Harmful Foods for Rabbits: Looking to find out exactly which foods that can harm your pet rabbit? Are you searching for some safer options to avoid any complications with your fluffy companion? Many new pet owners find it hard to choose the right food for their bunny. They keep researching to avoid any stomach issues.
As you are here I’m certain you’re looking for more information to create a safe and healthy environment for your adorable fluffy friend. I will certainly help you protect your bunny from many digestive issues caused by unhealthy foods. The food that might be super healthy for humans can harm a rabbit beyond your expectation. So, BE CAREFUL!
It is worth mentioning that some foods can be poisonous and even fatal to your rabbit. Therefore, it is essential to understand the digestive system of these tiny creatures to avoid any complication. In this article, you will learn more about the digestive system of your bunny. Plus, you will be aware of 13 foods that can harm your rabbit. Let’s read below “Harmful Foods for Rabbits.
Why Should You Be Careful While Choosing Foods To Feed Your Bunny?
If you have a bunny, then I’m sure you have realized that their digestive system works very differently than humans. They are dedicated herbivores, and their digestive system is designed for raw foods. But it doesn’t mean that you can feed them all types of raw foods.
In addition to some specific raw foods, you will have to avoid meat, dairy products, and sugary foods. All these can harm their digestive system. They have a complex gut flora. Also, their gut is extremely sensitive and cannot digest a lot of things.
Chocolate (as with most pets) is harmful, and the same with any fat-rich foods. While choosing foods for your pet, you should always focus on easy-to-digest foods. Make sure that your chosen foods have high nutritional values.
As stated by the American Veterinary Centers, a rabbit’s diet should include fresh hay, water, and leafy green vegetables. Fresh hay should be always available as these foods can meet the nutritional needs without causing any digestive issues.
You will have to ensure that the bunny is having an adequate amount of water. The same is for leafy vegetables. These foods can be a great source of minerals and vitamins. However, vegetables should be only ten percent of your pet’s diet. You can offer small portions of fruits as a treat (1-2 tablespoons per rabbit per day). Always consider a small portion since they do not meet most of the nutritional needs of your rabbit.
Harmful Foods for Rabbits: Foods That Your Rabbit Should Avoid Eating
Now we will be more specific about the foods that can harm your rabbit. As mentioned earlier, you will have to avoid milk, especially cow’s milk. It is harmful to your rabbit, even for the younger ones. Though baby rabbits are not lactose intolerant, their sensitive digestive system cannot digest the milk. It might be very harmful even fatal, as stated by a few pet owners.
When it comes to adult rabbits, they become lactose intolerant after a certain age. They cannot eat dairy products. Also, make sure that you are avoiding meats. Below are some common foods that can harm your rabbit. Have a look and keep your pet away from all the following foods.
1. Grains
Many of us believe that we can give grains to our rabbit since grains do not come under dairy products and meat. However, grains are harmful to your pet. You will have to avoid crackers, bread, rice, wheat, oats, and wheat. These are a few to be named. You will have to avoid all those foods that contain grains. After having grains, your pet might experience stomach issues.
Grains are full of carbohydrates and can cause digestive blocks. They can make your pet suffer a lot. It is worth mentioning that your pet might show interest in grains especially sweets. So, make sure that grains are out of the reach of your bunny. Otherwise, your rabbit might eat these grains accidentally.
2. Cooked Foods
As stated earlier, rabbits are herbivores, meaning any cooked meat is a definite no-no. Their digestive system can digest a large number of raw vegetables without showing any issues. However, if you feed your pet cooked foods, they might experience stomach problems.
Our fluffy friends do not have the essential digestive enzymes that can help to digest cooked foods. This also includes avoiding cooked vegetables. Cooked vegetables are too rich for your rabbit and too soft to be of any benefit for wearing down their teeth.
Your rabbit should avoid both cooked meat and cooked vegetables. Otherwise, these foods will upset the delicate gut bacteria. As a result, your rabbit might not be able to digest even those foods that are considered good for them. When it comes to the cooked foods, your rabbit will not prefer the taste. Even if you offer your pet cooked foods, they will not have them.
