Key facts at a glance
- Rabbits should only be fed suitable foods.
- Certain types of fruit and vegetables lead to intolerance in rabbits and should therefore be avoided.
- Many indoor and garden plants are poisonous to rabbits, so it is important to keep them out of their reach.
- If there are any signs of poisoning, a veterinarian should be consulted immediately.
Incompatible and toxic foods for rabbits
Rabbits like to nibble on anything they can get their teeth on. This sometimes also includes various indoor and garden plants that they really shouldn’t eat. In the worst case, it can even lead to life-threatening poisoning. As the owner, it is therefore your responsibility to eliminate possible dangers in your rabbit’s environment and to ensure that they are only fed with suitable food.
There are both incompatible and poisonous plants. Incompatible plants do not directly lead to poisoning. However, they can cause long-term health problems if consumed in large amounts. This is especially true for rabbits who have had health problems beforehand.
Foods that rabbits cannot tolerate
Many types of fruit and some types of vegetables can cause digestive problems such as diarrhea in rabbits in large quantities. The foods that you should avoid when feeding your four-legged friends include the following products:
- avocados
- Curuba
- cherimoya
- pomegranate
- guavas
- kumquat
- cherries
- lychees
- plums
- mangoes
- nectarines
- rhubarb
- peaches
- papayas
- Physalis
- plums
- legumes
- mushrooms
- potatoes
- Garlic
- leek
- onions
- chives
- radish
- radish
- chili
Cabbage is also one of the plants that require some caution. Nevertheless, it has many valuable ingredients and there is hardly a rabbit that does not like kale and kohlrabi leaves. Cabbage must always be fed carefully, in small amounts. Not every rabbit tolerates cabbage. If your rabbits tolerate it well and if they get a lot of exercise from being kept in enclosures, cabbage can be fed regularly in moderate amounts.
Poisonous foods for rabbits
In addition to incompatible foods, there are also a large number of toxic foods, the consumption of which can, in the worst case, be fatal for rabbits. These include in particular numerous plants that are often found in the house and garden.
So while you enjoy the colorful blooms on these plants, it’s important to keep them out of your rabbits’ reach at all times. The list of plants poisonous to rabbits is long, so a complete list is hardly possible here. When in doubt, it is therefore always better to be careful and remove plants to be on the safe side.
The following plants are among the foods that are toxic to rabbits:
- arum
- mountain laurel
- henbane
- Christmas rose
- A leaf
- yew
- aconite
- ivy
- angel trumpet
- thimble
- geranium
- autumn crocus
- buttercup
- honeysuckle
- elder
- nightshade
- daffodil
- daffodil
- oleander
- delphinium
- wood sorrel
- snowdrop
- hemlock
- tulips
- wondertree
Recognizing poisoning in rabbits
Poisoning is noticeable in rabbits, among other things, by severe thirst, salivation, diarrhea, bleeding, cramps, paralysis and tremors, as well as drowsiness and fever.
If you notice corresponding symptoms in your four-legged friend, we recommend that you consult a veterinarian immediately. He can check whether the symptoms are actually caused by food that is poisonous to rabbits or whether they have another cause and, based on his examination results, initiate appropriate treatment measures.