Can rabbits eat Yogurt?
No, there is no need to give a healthy rabbit yogurt. It's not on the list of accepted foods for him. Even though you may see yogurt drops at the pet shop, which are even worse, your rabbit's stomach will never be pleased with this food choice. There is a good possibility that he may like the taste, but this is because of pure curiosity. He can get sick from it very fast.
The stomach, small and large intestine, cecum (the large blind sac) are all parts of the rabbit’s gastrointestinal system. In the stomach, there is acidity and aerobic conditions, as well as in the small and large intestines. Lactobacillus, the bacteria from dairy products, will pass through them. However, the problem lays inside the cecum where we can only find anaerobic conditions. Lactobacillus is not able to pass through it.
The three most important things to remember for the next time you want to give your rabbit dairy products are:
1. rabbits cannot vomit;
2. dairy products can cause indigestion, that will lead to bloating or gas;
3. your rabbit may have to deal with gastrointestinal stasis or runny stools.
These issues will give your rabbit a hard time.
Rabbits aren't actually lactose intolerant (they drink bunny milk or a replacement when they are babies and they can drink diluted yogurt for health purposes - read below the conditions) However, like humans, some rabbits will lose their ability to digest milk enzymes well as they get older because the gut bacteria is progressively destroyed.
!Although we do not recommend (only under vet supervision), yogurt diluted in water can help rabbit suffering from intestinal bacterial disturbances or runny stools. It preserves the endemic bacterial flora and permits it to grow. Never do this on your own. We advise you to go and see a vet if you encounter these health issues.
Can rabbits eat Yogurt Drops?
Yogurt drops are not recommended at all, even if you can still see them in pet stores. As you will never feed rabbits candy, sugar, chocolate or nuts never feed them yogurt drops. Sugar is the first ingredient in yogurt drops. Besides sugar, it also contains, of course, dairy and fat. If we go even further (you escape the gut problems at the beginning because your rabbit has an iron stomach) eaten too often can cause enterotoxemia (“a toxic overgrowth of ‘bad’ bacteria in the intestinal tract”) and can lead to tooth decay.
There's no good reason to use them. You may think about their probiotic component. Don't even bother, there are other better solutions for that. There are many types of powder probiotic at the pet store. Some sugary yogurt drops will never cure runny stools or GI stasis. Yogurt drops will only make it worse. Changing diet is also very important - only hay and water for a few days and after that some high in fiber pellets. However, if the situation is bad and you lose control over it we highly recommend you go and see a vet. If not well treated, runny stools and GI stasis can affect your rabbit very badly.
Can baby rabbits eat yogurt?
No, baby rabbits drink only milk. They will not be able to digest yogurt or other dairy products except milk. Read more about feeding cheese to rabbits (it's a no, no). Even though baby rabbits can tolerate lactose why taking a risk and offer your little rabbit such food.
Instead of cow's milk, use KMR (Kitten Milk Replacer) or Goat's milk that you can find at pet stores, or sometimes even a local veterinarian's office. Until 3 weeks old your baby rabbit is in need of the right type of milk and nothing else. After that age until 7 months old, he can try a mix of milk and alfalfa (hay and pellets).
When you give goat's milk be sure it is warm. The room temperature is ideal. Because rabbit milk is the most caloric of all mammals, you can also add one tablespoon of 100% heavy whipping cream (no sugar) to each can of KMR. Adding a pinch of acidophilus (aka Probiotic) to the formula to promote healthy gut flora is also a good idea. Remember that only KMR (Kitten Milk Replacer) is good for rabbits. Esbilac or any other puppy formulas are not good for rabbits.
Taking care of a baby rabbit is more difficult than one may think. The mother rabbit does many other things to assure that her babies are safe. For example, she is licking her young to stimulate them to go to the bathroom. That's why you need to use a cotton ball moistened with warm water to gently stroke the anal area until the bunny starts producing stool and urine. Keep doing that until the bunny stops.
If rabbits don't eat dairy product then what they should eat instead:
- High-quality grass hay is the main type of food, therefore, it should be always available. The same applies to fresh and clean water. In the large intestine goes the indigestible fiber. These type of fibers are very important as they help with the gastrointestinal movement. If they don’t eat hay they will suffer from blockages, GI stasis.
- You can also feed one cup/2lb of body weight of leafy vegetables and when you are not feeding veggies try some high-fiber and high-quality rabbit pellets.
- Instead of giving your bunny yogurt drops try, from time to time, give him only a slice of a fruit from the recommended list of fruits for rabbits that he really enjoys. Your rabbit will be happier this way. this if you want to see him really happy.
