# Feeding Rabbit?



## Prue (Feb 20, 2016)

So I have started feeding my cat with Pancreatitis a new food. Once again, I am curious if this food would be suitable for Prudence. It is called Rabbit-MAINT and is by the reputable Australian company called Rayne. This food comes highly recommended by the vets at my cat's clinic, but I'm uncertain as to how it would be for hedgehogs.

Firstly, do they even like rabbit? Is it good for them? I would love to give Prudence some nutritional diversity, and the food definitely makes itself look great. So... I would love it if a few members could take an in-depth look at this food and let me know if anything looks dangerous. The first ingredients look good, the protein and fat looks god, and I like the brand's ingredient guarantee.

Here are the facts and such, thank you so much if you have kept reading this far!

Features:
• High palatability
• High quality protein for lean body mass
• High energy density
• Novel protein source3,4
• High digestibility
• Added prebiotics (fructooligosaccharides)

Maintenance
INGREDIENTS (DRY):
Rabbit, rabbit meal, dried sweet potatoes, dried potatoes, potato protein, coconut oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), natural flavour, salmon oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), dicalcium phosphate, calcium chloride, choline chloride, fructooligosaccharides, sea salt, vitamins, (vitamin E supplement, niacin, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin A acetate, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, d-calcium pantothenate, vitamin D3 supplement, biotin, folic acid), taurine, minerals (ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, manganous oxide, copper sulfate, iron amino acid chelate, zinc
amino acid chelate, manganese amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate, sodium selenite, cobalt carbonate, ethylenediamine dihydriodine), mixed tocopherols, rosemary extract.

As Fed:
Protein: 29.8
Fat: 11.7
Fibre: 3.08

Dry Matter:
Protein: 34.07
Fat: 13.38
Fibre: 3.52

If anyone wants a more in-depth look at the food/brand here is a link:
http://www.raynecanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/FE_RabbitMaint_Dec8.pdf

Please give me any and all opinions regarding this food, I'm no diet expert (at all!) and appreciate the tips!


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## FinnickHog (Dec 1, 2014)

Now this is just me nitpicking and tearing the food completely apart, because that's what I do with pet food, so don't let me scare you. I'm just being particularly hard on it like I was with all the foods I chose for my own animals. If it was a bad food, you'd be reading for days.

First, why on earth does it need so much potato?! Because we don't have studies done on hedgehogs regarding potato, here's one on cats: "However, the nutrients in potatoes that make them healthy for cat owners are the very same properties that can lead, over time, to obesity, pancreatitis, and arthritic limbs as our cats age." (references below) That being said, potato is one of the better fillers I've seen out there, so it's not that bad at all. It could be full of wheat. They also split "dried potatoes" and "potato protein" which means there _may_ be more potato in the food than sweet potato when the two are added together. Take a look at this for information on ingredient splitting: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-industry-exposed/ingredient-splitting/

Again, it's likely not a big deal and maybe they just wanted to define the protein separately from the potatoes themselves. Who knows?

My last problem is regarding the salt. Cats need a small amount to process food. Do hedgehogs? I have no idea. I don't add any to my hedgehog food though. In your food, it's listed down next to the vitamins, so it's likely an insignificant amount, and in the breakdown on the site you linked, sodium is at 0.24%/0.28%, so it's likely fine. But those are the two major things I would be worried about. Potatoes and salt. And the fact that I only have two minor issues is pretty good.

Here's a few sample ingredient lists and websites for the foods I like the most:
Acana Grasslands Cat: http://acana.com/our-foods/regionals-cats/grasslands-cat-kitten/?lang=usa

Ingredients (when these guys split ingredients it's to add more good proteins; watch the lamb): *Deboned lamb*, deboned duck, whole eggs, *lamb meal*, catfish meal, goat meal, whole green peas, red lentils, pinto beans, rainbow trout, *lamb fat*, chickpeas, green lentils, whole yellow peas, herring oil, quail, duck meal, sun-cured alfalfa, *natural lamb flavor, lamb tripe, lamb liver, lamb kidney*, duck giblets (liver, heart, kidney), duck cartilage, dried kelp, whole pumpkin, whole butternut squash, kale, spinach, mustard greens, collard greens, turnip greens, carrots, apples, pears, *freeze-dried lamb liver*, freeze-dried duck liver, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, choline chloride, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, mixed tocopherols (preservative), chicory root, turmeric, sarsaparilla root, althea root, rosehips, juniper berries, dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product, dried lactobacillus casei fermentation product.

Spot's Stew Grain Free Game Bird: http://shop.halopets.com/Products/Spots-Stew-Adult-Cat-Healthy-Weight-GF-Game-Bird-Medley-6-lb

Ingredients (note the stinkin' peas, and the salt): Turkey, *Peas*, Turkey Liver, Dried Eggs, *Pea Protein*, Vegetable Broth, Potatoes, *Pea Fiber*, Tomato Pomace, Duck, Flaxseed, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols And Citric Acid), Quail, Pheasant, Calcium Sulfate, Salmon Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Dl-methionine, Potassium Chloride, Taurine, Sweet Potatoes, Apples, Green Beans, Carrots, Alfalfa, Blueberries, Cranberries, Zucchini, Monocalcium Phosphate, *Salt*, Inulin, Sodium Selenite, L-carnitine, Ascorbic Acid (Preservative), Vitamins [Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Choline Bitartrate, Niacin Supplement, D-calcium Pantothenate, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate, Riboflavin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Biotin], Minerals [Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganous Sulfate, Magnesium Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Cobalt Carbonate, Calcium Iodate, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Magnesium Proteinate, Cobalt Proteinate], Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium longum Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product.

So overall, I'd say Rabbit-MAINT is on par with the cat foods I personally like, and honestly, I like its fat content better than the Acana's. On rabbit in general, it's a great meat. Animals are less likely to have an allergy to it, it's high in good oils, which is great for skin and quills, and it's not very fatty. I think it's a solid choice for a main protein. And I figure if hedgehogs will eat baby mice, they'll probably eat rabbit. I say go for it!

References:
http://www.catster.com/lifestyle/ca...s-eat-sweet-potatoes-potato-fries-chips-toxic
http://www.furrytips.com/can-cats-eat-potatoes/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/342037-nutrition-in-rabbit-meat/


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