3. Potatoes
Potatoes are foods that can harm your pet rabbit. Even humans cannot digest raw potatoes. Rabbits might digest a small quantity in a raw state. However, you should avoid giving them potatoes in any form. Green potatoes have a toxic compound. The compound is known as the solanine. It can make potatoes deadly and dangerous.
Green potatoes are dangerous for animals and humans. Even if the potatoes are not green, you should not offer them to your pet.
They do not have any nutritional value, and that makes the food unsuitable for bunnies. Potatoes mostly consist of carbohydrates in their complex form. Another downside of the potatoes is that it can cause GI stasis. It will negatively impact the gut bacteria of rabbits.
4. Sugary Foods
Rabbits develop different types of health complications. Enterotoxemia is one of them. It is a condition that indicates the growth of excessive harmful bacteria in your pet’s intestinal tract. Sugary foods can be dangerous since they contain high carbs compared to other low fiber foods. Any types of sugary foods are considered toxic to your bunnies.
It is not about your bunny only. Sugary foods are not good for almost all pets. However, they can be fatal for bunnies as these foods can shut down the digestive system ultimately. Therefore, you need to avoid these foods under any circumstance. You should not even allow a little quantity. Similarly, junk foods can be very harmful to these tiny creatures.
You will have to avoid all the sugary foods that include processed food, as these are definitely foods that will harm your pet rabbit. These creatures love sugary food. There is every possibility that they would like to have it. So, make sure that sugar items are not accessible to your pet rabbit. After having sugary foods even in a little quantity, they might experience an upset stomach and even completely shut down the stomach. You should not give sweets to your rabbit, even if it tries its best to have one.
5. Beans
Another food that can harm your pet is beans. Beans are rich in fiber and are known to be a healthy food for humans. However, these are not friendly to your tiny friend. We all know that this fiber-rich food causes gas. Humans’ digestive systems can handle the gas generated by beans. However, rabbits cannot manage excessive gas. Excessive gas can even be fatal for them in some cases.
As mentioned above, the digestive system of rabbits is complex and delicate. They cannot pass the gas. The same is for peas. Peas belong to the same family and can be very harmful to rabbits. Gas can cause blockage in the digestive system. Ultimately, your pet will not be able to survive. So, make sure that you are avoiding all the foods that can cause gas especially beans and peas.
Therefore, don’t feed your rabbit common (French), broad beans (flava), lima, or others including kidney, pinto, black, appaloosa, runner, tepary, moth, adzuki, urad, mung, Bambara, cowpea, yardlong, hyacinth, garbanzo (chickpea).
Others to include in the list include pea, Indian pea, lentils, soybean, pigeon pea, guar, horse gram, lupin, tarwi, peanuts, as well as the winged, velvet, jack, or lupini beans.
However please note it is safe and fine to feed them small quantities of raw green beans.
6. Alliums
Any food that belongs to the allium family can be dangerous to your pet. After having these foods, your bunny might fall severely sick. As we know, rabbits cannot digest easily since these creatures lack essential digestive enzymes.
The enzymes help to process food. So, you should not give any food that is a member of the pungent-smelling family. You will have to avoid garlic and onions. You will not have to do any extra effort to keep your pets away from these foods. They hate the smell and will not prefer having them.
Onions are considered poisonous for most pets. While ingesting onions, animals especially rabbits will experience Hemolytic Anemia. Some bunnies can even have another condition, called anaphylactic.
Therefore, you will have to make sure that your bunny is not having onion in any form. Even wild bunnies avoid onions. If you have a vegetable garden, we will suggest you restrict your pet. Otherwise, they might accidentally eat toxic food. Some of them might be fatal for these creatures.
7. Nuts
Your pet should follow a healthy diet that adds fiber-rich foods, carbohydrate foods, little fat, and little protein. When it comes to carbohydrates, you will have to avoid complex carbohydrates. When it comes to nuts, these are fatty. Therefore, these are not considered healthy for bunnies. These foods will disrupt the digestive system of your pet. The worst can happen when nuts will cause a blockage. Blockage can be dangerous and even fatal in some incidents. So, you will have to avoid any type of nuts to prevent an unpredictable situation.
