If you’re new to rabbit keeping, or you’re not really sure what foods your rabbit should avoid, our head vet Patrick von Heimendahl has this advice.
Here are 21 types of food that could seriously harm or even kill your pet rabbit in 2021. Download our handy guide and stick it on your fridge as a reminder.
Download: 21 Foods Not For Rabbits
- Yogurt drops – can cause a lethal ‘bad’ bacteria overgrowth in the gut.
- Chocolate – toxic to rabbits, can be fatal.
- Milk, cheese & yoghurt – severe gastric upset & life-threatening bloat.
- Avocado – ingestion can be deadly.
- Iceberg & other light coloured lettuces – dangerous sedative effect.
- Apple seeds – contain cyanide, can be deadly in the right quantity.
- Apricots, peaches & plums – cyanide in seeds/pits, high-sugar fruits.
- Onion bulbs, chives and garlic – can cause fatal gastric upset.
- Parsnips – contain psoralens, which are poisonous to bunnies.
- Potatoes – starch can harm digestion, parts of plants & tubers are toxic.
- Raw yeast dough – painful bloating and incredible gas, can prove fatal.
- Some herbs & spices – fools parsley (looks like regular parsley), echinacea, jasmine, nutmeg, and others.
- Cauliflower & silverbeet (chard) – can cause colic and painful bloating.
- Cereal (like muesli) – can lead to tooth and tummy problems.
- Walnuts, almonds & peanut butter – high fat, can cause bad indigestion.
- Bread, muffins, cookies & crackers – processed, high-carb, high-sugar, will likely cause stomach issues.
- Pasta – high in carbs & starch, can cause digestion issues.
- Meat – not for rabbits as they’re herbivores, designed to eat plants.
- Dog, cat, hamster & bird food – could be nutritionally unbalanced and/or contain ingredients that are harmful to rabbits.
- Coffee & coffee beans – toxic to rabbits, consumption can be fatal.
- Grapes & raisins – not necessarily toxic to rabbits, but contain too much sugar for them to process.
If you’re concerned your rabbit has eaten an item off this list, or something else that could be harmful, call us straight away on 01223 359021 for advice.