What Do Rabbits Eat and Drink?

So, you’ve got yourself a rabbit and you’re asking yourself, what you can safely feed it? Or maybe you’re just randomly interested in what rabbits like to eat and drink. If you want to have a happy, safe and friendly bunny, read on.

Water

The most important thing your bunny needs is fresh, clean water…and lots of it. Water is the ONLY liquid it needs to survive. Ideally, it should be changed twice daily and served in a ceramic bowl that cannot be tipped over. In warm weather, you can also add a couple of ice cubes to it. Without water, your rabbit would be dead within three days…that’s how important it is!

Rabbits need water to keep their vital organs functioning and their blood healthy. It also helps their digestive systems and flushes away the excess calcium that they build up. They do drink a lot of water, but if you notice that they are drinking excessively, it is possible that they are in pain or in distress. It is always a good idea to take them to the vet to be checked over.

Hay

80/90 per cent of your rabbit’s food should be fresh hay. It gives them fibre and also helps to wear down their teeth. Not only that but it helps to keep them occupied. You could also add some foraging material in the form of tree bark, twigs and sprouts, seeds and small amounts of fruit (but only as a treat). In addition, you can feed them with certain plants, herbs and weeds. If your rabbit has his own enclosure, you could even have some live plants growing there for him.

Herbs, Vegetables and Plants

You can ring the changes by feeding a variety of fresh, pesticide-free vegetables on a regular basis. Feed him approximately 1 cup of vegetables per 4lbs of body weight daily.

Here are a few suggestions to try:

• Artichoke(leaves)
• Asparagus
• Baby sweetcorn
• Basil
• Borage
• Broccoli (leaves only)
• Brussels sprouts (limited)
• Butternut squash
• Calendula
• Chamomile
• Carrot (tops, but sparingly as they contain a lot of calcium)
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Chickweed
• Clover (leaves and flowers)
• Coltsfoot
• Comfrey
• Coriander
• Courgette
• Cucumber
• Dandelion leaves
• Dill
• Fennel
• Green beans
• Kale (a little)
• Lavender
• Dark leaf lettuce (not ice-burg)
• Mint
• Nasturtium
• Nettle
• Oregano
• Parsley
• Peas (including leaves and pods)
• Peppers(all colours)
• Plantain
• Pumpkin
• Radish (tops, limited)
• Rocket
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Spinach (occasional)
• Swedes
• Thyme
• Turnip (occasionally)
• Watercress
• Yarrow
• Plants
• Agrimony
• Apple (leaves and twigs)
• Blackberry (leaves)
• Burdock
• Calendula
• Echinacea
• Hawthorn
• Hazel
• Lemon balm
• Pansies
• Raspberry (leaves)
• Roses (leaves and flowers)
• Strawberry (greens)
• Tulips

Pellets

These can be purchased at most supermarkets and should be high in fibre and low in protein and not mixed with anything else. As your rabbit gets older you should reduce the number of pellets gradually. Just a small handful daily is sufficient.

Fruits

These should only be fed in moderation and as the occasional treat, up to two tablespoons a day. This is because they contain a lot of sugar which is not good for your rabbit’s health, but they really enjoy the taste!

However, don’t give them any pips, stones or plants unless it is in the preceding list.

Try some of these:

• Apple
• Apricot
• Banana
• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Cherries
• Grapes
• KiwiFruit
• Mango
• Melon
• Nectarines
• Papaya
• Peaches
• Pears
• Pineapple
• Plums
• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Tomatoes
• Watermelon

Forbidden foods (Never to be given)

Bread, crackers, pasta, pretzels, yoghurt chips, chocolate, milk or cereal. Potatoes, avocado, daffodils, rhubarb, lilies, mushrooms, sweet peas, iceberg lettuce, broad beans, buttercups, kidney beans, jasmine foxgloves. All of these can make your rabbit very ill and sometimes it can be fatal.

So, as you can see, your bunny doesn’t need much to keep him healthy, but by feeding a varied and interesting diet he will be one very happy bunny too!

