Stamping out selective feeding! Muesli-style diets and their health risks

At Burgess Excel, we're committed to the well-being of small animals by offering delicious and nutritious foods. In this blog post, we'll explore muesli-style diets, the health risks of selective feeding and shed light on the ground-breaking Edinburgh study that changed the way we approach small animal nutrition.

The Muesli-Style Diet Dilemma

Historically, muesli-style diets were a popular choice among small animal owners, seemingly providing a diverse and natural nutrition source. However, as pioneers in small animal nutrition, we've learned that these diets come with significant drawbacks and health risks.

Muesli-style diets typically consist of a mixture of ingredients, which may include grains, seeds, dried vegetables, and various coloured pieces. Although this may seem appealing to the pet owner, it can lead to a problem known as selective feeding. Selective feeding occurs when rabbits choose some components of the muesli diet in preference to others. Rabbits will naturally select the higher energy (high sugar or starch elements) and reject the pellets. This results in an unbalanced diet as the pellets are often supplemented with minerals and vitamins as well as often being high in fibre.

The Edinburgh Study: A Game-Changer in Small Animal Nutrition

The University of Edinburgh is a renowned institution which conducted a two-year-long study to investigate the effects of different diets on the health of rabbits. The following findings of this study were ground-breaking and have since influenced the way we approach small animal nutrition:

Muesli-style diets increase the risk of dental disease¹: Dental disease is the most common health problem found in rabbits, causing pain and suffering. The resulting inability of the rabbit to eat properly can cause serious digestive issues

Muesli-style diets increase the risk of obesity²: Muesli-style diets have been shown to increase the risk of obesity. This is thought to be due to muesli diets reducing fibre intake and increasing the intake of easily digestible carbohydrates and fats. Rabbits fed on muesli-style diets are less active which may contribute to the risk of obesity.

Muesli-style diets reduce hay intake³: Feeding hay and fresh grass should make up 85-90% of a rabbit’s diet. Muesli-style diets have been proven to reduce the amount of feeding hay that rabbits eat. Reduced hay intake increases the risks of dental disease and serious digestive issues such as gut stasis. Reduced hay intake can increase abnormal behaviour in rabbits such as inappropriate chewing of fur and other materials, inactivity and stereotypies.

Muesli-style diets increase the risk of flystrike: Muesli-style diets have been proven to increase the amount of uneaten caecotrophs in rabbits when fed alone or alongside hay⁴. Flystrike occurs when flies lay their eggs in soiled fur. The eggs quickly hatch into maggots and chew their way into the rabbit's skin. Rabbits fed on muesli-style diets have a higher level of uneaten caecotrophs (sticky droppings) which can stick to their fur and predispose them to flystrike.

Muesli-style diets increase the risk of gut stasis: Muesli-style diets have been shown to reduce the faecal output in rabbits when fed alone or alongside hay⁴. Gut stasis is where the rabbit’s digestive system slows down or stops. This can result in a build-up of gas and toxins. Rabbits fed on muesli have smaller faecal pellets and reduced faecal output, both of which are associated with the development of gut stasis.

Mythbusting Muesli diets

 In 2013, 34% of rabbits in the UK were still fed with a muesli-style diet⁵. Since then, the Edinburgh study was published and many efforts such as Rabbit Awareness Week, organised by Burgess Pet Care, have led to a significant decrease in this number to only 13%⁵ in 2023.

But what are the reasons people usually buy muesli-based food for their small animals? Let’s take a look at the most common ones below.

“Muesli products are cheaper”

When speaking to owners, many tell us that when in-store, they choose a muesli product because it offers a better-perceived value (lower retail price). However, in reality, while the cost per kg of a muesli-style diet may be cheaper, selective feeding (the rabbits picking and choosing what bits of the mix they eat) means that a significant part of the food may be wasted and therefore the actual cost may be more.

“Muesli products are visually appealing”

We humans tend to be attracted to colourful foods that look like they offer variety and assume our rabbits will want the same. However, this is based on a human view and bears no relevance to rabbits’ nutritional needs. In fact, rabbits do not actually look at colours etc. in food when eating as they can’t see in front of their nose. The actual mix does contain some less healthy pieces (high in sugar and starch) that rabbits are likely to be attracted to over the more healthy, fibrous pieces. The rabbits are more likely to eat the less healthy pieces, leaving the rest. This is similar to giving a child a plate of chocolate and vegetables, they’re unlikely to make the healthy choice.

Prevent selective feeding with Burgess Excel

We understand the importance of the well-being of small animals and strive to provide the best possible care for them. In light of the Edinburgh study, we have made the decision to only produce single-component nuggets, therefore helping to prevent selective feeding and ensuring that our furry friends receive a balanced diet for all species of small animals. Furthermore, we are committed to advocating for the welfare of small animals worldwide and bringing attention to the potential health risks that come with selective feeding practices. Our dedication to the health and happiness of small animals is our top priority.

Here's how Burgess Excel nuggets can help small animal owners switch to a balanced, nutritious diet:

Remember that a rabbit’s diet needs to be changed slowly. You should advise small animal owners to switch from an unhealthy muesli diet to a hay and nuggets-based feeding plan over a period of between 14 and 28 days. They can do this by gradually reducing the amount of muesli and increasing the proportion of nuggets in their rabbits’ or guinea pigs’ food until the muesli has been completely replaced.

Burgess Excel nuggets provide uniform nutrition in every bite. This prevents the risks of selective feeding and offers balanced nutrition if fed alongside hay and fresh greens, following the Excel Feeding Plan to help rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas thrive. 85-90% of their diet should be high-quality, dust-extracted feeding hay or fresh grass. This should be supplemented with a small portion of nuggets, a handful of fresh greens, the occasional natural treat and constant access to fresh, clean water.

In the world of small animal nutrition, muesli-style diets and selective feeding are now recognized as potential risks to the health and happiness of our furry friends by many owners, vets and retailers worldwide. Thanks to the Edinburgh study, we've gained valuable insights into the importance of providing balanced nutrition to our small animals. However, there is still much to do with many countries still offering muesli-style diets as a complete food for small herbivores. You can help make sure that small animals like rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas thrive by removing muesli-style products from your shelves and explaining the potential health risks of muesli-style diets to small animal owners. As a Burgess Excel distributor, you can join our annual Rabbit Awareness Week in June and Guinea Pig Awareness Week in September to support your market in making the switch to a more balanced diet for small herbivores.

 Sources: 

1. Meredith, A. L., Prebble, J. L. & Shaw, D. J. (2015) Impact of diet on incisor growth and attrition and the development of dental disease in pet rabbits. Journal of Small Animal Practice.
2. Meredith, A. L., Prebble, J. L. & Shaw, D. J. (2014) Bodyweight and body condition score in rabbits on four different feeding regimes. Journal of Small Animal Practice.
3. Langford, F. M., Meredith, A. L., Prebble, J. L. & Shaw, D. J. (2015) The effect of four different feeding regimes on rabbit behaviour. Applied Animal Behaviour Science.
4. Meredith, A.L. & Prebble, J. L. (2017) Impact of diet on faecal output and caecotrophy consumption in rabbits. Journal of Small Animal Practice.
5. PDSA Animal Wellbeing Report 2023

Additional sources:

 Meredith, A.L., Prebble, J. L. (2014) Food and water intake and selective feeding in rabbits on four feeding regimes. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition.