cowgirl9768
Well-known member
Hi all,
Some time back I was asking about natural diets for a rabbit. I had to calculate out the exact nutritional needs for a rabbit and it appropriate feed accordingly. This is what I came up with (keep in mind I have not tried feeding this). I worked with the exotics specialist at the VTH and my nutrition teacher who has her veterinary technician certification with her specialty in nutrition but she often works with cattle, dogs and cats. So this was new to her. So take this all with a grain of salt. There is good research behind it but I wont be testing it till this summer when I have more time. Would love to get some input and if anyone has any questions let me know! Thanks!
History
Date: 09/14/14 Time: 2:30 p.m.
Patient: Mishka
Signalment: 3yr old, Lionhead (Rabbit), intact female, Weight-2.5 lbs (1.13kg), BCS-3/9, Tattoo – D3
Color: Black tort
1. Chief Complaint: Owner has lost multiple high quality breeding rabbits from bad batches of commercial feeds. She would like to convert to a natural diet.
2. History of present illness/Diet History: Mishka is currently a brood doe who just came off a litter. She tends to get over weight easily causing conception difficulties. Mishka was fed Purina® Rabbit Chow™ Show Formula for the first two years of her life until a bad batch killed a few other rabbits. She was then changed to NatureWise® Premium Rabbit Feed but owner is not completely satisfied feeding this brand because she knows another friend who got a bad batch of this brand of feed and lost some rabbits. Mishka is currently on ¼ cup of NatureWise® Premium Rabbit Feed and Ox-bow brand timothy hay ad lib. Two slices of apple is given about once a week and half a cup of pumpkin a month for worming. There is no access to other feed. Rabbit is caged alone.
3. Past History:
• Medical history: Mishka tends to get a large stomach upon palpation so she was x-rayed to see if any partial wool blocks where present. Radiographs showed a very full stomach but no visible blocks. It was concluded that this could be a result of eating food all at once opposed to grazing.
• Breeding history: Owner tried to breed Mishka unsuccessfully for about a year and a half. After feed brand was changed Mishka lost about a pound. After that Mishka was bred and had a littler of two kits on September fifth that were weaned October 30th.
• Surgical history: None
• Trauma history: None
• Vaccinations: None
• Worming: Fed pumpkin about once a month as a natural parasite control.
4. Environmental History:
Mishka is taken to shows a few times a year. Lives in a cage outside (or in the garage when temperature drops under freezing). The rabbit is allowed out in a play pen every few days.
5. Nutritional History: Mishka was fed ¼ cup of Purina® Rabbit Chow™ Show Formula and timothy hay ad lib for the first two years of her life until a bad batch killed a few other rabbits where she lived. She was then changed to ¼ cup NatureWise® Premium Rabbit Feed but owner is not completely satisfied feeding this brand. She is also fed about two slices of apple once a week and half a cup of pumpkin a month for worming.
6. Insurance: None
System Review:
A. General: Owner is pleased with Mishka’s general health and the comments Mishka is receiving on the show table. She is producing well. Bowel movements seem normal and she has a vigorous appetite.
