Rabbit Food To Avoid

There are individual foods and plants that you should always avoid giving your rabbit:

1. onions
2. flowers grown from bulbs
3. rhubarb leaves
4. refined grains and sugar
5. food from any animal source (rabbits are strict vegans)
6. head lettuce
7. privet
8. any plant poisonous to humans
9. morning glories
10. laurels and rhododendron
11. yew
12. wisteria

Some foods may be fed in moderation to your pet rabbit:

1. kale
2. spinach
3. whole grain
4. carrots
5. apples
6. bananas
7. strawberries
8. cabbage
9. sweet potatoes
10. tomato

Other foods are great for your pet rabbit and can make up a larger portion of his orher diet:

1. parsley
2. cilantro
3. carrot tops
4. dandelions (make sure the lawn has not been treated with chemical fertilizer or pesticide)
5. radish tops
6. hay (Timothy, orchard grass, mixed fescue, coastal Bermuda, but not alfalfa)
7. taragon
8. raspberry leaves
9. fruit tree limbs (for chewing, though some may be ingested)

Obviously foods that are poisonous for your rabbit must be guarded against. Foods that are higher in carbohydrate (especially simple carbohydrate) should be restricted. Foods low in fiber should also be restricted. The best diet for your rabbit will include lots of fiber, few carbohydrates (and then only complex ones), and roughly 14 to 17% protein (experts will vary on this percentage).

When choosing a pellet, I recommend one that has high fiber, 14 or 15% protein for pet rabbits (show rabbits and breeding rabbits can use more protein because of the additional stressors in their lives). Feed that is too high in protein can lead to digestive imbalances causing diarrhea or unformed cecal matter (soft poops).

I do not like corn products or molasses in my feed. They seem almost unavoidable, however, so I look for those ingredients to be lower in the list, indicating a smaller portion. I find that molasses especially (and all foods high in simple carbohydrates), contributes to unformed cecal matter or excessive cecal matter and can lead to illness and even death. A small amount mixed in a high fiber food can be tolerated well by most rabbits, however. For pets, I recommend Nutriphase Rabbit Food.

I do not recommend popcorn rabbit treats or corn cobs for rabbits to chew on.

There are foods that everyone agrees rabbits should not eat. Beyond that, opinions vary widely. Some breeds are more delicate than others, especially small fancy breeds. That probably accounts for some of the variety of opinion.

My personal breed is the Holland lop, which is a more delicate breed, like most fancy breeds which also make good pets. That makes me a bit more conservative in my food choices.

The most important factor is how your particular rabbit responds to his food. Make changes gradually and always watch for reactions (diarrhea, exessive soft stool, listlessness, going off feed, not drinking water, or any change in behavior that concerns you).

I feed my rabbits a 17% protein feed, orchard grass hay, and a continuous supply of clean water. On occasion I also feed shredded wheat, raspberry leaves, parsley, cilantro, taragon, fresh thyme, carrots (about twice a year), kale, sweet potatoes (not good for obese rabbits), and bananas. My show rabbits also receive 3 drops of Linatone oil for shiny coat and 1 tsp. of Showbloom, a yeast-based supplement. I limit treats (grain, fruit, higher carbohdrate vegetables like sweet potato) to one treat per day or less.

Laurie Stroupe
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Rabbit Breeders, and Rabit Fun