What you can feed your rabbit
The usual picture of a rabbit eating a carrot is widely recognized, they often give their rabbits a carrot daily. Here you will find out what treats are good for your rabbit, how often they should have them and the amounts.
Lets start with the usual treats
Carrots- fresh clean carrots with green tops- 1 carrot should be given to your rabbit throughout 1 week. Carrots can rot your rabbits teeth meaning they can end up needing their teeth regularly clipped
Cabbage- when we give our rabbits cabbage we usually cut it all up into little squares and give them a small hand full. you should be giving fresh green 4 days out of 7. Too much can cause diarrhea which can be fatal to your rabbit.
Apples- cut the apple into sections then into slices about 1cm thick- you can give a few slices per handout, again 4 days out of 7. or alternate days to the cabbage and carrot
Potato peelings- you should not be giving potato peelings to your rabbit
Hay - given in unlimited amounts
Alfalfa, radish & clover sprouts
Basil
Beet greens (tops)*
Bok choy
Broccoli (mostly leaves/stems)*
Brussels sprouts
Carrot & carrot tops*
Celery
Cilantro
Clover
Collard greens*
Dandelion greens and flowers (no pesticides)*
Endive*
Escarole
Green peppers
Kale (!)*
Mint
Mustard greens*
Parsley*
Pea pods (the flat edible kind)*
Peppermint leaves
Raddichio
Radish tops
Raspberry leaves
Spinach (!)*
Watercress*
Wheat grass
Apple (remove stem and seeds)
Blueberries
Melon
Orange
Papaya
Peach
Pear
Pineapple
Plums
Raspberries
Strawberries
Sugary fruits such as bananas and grapes should be used only sparingly, as occasional treats. Bunnies have a sweet tooth and if left to their own devices will devour sugary foods to the exclusion of healthful ones.
(!)=Use sparingly. High in either oxalates or goitrogens and may be toxic in accumulated quantities over a period of time
Treats pet owners wouldn't think to give their rabbits
Burnt toast - Cut the toast up into little squares, at most give 3 little squares at once. do not give more than 3 times a month but make sure it is quite burnt as rabbits like burnt toast. This is also good to help a rabbit put weight on.
Wheetabix - again a small square is sufficient enough once a month as a treat. wheetabix also helps put weight on
there are a range of other treats you can give your rabbit but i shall put these on at a later date as for now i want to concentrate on the things you should not be feeding your rabbit
Pet shop bought treats are bad for your rabbit, they are high in sugar and most definatley not suitable for your rabbit
foods like fruity rabbit is only suitable as a treat feed for your rabbit. it should not be given as a regular feed.
yoghurt drops should not be given to your rabbit, it is a dairy product and rabbits digestive systems can not handle it
bamboo shoots, beans, chocolate, coffee plants, corn or corn products, grains, iceberg lettuce, nuts, Pennyroyal mint, onions, peas, any kind of potatoes or potato peels, rhubarb or rhubarb leaves, seeds, tea leaves, or food so old that you would not eat it yourself.
Rabbits do not tolerate sudden changes well. If you have to make changes in your rabbit's diet, introduce them slowly over a period of weeks.
Lets start with the usual treats
Carrots- fresh clean carrots with green tops- 1 carrot should be given to your rabbit throughout 1 week. Carrots can rot your rabbits teeth meaning they can end up needing their teeth regularly clipped
Cabbage- when we give our rabbits cabbage we usually cut it all up into little squares and give them a small hand full. you should be giving fresh green 4 days out of 7. Too much can cause diarrhea which can be fatal to your rabbit.
Apples- cut the apple into sections then into slices about 1cm thick- you can give a few slices per handout, again 4 days out of 7. or alternate days to the cabbage and carrot
Potato peelings- you should not be giving potato peelings to your rabbit
Hay - given in unlimited amounts
Alfalfa, radish & clover sprouts
Basil
Beet greens (tops)*
Bok choy
Broccoli (mostly leaves/stems)*
Brussels sprouts
Carrot & carrot tops*
Celery
Cilantro
Clover
Collard greens*
Dandelion greens and flowers (no pesticides)*
Endive*
Escarole
Green peppers
Kale (!)*
Mint
Mustard greens*
Parsley*
Pea pods (the flat edible kind)*
Peppermint leaves
Raddichio
Radish tops
Raspberry leaves
Spinach (!)*
Watercress*
Wheat grass
Apple (remove stem and seeds)
Blueberries
Melon
Orange
Papaya
Peach
Pear
Pineapple
Plums
Raspberries
Strawberries
Sugary fruits such as bananas and grapes should be used only sparingly, as occasional treats. Bunnies have a sweet tooth and if left to their own devices will devour sugary foods to the exclusion of healthful ones.
(!)=Use sparingly. High in either oxalates or goitrogens and may be toxic in accumulated quantities over a period of time
Treats pet owners wouldn't think to give their rabbits
Burnt toast - Cut the toast up into little squares, at most give 3 little squares at once. do not give more than 3 times a month but make sure it is quite burnt as rabbits like burnt toast. This is also good to help a rabbit put weight on.
Wheetabix - again a small square is sufficient enough once a month as a treat. wheetabix also helps put weight on
there are a range of other treats you can give your rabbit but i shall put these on at a later date as for now i want to concentrate on the things you should not be feeding your rabbit
Pet shop bought treats are bad for your rabbit, they are high in sugar and most definatley not suitable for your rabbit
foods like fruity rabbit is only suitable as a treat feed for your rabbit. it should not be given as a regular feed.
yoghurt drops should not be given to your rabbit, it is a dairy product and rabbits digestive systems can not handle it
bamboo shoots, beans, chocolate, coffee plants, corn or corn products, grains, iceberg lettuce, nuts, Pennyroyal mint, onions, peas, any kind of potatoes or potato peels, rhubarb or rhubarb leaves, seeds, tea leaves, or food so old that you would not eat it yourself.
Rabbits do not tolerate sudden changes well. If you have to make changes in your rabbit's diet, introduce them slowly over a period of weeks.