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03 Mar 2018

Muesli Style Diets Are Unhealthy

Posted By : Guest

Selective feeding occurs when rabbits choose some components of the muesli diet in preference to others. Rabbits will naturally select the higher energy (high sugar or starch elements) and reject the pellets. This results in an unbalanced diet, as the pellets are often supplemented with minerals and vitamins as well as often being high in fibre.

Selective feeding increases the risk of the problems below:

- dental disease

- gut stasis and other digestive problems

- fly strike

- reduced fibre intake

- reduced water intake

Rabbits fed muesli style diets eat less hay leading to a reduced fibre intake. These issues have been highlighted in research by Professor Anne Meredith. The results have been published in peer reviewed journals. As a result of this research many pet retailers in UK removed muesli style diets from their shelves in 2013 and we have continued to educate vets, retailers and rabbit owners on the importance of correct nutrition for rabbits and guinea pigs.

Muesli style diets increase the risk of obesity

Muesli style diets have been shown to increase the risk of obesity. This is thought to be due to muesli diets reducing fibre intake and increasing the intake of easily digestible carbohydrates and fats.
Rabbits fed on muesli style diets are less active which may contribute to the risk of obesity.

Muesli style diets increase the risk of Dental Disease

Muesli style diets have been shown to increase the risk of dental disease.
Dental disease is the most common health problem found in rabbits, causing pain and suffering. The resulting inability of the rabbit to eat properly can cause serious digestive issues.

Muesli style diets reduce water intake

Muesli style diets have been proven to reduce water intake in rabbits when fed alone or alongside hay.
Reduced water intake increases the risk of urinary tract problems such as sludge, stones, blockages, cystitis and scalding.
Feeding the appropriate quantity of nuggets alongside feeding hay helps to maintain water intake.

Muesli style diets reduce hay intake

Feeding hay and fresh grass should make up 85-90% of a rabbit’s diet.
Muesli style diets have been proven to reduce the amount of feeding hay that rabbits eat.
Reduced hay intake increases the risks of dental disease and serious digestive issues such as gut stasis.
Reduced hay intake can increase abnormal behaviour in rabbits such as inappropriate chewing of fur and other materials, inactivity and stereotypies.

Muesli style diets increase the risk of flystrike

Muesli style diets have been proven to increase the amount of uneaten caecotrophs in rabbits when fed alone or alongside hay.
Flystrike occurs when flies lay their eggs in soiled fur. The eggs quickly hatch into maggots and chew their way into the rabbits skin.
Rabbits fed on muesli style diets have a higher level of uneaten caecotrophs (sticky droppings) which can stick to their fur and predispose them to flystrike.

Muesli style diets increase the risk of gut stasis

Muesli style diets have been shown to reduce the faecal output in rabbits when fed alone or alongside hay.
Gut stasis is where the rabbit’s digestive system slows down or stops. This can result in a build up of gas and toxins.
Rabbits fed on muesli have smaller faeces pellets and a reduced faecal output, both of which are associated with the development of gut stasis.

85 - 90% of a rabbit’s diet should be feeding hay and fresh grass

Feeding hay and fresh grass are sources of fibre which are essential for rabbits’ health and welfare:

- Dental health - fibre wears down teeth reducing the risk of dental problems.

- Digestive health - fibre ensures that a rabbit’s gut keeps moving reducing the risk of gut stasis and bloat.

- Behavioural health - in the wild rabbits spend 70% of their time foraging. A constant supply of feeding hay and fresh grass is essential to allow them to express this normal behaviour and help prevent behavioural problems.

5 ways to help increase your rabbits’ feeding hay intake

Feed a tastier, better quality feeding hay

Some rabbits can be quite fussy about the variety of feeding hay they like.
Choose good quality feeding hay which has been grown specifically for this purpose, like our Burgess Excel Feeding Hay, rather than bedding hay.
Good quality feeding hay will be distinct by its fresh, fragrant green strands that aren’t dusty.

Try putting the feeding hay in your pet’s favourite resting place

Rabbits prefer to munch feeding hay while they’re resting and while they’re using their litter tray or toilet area.
Put feeding hay around their housing and place it above the litter tray in a hay rack to catch them at the times they’re most likely to eat it.

Incorporate feeding hay into toys

Most rabbits like to play and throw toys around.
Incorporating feeding hay into play activities can encourage them to pull, bite and chew at the feeding hay:

o A willow ball or cardboard tube filled with feeding hay can be hung from the cage or thrown around.

o Feeding hay can be placed in brown paper then used to tie the ends together; rabbits will love throwing this Christmas cracker shape around and ripping it open to get at the feeding hay and herbs inside.

Mix in a tasty garnish

It is good to mix feeding hay in with the foods rabbits like best. For example, their dry nuggets or fresh greens.
Tasty dried herbs such as our Burgess Excel Country Garden Herbs and Mountain Meadow Herbs can be sprinkled through feeding hay as a tasty treat which will encourage foraging.
While they’re searching through the hay for the treats hopefully they’ll eat more feeding hay too.