Just because rabbits are herbivores, it doesn’t mean they can eat all varieties of vegetables, fruits, and greens.
In this video, we will talk about the most common foods that should never be fed to rabbits.
Avocados
Avocados contain a toxic substance called persin, which is perfectly safe for human, but can cause serious health problems — even death — in many animals including rabbits.
Chocolate
Chocolate is an absolute no-no for rabbits. As with dogs and cats, chocolate has no place in your bunny's diet. The sweet treat is incredibly toxic to rabbits because it contains theobromine and caffeine.
Iceberg Lettuce
While there are some varieties of leafy, dark lettuces, like romaine, that make wonderful staples in a well-balanced rabbit diet, light-colored lettuces, like iceberg, contain a substance called Lactucarium that can be harmful to rabbits. Lactucarium is not usually harmful in small amounts, but a large portion of iceberg lettuce could cause diarrhea and physical weakness.
Iceberg lettuce also contains mostly water and will add no nutritional value to a rabbit’s diet.
Mushrooms
Rabbits should not eat any type of mushroom. Wild mushrooms are particularly dangerous, but even store-bought mushrooms should not be fed to rabbits.
Meat, fish and eggs
Although this shouldn’t come as a surprise, rabbits are herbivores, meaning that they eat plants, and should never be offered meat, fish or eggs.
Make sure to avoid feeding your bunny any product containing animal-derived proteins such as meat, eggs or chicken.
Raw Onions, Leeks, and Garlic
Onions, garlic, leeks and all herbs from the Allium family are toxic and can cause serious health problems to rabbits as well as many other animals. These vegetables will destroy a rabbit’s red blood cells.
Fruit Seeds
Although small amounts of many fruits are safe for rabbits to eat, the seeds and pits of many fruit varieties contain small amounts of cyanide, which can be toxic to your little pet.
Pears and apples are the most notorious examples, but the pits from peaches, apricots, plums, cherries, and mangos also contain cyanide, which is fine in small doses, but will make your pet sick if they are repeatedly fed these pits.
For safety's sake, keep your rabbit far away from seeds and pits.
Dairy products
Even though it is common to see image of rabbits drinking milk in picture books and cartoons, you should not give rabbits milk to drink.
Even baby rabbits should not be fed cow’s milk.
Rhubarb
All parts of the rhubarb plant are toxic to rabbits. This vegetable contains a compound called oxalic acid, which can interfere with calcium absorption and lead to unpleasant side effects.
Eye catchy pet-store treats and pellet mixes
Oftentimes, many treats and pellets sold at the pet-store are far from healthy for rabbits. Many of them include harmful ingredients such as yogurt, seeds, corn, nuts and legumes. Some also have colorful pieces with a high amount of added sugar in them.
Raw Potatoes
Before being cooked, potatoes contain a poisonous substance called solanine which is toxic to rabbits.
Fruits and vegetables
Most fruits and vegetables such as bananas, carrots, pineapples, peaches, and grapes are safe for rabbits to eat, but only in very small amounts as occasional treat. These foods are not toxic, but have high sugar content which can lead to weight grain, obesity and could cause an imbalance in the rabbit’s digestion.
As a rule of thumb, an approximate amount of fruit to feed your rabbit is one teaspoon per 2 pounds of body weight per day.
Houseplants
Even though rabbits are herbivores, there are some house plants that can be toxic to them when ingested.
Among the most toxic plants are Daffodils, Ivy, Lilies, Aloe Vera, and Golden Pothos.
Kidney Beans and Broad Beans
Legumes, including peas, beans, and lentils, should never be fed to rabbits.
Chilli Peppers
Rabbits can eat almost all types of bell peppers – green, yellow, red, or purple. However, hot peppers such as the Jalapeno, Cayenne, or Habanero shouldn’t be fed to rabbits as their digestive system is sensitive to hot and spicy foods.
Bread, Pasta, Cookies, and Cereals
The problem with these highly processed foods is that they are loaded with sugar and carbohydrates which can lead to abnormal stools, abdominal discomfort, and dysbiosis.
Likewise, muesli-style foods shouldn’t be fed to rabbits.
Remember, rabbits' digestive systems are designed to process high-fiber diet. This is why a rabbit’s daily diet should be made up of mostly hay, a small amount of fresh vegetables, and a limited number of pellets.
Olives
Olives have a high sodium content which makes them dangerous for rabbits to eat if consumed in large amounts.
Hamster Food
Hamsters and rabbits are two different species, and they have different food requirements.
Hamster food is designed to meet the nutritional requirements of an omnivore, whereas rabbit food is designed to meet the need of an herbivore.
