Can Pet Rabbits Eat Rice Straw: A Comprehensive Guide

Can pet rabbits eat rice Straw? Can they eat it every day? What are the benefits of feeding them this food item? Can they have too much and get sick from it, or is it safe to feed your rabbits rice Straw? If you’re a rabbit owner looking for answers to these questions, then this article will provide you with all the information that you need. We’ll also discuss some tips before giving Rice Straw to your rabbits.

12 Health benefits of rice Straw for rabbits

Rice straw is very low in protein and energy, and has little vitamin content. However, if fed with good quality hay or other high fibre food, rabbits can still thrive on a diet that mostly comprises of rice straw as long as the fresh leaves of alfalfa are provided at intervals so as to provide some balance nutritionally.

The following health benefits of rice straw for rabbits have been studied:

1. It can serve as an excellent source of fiber for rabbit nutrition. Fiber aids the digestive system by helping food move through the digestive tract more quickly, preventing ailments like blockages and diarrhea. It also makes rabbits feel full longer since it absorbs water in the stomach, which prevents bloat brought on by eating too much rich food.
2. It is believed that rice straw can provide extra warmth to rabbits during the colder winter months, although it should be noted that only the dry rice straw would serve this function and not the wet/soaked variety.
3. Rice straw contains high levels of calcium which helps prevent urinary stones from forming in the bladder. However this benefit will have to be weighed against any risk of developing diarrhea or other digestive problems due to feeding too much rice straw over a prolonged period of time.
4. Rabbit urine tends to contain higher concentrations of calcium than what is normal for their blood plasma, therefore it is possible that eating rice straw may help lower those excessive levels as well as lessen the likelihood of urinary stones forming.
5. Rice straw is a good source of potassium as well as fiber and thus can help balance out the ‘sodium-potassium pump’ in the rabbit’s body, which works to keep their bodies from becoming overloaded with sodium (a condition called hypernatremia), which can lead to kidney or heart problems.
6. When fed and used responsibly, rice straw doesn’t cause digestive problems such as diarrhea and it has been shown that rabbits fed on a diet that was 90% rice straw had no problem digesting the food for at least 10 days.
7. If you’ve already started feeding your bunny on a diet that contains too much rice straw, then you should mix about 1/4 cup of pellets for every pound of rice straw that your bunny is currently getting.
8. Rabbits tend to love the taste of fresh green top rice straw, so you could also try leaving some on the floor of their hutch/run and seeing if they’ll nibble on it themselves (like most bunnies do). If not, then you can always collect it later after they’ve used up all the tasty bits!
9. You can also buy commercial rabbit food that contains rice straw as its main ingredient; however, with all commercial foods there’s always a chance that it may contain additional additives or preservatives which are bad for rabbits, so I would recommend feeding them only small amounts at intervals rather than making it their main staple.
10. Rabbits love to eat fresh rice straw, and it can be a great snack for them because they’ll get lots of nutrients from the crop. It also helps grind down their teeth as they chew since rabbits don’t have any flat molars like we do; instead they only have sharp incisors at the front of their mouth which they regularly grind down against each other (causing ‘tooth purrs’) and also against hard surfaces such as rocks and tree bark.
11. Rice straw is rich in vitamin A which is important for healthy eyesight, skin, fur and reproductive organs. In addition, eating it will lower the likelihood of them developing wry neck, a condition where their head tilts to one side and is accompanied by problems with eating and drinking.
12. When they eat fresh rice straw, rabbits absorb silica from it which helps strengthen their spleen as well as bones; this means that because of this nutrient rice straw may lower the risk of them developing uterine cancer (in females) or bladder stones (in males).

However, it should be noted that feeding rabbits on a diet composed mostly of rice straw is not recommended because this sort of food contains too much ammonia, which can build up in the rabbit’s digestive system and cause an array of problems. Adding hay or other high protein foods to the diet will help simply because rabbits eating these kinds of foods release more water into their urine compared with those eating only rice straw which makes it less likely that they’ll become ill.

Rice straw also has very little calcium content, so if you’re feeding your bunny on this type of food then it would be wise to provide them with additional sources such as fresh alfalfa leaves or dried fruit tree twigs; this will help keep their bone density normal.

20 COMMON Signs pet rabbits is sick from feeding rice Straw

Rabbit’s breed, age and health condition can affect how they react to various situations. To identify the possible signs of illnesses in rabbits, it is necessary to learn about what are normal rabbit behaviours so as not to miss early warning signs or confuse them with something else.