B. Skin: Seems healthy and grooming is well kept.
C. Head/Neck: No noted problems.
D. EENT: Teeth are getting longer due to age but no malocclusion is present.
E. Respiratory: No noted problems.
F. Cardiovascular: No noted problems.
G. Gastro-intestinal: Stomach gets large on palpation after feeding. Eats all at once instead of grazing.
H. Urinary: No noted problems.
I. Reproductive: Is now producing well. Last litter was healthy all the way to weaning. Will be bred again soon.
J. Musculoskeletal: No noted problems.
K. Nervous: No noted problems.
Physical Exam
1. General Appearance: BCS 3/9, BAR
2. Integumentary: Normal, Nails and skin are healthy. Coat is healthy and well groomed.
3. Musculoskeletal: Normal, straight legs, great conformation, moves well.
4. Circulatory: Normal
5. Respiratory: Normal, no nasal discharge.
6. Digestive: Large stomach on palpation (normal for patient).
7. Genitourinary: Normal, no redness or swelling.
8. Eyes: Normal, no ocular discharge.
9. Ears: Normal
10. Neural System: Normal
11. Lymph nodes: Normal
T: 102.3°F(Rectal) P: 275bpm R: 40 bpm
Wt. = Weight-2.5 lbs (1.13kg)
Calculations: (The following calculations are made upon the rabbit’s weight and dietary requirements)
Ideal body weight:
I figured for a rabbit about this size the ideal body weight would be around 3 lb or 1.36 kg
BMW:
Current weight BMW calculation:
70.5 (1.13kg0.75)=BMW
70.5(1.09)=BMW
76.845=BMW
Ideal body weight BMW calculation:
70.5 (1.36 kg0.75)=BMW
70.5(1.26)= BMW
88.83= BMW
MER:
According to Peter R. Cheeke's book, Rabbit Feeding and Nutrition, published by Academic Press a rabbit under normal conditions that is not currently breeding should have an MER of at least 2 based on the BMW calculation above. Using this calculation the MER would be as follows:
Current weight calculation:
76.845 x 2 = MER
153.7 = MER
Ideal weigh calculation:
88.83 x 2=MER
177.66=MER
Peter R. Cheeke's book, Rabbit Feeding and Nutrition, published by Academic Press also gave the equation (93 kcal/kg W0.75 = MER). This equation was taken from a study on New Zealand white rabbits by Partridge et al. (1983a). Using this calculation the MER would be as follows:
Current weight calculation:
93 kcal/kg W0.75 = MER
93 kcal/kg x (1.13kg0.75) = MER
93 kcal/kg x (1.09 kg) = MER
101.37 = MER
Ideal weight calculation:
93 kcal/kg W0.75 = MER
93 kcal/kg x (1.36 kg0.75) = MER
93 kcal/kg x (1.26) = MER
117.18 = MER
Based on all the above calculations the MAR would be between 101.37 kcal/day - 177.66 kcal/day the average being 137.5. Because Mishka lives outside and is between litters but has a tendency to get overweight I decided on an MER or 150 kcal per day of non hay feed.
What Mishak is getting:
Currently ¼ cup of NatureWise® Premium Rabbit Feed, two slices of apple a week, and half a cup of pumpkin a month is providing Mishka an average of 139.9 kcal/day
NatureWise® Premium Rabbit Feed does not show the Kcals so I used the equation below:
Nitrogen-Free Extract = 100 – ( 16[crude protein] + 2.5 [ crude fat] + 18[crude fiber] + 10 [moisture] + 8[ash])
kcal = [(3.5 X 16 crude protein) + (8.5 X 2.5crude fat) + (3.5 X 46.5 nitrogen-free extract)] X 10 = (56 + 21.25 + 164)x 10= 2412.5kcal/kg
1 kg = 35 OZ
2412.5 kcal per kg /35 oz per kg= 68kcal per oz or 544 kcal/cup
¼ cup NatureWise® Premium Rabbit Feed = 136 kcal per day
2 slices of apple a week = 18 calories (or an average of 2.5 cal a day)
½ cup pumpkin a month = 41.5 ckal a month or an average of 1.4 kcal per day
Mishak’s purposed diet:
A rabbit’s crude protein requirement is 14% dry matter (DM) protein. To provide the needed protein Barely (16% protein DM) and rolled oats (12% protein DM) will be used.
Rolled oats : 2/4= 50%
Barley: 2/4 = 50%
A rabbit’s fat requirement is 4%-5%.The amount of rolled oats and barley given above comes out to be 4.5% fat which is sufficient. Rabbit’s fiber requirement is 20%-23% the above ingredients provide 15.5% fiber which is too low so timothy hay must be added.
Barley and oats: 9/16.5= 54%
Timothy hay: 7.5/16.5= 45%
A verity of low fat vegetables should be rotated to make up the last 20 kcals per day. A vimeral block should also always be present when feeding a natural diet. No more than a ½ Tbsp of fruit should be given per week as treat or it will affect the kcal intake too much. The fruit should be substituted for the vegetables that day.
