional deficiencies. [3] X Research source Pellets don’t look very interesting, but will probably give your rabbit more nutrition than a mix. Rabbits are more concerned with the flavor of the food, rather than how it looks. [4] X Research source Just like switching food brands, switching your rabbit from a mix to a pellet (or vice versa) will need to be a gradual transition. It would be best to switch from a mix to a pellet, since pellets are more nutritionally complete.
A ‘complete’ food is one that would meet all of your rabbit’s nutritional needs (e. g. , protein, vitamins, minerals, fat). Some foods may be labeled as ‘complimentary,’ which means they are not nutritionally complete. [5] X Research source High-quality foods contain the recommended amount of several key nutrients. For example, look for foods that contain at least 18% fiber (for better digestibility) and 12 to 16% protein (12 to 14% for adult rabbits, and 16% for young rabbits). High-quality foods will also be low in fat (about 2 to 5%). [6] X Research source Grass-based foods tend to be more nutritional balanced than wheat-based foods. Look for a high-quality food that has grass (e. g. , timothy, ‘forage’) listed above cereals (e. g. , wheats, corn) on the ingredient label. [7] X Research source Do not be swayed by food brands that have words such as ‘premium,’ ‘gourmet,’ or ‘contains all natural ingredients’ on the bag. [8] X Research source These words are more for marketing. Focus on the ingredient label.
If you have already discarded the old food, feed the new food in small quantities (less than his usual daily intake). Make sure he has plenty of hay to ensure he is still getting enough nutrients. [10] X Research source Feed the new food/old mixture as you would normally feed your rabbit—once in in the morning and once in the evening. Divide the total of amount of food in half.
How much you increase the percentage each day is up to you. Just make sure the increase is gradual. As you increase the percentage of new food, make sure not to change the total amount of dry food your rabbit is eating. Feed the same amount of food you normally would.
You may need to go back to a lower percentage of new food, wait until his feces become normal again, then slowly increase the percentage again.
You may have to keep the same percentage of new food to old food for a few days before he starts eating the new food. Your rabbit may be so resistant to the new food that he will urinate on it! If he does this, throw out the food, clean his bowl, and give him the same percentage of new food to old food. You will need to have patience and persistence as your rabbit adjusts to the new food brand.
Lessening his stress may be as simple as slowing down the rate of switching to the new food brand. If your rabbit still seems stressed, you may need to talk to your veterinarian about how to relieve the stress.
If your rabbit’s digestive is particularly sensitive to food changes, your veterinarian may also need to prescribe medicines to correct the soft and runny feces.
