alfalifa hay

Question
I have a dwarf rabbit( not sure of age, but i did get him from a pet store so i would assume he is about  3 months or so) and    I have been giving him alfalfa hay. He loves the stuff. I got  that kind of hay because said on the back of the bag that Timothy Hay is for adult rabbits. But now, everything I am reading contradicts everything else.
Am I hurting my rabbit by giving him alfalfa? How much is too much? Please let me know. Thanks!

Answer
Dear Kelly,

The alfalfa hay probably won't *hurt* him, but it's not necessary.  And because it's so much more tasty than timothy hay, you might have a hard time switching him to the healthier, higher-fiber grass hay when he's older.  I'd recommend gradually adding fresh timothy to the mix and slowly phasing out the alfalfa.  

Alfalfa is very high in protein and calcium, which is okay for a growing baby, but not good for adults.  The protein can cause obesity, and both excess protein and calcium put a workload on the kidneys that just isn't necessary or healthy.

Most pelleted rabbit food is alfalfa-based (be sure to use the type that's all green pellets--NO dried fruit, nuts, seeds, etc!), so your bunny should be getting all the trace nutrients and energy she needs from a good-quality pelleted feed such as those from Purina, Oxbow Hay Company (www.oxbowhay.com) or American Pet Diner (www.americanpetdiner.com).

For a complete overview of proper rabbit diet:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/diet.html

and for all the best information on rabbit care, please visit www.rabbit.org often.  :)

I hiope this helps!

Dana