Nutrition for rabbits

Calcium

 * Frances Harcourt-Brown, Calcium and rabbit food
 * LafeberVet.com, Calcium Homeostasis in the Rabbit

Fat
Fat plays a vital role in a rabbit's diet. It provides not only a valuable source of energy for a rabbit's fast metabolism but is also necessary for the production of motilin, a hormone that is required for gut movement. Fat reduces the intestinal absorption of calcium, which is useful for rabbits with kidney or bladder conditions, and is needed for the absorption of some drugs and the vitamins A, D, E, and K. Fats are important for the production of many hormones and are involved in the control of blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Fats also provide other benefits such as helping to prevent arthritis, naturally reducing inflammation, adding luster and gloss to a rabbit's coat, improving skin tone, and helping to reduce shedding. Additionally, fat helps make food more palatable to rabbits, which can be critical with older, ill, or anorexic rabbits.

Fats are highly digestible by rabbits. Unsaturated fatty acids from plant oils are the most digestible, plant fats still bound in structural plant material are a little less digestible, and saturated fats from animal sources are the least digestible. Most of the breakdown and absorption of fat occurs in the rabbit's small intestine.

A deficiency of fat in rabbit diets can lead to the following:
 * gut motility problems
 * poor coats and loss of hair
 * deficiencies of fat-soluble vitamins
 * immune deficiencies
 * slower repair after injury
 * retarded growth in young rabbits
 * brain and nerve problems with a severe deficiency

Excessive fat levels in a rabbit's diet can lead to the following problems:
 * obesity
 * harm to the immune system
 * increased risk of hepatic lipidosis if a rabbit becomes anorexic
 * atherosclerosis or deposition of fat in the arteries, particularly in magnesium-deficient diets

Lucille Moore recommends the following fat levels in a rabbit's diet:
 * 2-5% for the general rabbit
 * 3-6% for pregnant or lactating does
 * 4-8% for long-haired, wool-producing rabbits (e.g. American Fuzzy Lop, Jersey Wooly, Angora)

Rabbit-safe foods that are high in unsaturated fats include oils such as safflower and nuts such as walnuts or almonds.

Protein
Growing rabbits have better health when the ratio of digestible fiber to crude protein is increased over 1.3. Generally, this means digestible fiber should be over 20% and crude protein below 16%.

Lucille Moore recommends the following protein levels in a rabbit's diet:
 * 12-16% for pet rabbits
 * 17-20% for long-haired rabbits and larger breeds (e.g. Flemish, Checkered Giant)
 * 16-20% for pregnant does
 * 18-21% for lactating does
 * 12-14% for young rabbits between 3-9 weeks of age

A dietary deficiency in protein in rabbits can lead to the following symptoms:
 * poor tissue regeneration
 * restricted absorption of micronutrients
 * changes in appearance and amount of hair - often seen as reddish and thin fur in malnourished rabbits
 * reduced body ability to eliminate some drugs and their metabolites

A methionine deficiency in rabbits can cause the following symptoms:
 * creatinuria or an increased concentration of creatine in the urine
 * muscle degeneration
 * weight loss
 * paralysis
 * death

A lysine deficiency in rabbits can cause the following symptoms:
 * reduced growth
 * weight loss

Excessive protein in a rabbit's diet can cause the following issues:
 * strain on liver and kidneys
 * increased urine production
 * alteration of microflora and increased pH in the cecum
 * increased urea production
 * reduced gastrointestinal motility

Vitamin A
Vitamin A, or retinol, is a fat-soluble, organic compound that is necessary for vision, bone development, maintenance of tissue integrity, reproduction, and immunological response. Vitamin A also plays an important role in combatting infection and has been termed the 'anti-infective vitamin'.

Rabbits housed indoors or in hutches and fed on cereal mixtures and poor-quality hay are candidates for vitamin A deficiency if they do not eat the parts that contain the vitamin and mineral supplement. Deficient animals are susceptible to disease and infection, and a high incidence of enteritis occurs in vitamin A-deficient rabbits.

Recommended vitamin A levels are the following:
 * 6,000 IU/kg for growing rabbits
 * 10,000 IU/kg for breeding does

The National Research Council recommends the addition of no more than 16,000 IU as a safe upper level.

Fresh green foods and grass are good sources of vitamin A.

Vitamin D

 * Bright Eyes Sanctuary, The Truth About Vitamin D: is it the answer to rabbit dental disease?

Vitamin E
Below are some articles with more information about the importance of Vitamin E for your rabbits.
 * Examiner.com, Phyllis O'Beollain, Is your rabbit getting enough Vitamin E?