For house rabbits, however, pelleted diets can contribute to obesity, chronic soft stools, overproduction of cecals, and from pellets high in calcium, urine sludge and other calcium-related health issues can occur. For the house rabbit who is expected to live 10 years or longer, and may not get enough exercise, a diet that is primarily high in fiber and low in calories is preferred to maintain a healthy weight. And, don't forget plenty of fresh water every day, in a crock or crock & water bottle.

Other problems that can occur with a pelleted diet, is that the pellets most commonly available through pet supply stores are not ones that promote good health. Often, these pellets are high in calcium, contain too much sugar (many contain molasses as a binder), and some manufacturers have even added several dangerous additives to their pellets such as corn, seeds, and dried fruits that clearly cause obesity in house rabbits.  Rabbits should get a "plain" pellet that is high in fiber, low in protein and calcium, and does not contain any added seeds or dried fruits.

At San Diego House Rabbit Society, we typically recommend feeding a limited amount of pellets. And, we recommend sticking to pellets that are high in fiber and low in protein, such as Oxbow's Bunny Basics T (timothy pellets) for a maintenance diet, or Purina's High Fiber Lab Diet (high-fiber alfalfa pellets) for young, growing bunnies or older bunnies who need to keep on weight.

We concur with Dr. Susan Brown (see her article on Rabbit Nutrition) that a typical diet should consist of 1/8 cup pellets per 4 pounds of weight. Young rabbits, still developing muscle and bone, do need to eat pellets but keeping them high-quality will help them to add normal weight without becoming obese. Good options for youngsters are Oxbow 15/23, American Pet Diner alfalfa, or Purina Hi-Fiber Lab Diet.  Once bunny reaches 8 months old, they can be transitioned to a Timothy-based pellet that helps to maintain a healthy weight. Many adults rabbits, don't even need pellets to maintain a healthy weight. If your rabbit is overweight, then certainly limiting or omitting pellets can help to get bunny back on track.

Carrot Cafe' also gives good guidelines on the type and amount of pellets to feed rabbits of different ages, weights, and levels of health.

If your veterinarian recommends the feeding of pellets to your rabbit, San Diego HRS recommends and sells these two varieties:

Growing youngsters and geriatric bunnies who need to add weight:  Purina High Fiber Lab Diet, an alfalfa-based pellet

Weight maintenance or weight loss: Oxbow Bunny Basics T, a Timothy-based pellet

For pellets, fresh hay, and other rabbit supplies, visit the HRS Bunny Supply Store every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month. You can also purchase many of these items from our hay sources around the County.

Additional information about pellet diets can be found on our website, and at  www.rabbit.org (search the word, "pellets").