Herbs That Rabbits Can And Can’t Eat

Rabbits love fresh vegetables and herbs. It is best to offer them a wide variety of fresh veggies and herbs as this will be enriching in terms of smell texture, taste, and nutrition.

While most of the herbs that you commonly find at a local grocery store are safe for your bunny to eat, some of them may be toxic. This article contains information on which herbs you should feed your rabbit and which ones you should avoid.

Safe Herbs for Rabbits

These herbs are perfectly safe for your rabbit to eat. When giving my rabbits herbs, I will always give them a variety of herbs. This helps keep them interested in their food by always having something different to eat each day.

Within a few weeks of adding a new herb to their diet, I would know what herbs each rabbit liked and can make their veggie bowls tailored to their liking.

Can Rabbits Eat Basil

Basil is a great choice of herb to offer your rabbit to help with digestion. Even the pickiest bunnies usually love it. Basil does contain a high level of calcium and should not be an everyday herb in your rabbits’ diet.

Can Rabbit Eat Cilantro

Cilantro is a great herb to add to your rabbits’ diet every day. This is my rabbits’ favorite herb to eat. As well as being full of antioxidants it may help to fight infections in the digestive system and body. Cilantro is high in fiber, which helps keep your rabbits’ digestive system healthy.

Can Rabbits Eat Dill

Dill is a wonderful treat that you can give your rabbit. Many treats for rabbits are high in sugar, but herbs do not contain much sugar, so make a better treat for this reason. You can give your rabbit dill to help prevent health issues as it contains high levels and antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins. By feeding your rabbit dill you will help prevent GI stasis since dill as high levels of fiber.

Can Rabbits Eat Lemon Balm

Lemon Balm is a useful herb that can be added to your rabbits’ diet every few days. It has many benefits for your rabbit, such as helping with bloating and gas, as well as potential stress reduction. If your rabbit is suffering from mild gastrointestinal problems, giving them lemon balm may help them feel better.

Can Rabbits Eat Mint

Mint is a safe herb to give to your rabbit. The menthol has been shown to relax the intestines in all animals. While there are many benefits to feeding your rabbit mint, you should limit the amount that they eat to a little every few days at first. Eating too much of any new plant can cause diarrhea in some rabbits.

Can Rabbits Eat Oregano

This is a very safe herb to give to your rabbit. It also has a very strong smell and flavor that some bunnies may not like. Make sure that you offer them fresh oregano as the dry oregano does not have as many added benefits as the fresh herb does.

Can Rabbits Eat Parsley

Parsley is a helpful herb to feed your rabbit in moderation. Parsley (along with spinach, mustard greens, collards, etc) is high in oxalic acid and calcium. The oxalic acid tends to block the absorption of calcium and other minerals and may be linked to the formation of kidney stones if your rabbit eats too much.

By giving this herb every few days, your rabbit will benefit from the great vitamins and minerals that it contains without risking any problems. My rabbits did not like parsley and would eat all their other veggies and leave this one. If your rabbits are picky, they may tell you to leave this one out of their diets!

Can Rabbits Eat Rosemary

Rosemary is a very safe herb to feed your bunny, but it is best to feed this herb in moderation at first, as too much could cause diarrhea. Some rabbits will not eat rosemary due to the strong smell. It can help to offer this herb along with other herbs to mask the smell.

Can Rabbits Eat Sage

Sage is safe for a rabbit to eat, but many rabbits do not like the strong taste or smell given off by sage. If your rabbit does like sage, it will provide them with many great vitamins and minerals. Sage is also high in fiber and helps with a rabbit’s digestion.

Can Rabbits Eat Thyme

Thyme is a good herb to feed your rabbits. This herb will add vitamins and minerals to your bunnies’ diet. Thyme is a great herb to give if your rabbit has gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea or bloat.

Dangerous Herbs for Rabbits

While most of the common herbs found in the grocery store are safe for your rabbit to eat, some are dangerous to give your rabbit.

Can Rabbits Eat Garden Sorrel

Rabbits cannot eat Garden Sorrel.  This is a very toxic herb that can kill your rabbit. This herb is very high in oxalic acid and will damage your bunnies’ kidneys.

Rabbits should not generally eat Garden Sorrel regularly, though a little now and then would be unlikely to cause issues (eg if your bunnies were grazing in the yard). This herb can be very high in oxalic acid (the amount actually varies greatly in practice) which can – over time – damage your bunnies’ kidneys.

Can Rabbits Eat Ginger

While ginger root is not toxic or poisonous to rabbits, is best to keep your rabbit away from ginger. It has a strong spicy flavor which can upset a rabbit’s sensitive digestion. It also closely resembles other roots that are highly toxic to rabbits.  Most veterinarians recommend not to feed your rabbit ginger.

Can Rabbits Eat Chives

It’s generally best to avoid foods in the onion family such as leeks, chives, and onions. Foods in the onion family can cause damage to the red blood cells leading to anemia in some animals. Not only can chive potentially be a toxic herb to feed your rabbits, but most bunnies also do not like the taste.

Other dangerous plants for rabbits include:

• Agave (leaves),
• Aloe,
• Amaryllis,
• Bloodroot,
• Bluebonnet,
• Blue-green algae,
• Buttercup,
• Belladonna,
• Echinacea,
• Elder,
• Eucalyptus,
• Hemlock,
• Hog wort,
• Holly,
• Jasmine,
• Lily of the valley,
• Milkweed,
• Mistletoe,
• Nutmeg,
• Oak leaves,
• Poppy and
• Ragwort.

Winding Up

It is best to avoid giving your rabbit any herb if you do not know whether it is safe for your rabbit. You would rather be safe by not giving the herb to your rabbit than cause your rabbit to be very sick or even die from a toxic herb.

Now that you know which herbs are safe for your rabbit and which ones to avoid you can start introducing herbs into your rabbits’ diet. When introducing them it is best to do so one at a time to make sure that your bunny’s stomach can tolerate each one. By feeding healthy, safe herbs, you will help to keep your bunny happy and healthy for years.