Maintaining a healthy diet is mandatory for a long and healthy life. The same can be said of any pet you might take under your wing. But rabbits, in particular, can be a relatively tricky animal to shop for, as their dietary needs are an enigma to some.
Everything from the proper amount of fiber to sufficient protein needs to be considered if you want your little rabbit to have a balanced meal. The quick answer to that question would be simplified meals like Alfalfa hay or pellet foods that are manufactured to meet all of a rabbit’s nutritional needs.
So, what rabbit food has the most protein? Here is a quick list of them below:
- Oxbow Animal Health Garden Select Young Rabbit Food
- Kaytee Timothy Complete Rabbit Food
- Manna Pro Rabbit Feed
- Vitakraft Menu Premium Rabbit Food
- Kaytee Food from The Wild Natural Pet Rabbit Food
- New Country Organics Rabbit Food Pellets
- SCIENCE Selective Supreme Junior Rabbit Food
- Purina | Professional Rabbit Feed
In this article, we will review each protein-rich rabbit food as well as discuss why your rabbit may need a lot of protein in the first place.
Knowing how to add more protein to your rabbit’s diet is essential, especially since they are herbivores. If this is all the information you need, we encourage you to continue reading for more.
Why Would Rabbits Need a Lot of Protein?
When rabbits are young, much like humans, they require excessive amounts of protein and fiber to help develop their muscles and bones so that they can grow up to be healthy and strong. However, as they mature, these needs begin to fall off into a more consistent area, especially after they’ve reached full maturity.
Before continuing onward, it’s good to clarify that while the overarching wording is “a lot,” the truth of the matter is that rabbits should never have more than 14% raw protein in a mixed pellet food (the reasoning behind going with the pellet-based meal is due to its accuracy).
Any more protein than 14% could yield results that are either catastrophic for your rabbit’s growth or give way to other staggering issues like obesity and other health problems that can arise given enough time.
Can A Rabbit Have Vegetables Instead Of Pellets?
Technically speaking, yes, rabbits in the wild will only have so many alternatives to food choices when they are in the great outdoors. To that end, you can definitely feed your rabbit a vegetable-only diet, and they could be perfectly fine and well.
The issue becomes the overall upkeep, meal prep, and time required to keep this proverbial gravy train flowing. This quickly becomes the issue, as most people won’t even do meal prep for themselves, let alone dicing a wide assortment of mixed veggies to ensure their rabbit gets all the protein it needs.
What About Dried Mixed Vegetables?
Unsurprisingly, some people might gravitate to the question, “Why not simply feed your rabbit dried vegetables instead of pellets?” This, by all accounts, would be a great question to ask. The answer is that rabbits will have favorite pieces and eventually begin to ignore the other various pieces of veggies.
For example, imagine you are a child, and your parents offer you a delicious assortment of veggies, fruit, and other snacks you typically wouldn’t have. Some might say you’d clean your plate, ending the conversation. Truthfully, children will eat the sweetest and tastiest bits only if given the choice, and rabbits are essentially the same.
Because of this innate favoritism, pellet-based food reigns supreme. It removes the illusion of choice, offering nothing but a healthy and still very delicious meal and giving you, the pet owner, the opportunity to surprise your rabbits with these other miscellaneous treats.
What Rabbit Food Has the Most Protein?
Knowing that rabbits need protein in the first place, you may very well find yourself questioning which rabbit food will ensure that your rabbit is well-fed and on its way to a healthy life and guarantee its nutritional needs, especially protein.
The answer would be the eight wonderful choices we’ve got below. Benefits range from brands that are incredibly affordable for people on a budget to more luxurious brands that might offer your rabbits a delectable treat alongside a balanced meal.
1. Oxbow Animal Health Garden Select Young Rabbit Food
Oxbow is a fantastic start for this list for two major reasons. First, it’s a brand that doesn’t have potentially harmful soy or excessive wheat in its pellet, which translates to an equal distribution of nutrition in every pellet. Second, it’s designed for younger rabbits, making it one of the best starter foods you can choose to begin your rabbit’s lifelong journey to good health on the right foot.
It’s relatively cheap for most lifestyles, and with it coming in a four-pound bag, you’ll have ample time to decide if you want to purchase more or try something a tad different. You won’t have to worry about your rabbit getting too much fat or sugar with this choice.
2. Kaytee Timothy Complete Rabbit Food
Assuming your rabbit is fully mature, you can consider Kaytee another phenomenal choice in rabbit food. Offering a nutritional balance that covers all stages of growth (even young rabbits) and a pellet that promotes explicitly good digestive health, you can’t go wrong here, especially for the price.
Kaytee Timothy brand also stands out as a food substitute for many other small animals, such as hamsters, guinea pigs, and rodents. This could prove valuable if you happen to have a small army of furry friends.
3. Manna Pro Rabbit Feed
Manna is no stranger to the pet food industry, and with its complete feed for rabbits, you’ll be able to relax knowing your rabbit is not only getting its dietary needs met but also having its meals without filler or nonsense. This pellet has no extra artificial colors or flavors that can become addictive or dangerous.
Another perk of Manna Pro’s pellet formula is that it addresses the extra dietary needs a rabbit might lack regarding vitamins and minerals. This will make it a smart choice if your rabbit has been feeling under the weather or recently returned from a doctor’s visit.
