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sunshine, vitamin D, and bone health

22 9:40:07

Question
Hi Dana,

Greetings from NYC! I have a general, non-urgent question for you. How can I ensure that my rabbits get enough vitamin D to keep their bones and teeth healthy? I don't have any access to a safe space outdoors for my rabbit to get sunlight. Even in the parks here there are so many risks for rabbits, such as raccoon roundworm, dogs,rat poison, even hawks! So outdoor time is just not an option for my rabbits. My apt doesn't get much sunlight either.

Is there any way to supplement my indoor lighting artificially? What is the minimum amount of sunlight that a rabbit needs to stay healthy?

Any suggestions you can offer would be very helpful both to me, and other NYC rabbit guardians. Thank you!

Thea

Answer
Dear Thea,

Wild rabbits do not generally go out in bright sunlight.  They're active mostly at dawn and dusk, and spend their daylight hours in burrows or shaded areas.  That means they have evolved (like most mammals) to make sufficient Vitamin D with relatively low light levels.

If you can open a window or sliding door for an hour or so a day, and allow bun to be close by the unfiltered light, that should be sufficient to keep bun fine.  No one really knows the minimum amount needed.  But many good quality commercial pellets contain a small of Vitamin D, so that could help, too.

Dana