Health Benefits of Turmeric For Dogs

Many of us know of the health benefits of taking turmeric, in moderation, as part of our daily routine but have you ever considered that is can also be good for your furry friend? Yes, even dogs can benefit from a daily dose of turmeric in their diet and it certainly won't harm them!

The healing part of the turmeric herb is in the root. Turmeric contains the compound known as curcumin, which also gives it its bright yellow colour. It helps to boost the immune system and can also help with the following conditions:

• Inflammation of the joints
• Infections
• Heart conditions
• Cancer
• Aids digestion
• Parasites
• Eye health
• Diabetes
• Liver health
• Allergies
• Epilepsy
• Pain-relief
• Diarrhoea
• Memory

With all these possible benefits, turmeric truly is a wonder-herb! Many dogs, particularly older ones, suffer from joint diseases like hip dysplasia and arthritis. Turmeric's anti-inflammatory properties can significantly help to reduce the symptoms and give pain relief. Studies have also shown that cancers, allergies, dental disease, digestive disease and more can be treated with the herb, which helps the immune system to heal the body by increasing the number of white blood corpuscles. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26007179

It has been shown to effectively shut down the blood vessels that feed cancer and can also help to shrink and kill the cancer cells Cancer Research UK  Turmeric is extremely beneficial for dogs as well as humans, but, like everything else, too much of it can be bad for your health so you need to be aware of the possible side-effects and take the necessary precautions.

If your dog is on blood-thinning medication, please be careful as turmeric is a natural blood thinner and too much could cause internal bleeding. ALWAYS consult your vet if in doubt! In any event, the best way is to start with small doses, as little as a quarter of a teaspoon daily mixed in with his food until you begin to see results and then increase slowly until you reach the optimum dosage.

If your dog becomes nauseous, constipated or excessively hot then he, or she, may not be a suitable candidate for turmeric therapy. Also, turmeric and aspirin should not be taken together so do not give both of these at the same time.

Turmeric Paste Recipe for Dogs

Ingredients

½cup turmeric powder

2cups water

¼cup coconut oil

1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Method

Warm the turmeric powder, water, and coconut oil in a pan on a low heat until it thickens. 

Add the black pepper when cooked and extra water if too thick. 

Allow cooling. The paste can be stored for up to a month in your refrigerator.

Mix a small teaspoonful with your dog's normal food on a daily basis and increase gradually depending on the results. The maximum recommended dose for larger dogs is one teaspoon daily.

A visitation from beyond. Coincidence...or not?

My dad died suddenly, in January. My personal belief is that the soul continues to survive in death and that our loved ones will always find a way to let us know that they are still with us, in spirit.

I have always suggested to my mum that, if she ever needs to contact me, she use my dad's mobile phone, rather than the house phone which comes up as a private number and which I would choose to ignore as a spam call.

I had just finished reading a book on healthy diets, "How Not To Die" by Michael Greger M.D. as part of my research into anti-cancer food therapies. In the book was a paragraph on the benefits of blueberry juice. My dad was always drinking the stuff and was 80 when he died. I remembered this and was thinking about him when my mobile started ringing. I looked to see who it was and it came up as "Dad mobile". Assuming it was my mum, I answered the phone and...... Nothing! Not a sound! Thinking that there was something wrong with my mum, I called the number back and it went to voicemail. So, I rang Mum on her house phone.

She answered it and I asked if she had rung me from my dad's mobile. She hadn't. All she had done was take it out of her bag and put it down on the table.

Spooky.... Or what???

To me, just more proof of yet more that we just don't comprehend. I'd like to think that Dad knew I was thinking of him and responded in the only way he could.

Like me, you may have concluded that Mum may have accidentally touched the speed dial button as she put the phone down. 

Well, I am not too high up on her speed dial list - there are at least three others who she keeps on the list.

Surely, if that was the case, I would have been able to hear her in the background but there was only absolute silence! And why me, at that precise moment???

Have YOU ever had a similar experience? Please share your comments here and if I get a good response I'll write a book on the findings.