Eating Lettuce

[zekapeka]

Hi everyone!

I want my rabbit to have a healthy diet and eat fresh food, and as I know nothing about lettuce and which one is which, I’m just to scared to give it to him or feed him any lettuce in general.

I’d really appreciate if someone would see and tell me is it okay if I give him this? Any other diet/lettuce tips from long time rabbit owners are more than welcome - Thanks

 

[Blue eyes]

The first photo looks like cabbage. The second looks perhaps like collard greens or kale. If you are just starting to introduce greens to your rabbit, I'd suggest neither (for now).

If your rabbit is not used to eating greens, then it is very important to introduce it properly and slowly. It's great that you are asking first. I'll link a page from my website that has a list of acceptable greens to get started. It also explains how it is important to offer only a small piece to start.

If you buy lettuce from the store, they should have labels on what type it is. If not, ask the produce person there. Romaine lettuce, green leaf lettuce, red leaf lettuce are all fine. Iceberg is what you want to avoid.

Here's that link that goes in more detail:
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/greens--veggies.html

 

[cwebster]

Our bunnies love green leaf and romaine but not red leaf. I only give them a leaf twice per day.

 

[zekapeka]

Thanks a lot it’s very helpful

 

[Hannahsigurdson]

Hello! Your rabbit should have a variety of at least 3 different types of vegetables. For daily vegetables you can feed them romaine, bok choy, escarole, carrot tops, parsley, brussel sprouts and more! There are some vegetables that can only be eaten a couple times a week and some of these include carrots, spinach and kale. It is SUPER important to introduce new vegetables slowly, so you do not cause irritation or GI stasis. I usually give my bunny a tablespoon of fruit a day, and this includes a piece of banana, apple, blueberries or a strawberry. Check out this website. It is a great resource of how much and what you can feed your bunny. Rabbit Diet: What to Feed a Bunny

 

[john.thorpe1952]

Lettuce is always a controversial subject,and since I also keep tortoises,I know the risks of feeding it ad lib to them because in general it has had a bad press for a long time.It's true that most varieties are very low in calories,and some lack vital micro nutrients,but romaine and some others are Ok if fed in moderation.the problem is that,certainly in the UK,the word lettuce and tortoise almost seem synonymous and the same pretty much applies to rabbits and cavies.people fed these animals on lettuce because going way back (which I can remember!) it used to be a cheap salad food.I'm fond of saying to people who've attended my tortoise 'Weigh-In events in the past that the reason lettuce is a good dieting item for people is that there's very little in it-and this is true,but only partly,and I acknowledge that we know more about its content now than we used to.the early varieties still had quite a bit of laudanum in them,which is an old sleeping draft,and this has been bred out over the years,but i think the most sound advice is use the varieties which are most nutritionally healthy and only give it in koderation,always watching the poops to see what effect it's having.When i was a zoo keeper,the first thing we were trained to watch was what came out of the other end,and it's still true today!