Fruit/Veggie Diet Guide

[Kora]

I made this rabbit-safe foods guide before I got my rabbit a few months ago, and I want to post it on here just in case anyone needs it. It also contains info on what some of the foods do for the rabbits. I made it after looking at a bunch of websites such as House Rabbit Society and a few different YouTube videos. If anything looks wrong, feel free to correct it. I did make it around midnight, after all.

rabbit-safe foods


herbs:

• lemon balm (relaxes muscles, spasms, and can help with gas and bloating)
• thyme (great for digestive issues and treating diarrhea)
• parsley (used to treat constipation, blockages, and kidney issues; a favorite among rabbits; shouldn’t be fed every day due to oxalic content)
• chamomile (antibacterial and antiseptic; treats nervousness, anxiety, and stomach issues; externally treats weepy eyes and sore hocks as tea)
• mint
• basil
• cilantro

how much to give per day:

a handful of fresh herbs per day; site recommends to leave a small dish of dried chamomile so they can have it whenever they want/need it


vegetables:

• red or green lettuce
• romaine lettuce
• frisée lettuce
• carrot tops
• spinach (oxalic content; rotate)
• beet greens (oxalic content; rotate)
• radish tops (oxalic content; rotate)
• arugula
• cucumber leaves
• kale (currently a dispute in the scientific community regarding whether it’s safe or not)
• endive
• turnip greens
• bok choy

how much to give per day:

an approximate amount to feed would be around 1 cup of greens per 2lbs of rabbit body weight once a day or divided into multiple feedings a day.


veggie treats:

these shouldn’t make up more than 15% of the rabbit’s diet. should be about 1 tb spoon per 2 pounds of rabbit. most people recommend these as TREATS.

• carrots
• celery
• broccoli
• bell peppers
• brussel sprouts
• cabbage

fruits:

when they are sick, papaya, apple, and pineapple are good because of the high water count.

• apple (w/o stem and seeds)
• cherries (any variety; w/o the pits)
• pear
• peach
• plum (w/o the pits)
• kiwi
• papaya
• mango
• berries (any type)
• berries (uncooked)
• banana (remove peel; no more than about 2 1/8 inch slices a day for a 5 lb rabbit…they LOVE this!)
• melons (can include peel and seeds)
• star fruit
• apricot
• currants
• nectarine

how much to give per day:

no more than 1 teaspoon per 2lbs of body weight should be fed to the rabbit

 

[Blue eyes]

That's a general good guide.

Typically I see what you are calling "treat veggies" lumped together with fruits. Both carrots and fruits are high in sugar and generally should be limited to about 1-2 tbsp per day. So either feed carrot or feed apple on any given day, for example.

The leafy greens (not treat veggies) should make up about 15% of their diet. Hay about 80%. That leaves about 5%-- for pellets (3%) and treats (2%). These are approximations though, not exact numbers.

I would use caution, however, in offering any sick rabbit any type of fruit. It depends on the situation, but adding high sugar to an already sick rabbit can exacerbate the problem by imbalancing the gut flora.

 

[Kora]

I have no idea why I put 15% in the “treats” veggies. I know it should have gone on the regular leafy greens, so I was probably just too tired to realize haha. And I wasn’t so sure about the fruits being some sort of remedies, but the website really recommended it. I have no idea which website it was, though, so I can’t show you if it was credible or not.

 

[Kora]

I possibly could have meant 5% instead of 15%

 

[Blue eyes]

Haha, yes, I wondered if that happened with the percentage.

Papaya and pineapple supposedly have enzymes that can break down ingested fur but I don't know if that has since been discounted (vaguely remember reading that). That's why I said it depends on the situation. I do know the excess sugar may be problematic.