Safe Vegetable List for Rabbits & Guinea-pigs
Vegetables are often given a bad reputation as a food for rabbits & guinea-pigs. People are often scared of feeding too much or feeding the wrong thing and there is a lot of misinformation and food myths out there. Hopefully, this will help to clear up some of the incorrect information floating around and simplify things.
In the wild, rabbits would be eating vegetables as they steal them from diligent gardeners and farmers! Thus, the inclusion of vegetables in the diet is a natural addition, however, the focus should always be on leafy greens/vegetables at around 80% with the other 20% being mostly tubers.
Common fresh food myths
100g of fresh food per kg of body weight is needed daily in the diet of rabbits & guinea- pigs?
This rule was created many years ago as a way to show that fresh food was needed at all in the diet. However, this amount is purely for survival and is not enough to provide a healthy diet. A more sensible number is 200g per kg of body weight.
Wet food causes digestive problems?
Do wild animals not eat on rainy days? This myth came about due to picked fresh foods fermenting in the sun when wet and left in a tight space together.
Diet should be made up of 80% hay, 20% fresh food? Hay should be eaten at all times?
In the wild 100% of the food is wild plants (fresh food). Digestion in domestic animals is still almost identical. In diets high in fresh food, hay intake will naturally reduce as they choose the healthier food.
Fresh food leads to stomach overload and digestive issues?
This can only occur in a rationed diet where the animals gets a small amount of vegetables given in one or two meals a day, and is left with only hay to eat in between. The animals will fall on the fresh food and eat as fast as they can which can cause stomach upset. An ad-libitum diet with fresh food available around the clock mimics nature where up to 30 meals a day are eaten. It is therefore very gentle on the digestion as the eating rhythm is not disturbed.
If an animal does not drink, there is something wrong?
Fresh food is very rich in water, so it is normal in a diet with lots of fresh food for animals to drink less or even nothing at all.
This List is comprised of vegetables that you can get in the supermarket. If you have your own garden you can grow many more that aren’t commonly found in the supermarkets. Feeding must not be one sided, a good mix is need to ensure that the correct amount of calories and nutrients are gained (at least 7 different varieties daily).
Foods that can be offered without restriction:
Leafy greens/vegetables:
Chicory - The outer leaves have quite a high oxalic acid content so it is best to remove them before feeding. Well tolerated with a good acceptance, chicory is great for a sensitive digestive system.
Lettuce - All lettuce can be given without restriction (yes even iceberg!). The outer leaves are best removed if you are buying from a supermarket as they are often contaminated with pesticides from spraying. Lettuce is one of those vegetables that has a bad reputation due to it’s high nitrate content, high water content and it’s ‘lack of nutrients’.
However, in small quantities (due to the high water content), nitrate containing foods are completely safe and most of the nitrate is found in the stalk anyway. The high water content is great for them, does not harm the digestive system and fresh water intake will naturally reduce as they are obtaining most of their water from their food.
Furthermore, when the water content is not included lettuces are actually high in phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals. As long as the diet is not solely lettuce, all lettuce is safe to feed in large quantities.
Endive - Endive is great for stabalising digestion and binding acids due to the high concentration of bitter substances and is rich in vitamins with a good acceptance. Endive also contains high amounts of inulin which increases calcium absorption and improves digestive health in general.
Lambs Lettuce - A classic winter leaf, lambs lettuce is well tolerated with a good acceptance.
Pak choi - Rich in vitamins with a good acceptance.
Vegetable greens - Turnip, radish, beetroot, cauliflower & broccoli, parsnip, carrot, kohl rabi, corn leaves etc are all fine to feed with carrot greens actually having a lower calcium content than hay.
Cabbage, kale, broccoli, rocket, cauliflower, chinese cabbage, romanesco, brussel sprouts - These cruciferous veg can be fed without restriction only with a PELLET FREE DIET. It must be introduced slowly if they have not had it before. In a healthy animal the gases produced by these vegetables naturally pass through the intestinal walls. Fed with a diet that includes pellets or kept in a small cage with no exercise, bloating can occur which can result in death. Find out why you should follow a pellet free diet here.
Celery - One of the more ‘leafy’ vegetables, so good for winter use and for those with a sensitive digestive system. Celery stimulates the metabolism, is rich in vitamins and improves circulation. Well tolerated with a good acceptance.
Radicchio - Good acceptance, remove outer leaves before feeding as they are usually contaminated with pesticides.
Other vegetables:
Fennel tubers - A good winter vegetable that is well tolerated with a very good acceptance, fennel has many positive health benefits. Its essential oils have a positive effect on mucous membranes which helps with breathing in rabbits with respiratory infections. It is good for the digestive tract during gastrointestinal problems, is anti-convulsant and rich in vitamins.
Turnips/swedes - Great for winter, rich in vitamins with a good acceptance.
Celeriac - Another good vegetable for winter with good acceptance and tolerance.
Parsnips - Parsnips promote digestive health and have a very good acceptance and tolerance.
Carrots - Carrots are another vegetable spurned due to the incorrect food myth that they are extremely high in sugar and should be fed in moderation. Carrots contain a balanced carbohydrate (sugar) content of fructose, sucrose and glucose meaning that they are a good source of energy, because they supply sugar over a longer time period.
