In the past carers have fed their wombats anything from dog biscuits to tropical muesli and oats.
Clearly, wombats should not be fed dry dog food which was once a standard component of the captive diet. Dry dog food has a high protein, low fibre content and a mineral balance designed for carnivores and has no place in the diet of a hind gut fermenter. Recent indications are that anything overly processed can and will lead to complications such as bowel obstructions, and is certainly not what their mother would want them to eat.
When in captivity be aware that the food you give them to eat is the only option they have, and long term this can be detrimental to their health and survival.
WOMBATS FEED ON NATIVE GRASSES AND ROOTS
Their gut is designed to deal with the very low protein, high fibre diet available to them in the wild. It is not designed and cannot cope with highly nutritious food which may be harming them. No Tropical Muesli, Oats or Anything Processed. Native Guts are Designed for Native Vegetation.
SOMETIMES YOU MAY NEED TO SUPPLEMENT GRASS FEEDS
This may be the case in summer when grass is hard to find. Barastoc Calm Performer Pony Pellets are an ideal supplement or Gumnuts by Mitavite. These grass pellets are a basic cool food and suitable for wombats that are designed to eat a high fibre diet. Grass should still be offered, even when in short supply.
ALWAYS HAVE A GOOD SUPPLY OF WATER AVAILABLE WHEN FEEDING ANY TYPE OF DRY FOOD.
Do not feed dry pellets to wombats under 6kgs in weight. Joeys of this size may still be drinking milk formula and may not be drinking sufficient water on their own to compensate for the dry feed. This can result in crystals forming in the urine. If you notice your joey bloated, or obviously in pain or hunched and straining (but unable to wee) and the penis extended, this may indicate a urinary tract problem. Seek veterinary advice immediately.
Delays can be fatal.
A wombat in it’s natural habitat