Pet Information > ASK Experts > Exotic Pets > Rabbits > Rabbits and other animal food

Rabbits and other animal food

22 11:15:06

Question
I gave my rabbits some dry dog food, cat food,a dog biscuit and cauliflower yesterday and within 24 hours 2 of them had died.
Can you tell me if there was anything wrong with that or why they would have died so suddenly.
They were hard yet the neck was not. there head still flopped from side to side but they were hard as anything.
Please help me to understand and will the other 2 survive or are they going to go to?
what are the crucial hours or signs to watch for?

Answer
How old are these rabbits?  If they are babies, their stomachs may not have been able to tolerate the abrupt change in diet.

Rabbits cannot digest meat, and cat and dog food both have as their main ingredients meat.  Cauliflower would be ok.

My guess would be what they ate.  If you have rabbit pellets, hay, or vegetables, put them back on those, it's necessary that they eat only what they can digest.

There's more diet info at http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/rabcare.html#diet

Watch to see if they stop eating, if they do then they are getting ill also and should see a vet.

Kim