# Whole Prey Raw Rabbits?



## arcouillard (Mar 6, 2014)

So I've been wanting to introduce rabbit into my dog's raw diet, and I recently found a farmer willing to sell meat rabbits for a pretty good price. The cheapest ones are completely whole...skin and intestines included. I have heard that dogs should eat around the intestine (where parasites are harbored) instinctually. Is this true? If my dog ate the entire rabbit (which he probably would-he's a piggy) would I need to worry about him getting any parasites or worms? The rabbits are naturally raised on a farm, not wild, and would be frozen first. 

Thanks! Amanda and Wrigley


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

A lot of worms are killed by freezing. Max hasn't gotten worms ever and he has been eating whole prey animals for 5 years or so.

You can cut the animal open and remove the stomach and intestines if you like but I never have. The meat can be infected as well as other organs, it is definitely not just the guts you have to be concerned with. I would think good care would be taken of these animals or it wouldn't pay to keep them.

Dogs don't eat the guts if there is better stuff to eat. Max never would eat intestines but Ginger will after all else is gone and she has only had corn fed whole chicken rather than yummy alfalfa fed rabbit. I try to pick up the gut contents before she gets to it though.


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## KuroSaya (Jun 3, 2011)

> I have heard that dogs should eat around the intestine (where parasites are harbored) instinctually. Is this true?


Not true for all dogs some will avoid it and some will eat it. Coyotes killed and ate rabbit left it's stomach and intestines Bella and Saya both tried to sample a little luckily they have pretty good drop it and leave it. 

Coyotes left another rabbit stomach in my yard.. I tossed it in trash as I didn't feel like having to watch Bella when she was outside to keep her away from it.

I've fed Saya juvenile and baby rabbits before that she had caught. I froze for few weeks then fed. First time she had it she pulled the stomach and refused to eat the rabbit till I got it all out then she ate it. the second time she ate it all no issue even the stomach. These are small compared to an adult so she might leave stomach if it was bigger.

I feed whole quail and she eats everything the quail's head, wings and stomach.. one time she did not eat the intestine, but rest of them she ate it all. 

Not sure on parasite thing could freeze for few weeks or remove stomach and intestines.


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## arcouillard (Mar 6, 2014)

Okay, I may give it a try...do you guys do anything for worm control? Like feed DE on a regular basis? I have a skinned and gutted rabbit coming with my next order, so we'll try that first and maybe a whole one next. Also, since you're obviously raw feeders, any tips to keeping weight on a young active dog? My 45lb, 10 month old eats 1.5lb of raw, plus a cup of Orijen kibble a day, and he's barely keeping his weight. I tried all raw, but he had some loose stool issues, and actually lost a little weight. (plus i'd have to feed probably over 4% of his body weight and that gets expensive!) I think he'll probably fill out to at least 50lbs, possibly more.

Here's what he looks like after a few months on raw/kibble. Before I added kibble he was pretty ribby. I think he's looking good, but I wouldn't want him to lose any weight.


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## Mollywoppy (Mar 20, 2014)

Feed some more fattier meat? Pork, lamb, beef? Rabbits are a very lean meat. If he has soft stools, are you sure he's getting enough bone? Mine both need roughly 20% bone. You know, I sure wish I had your problem, I have trouble keeping the weight off my older dog. And, I have to add that both refused some whole prey quail the other night. Grrrrrrrr. Not cheap either. When I give whole prey rabbit from a natural raised farm environment, even if the rabbit hasn't been frozen first, I've never worried about worms to be honest. Haven't had any problems so far.
And, what makes you think you need to worry about worm control. Have you seen anything in his stools that concerns you?


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

I have fed whole rabbit, nose to toes to tail with fur still on. They were show rabbits that were either not show quality, or older rabbits past their showing prime. They were humanely killed by cervical dislocation then immediately put in the freezer, make sure they don't sit out and start to swell with gas. Usually my dog ate the entire thing. Sometimes she left the stomach. Sometimes she left the intestines. If she didn't eat the intestines/stomach, I threw that part away. Freeze them for a week or two just to be sure parasites are dead, typically home raised rabbits are fine and parasite free anyway.



*FEED OUTSIDE* because they are stinky when your dog chomps in, typical grassy poop, barn type smell. Do not let them defrost too much before feeding or it's much worse. I'd let the rabbit sit out for 10-15 mins tops.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Everyone says rabbit is a lean meat, but I have a pet rabbit and she is fat . I think wild rabbits are lean but farm-raised rabbits not so much.


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

Willowy said:


> Everyone says rabbit is a lean meat, but I have a pet rabbit and she is fat . I think wild rabbits are lean but farm-raised rabbits not so much.


It's the location of the fat, a lot. If you feed the whole thing you'll get some decent fat, but if it's skinned it's going to be very low fat because there's not a lot of intramuscular marbling - just a layer of fat around the muscle.


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## arcouillard (Mar 6, 2014)

He gets quite a bit of bone...I work my way through whole chickens (1/4 per day) and add ground venison, elk, and duck (so far) and also chunked beef or pork. Not all in one day, but randomly. The ground meats are 80/10/10, so there's even more bone on those days. He rarely gets boneless meals. He also gets some liver/kidney, but weirdly that doesn't seem to bother him. He doesn't handle eggs well either. I'm still experimenting with what works best for him. Thanks for all the input! It's really helpful!


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## ufimych (Sep 5, 2011)

I would only dream to have whole rabbits to feed my dogs. The best of the best. They eat it all, indeed, but thick intestines are left not eaten sometimes. It depends on how hungry they are. After a long kibble diet, all we be eaten quickly.


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

ufimych said:


> I would only dream to have whole rabbits to feed my dogs. The best of the best. They eat it all, indeed, but thick intestines are left not eaten sometimes. It depends on how hungry they are. After a long kibble diet, all we be eaten quickly.


It's not that hard to find - look for 'frozen rabbit, reptile' and you'll find a lot of places that will ship them - along with mice, rats, chicks, and sometimes other small rodents. 

Frankly, my snake is not all that big, but if my snake rejects a meal, it goes to the dogs. They're healthy, clean, parasite free animals. Expensive and would be really prohibitive as a bulk diet, but would be a nice addition for a lot of people.


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