Vegetables

Fresh vegetables should usually make up approximately 10% of your adult rabbit's diet. Hay should consist of 80% of your rabbit's diet. Vegetables provide additional nutrients and different textures and tastes, an enriching experience for your rabbit. Wet veggies are also a good source of water if your bunny does not drink very much from his water bowl or bottle.

Amount to Feed
A good rule of thumb is approximately one cup of packed greens for every 5 pounds of rabbit. You may decide to feed more or less but keep an eye out for any change in litter habits and behavior. Some vegetables will cause diarrhea or gas. If you are introducing new greens to a rabbit, introduce only one type one day. This way you can easily tell if the food will not agree with your bun. Wait 24 hours to make sure there are no soft stools before adding another vegetable to your rabbit's diet. If the droppings are soft, discontinue the vegetable.

Be aware that every rabbit is different, and it is up to you to find the right balance for a healthy bunny. Some rabbits may not react well with greens at all and can thrive on a pellet/hay only diet.

Serve your vegetables wet to increase your rabbit's intake of liquid. It will help keep his GI contents moving.

Do not serve your bunny spoiled vegetables. If you wouldn't eat it yourself, don't feed it to your rabbit. Rabbits can be even more sensitive to spoiled food than humans.

Acceptable Vegetables
Care should be taken when feeding some of these as some vegetables may cause bloat or other issues in some rabbits. Vegetables with a high water content can cause diarrhea and runny stool. Other vegetables contain higher amounts of sugar and so should be fed in moderation and best as a treat.

There are vegetables and flowers that a bunny should not eat and are covered in Vegetables to Avoid.

Leafy Greens
Leafy greens should make up approximately 75% of the fresh vegetables fed daily.

The following list contains leafy greens known to be safe to for rabbits to eat.
 * Alfalfa sprouts
 * Arugula
 * Basil (any variety)
 * Beets tops/greens*
 * Borage leaves
 * Cabbage - may cause bloat. Too much can cause enlargement of the thyroid and digestive problems.
 * Red cabbage
 * Savoy cabbage
 * Napa cabbage/Pe tsai (B. pekinenis)
 * Bok choy/Pak choi (B. chinensis)
 * Carrot tops
 * Chicory greens
 * Witloof/French endive/Belgian endive
 * Cilantro
 * Collards greens*
 * Cucumber leaves
 * Dandelion greens (no pesticides)
 * Dill leaves
 * Endive - may cause bloat.
 * Escarole
 * Fennel (leafy tops and base)
 * Frisee Lettuce
 * Gai choy
 * Goutweed
 * Kai lan
 * Kale (curly, fooder) - may cause bloat.
 * Lamb's quarters
 * Lettuce (red or green)
 * Lollo rosso lettuce
 * Lollo lettuce
 * Mache
 * Mint - some varieties may be toxic
 * Mustard greens*
 * Pak choy
 * Parsley* (curly or flat leaf)
 * Peppermint leaves
 * Purslane
 * Radish tops*
 * Romaine lettuce
 * Raspberry leaves
 * Raddicchio
 * Radish tops
 * Rucola / Rucculo salad
 * Rutabaga greens*
 * Spinach*
 * Spring greens
 * Sprouts*
 * Swiss Chard*
 * Thistles (bull, milk, sow)
 * Turnip greens - may cause bloat.
 * Watercress*
 * Wheatgrass
 * Yu Choy

* = high oxalic acid content that can lead to bladder sludge.

Non-Leafy Greens
The remaining 25% of your rabbits vegetable intake may come from non-leafy greens, around 1 tbsp per 2 lb of bun.

The following are some known rabbit-safe foods in this category.


