Hong Kong rabbits face health risks from feed that fails to meet international standards, consumer watchdog finds
- Rabbit owners urged to pay close attention to pets’ diet after tests show some products do not meet international standards
- Consumer Council tested 12 feed products for adult rabbits bought from pet supply stores and online shops
Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog has found that more than 60 per cent of “complete” rabbit feed it tested failed to meet international standards with either insufficient or excessive amounts of minerals and nutrients, prompting a warning over potential health risks to the animals.
The findings also showed that 8 out of the 12 products tested needed to provide more precise instructions to prevent consumers from overfeeding their rabbits.
The Consumer Council said the findings, released on Thursday, underlined that rabbit owners should pay close attention to their pets’ diets, which was paramount to their health.
“Various nutritional problems were found among all makes, which failed to comply with the relevant recommendations of the European Union’s [EU] guidelines for complete pet foods,” said Kyrus Siu King-wai, the council’s publicity and community relations committee chairman.
The council tested 12 products for adult rabbits which were bought from pet supply stores and online shops ranging in price from HK$46 to HK$241 (US$6 to US$31) per pouch, equivalent to about HK$4.2 to HK$30.1 per 100g.