Summary for owner:
Mishka, your 3 year old lionhead rabbit, was evaluated to be switched to an all natural diet. The change is desired due to a hard time with store bought foods causing illness in other rabbits. Mishka was over all healthy. She could gain about .5 lbs. but this is normal considering she just weaned a littler. Mishka’s history shows she tends to eat a lot all at once causing a distended stomach. Mishka is currently being fed ¼ cup of NatureWise® Premium Rabbit Feed, two slices of apple a week, and half a cup a pumpkin a month. All together this is giving Mishka an average of 139.9 kcal/day.
Upon physical exam Mishka appeared healthy with a BCS of 3/9 and weight of 2.5 lbs (1.13kg). She was bright alert and responsive, her pulse, respiration, and temperature were all within normal limits. There were no other significant findings.
Upon request and the rabbit’s individual needs it seems a natural diet consisting of oats, barley, timothy hay, vegetables, and a mineral block would be a great option for Mishka’s nutritional needs. The calculations will need to be adjusted slightly when she is bred again.
Owners Instructions:
To meet Mishka’s nutritional requirement she should be fed 2/5cup barley/ rilled oats mix twice a day (will provide 130 kcal per day). Feeding twice a day will help prevent her from eating too much food at one time. Rabbits are meant to graze and it is not idea for them to eat all at once. Timothy hay should be supplied at all times. The fiber in timothy hay along with the continual nibbling will prevent gastrointestinal stasis. A continually mobile digestive tract is vital for proper gi health in rabbits. The hay will also prevent Mishka’s teeth from becoming over grown. Each day Mishka can consume 20 calories of rabbit safe vegetables throughout the day. At the bottom of this page I will list 6 vegetable combinations. These combinations should be rotated each day of the week to insure Mishka is getting a complete diet. One day a week, Wednesday, fruit can be fed instead of vegetables as a treat. Fruits are high in sugar and fat and should not be fed more than once a week to maintain a balanced diet. The fruit options are listed below. A mineral block should be available in Mishka’s cage at all times. Apple tree sticks can be giving to gnaw on. This will also help prevent future tooth problems. This diet is calculated for Mishka in her none reproductive state. When it comes time to breed Mishka this diet will need to be revisited.
Some time back I was asking about natural diets for a rabbit. I had to calculate out the exact nutritional needs for a rabbit and it appropriate feed accordingly. This is what I came up with (keep in mind I have not tried feeding this). I worked with the exotics specialist at the VTH and my nutrition teacher who has her veterinary technician certification with her specialty in nutrition but she often works with cattle, dogs and cats. So this was new to her. So take this all with a grain of salt. There is good research behind it but I wont be testing it till this summer when I have more time. Would love to get some input and if anyone has any questions let me know! Thanks!
History
Date: 09/14/14 Time: 2:30 p.m.
Patient: Mishka
Signalment: 3yr old, Lionhead (Rabbit), intact female, Weight-2.5 lbs (1.13kg), BCS-3/9, Tattoo – D3
Color: Black tort
1. Chief Complaint: Owner has lost multiple high quality breeding rabbits from bad batches of commercial feeds. She would like to convert to a natural diet.
2. History of present illness/Diet History: Mishka is currently a brood doe who just came off a litter. She tends to get over weight easily causing conception difficulties. Mishka was fed Purina® Rabbit Chow™ Show Formula for the first two years of her life until a bad batch killed a few other rabbits. She was then changed to NatureWise® Premium Rabbit Feed but owner is not completely satisfied feeding this brand because she knows another friend who got a bad batch of this brand of feed and lost some rabbits. Mishka is currently on ¼ cup of NatureWise® Premium Rabbit Feed and Ox-bow brand timothy hay ad lib. Two slices of apple is given about once a week and half a cup of pumpkin a month for worming. There is no access to other feed. Rabbit is caged alone.
3. Past History:
• Medical history: Mishka tends to get a large stomach upon palpation so she was x-rayed to see if any partial wool blocks where present. Radiographs showed a very full stomach but no visible blocks. It was concluded that this could be a result of eating food all at once opposed to grazing.
• Breeding history: Owner tried to breed Mishka unsuccessfully for about a year and a half. After feed brand was changed Mishka lost about a pound. After that Mishka was bred and had a littler of two kits on September fifth that were weaned October 30th.
