Domestic rabbits have specific feeding requirements due to the way their body digests food, which is why they are descended from wild rabbits.Rabbits need to eat grass to stay healthy.GI stasis is a serious medical condition caused by feeding a rabbit incorrect, stress, and pain.This problem can be prevented with proper feeding.
Step 1: Feed your rabbits grass hay.
Feed your rabbit properly is the primary way to prevent GI stasis.A rabbit's diet needs to consist of foods with the right amount of fiber and moist to keep its stomach in tip top shape.Keeping grass hay available to your rabbit at all times is the most important part of the diet.The best hay to feed a rabbit is Timothy or other grass hay.If you want to feed a rabbit hay that is too high in calcium and protein, you should only use it as a treat.
Step 2: Give your rabbit grass.
A rabbit likes fresh grass.If you want to give your rabbit something to eat, you can either clip the grass with a scissors or set up a pen outside on the lawn.You should clip fresh grass with scissors and not use lawn mower trimmings.Make sure that the grass has not been sprayed with something that could cause your rabbit to get sick.
Step 3: Nutrition-packed pellets are the choice.
Feed your rabbit fresh pellet food daily.Make sure you give your rabbit the right amount of food.Adult rabbits need from 1/6 to 12 cup daily, depending on their size.Your rabbit may become obese if you don't limit the pellets.If you don't eat any pellets after a day, replace them with new ones.
Step 4: Provide greens for your rabbit.
Green vegetables provide both fiber and hydration to your rabbit.Depending on the size of the rabbit, you can feed it anywhere from one to three cups a day.There are good leafy green vegetables to feed your rabbit.If you want your rabbit to have a good life, make sure to introduce new greens slowly.
Step 5: You shouldn't feed your rabbit certain foods.
Some foods should not be fed to your rabbit.These foods can cause a problem in your rabbit's GI tract.Human foods other than the above mentioned vegetables should never be fed to rabbits.You can give your rabbit a small amount of vegetables and fruit.These are not part of the diet.The amount of these foods should be limited.There are corn, other grains, and seeds.Corn can hurt a rabbit.
Step 6: Your rabbit has a bowl of water.
Fresh water should always be available for your rabbits.Provide a couple of options for your rabbit.You can provide your rabbit with a sipper bottle and a ceramic dish.The water should be changed daily.A ceramic dish is less likely to be knocked over.Your rabbit will not be able to chew on a ceramic disk.
Step 7: The symptoms of GI stasis can be identified.
The symptoms of gastrointestinal stasis are caused by improper feeding that leads to the gut stopping to work properly.Decreased or no fecal pellet production is a sign of GI stasis.
Step 8: Take your rabbit to the vet.
There is a serious condition in rabbits.If you see any of the symptoms, you need to get your rabbit to the doctor as soon as possible.This is an emergency and needs to be treated.It's a good idea to take a wait-and-see approach.
Step 9: GI stasis should be treated.
The vet can treat GI stasis if you notice changes in your rabbit.Your bunny will get better with treatment.It is possible for the vet to prescribe medicine to help reduce the badbacteria that has backed up.The build up in the intestines can be softened with an IV.Your vet may suggest feeding your rabbit with a needle so it can get the food it needs.It is possible that your bunny needs pain relief to help with the pain from the gas andbacteria.
Step 10: The cause of GI stasis can be identified.
A diet that is low in fiber causes GI stasis.Stress, not drinking enough water, pain, and a foreign object in the gut are some of the causes of GI stasis.The majority of cases are caused by an improper diet.The rabbit's bicyle stops working when it doesn't eat the right food.Pain and decreased appetite can be caused by bad bacteria and gases in the intestines.The rabbit doesn't get what he needs.
Step 11: There are plants that rabbits need to eat.
You can help protect your rabbit by learning how it works.The rabbit has developed a way to eat plants that are difficult to digest.Humans can't digest these plants, but rabbits thrive on them.The rabbits grind the plants down with their teeth to make them small enough for the rabbit to digest.This type of food can wear down the rabbit's teeth.The rabbit's teeth grow continuously.The teeth of the rabbit will grow long and ragged if the food doesn't do its job.
Step 12: A rabbit's stomach is large.
The food is held in the large stomach as it travels from mouth to stomach.Rabbits have to store their food in the stomach for hours because they are crepuscular, meaning they eat mostly at dusk and dawn.In the stomach, the food is mixed with acids and enzymes.Most of the digestion and absorption of vitamins and minerals occur in the small gut.
Step 13: Realize that rabbits eat their droppings.
The small gut empties into the large one.The rabbit's cecum further digests the plants it has eaten. This is then passed out of the body via the large intestine and anus.The rabbit eats it to get the vitamins and minerals from the cecum.The cecum is filled with organisms that break down plant fibers to give the rabbit the nutrition it needs.When the fibers are broken down, the cecum leaves a sticky substance in the large intestine.