 * Artichoke (Jerusalem)
 * Asparagus
 * Beets - high in sugars.
 * Bell peppers (red, yellow, green) - high in sugars.
 * Broccoli - may cause bloat.
 * Broccolini
 * Brussel sprouts - may cause bloat.
 * Caraway
 * Carrots - high in sugars.
 * Cauliflower - may cause bloat.
 * Celery - cut in 1" pieces due to concern about choking on the strings or having them wrap around teeth; high in water content.
 * Celeriac - celery root.
 * Chinese pea pods (the flat kind without large peas)
 * Cucumber - high in water content.
 * Fresh legumes - high in protein and calcium.
 * Fresh peas - may cause bloat.
 * Garden pea pods
 * Kohlrabi - high in water content; may cause bloat.
 * Okra
 * Parsnip - high in sugars.
 * Pumpkin
 * Radish
 * Summer squash - high in sugars.
 * Tomato - high in water content; fruit only, greens are toxic.
 * Turnip - may cause bloat.
 * Zucchini squash

Herbs
You can also try adding some herbs to spice up your rabbit's vegetable diet. Rabbits have more taste buds than humans and will appreciate food that actually tastes strong. These herbs can be picked from outdoors but should not have come in contact with cat, dog, or fox feces or treated with pesticides and chemicals.

Below is a list of known rabbit-safe herbs.


 * Basil
 * Borage
 * Caraway
 * Chamomile
 * Chervil
 * Clover
 * Comfrey
 * Coriander (Cilantro)
 * Dandelion
 * Dill
 * Garden cress
 * Lady's smock
 * Lavender
 * Lemon balm
 * Lovage
 * Mustard Greens
 * Nettle
 * Oregano
 * Parsley
 * Peppermint
 * Rosemary
 * Sage
 * Salad burnet/Small burnet
 * Tarragon
 * Thyme

Below are some links with information about the medicinal uses of herbs.
 * HealthyPetCorner.com, Most Common Herbs Used for Rabbits
 * HealthyPetCorner.com, Harvesting Herbs for Rabbits
 * Examiner.com, Phyllis O'Beollain, Highly nutritious herbs for small pets
 * Examiner.com, Phyllis O'Beollain, Fragrant herbs for small pets
 * Examiner.com, Phyllis O'Beollain, Healthy herbs for small pets
 * Examiner.com, Phyllis O'Beollain, Calming herbs for small pets
 * Examiner.com, Phyllis O'Beollain, Perennial herbs for small pets

Edible Flowers and Plants
These plants and flowers can also be used to spice up a rabbit's veggies. You can also grow them fresh indoors in a pot if you'd like. If you pick them from outdoors, make sure that they have not been exposed to road pollution or pesticides.

Below is a list of known rabbit-safe flowers.


 * Apple
 * Basil
 * Borage
 * Bishop's Goatweed
 * Chamomile
 * Clover
 * Common chicory
 * Coltsfoot
 * Common groundsel
 * Coriander (cilantro)
 * Daisy
 * Dame's rocket
 * Dandelion
 * Daylily
 * Dill
 * Fennel
 * Fireweed/Rosebay willowherb
 * Garden nasturtium/Indian cress
 * Gladiolus
 * Great plantain
 * Heartsease
 * Hibiscus
 * Hyssop
 * Jasmine
 * Jerusalem artichoke
 * Lady's mantle
 * Lavender
 * Lily
 * Mallows
 * Mustard
 * Nasturtiums
 * Nettle (dried only)
 * Orchid
 * Oxeye daisy/Marguerite
 * Pansy
 * Plantain
 * Pot marigold (Calendula)
 * Rose
 * Rosemary
 * Sage
 * Salad burnet/Small burnet
 * Snow / Sugarsnap peas
 * Sunflower
 * Thyme
 * Viola
 * Vetches
 * Wild pansy
 * Wood cranesbill/Woodland geranium

See Homeopathy for Rabbits for some more flowers you may feed in small amounts as well as the nutritional values of flowers.

Vegetables to Avoid
Like any other animal, rabbits should not eat certain plants. Our main Toxic Plants article will address the plants that should be kept out of a rabbit's reach. Always check that list first before feeding your rabbit anything new.

The ones listed below should be avoided for various reasons.


 * Bamboo shoots - contains compounds that destroy nutrients.
 * Cassava (Yuca) - contains compounds that destroy nutrients.
 * Chocolate - poisonous to most pets.
 * Coffee plants - contains compounds that destroy nutrients.
 * Corn - rabbits cannot digest corn hulls.
 * Diatomaceous earth - made from finely ground shells, and when ingested or breathed in, can act like razor blades; do not use in litter or food.
 * Light green lettuce leaves - e.g. iceberg. High in water content but low in nutrients.
 * Maize - contains compounds that destroy nutrients.
 * Millet - contains compounds that destroy nutrients.
 * Nuts
 * Onions
 * Potatoes