Rabbit Diet

Rabbit Safe
 Foods


A rabbit’s diet should be made up of good quality pellets, fresh hay (timothy, other grass hays, or oat hay), water and fresh vegetables. Anything beyond that is a “treat” and should be given in limited quantities. 

Vegetables:


Basil
Beet greens (tops)*
Bok choy
Broccoli (mostly leaves/stems)*
Brussels sprouts
Carrot & carrot tops*
Celery
Cilantro
Clover
Collard greens*
Dandelion greens and flowers (no pesticides)*
Endive*
Escarole
Green peppers
Kale*
Lettuce: Romaine, Red or Green leaf (no iceberg or light colored leaf)*
Mint
Mustard greens*
Parsley*
Pea pods (the flat edible kind)*
Peppermint leaves
Raddichio
Radish tops
Raspberry leaves
Spinach*
Watercress*
Wheat grass

Please note that there is currently dispute within the scientific community regarding the levels of oxalates and goitrogens in kale.  Many of our rescuers have fed kale daily, combined with other veggies, with no ill effects.  Others have found that kale fed in large amounts on a daily basis may contribute to bladder sludge and other health issues.  DHRS encourages you to make your own decisions on how you feed kale to your rabbit based on this information.


Fruits

Apple - Seeds are posionus
Blueberries
Melon
Orange (including peel)
Papaya
Peach
Pear
Pineapple
Plums
Raspberries
Strawberries

Absolutely NO chocolate (poisonous!), cookies, crackers, breakfast cereals, bread, pasta, yogurt drops or other “human treats.” There is research to suggest these items may contribute to fatal cases of enterotoxemia, a toxic overgrowth of “bad” bacteria in the intestinal tract.

More Info...

IS FEEDING HAY IMPORTANT?
Hay is essential to a rabbit’s good health, providing roughage which reduces the danger of hairballs and other blockages. 

WHAT QUANTITIES OF FOOD SHOULD I FEED BABIES AND “TEENAGERS”?
Birth to 3 weeks–mother’s milk 
3 to 4 weeks–mother’s milk, nibbles of alfalfa and pellets
4 to 7 weeks–mother’s milk, access to alfalfa and pellets
7 weeks to 7 months–unlimited pellets, unlimited hay (plus see 12 weeks below)
12 weeks–introduce vegetables (one at a time, quantities under 1/2 oz.)

WHAT QUANTITIES OF FOOD SHOULD I FEED YOUNG ADULTS? (7 MONTHS TO 1 YEAR)
introduce timothy hay, grass hay, oat hay, and other hays; decrease alfalfa
decrease pellets to 1/2 cup per 6 lbs. body weight
increase daily vegetables gradually; make sure your rabbit can tolerate
fruit daily ration no more than 1 oz. to 2 oz. per 6 lbs. body weight (because of calories)

WHAT QUANTITIES OF FOOD SHOULD I FEED MATURE ADULTS? (1 TO 5 YEARS)
Unlimited timothy, grass hay, oat hay
1/4 to 1/2 cup pellets per 6 lbs. body weight (depending on metabolism and/or proportionate to veggies)
Minimum 2 cups chopped vegetables per 6 lbs. body weight; always introduce vegetables and greens slowly to make sure your rabbit can tolerate
fruit daily ration no more than 2 oz. (2 Tbs) per 6 lbs. body weight.

WHAT QUANTITIES OF FOOD SHOULD I FEED SENIOR RABBITS? (OVER 6 YEARS)
If sufficient weight is maintained, continue adult diet
Frail, older rabbits may need unrestricted pellets to keep weight up. Alfalfa can be given to underweight rabbits, only if calcium levels are normal. Annual blood workups are highly recommended for geriatric rabbits.

IF I FEED FEWER PELLETS, HOW DO I COMPENSATE?
When you feed a lower quantity (or no) of pellets, you must replace the nutritional value without the calories, which is done by increasing the vegetables. Also, a variety of hay must be encouraged all day long, we do this by offering fresh hay a couple of times a day.