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Locust beans
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Locust beans are the pods of the Mediterranean carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua). The pod is several inches long, hard, and dry and contains several seeds that are used in the food industry. Crushed pieces of the pod used to be a common component of muesli mixes, but the seeds sometimes made their way into the mixture as well. The leading manufacturers of muesli mixes withdrew locust beans from their mixtures as the result of several fatalities in rabbits that swallowed the seeds and died from intestinal obstruction. Ground pods are included in some pellets and nuggets.
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Locust bean seeds
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The seeds that are inside locust bean pods are dry and hard. They can be large enough to obstruct the small intestine of any rabbit that swallows them, sometimes with fatal consequences. Although the seeds should not be in muesli mixes, they can make their way into the mixes if they are still in pieces of locust bean pods.
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Whole grains
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Whole grains are often included in muesli mixes. Because of the fibrous shell, the addition of whole grain increases the overall fibre content of the mixture so the analysis on the side of the packet looks good. This is misleading as rabbits seldom eat the grain and if they do, they leave the shell in the bottom of the bowl.
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Sunflower seeds
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Sunflower seeds are occasionally encountered in muesli mixes. They are not a food item that would normally be available for rabbits to eat. The kernels are high in fat, deficient in vitamin A and calcium with a highly inverse calcium to phosphorus ratio. Although the occasional seed is not harmful, there is no need to include them in muesli mixes. Some rabbits enjoy the hulls, which have a high fibre content but no other nutritional value.
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Sweetcorn kernels
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These are hard dry kernels from sweet corn. They are not suitable for feeding to rabbits. Not only are they deficient in calcium but some of them are the right size and shape to obstruct the small intestine. They may be swallowed whole because they are so hard.
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Pellets
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Most muesli mixes contain pellets. These are composed of ingredients that have been ground down and compressed. Like extrusions, the exact composition of the pellets in muesli mixes is not given although the ingredients and analysis of the whole muesli mix is stated. The pellets are often a variety of sizes and colours. Pellets are cheaper to produce than extrusions. A vitamin and mineral supplement is necessary for muesli mixes in order to balance out the deficiencies in the ingredients. As the supplement is a powder, it may be incorporated into the pellets because vitamins in extrusions can be denatured by the cooking process. The pellets are the least palatable part of the mixture and are often left with whole grains in the bottom of the bowl, complete with the vitamin and mineral supplement that the pellets contain.
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Puffed wheat
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This component of one brand of muesli mix looks like (and probably is) breakfast cereal.
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Rolled oats
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Rolled oats are often found in muesli mixes. Like all the other cereals, they are deficient in calcium with an inverse calcium to phosphorus ratio. They are high in starch so rabbits that pick oats from the muesli mix are prone to dental disease and obesity.
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Locust bean pieces
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Locust beans are the pods of the Mediterranean carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua). The pods are hard, fibrous, and taste sweet with a chocolate flavour. They are palatable for rabbits and pieces of crushed pods are sometimes used in muesli mixtures. The pods are not harmful, but their seeds might be as they can be the right size to cause a fatal intestinal obstruction.
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Flaked peas
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Flaked peas are a firm favourite with rabbits despite their low calcium content. They also contain sugar and starch. In moderation, they are not harmful. If the rabbit picks them out of the mixture and eats a lot of flaked peas, it will be eating a very unbalanced, calcium and fibre deficient, fattening diet.
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