• Surgical history: None
• Trauma history: None
• Vaccinations: None
• Worming: Fed pumpkin about once a month as a natural parasite control.
4. Environmental History:
Mishka is taken to shows a few times a year. Lives in a cage outside (or in the garage when temperature drops under freezing). The rabbit is allowed out in a play pen every few days.
5. Nutritional History: Mishka was fed ¼ cup of Purina® Rabbit Chow™ Show Formula and timothy hay ad lib for the first two years of her life until a bad batch killed a few other rabbits where she lived. She was then changed to ¼ cup NatureWise® Premium Rabbit Feed but owner is not completely satisfied feeding this brand. She is also fed about two slices of apple once a week and half a cup of pumpkin a month for worming.
6. Insurance: None
System Review:
A. General: Owner is pleased with Mishka’s general health and the comments Mishka is receiving on the show table. She is producing well. Bowel movements seem normal and she has a vigorous appetite.
B. Skin: Seems healthy and grooming is well kept.
C. Head/Neck: No noted problems.
D. EENT: Teeth are getting longer due to age but no malocclusion is present.
E. Respiratory: No noted problems.
F. Cardiovascular: No noted problems.
G. Gastro-intestinal: Stomach gets large on palpation after feeding. Eats all at once instead of grazing.
H. Urinary: No noted problems.
I. Reproductive: Is now producing well. Last litter was healthy all the way to weaning. Will be bred again soon.
J. Musculoskeletal: No noted problems.
K. Nervous: No noted problems.
Physical Exam
1. General Appearance: BCS 3/9, BAR
2. Integumentary: Normal, Nails and skin are healthy. Coat is healthy and well groomed.
3. Musculoskeletal: Normal, straight legs, great conformation, moves well.
4. Circulatory: Normal
5. Respiratory: Normal, no nasal discharge.
6. Digestive: Large stomach on palpation (normal for patient).
7. Genitourinary: Normal, no redness or swelling.
8. Eyes: Normal, no ocular discharge.
9. Ears: Normal
10. Neural System: Normal
11. Lymph nodes: Normal
T: 102.3°F(Rectal) P: 275bpm R: 40 bpm
Wt. = Weight-2.5 lbs (1.13kg)
Calculations: (The following calculations are made upon the rabbit’s weight and dietary requirements)
Ideal body weight:
I figured for a rabbit about this size the ideal body weight would be around 3 lb or 1.36 kg
BMW:
Current weight BMW calculation:
70.5 (1.13kg0.75)=BMW
70.5(1.09)=BMW
76.845=BMW
Ideal body weight BMW calculation:
70.5 (1.36 kg0.75)=BMW
70.5(1.26)= BMW
88.83= BMW
MER:
According to Peter R. Cheeke's book, Rabbit Feeding and Nutrition, published by Academic Press a rabbit under normal conditions that is not currently breeding should have an MER of at least 2 based on the BMW calculation above. Using this calculation the MER would be as follows:
Current weight calculation:
76.845 x 2 = MER
153.7 = MER
Ideal weigh calculation:
88.83 x 2=MER
177.66=MER
Peter R. Cheeke's book, Rabbit Feeding and Nutrition, published by Academic Press also gave the equation (93 kcal/kg W0.75 = MER). This equation was taken from a study on New Zealand white rabbits by Partridge et al. (1983a). Using this calculation the MER would be as follows:
Current weight calculation:
93 kcal/kg W0.75 = MER
93 kcal/kg x (1.13kg0.75) = MER
93 kcal/kg x (1.09 kg) = MER
101.37 = MER
Ideal weight calculation:
93 kcal/kg W0.75 = MER
93 kcal/kg x (1.36 kg0.75) = MER
93 kcal/kg x (1.26) = MER
117.18 = MER
Based on all the above calculations the MAR would be between 101.37 kcal/day - 177.66 kcal/day the average being 137.5. Because Mishka lives outside and is between litters but has a tendency to get overweight I decided on an MER or 150 kcal per day of non hay feed.
What Mishak is getting:
Currently ¼ cup of NatureWise® Premium Rabbit Feed, two slices of apple a week, and half a cup of pumpkin a month is providing Mishka an average of 139.9 kcal/day
NatureWise® Premium Rabbit Feed does not show the Kcals so I used the equation below:
Nitrogen-Free Extract = 100 – ( 16[crude protein] + 2.5 [ crude fat] + 18[crude fiber] + 10 [moisture] + 8[ash])
kcal = [(3.5 X 16 crude protein) + (8.5 X 2.5crude fat) + (3.5 X 46.5 nitrogen-free extract)] X 10 = (56 + 21.25 + 164)x 10= 2412.5kcal/kg
1 kg = 35 OZ
2412.5 kcal per kg /35 oz per kg= 68kcal per oz or 544 kcal/cup
¼ cup NatureWise® Premium Rabbit Feed = 136 kcal per day
2 slices of apple a week = 18 calories (or an average of 2.5 cal a day)
½ cup pumpkin a month = 41.5 ckal a month or an average of 1.4 kcal per day
Mishak’s purposed diet:
A rabbit’s crude protein requirement is 14% dry matter (DM) protein. To provide the needed protein Barely (16% protein DM) and rolled oats (12% protein DM) will be used.
Rolled oats : 2/4= 50%
Barley: 2/4 = 50%
A rabbit’s fat requirement is 4%-5%.The amount of rolled oats and barley given above comes out to be 4.5% fat which is sufficient. Rabbit’s fiber requirement is 20%-23% the above ingredients provide 15.5% fiber which is too low so timothy hay must be added.
Barley and oats: 9/16.5= 54%
Timothy hay: 7.5/16.5= 45%
A verity of low fat vegetables should be rotated to make up the last 20 kcals per day. A vimeral block should also always be present when feeding a natural diet. No more than a ½ Tbsp of fruit should be given per week as treat or it will affect the kcal intake too much. The fruit should be substituted for the vegetables that day.
Summary for owner:
Mishka, your 3 year old lionhead rabbit, was evaluated to be switched to an all natural diet. The change is desired due to a hard time with store bought foods causing illness in other rabbits. Mishka was over all healthy. She could gain about .5 lbs. but this is normal considering she just weaned a littler. Mishka’s history shows she tends to eat a lot all at once causing a distended stomach. Mishka is currently being fed ¼ cup of NatureWise® Premium Rabbit Feed, two slices of apple a week, and half a cup a pumpkin a month. All together this is giving Mishka an average of 139.9 kcal/day.
Upon physical exam Mishka appeared healthy with a BCS of 3/9 and weight of 2.5 lbs (1.13kg). She was bright alert and responsive, her pulse, respiration, and temperature were all within normal limits. There were no other significant findings.
Upon request and the rabbit’s individual needs it seems a natural diet consisting of oats, barley, timothy hay, vegetables, and a mineral block would be a great option for Mishka’s nutritional needs. The calculations will need to be adjusted slightly when she is bred again.
Owners Instructions:
To meet Mishka’s nutritional requirement she should be fed 2/5cup barley/ rilled oats mix twice a day (will provide 130 kcal per day). Feeding twice a day will help prevent her from eating too much food at one time. Rabbits are meant to graze and it is not idea for them to eat all at once. Timothy hay should be supplied at all times. The fiber in timothy hay along with the continual nibbling will prevent gastrointestinal stasis. A continually mobile digestive tract is vital for proper gi health in rabbits. The hay will also prevent Mishka’s teeth from becoming over grown. Each day Mishka can consume 20 calories of rabbit safe vegetables throughout the day. At the bottom of this page I will list 6 vegetable combinations. These combinations should be rotated each day of the week to insure Mishka is getting a complete diet. One day a week, Wednesday, fruit can be fed instead of vegetables as a treat. Fruits are high in sugar and fat and should not be fed more than once a week to maintain a balanced diet. The fruit options are listed below. A mineral block should be available in Mishka’s cage at all times. Apple tree sticks can be giving to gnaw on. This will also help prevent future tooth problems. This diet is calculated for Mishka in her none reproductive state. When it comes time to breed Mishka this diet will need to be revisited.
opcorn:
