Colorado House Rabbit Society

Vegetables Tolerated by Most Adult Rabbits

Vegetable	Vit. A?	Caution	Vegetable	Vit. A?	Caution
Alfalfa (fresh)			Kale	Y	High in oxalates, don’t give if rabbit has urinary tract sludge problems
Arugula			Mint
Basil			Mustard Greens
Beet Greens	Y		Parsley	Y
Bok Choy			Snow peas	Y
Carrots	Y		Pea plant leaves, stems (not peas)
Carrot Tops	Y		Peppermint leaves
Celery		Cut into pieces no larger than 1" long. The long "strings" in celery can be ingested whole by a rabbit with molar problems. Such strings can cause a variety of serious problems.	Raddichio
Cilantro			Radish tops
Clover			Raspberry leaves
Collard Greens			Romaine, red, green leafy lettuce	Y
Dandelion greens & flowers	Y		Spinach	Y	High in oxalates, don’t give if rabbit has urinary tract sludge problems
Escarole			Swiss Chard
Green Peppers	Y		Turnips & Turnip Tops

Vegetables Usually Tolerated by Adult Rabbits,
but More Likely to Cause Some Problems in Very Sensitive Rabbits

Vegetable	Vit. A	Caution
Brocolli	Y	Can cause gas/bloating
Cauliflower		Can cause gas/bloating
Cabbage Brussels Sprouts		Can cause gas/bloating; Should never make up the bulk of the vegetables given, because they destroy thiamin.
Green Beans		Can cause gas/bloating
Radishes		Can cause gas/bloating
Beets		Can cause gas/bloating; High in starches which can cause serious digestive upsets

Vegetables to Avoid Giving to Rabbits

Vegetable	Danger
Raw beans such as lima, kidney and soy	Toxic
Onions	Toxic
Raw, protein-rich beans of any kind	Can cause GI stasis
Cooked protein-rich beans of any kind	Can cause GI overgrowth
Whole Seeds Nuts Grains Dried Corn Dried Peas	Can cause impaction; High in starches which can lead to serious digestive upsets
Iceberg lettuce	Has no nutritional value
Whole-kernel corn of any kind: fresh, frozen, canned, etc.	The husks around the kernels can cause impaction; The "meat" within each kernel is high in starches which can cause digestive upsets and gas
Sweet Peas	High in starches which can cause severe digestive upsets, gas, and bloating, which can be deadly
Sweet potatoes Cassava Bamboo shoots Maize Lima beans Millet Bracken fern Tea leaves Coffee plants	Rich in compounds that destroy nutrients
White or red potatoes, including peels	High in starches which can cause severe digestive upsets, gas, and bloating, which can be deadly
Dried beans	Contain lectins that are toxic to rabbits; May also cause severe bloating
Rhubarb leaves	Toxic

Quantities of Vegetables to Give a Rabbit

Quantities of vegetables should be limited, to assure that the rabbit eats plenty of hay. Approximate quantities, based on the weight of the rabbit, are as follows:

Rabbit Type	Weight	Quantity of Loosely Packed Chopped Vegetables
Netherland Dwarf	3—4 lbs.	¾ cups
Holland Lop	4—5 lbs.	1 cup
Mini Lop	5—6 lbs.	1-1/4 cup
Rex	7—8 lbs.	1-3/4 cup
New Zealand	9—11 lbs	2 cups
Flemish Giant	12-14 lbs.	2-1/4 cups

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