Giving Your Rabbit Fresh Vegetables

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

28 Mar 2006 09:09 AM

Should you give your pet rabbit fresh fruits and vegetables on a daily basis? Absolutely! Rabbit pros suggest giving your pet rabbit at least three different types of greens daily -- feeding only one type of vegetable can lead to nutritional imbalances. You want to make sure your rabbit gets a good daily supply of Vitamin A, which can be found in many dark, leafy greens.

If you've ever seen a Bugs Bunny cartoon, you know that carrots are among a rabbit's top favorites. But the leafy carrot tops are also good greens for your bunny! Your rabbit may also enjoy nibbling on broccoli, parsley, dandelion, spinach, and Romaine lettuce.

NOTE: Iceberg lettuce (the kind that's mostly water anyway) is not recommended for rabbits. Beans and potatoes are also not a good idea for your bun.

If you aren't sure what your rabbit will like, try adding new veggies slowly. Offer two old favorites and one new vegetable each day. If your bunny starts having soft stool or diarrhea, take out the new veggie and replace it with something else.

Veggies That Are High In Vitamin A (and can be fed to your rabbit daily)

• Beet greens (tops)
• Broccoli (mostly leaves/stems)
• Carrot & carrot tops
• Collard greens
• Dandelion greens and flowers (no pesticides please!)
• Endive
• Parsley
• Romaine lettuce (no iceberg or light colored leaf!)
• Watercress

Other Veggies Your Bun May Enjoy

• Alfalfa, radish & clover sprouts
• Basil
• Bok choy
• Celery
• Cilantro
• Clover
• Escarole
• Green peppers
• Mint
• Pea pods (the flat edible kind)
• Peppermint leaves
• Radicchio
• Radish tops
• Raspberry leaves
• Wheat grass

Certain greens like kale, spinach, and mustard greens are highly nutritious but also contain oxalates -- the salts of oxalic acid -- which can be toxic over time. You should limit these greens in your rabbit's diet. You do not need to avoid them entirely, as they are full of good nutrients and bunnies usually love them; just be aware that over-feeding kale, spinach, or mustard greens can lead to health problems.

If your rabbit is prone to urinary tract stones, you should take the same precautions with vegetables that are high in calcium. Feed those veggies sparingly, but do not eliminate them from the diet entirely.

The best feeding advice of all is to vary your rabbit's diet as much as possible to avoid nutritional problems. If your rabbit only eats hay or pellets or vegetables, they are missing out on important nutrients from other types of food.

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Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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