Bunnies? Well, I have two and a chinchilla. My female rabbit keeps getting sick, what am I doing wrong?

You are so messing with their diets. Pellets and Hay: For rabbits under one year old free feed (as much as they want) a fresh, plain, high fiber (18-20%), mid-range protein (14% - 16%) pellet. Adult rabbits should get 1/4 cup of low protein (10% or lower), high fiber pellets PER DAY, per five (5) pounds of optimum body weight. . Do not feed your rabbit any of the many commercial pellet mixes that contain seeds, dried fruit or colored cereals. These commercial treat foods are geared to look pleasing to us humans, but they are definitely not in the best health interests of your pet rabbit. Rabbits are not seed, fruit or cereal eaters by nature and these types of junk foods are high in sugars and carbohydrates, which as we talked about earlier can lead to an overgrowth of bad bacteria. Hay is the most important factor in your rabbit's diet. It is his prime source of fiber, which is instrumental in keeping the gut in good working order. Hay has the added benefits of being good entertainment for your bunny, they love to rearrange it, dig it up and place it "just so," as well as a great source of chewing material which is necessary to keeping the teeth healthy. A rabbit's teeth grow continuously throughout his life and it is essential that we provide them with safe chewing materials such as hay and wooden chew toys to help keep them filed down. A rabbit with tooth problems is a rabbit on his way to having GI problems as well. Fresh timothy, oat and other grass hays should be available to all bunnies all the time. VEGETABLES (AND FRUITS) THAT ARE GOOD FOR YOUR BUNNY VEGETABLES FRUIT NOTE: At least three different vegetables a day are recommended - any combination of lettuces counts as ONE veggie for that day) Alfalfa, Radish And Clover Sprouts Asparagus Basil Beet Greens1 Bok Choy Broccoli1,2 Brussels Sprouts Carrots And Tops1 Chard Chicory Greens3 Cilantro Clover Collard Greens3 Dandelion Greens (Pesticide Free!) Eggplant Endive Escarole Grass - Freshly Cut From Your Backyard, If You Are Sure There Are No Chemicals, Fertilizers, Poisons (Park Grass Usually Has One Or All Of These) Kale3,4 Mint Mustard Greens Mustard Spinach3 Okra Leaves Parsley1 Pea Pods (A.K.A. Chinese Pea Pods)1 Peppermint Leaves Peppers (green, red, yellow...) Pumpkin Leaves Radicchio Radish Tops Raspberry Leaves Squash: Zucchini, Yellow, Butternut, Pumpkin Turnip Greens3 Various Lettuces, Avoid Very Light Hearts: Romaine, Butter, Green Leaf, Boston, Bibb, Arugula... No Iceberg Watercress1 Wheat Grass NOTE: Feed only once or twice a week in small amounts - NO seeds or pits! Sugary fruits, such as bananas and grapes should be fed only as occasional treats, and NO fruit should be fed to rabbits who are overweight. Apple Blackberries Blueberry Pineapple Melon Papaya Peach Plum Pears Raspberries Strawberries NO GRAINS, LEGUMES OR NUTS! These are not natural foods for rabbits and they can be very dangerous to gut function.

Just found this - been trying to edit my answer to your other question - keep getting "technical difficulties". That answer was too long and I wanted to substitute some of what I deleted - now I'll just dump it here ;) I should have read this question first. I agree that we can easily be misled into buying the wrong thing - very annoying if you find out in time, and upsetting if you don't. (I was happily giving monkey nuts as a treat until, by chance, I discovered they are very dangerous. They were listed as a good treat for rabbits - by some self-appointed expert.) Looking at this first question, I am a bit shocked by what you are feeding - please stop wasting your money on the dreadful seeds, treats and sweet stuff. "Do not feed your rabbit any of the many commercial pellet mixes that contain seeds, dried fruit or colored cereals. These commercial treat foods are geared to look pleasing to us humans, but they are definitely not in the best health interests of your pet rabbit. Rabbits are not seed, fruit or cereal eaters by nature and these types of junk foods are high in sugars and carbohydrates, which as we talked about earlier can lead to an overgrowth of bad bacteria." (mybunny.org) Concentrate on getting the best hay you can - timothy is always recommended. (My bun loved brome hay, but it's difficult to get in UK.) Perhaps you can get some cheaper at a local stable? Dried plantain (not the banana looking veg) is a good treat - they love it, AND it's healthy. http://www.nutrecare.co.uk/Product-3888/Rabbit-Supplies/Burn-Whole-Plantain You might find it growing wild : "2 kinds of plantain (the leafy forb) here. The first pic with the narrow leaf I've always known as English plantain. The one with the rounder leaf is Common plantain. I've heard some refer to them as wild lettuce or yard lettuce. I've tried it, and while it tastes slightly like lettuce, it has a very bitter aftertaste." (bushcraftusa.com) Or plant it : "Herbaceous perennial. Press into surface of soil and keep moist. Prefers cool soils for germ. Plants prefer sun or shade, a moist soil, are not particular about fertility, but given water and compost will attain very impressive size. Anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory. 100 seeds/pkt" http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/seeds/seeds.php http://www.herballegacy.com/Ahlborn_Location.html I give my rabbit Beaphar Carrot Drink : "delicious treat for your small animal’s bottle, containing real carrot extract that contains a prebiotic called FOS (fructo-oligosaccharide). This supplement encourages a healthy gut-flora in rabbits". http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product.asp?dept_id=441&pf_id=53450 She now enjoys drinking and seems to be doing well on it. Find a good vet - last link below. I see you are getting lots of good answers - good luck wading through all that info. Hope things improve very soon.

what type of cage is she in? I have had rabbits get diarea from many diferent reasons; try a wire botom cage with no litterbox so that she cant sit in any of her droppings, stress is also a dig cause of diarea in rabbits (lots of mine have goten it after they when to a stressful show or have been transported a long way). Also is she fixed? if not this could be the cause of the problems as many female rabbits that arent fixed can get infections more easaly and such. and how old is she? if she is older that fixing her could make a big diference. I agree with the above poster that pellets should be in the diet instead of the seed/treat combo and all the other treats should be cut out of her diet. just give her leafy greens and the ocasional carrot and plenty of grass hay (they should be alowed to eat as much hay as they want)

sounds like u are feeding them wrong. a rabbit should only have treats once a week at the most. and carrots are classed as a treat. they are so sugary and can make their emune system low if fed to much. you should be feeding her dry food once per day and unlimited hay! and rabbits need a minimum of 4 hours excersize per day!!! i no u just want whats best for your pets but u need to do more reasearch. please stop feeding ur rabbits so many treats, not only is it bad for their teeth and will make them more poorly, but it will give them runny poo, and this is very fatel for rabbits. also with all the treats they will get fat and 1 hour excersize a day is no were enough.