When comparing carrots with other vegetables and herbs it is clear that they are not high in sugar at all. Dandelions contain between 7-9g of carbohydrates, dill contains 8.2g, oregano contains 8g, peppermint contains 5g and parsnips contain 11.3g. Whereas, the humble carrot comes in at only 5.2g. Carrots are therefore a safe every day feed that do not need to be rationed.
Jerusalem Artichoke - All parts of the Jerusalem artichoke can be fed (plant, flowers, leaves, tubers). It has a good acceptance overall and is a good concentrated healthy energy source with high fibre that strengthens the intestinal flora.
Kohl Rabi - See cabbage.
Cucumber - All cucumber varieties are suitable, best given during summer due to the high water content which is good for kidney problems.
Pumpkin/squash - Great for autumn and winter feeding.
Peppers - Good acceptance especially the white innards, rich in vitamin C with a high water content. The green stalk can occasionally be fed in a varied diet only in small amounts due to high amounts of solanine. Remove seeds.
Tomato - Feed without green parts as they have a high solanine content. Green parts can be fed sometimes in small quantities in a varied diet such as the ad libitum diet.
Courgette - Easy to digest but has a bad acceptance.
Caution advised:
Leafy greens/vegetables:
Cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, rocket, chinese cabbage, romanesco, brussel sprouts - Fed with a diet that includes pellets or kept in a small cage with no exercise, bloating can occur which can result in death (see above). Safe in a pellet free diet with appropriate housing.
Spinach - High oxalic acid content so should always be given in a mixture with other food.
Spring onion & Leek - These can very occasionally be offered in very small quantities and in a varied diet. They are anti-bacterial, anti-viral, prevent cancer, promote the immune system and digestion and lower the blood pressure. In an ad libitum varied diet, they will be selected as needed in the case of illness and are completely harmless in these small quantities. If you are unsure or cannot offer the ad libitum diet, do not feed.
Chard - High in oxalic acid so should be served in a good mixture. Chard helps prevent disease, aids bowel movement and has a good acceptance.
Other vegetables:
Corn - High energy feed with good acceptance that is great for autumn and winter. Should not be fed daily due to its concentrated nature.
Radish - Radish is quite spicy for rabbits and guinea-pigs and can irritate the respiratory tract so should only be offered in small quantities. However, it is useful as a de-wormer and contains other useful phytochemicals. The traditional image of Peter Rabbit holding a carrot is actually a long variety of radish!
Beetroot - High oxalic acid content means that it should be served with a good mix of other vegetables in smaller amounts and it can discolour the urine (which is harmless). Beetroot can help prevent cancer and is rich in vitamins and minerals.
Asparagus - Acceptance is usually bad but if it is enjoyed it can be fed regularly as it supports cellular rejuvenation, stimulates the kidneys and metabolism along with liver and lung function.
Sweet potato - Not a real potato, sweet potato can be fed as a healthy concentrate food for those that require a higher energy requirement (large breed, outdoors in autumn and winter, old, ill etc). Can also be fed in smaller quantities for everyone else as it has anti-inflammatory properties.
Aubergine - Can be offered occasionally in a good mix within a varied diet but it must be fully ripe as unripe parts and the green parts are high in solanine. Bad acceptance.
Artichoke - Fresh artichokes only (not jarred), bad acceptance as not an ideal food.
Only partly suitable in small amounts:
Other vegetables:
Green beans - Can be fed very occasionally in a very varied pellet free diet, in a good mix of other vegetables and only in a very small amount. Not an ideal food with bad acceptance.
Mushrooms - Mushrooms are difficult to digest and have a bad acceptance . However, they may be fed in very small quantities occasionally, as they are mineral rich and contain vitamin D2.
Chilli - Chillis are very spicy and most likely will not be accepted. However, very mild varieties can be offered in very small quantities in a varied diet (so as to not force them to ingest). If enjoyed, chillis contain capsaicin which has health benefits including cancer prevention and joint pain and obesity reduction. You may not be able to get mild enough chillis in the supermarket but if you grow your own then you have more options.
Pea pods/peas - Can be fed very occasionally in a very varied pellet free diet, in a good mix of other vegetables and only in a very small amount. Not an ideal food with bad acceptance.
Rhubarb - Although rhubarb has a high oxalic acid content it is not in fact poisonous in very small quantities within a good mix.
It is not recommended to feed any of the above foods in this section unless you are feeding an ad libitum diet. This means that they can choose to not eat the foods if they do not want to.
Useful for illness:
Potatoes - Cooked potatoes can be fed to animals kept outside during the winter or for emergency weight gain. Not suitable for prolonged every day use as they are too over-processed. Bad acceptance.
Garlic - A spicy food, garlic can be useful in small quantities for sick animals as it has health promoting properties. Best grated or mashed with other preferred veg due to bad acceptance.
Ginger - Good for the immune system, joint problems, inflammation and respiratory infections. It is a spicy food, so should only be given in very small amounts. Best grated together with apple, banana, carrots and beetroot for an ill animal.
Horseradish - Anti-inflammatory, offered in small quantities as above.
Sources:
www.kaninchenwiese.de
www.diebrain.de
www.moehren-sind-orange.de