4. Vitakraft Menu Premium Rabbit Food
Vitakraft opens the door to a different kind of pellet food strategy, which actually gives your bun some choice in what it eats. It has the traditional pellets you’ve come to expect of all these different foods, but it also has an assortment of veggies mixed in.
Now, it’s worth noting that this particular blend is heavily intended to manage your rabbit’s weight while providing an extremely balanced meal. You will want to ration how much you are giving your rabbit due to the picking and choosing of which bits they want information supplied earlier.
Carrots, peas, and other delicious veggies are a fantastic introduction to your rabbit’s diet, but they are very likely to find a favorite dried veggie and gear themselves towards just picking those out and leaving everything else, so you’ll need to keep a vigilant eye on your would-be veggie destroyer to guarantee they are getting everything they need.
5. Kaytee Food from The Wild Natural Pet Rabbit Food
Considering all walks of pet ownership, Kaytee once again enters the list not only because they have a great understanding of how a rabbit’s food should be balanced but also because they understand that lifestyles change the dietary needs of the animal.
In respect to that, the Wild Natural pet brand offered is more catered to free-range rabbits, which will more than likely be more active and have different nutritional needs than a more domesticated rabbit. Thankfully, with blends of veggies, flowers, and hay, your rabbit will feel comfortable grazing on this assortment and hop away feeling full and healthy.
6. New Country Organics Rabbit Food Pellets
New Country keeps things basic but in the best way possible. As a pellet-based food that strays away from soy and corn, which can be a little too fattening for your bun’s overall health, this blend is guaranteed to be fully organic and non-GMO, which makes it perfect for people who are very dedicated to what their rabbit eats and dedicate themselves to the animal’s well-being.
The pellet itself is composed of alfalfa hay and other delicious foods, coming together to create a pellet that is full of flavor for your rabbit. It also gives it a superior digestive balance and promotes overall tooth health. Best of all, this blend is perfect for rabbits of all ages!
7. SCIENCE Selective Supreme Junior Rabbit Food
As a brand, Science Selective has been living up to its name in pursuing new blends of rabbit food for all stages of a rabbit’s life. It gives you a unique sort of adaptive control over how your rabbit grows and what choices you have to maintain their lifestyle with several unique blends for most situations your rabbit can find itself in, regardless of whether it is young, relatively overweight, elderly, or even recovering from surgeries, this brand has something for all occasions.
Another boon that science selective offers is that it not only gives you specific circumstances to cater your rabbit’s diet to its unique needs, but the sizes of the bags themselves come packaged in a way that allows you to plan for feeding it a specific blend for a few weeks or a few months, with you having control over the entirety of the process.
8. Purina | Professional Rabbit Feed
Purina has made a name for itself throughout the pet industry in most conventional senses of the word, and for good reason. They typically offer a good, affordable product in higher quantities than their competitors.
The professional blend of rabbit pellets is more geared towards restoring a rabbit’s healthy eating habits and getting its digestive tract back in a good state of affairs. This brand has Alfalfa hay as the primary ingredient to help things get back on track. It is also infused with Vitamin A and fatty acids to help promote a beautiful coat. This pellet goes above and beyond most conventional methods, but the price might be higher than most are comfortable paying; that is the price of quality.
How Can You Add More Protein to a Rabbit Diet?
In most circumstances, simply adding more hay to a rabbit’s diet will do the trick as far as supplementing a bit more protein into their diet, but you obviously have options. Things like Readigrass or barn-dried grass are fantastic alternatives, while the same Alfalfa that most blends mix into their blends directly can be handed to your rabbits to spike their protein to higher levels.
Digging deeper into what your current pellet meals offer your rabbit will give you a better idea of how much of an increase in protein you need to hit your rabbit’s specific nutritional needs. If you notice that your rabbit is having health complications and suspect it may be due to their diet, you should always visit a veterinarian for a professional second opinion.
What Plants Are High in Protein for Rabbits?
As noted above, your usual suspects are grasses, hays, and other assortments of them, with alternatives coming in the form of certain leafy greens like spinach and kale. Several flowers, like dandelions, can also place relatively high on these lists, but you might need considerable effort to get vast quantities of them. It is also essential that if you give your rabbit anything from outside, they have not been sprayed with pesticides.
What Vegetables Are High in Protein for Rabbits?
Your vegetables could be squash or even certain kinds of bell peppers, but it’s worth noting that you’ll want to be slow to make profound changes to your rabbits’ diet, as quick changes can upset their stomachs and cause them to become lethargic or ill.
How Should You Choose What Rabbit Pellets to Get?
The best pellet foods should offer the nutrition your rabbit needs but cater to your rabbit’s specific point in life as well. Whether your rabbit is young, mature, old, leaning towards the chubby side, or even a little less than plump, all of these factors should be considered when selecting a rabbit pellet that will get your bun into a comfortable lifestyle.
Final Thoughts
Dedicating some time to finding out what pellet will allow your rabbit to get the most out of life will be a journey. Still, if you take the time to navigate those waters, your rabbit will benefit from a beautiful life, and you’ll have the peace of mind of knowing you’ve done everything in your power to provide a life of enrichment, love, and meaning for your furry friend.
