rabbit lettuce Timothy hay small pet

Your Pet and Fresh Foods

We know hay is the most important part of your rabbit’s diet due to it being full of fiber, vitamins, and protein that promote healthy teeth and digestive tracts. While hay should make up roughly 80% of your furry friend’s diet, fresh foods are also important as they enrich your pets diet by providing additional nutrients, moisture, and taste. 15% of your bunny’s diet should consist of fresh produce, vegetables (10%) and fruits (5%).

 

As you can see the bulk of your small pet’s fresh foods should be comprised of vegetables, mainly leafy greens. When looking for the right leafy green to serve your pet, keep in mind that any leafy green that is safe for a human or a horse to eat will also be safe for your pet. The most important component in leafy greens to keep track of is the amount of oxalic acid within each plant. Oxalic acid is a naturally occurring chemical found in plants to protect them in the wild. When oxalic acid is consumed in small quantities it is completely harmless to animals and humans. Most of the fresh greens and vegetables fed to rabbits and other small pets have a zero to low level of oxalic acid, but a few, such as spinach, parsley, and mustard greens have high levels. These greens are still nutritious for your pet and should not be taken out of their diet if given in the right amounts. Over-feeding of food with high oxalic acid can result in tingling of skin and mouth, with damage to the kidneys over an extended period of time. Thus, it is best to mix up the leafy greens your pet consumes from week to week, feeding at least 3 types of leafy greens a day. The appropriate amount of greens to feed your rabbit should be around 1 cup of greens for every 2 pounds of rabbit body weight. These greens can be given once a day or can be divided into several feedings.

 

Leafy Greens (Low in Oxalic Acid)

  • Arugula
  • Carrot Tops
  • Cucumber Leaves
  • Endive
  • Ecarole
  • Frisee Lettuce
  • Kale (all varieties)
  • Red & Green Lettuce
  • Romaine Lettuce
  • Spring Greens
  • Turnip Greens
  • Dandelion Greens
  • Mint
  • Basil
  • Watercress
  • Wheatgrass
  • Chicory
  • Raspberry Leaves
  • Cilantro
  • Radicchio
  • Fennel
  • Dill leaves

 

Leafy Greens (Higher Oxalic Acid content, should fed in low quantities)

  • Parsley
  • Spinach
  • Mustard Greens
  • Swiss Chard
  • Radish Tops
  • Beet Greens

 

Vegetables other than leafy greens can be fed to your furry friend, just make sure to feed them in small quantities due to the amount of starch and sugars usually present in such foods. Root and flower vegetables are safe to consume, but veggies found in the onion family should be avoided due to them causing blood abnormalities in rabbits and other small pets. A good amount of non-leafy vegetables to feed your rabbit is about 1 tablespoon per 2 pounds of body weight per day.

 

Non-Leafy Vegetables

  • Carrots
  • Broccoli (leaves and stems)
  • Edible Flowers (roses, pansies, hibiscus, nasturtiums)
  • Celery
  • Bell Peppers (any color)
  • Chinese Pea Pods
  • Brussel Sprouts
  • Cabbage
  • Broccolini
  • Summer Squash
  • Zucchini

Fruits are high in calories and sugars, meaning they should only be fed to rabbits and other small pets in small amounts. These rules make fruits the perfect snack to use as a treat for training or for a special occasion. The reason why you have to limit the amount of fruit available to your pet is because they will naturally gravitate towards higher calorie foods due to their sweet taste. This drive comes from their wild ancestors who ate whatever they could, because they never knew when their next meal would be. In the wild fruits naturally occur at limited times, so over-indulging rarely happens with wild rabbits. Humans have now made it possible to get fruit all year long, so we have to limit the amount we feed our pets to keep them happy and healthy. Overfeeding fruits can lead to weight gain and upset stomachs, so it’s best to only feed your bunny about a teaspoon of fruit per 2 pounds of body weight daily.

  • Apple (no stem or seeds)
  • Cherries (no pits)
  • Pear
  • Peach
  • Plum (no pits)
  • Kiwi
  • Papaya
  • Mango
  • Berries (any type)
  • Pineapple (no skin)
  • Banana (remove peel)
  • Melons
  • Apricot
  • Nectarine

 

Reference:

Brown, S., DVM. (n.d.). Suggested Vegetables and Fruits for a Rabbit Diet. Retrieved October 27, 2020, from https://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabbit-diet/

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