1. Drops food from its mouth
2. The teeth become over grown as a result of the lack of calcium content in their diet.
3. Their knuckles swell up and form sores since there isn’t enough calcium in the rice straw for them to absorb properly.
4. They can’t digest their food properly due to a lack of fiber in their diet.
5. They don’t put on enough weight when they are babies because their mothers ate a poor quality diet when pregnant.
6. The baby rabbits have a higher chance of dying from the cold if their mothers were fed a poor diet while pregnant or lactating.
7. Poppy seeds in alfalfa hay can cause death to both humans and animals if it is eaten in large quantities, so both hay and straw should be soaked in water overnight before offering them to rabbits in order to prevent this from happening, which means that you’ll need to use several bowls since the rabbits will go through even more after being softened by moisture.
8. Nitrates from fertilizers used to grow alfalfa hay can cause death to both humans and animals if they are consumed in large quantities, so you need to soak the hay or straw in water overnight before giving it to them.
9. Bruising from being dropped by a human during harvest means that there is going to be a higher chance that the rabbits will get sick eating it since these broken kernels contain high concentrations of nitrates.
10. Growth stunted because of a lack of calcium in their diet. When this happens their bones become brittle which can lead to lifelong deformities such as curved spines and legs.
11. Bunnies get scours or diarrhoea from feeding rabbit on rice straw due to the fact that their digestive systems aren’t equipped to handle this type of food.
12. Dental problems which can be extremely painful for the animals since their teeth are designed to chew hay, not grains, so if they are given straw or rice instead then it can cause swelling around the cheeks and make swallowing difficult.
13. Loss of fur on back legs due to abrasions from hutch floors made of cement. Cleaning these wounds with saline solution is necessary because rabbits lick themselves clean after using the bathroom, which can lead to infection.
14. Choking hazards since small pieces of food particles that break off during chewing end up blocking the windpipe; this results in suffocation if left untreated. This risk increases if the food is not softened with water before it is fed to them like mentioned in point number three.
15. Inability to eat properly due to a lack of fiber in their diet, so adding hay or another type of high protein food can help maintain calcium levels and prevent teeth from overgrowing.
16. Feeding rabbits on a diet composed mostly of rice straw is not recommended because this type of food contains too much ammonia, which can lead to digestive problems such as diarrhea.    Adding hay or other high protein foods to the diet will help keeping their bone density normal.
17. Dropping ears when happy shows that they are chilled out rather than feeling stressed out since rabbits don’t have sweat glands, so ear drops are necessary for treating this problem.
18. Dropping ears when stressed shows that they are feeling anxious, not chilled out; in this case, something is scaring them and ear drops won’t help to calm them down.
19. Lack of calcium leads to ‘slipped stifle’ which can be repaired by giving the rabbits a diet containing more hay rather than just feeding them straw.
20. Pneumonia from being fed on rice straw can trigger pneumonia since cold air will have an easier time making its way into their lungs.

What to do if your pet rabbits are sick from eating rice Straw

1. If your pet rabbit is sick from eating rice straw, the problem may be diet. If you suspect this as a likely cause consider switching them over to timothy or alfalfa pellets made specifically for rabbits along with added vitamin C supplements (ascorbic acid) in their water dish daily until they recover.
2. Feeding rabbits on a diet composed mostly of rice straw is not recommended because this type of food contains too much ammonia, which can lead to digestive problems such as diarrhea. Adding hay or other high protein foods to the diet will help keeping their bone density normal.
3. If your pet rabbit is sick from eating rice straw, the problem may be diet. If you suspect this as a likely cause consider switching them over to timothy or alfalfa pellets made specifically for rabbits along with added vitamin C supplements (ascorbic acid) in their water dish daily until they recover.
4. Since small pieces of food particles that break off during chewing end up blocking the windpipe; this results in suffocation if left untreated. This risk increases if the food is not softened with water before it is fed to them like mentioned in point number three.
5. Choking hazards since small pieces of food particles that break off during chewing end up blocking the windpipe; this results in suffocation if left untreated. This risk increases if the food is not softened with water before it is fed to them like mentioned in point number three.
6. Lack of fiber in their diet, so adding hay or another type of high protein food can help maintain calcium levels and prevent teeth from overgrowing.
7. Dropping ears when stressed shows that they are feeling anxious, not chilled out; in this case, something is scaring them and ear drops won’t help to calm them down.
8. Loss of fur on back legs due to abrasions from hutch floors made of cement. Cleaning these wounds with saline solution is necessary because rabbits lick themselves clean after using the bathroom, which can lead to infection.

5 QUICK Tips before giving rice Straw to rabbits

If you’re planning on giving your pets rice straw, then remember these four tips:

1. It should always be softened with water to prevent any choking hazards.
2. Lack of fiber in their diet, so adding hay or another type of high protein food can help maintain calcium levels and prevent teeth from overgrowing.
3. Dropping ears when stressed shows that they are feeling anxious, not chilled out; in this case, something is scaring them and ear drops won’t help to calm them down.
4. Loss of fur on back legs due to abrasions from hutch floors made of cement. Cleaning these wounds with saline solution is necessary because rabbits lick themselves clean after using the bathroom, which can lead to infection.
5. Never give your pet rabbit rice straw without cutting it up into smaller pieces and never let them eat fresh rice straw since it’s high in moisture which promotes bacterial growth.

What really matters is

We hope this article has answered any questions you may have had about what type of food to feed your pet rabbit. If you’re still unsure, please comment below and let us know! And if you’ve tried feeding rice straw or other types of hay to your rabbits, we’d love for you to share a few tips with our readers in the comments section – it could help someone else out there who might be looking for some advice on how best to care for their bunny friend. Thanks so much for reading!