All the nuts are harmful especially the walnuts and macadamia nuts. These are fat-rich foods and lack fiber. After having these nuts, your pet might feel uncomfortable. Also, these foods lack nutritional values. Some can be toxic as well.
8. Chocolates
As we discussed earlier, chocolates and dairy products are not bunny-friendly foods. These foods can be extremely harmful to these tiny creatures. So, chocolates are a no-no for your non-human friends not even in the smallest portion. Even if you give it as a sweet treat, it can kill your tiny friend. You might be thinking that what makes chocolates one of the most harmful foods for rabbits.
Chocolates have a compound known as the theobromine. It makes the chocolates very satisfying. Many of us love to have chocolates almost every day since it becomes a habit. But your tiny pet lacks the required digestive enzymes that can break theobromine. So, it can be extremely dangerous to your pet. You should always keep chocolates in a safe place to avoid accidental eating. If your pet eats any chocolate accidentally, call an experienced vet straightaway. Any delay can kill your bunny.
9. Caffeinated Foods
Many of us love to drink coffee. We start our day with coffee and feel unsatisfied without having it. But what happens if you consume it more often throughout the day?
You will be overcaffeinated. It is an unpleasant experience and can cause both minor and major health complications. A coffee addict can experience anxiety and even heart problems. However, your bunny is not allowed to have coffee even in the slightest amount.
The digestive system of rabbits is very sensitive. They cannot digest any caffeinated foods that include tea and coffee. The buzz from caffeinated foods will increase their heart rate levels. It can be fatal as well. You should never allow your pet to have coffee, tea, or similar drinks. They will not be able to digest it and will be very uncomfortable.
10. Wild Plants
Different types of wild plants are available. Some of them might not be that harmful to your pet. However, a few can be extremely harmful to these tiny creatures. After eating those plants, your pet might develop some severe health complications.
Some plants can lead to death as well. These plants are not easily accessible. However, you should be aware of them to prevent anything unpredictable. After knowing the names, you will not allow your pet to eat them while roaming outside.
There are poisonous wild plants that can harm your bunny. Here are a few names for you to remember.
and many more. In brief, we can say that you will have to avoid all the unknown plants. If you find that your pet has eaten some poisonous plant, talk to your vet straight away to minimize the impact.
11. Rhubarb
It is a garden plant and easily available. Many of us do not know that it can be very harmful to rabbits. If your pet eats this plant, there is a very real risk that your bunny might die in no time. The plant can be instantly fatal in rare cases.
Meaning, you will not get time to take your pet to the vet. So, make sure that you do not have this plant around your house. If it is near your house, consider fencing to avoid any accidental eating. Rabbits like to explore, and they keep experimenting with their surroundings.
It is worth mentioning that every part of this plant that includes the leafy greens and roots are harmful to your bunny. The plant is loaded with complex molecules and minerals. All these will impact the digestive system of rabbits. Our fluffy friends will not be able to digest this plant.
12. Avocados
You should always avoid avocados as these foods can harm your pet. As revealed by Small Pet Select, these foods can be deadly to bunnies. As mentioned earlier, the fat should be added in the smallest portion to your rabbits’ diet. But the avocado is fatty, and that makes it unsuitable for bunnies. You will have to also avoid oils.
In addition to the fat, avocado contains persin. Persin can develop behavioral changes, breathing issues, and even heart complications such as heart failure in bunnies. So, keep avocados in a safe place to avoid accidental eating. The outer part is the most toxic and can be very harmful to these creatures. If your pet eats avocado accidentally, take them to your vet immediately!
13. Seeds
Some seeds are not suitable for rabbits. The most common culprits are watermelons and apples. The seeds of both these fruits are toxic. You can use these fruits as a treat. But make sure that you are removing all the seeds before offering the fruit. The apple seeds have arsenic.
After having these seeds, your pet will fall sick immediately. Rabbits cannot vomit, and unhealthy foods stay longer in their stomach.
Wrapping Up
These are some foods that can harm your rabbit. When a bunny accidentally eats any poisonous food, you will notice changes in its behavior. The bunny will experience breathing issues or might act differently. If you notice any of these signs, please call your vet straight away. Any delay can make the condition incurable. I hope you like reading “Harmful Foods for Rabbits”.
