Rabbit veggies, fruits, treats & toxic plant info

[pompeii]

I copied this from another forum I visit. I thought it was too good to pass up.


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Introduction
That cute little whiskered face is so hard to ignore, especially when your bun sits up and looks so deserving of that special treat. And pet stores sell a selection of rabbit treats which are perfect for your precious rabbit. Right? WRONG!!! Most so-called rabbit treats are the equivalent of taking your rabbit to McDonald's, providing non-nutritious junk that can cause potential harm to your rabbit. Confusing the issue is that many of these products use phrases that lead the buyer to believe that the product is healthful: "nutritionally fortified," " doing right for the environment, " "natural feeding habits," "for nutritional variety," "the finest selected ingredients." The addition of "feeding instructions" and "guaranteed analysis" lend a cache of authority.

Commercial rabbit treats fall into several catagories: pellets, processed cereal kibble, mueslix (dried seed/fruit/veggie mixes), cereal/veggie blends, and candies/sugars. None confer an advantage over the fresh vegetable, high fiber pellets, and unlimited hay diet.


Pellets
Pellets were discussed in the House Rabbit Journal vol. III #4. I won't say more here except to repeat those guidelines: chose a pellet that is high in fiber (20-25%) and low in protein (14-15%) and calcium (<1.0%). Restrict pellet feedings to HRS guidelines and feed plenty of fresh vegetables and unlimited hay. Do not buy a pellet that contains seeds, nuts, or starch-rich cereal kibble mixed in (see below).

Processed Cereal Kibble
These range from "Crunchy Puffs" to shaped products designed to substitute for pellets. Some contain expensive extras that serve no benefit to your rabbit, such as plant or herbal extracts and freeze dried bacteria. One contains less than the National Research Council (NRC) requirements for calcium. Another contains cheese flavoring! Supplementation with digestive enzymes (proteases, amylases) normally is unnecessary because these foods are highly digestible and because there is no evidence that healthy rabbits produce insufficient levels of these enzymes; in fact, some of the most important digestion is by the cecal bacteria. These kibbles tend to be lower in fiber and higher in fat. They are also extremely expensive and come with feeding recommendations destined to give a spayed or neutered house rabbit obesity. The variety of colors and shapes are more of an asthetic to the human buyer than to your rabbit. Again, fresh vegetables, restricted high fiber pellets, and unlimited hay are healthier and easier on your budget.

Mueslix
These are mixes which are made of seeds and grains. They are marketed as "vitamin and mineral enriched," a "elicious energy provider," or "fortified." They are made of carbohydrate and fat-rich seeds and grains such as oats, milo, corn, peas, sunflower seeds, potatoes, peanuts, puffed corn, cornflakes, popcorn, and dried fruits. They are often held together into "sticks" with honey and other sugars, and are marketed with the explanation that they supply needed energy and reflect the rabbit's normal diet.
In reality, a diet of vegetables, hay and restricted pellets provides all the nutrients and energy your house rabbit needs. Seeds are high in fat and are important for wintering animals. Your house rabbit has no such need; in fact, the National Research Council recommends that domestic rabbits receive no more than 1.5% of their calories as fat. Labels on the back of these mueslix products list a minimum fat content of 4-5%; the real value is probably greater. Rabbit metabolism is geared for a low fat diet (in comparison, the average human diet contains 35-40% fat!), and the excess is not burned but is stored as body fat. Rabbits appear to be more sensitive to fat than are humans, and in addition to obesity, the excess fat can accumulate in your rabbit's liver and arteries (atherosclerosis). Veterinarians have reported that rabbits fed seed-rich diets have a much higher incidence of fatty liver disease (hepatic steatosis), which is often fatal. These seeds and grains are also rich in starches. While some of this starch is digested in the small intestine, much of it is not accessible until it reaches the cecum. There it becomes a potent energy form for the cecal bacteria; unlike cellulose fiber, which slows fermentation, starch in the cecum is fermented rapidly and can lead to bacterial overgrowth, bloat, and gi stasis.

Manufacturers claim that seeds and grains satisfy "the chewing urge." While this is true, it is far safer and cheaper to satisfy that urge with baskets, untreated wood, and cardboard boxes.


Cereal/veggie blends
These are grain products which may be supplemented with dehydrated vegetables, and shaped into a form which mimics a vegetable product. There is no advantage to feeding these over the real vegetable. One product label lists three different cereals before the dehydrated vegetable! The high carbohydrate content of these snacks means they are robbing your rabbit of important fiber and overloading him with sugars. These products also tout the vitamins that are added back (due to processing); real vegetables will supply as much if not more. With 2.1 ounces costing $3.09 ($24 per pound), a pound of carrots and some cardboard provides a healthier and cheaper alternative.

Candies/Sugars
These can include everything from yogurt drops to sweetened papaya tablets. The high sugar is the culprit here. Many rabbits have a sweet tooth, but sweetness means a high content of sugars. As we discussed above, excessive sugar is converted to fat, or will pass into the cecum where the bacteria will use it for energy and then rapidly overgrow, possibly leading to bacterial imbalance and gi stasis. The same can occur after feeding too much fruit. Avoid feeding your rabbit simple sugars and instead stick with nutritious treats such as vegetables and herbs; save the sweets for an occasional raisin or banana snack.

Vitamin supplements
These are largely unnecessary. For nearly all rabbits, a diet containing a variety of fresh vegetables, restricted high quality pellets, and unlimited hay provides all the vitamins your rabbit requires; many of your rabbit's vitamins come from her normal ingestion of cecal pellets. While special health situations may require nutrient supplements, these are best handled after consultation with your veterinarian.
It is tempting to show your love for your rabbit by purchasing treats for her. If you are in doubt, read the ingredient label; pay particular attention to the list of ingredients (they are listed in order of abundance) and the percentage of fiber and fat. Speaking as a nutritionist, my best advice is to save your money and show your love with healthy treats like vegetables, hay and untreated wood for chewing. And give plenty of pets, which are of course free.

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Veggie List:
Please refer to the Diet FAQ for detailed info on proper quantities and combinations to feed for a well-ballanced diet.

Select at least three kinds of vegetables daily. A variety is necessary in order to obtain the necessary nutrients, with one each day that contains Vitamin A, indicated by an *. Add one vegetable to the diet at a time. Eliminate if it causes soft stools or diarrhea.


Alfalfa, radish & clover sprouts
Basil
Beet greens (tops)*
Bok choy
Broccoli (mostly leaves/stems)*
Brussels sprouts
Carrot & carrot tops*
Celery
Cilantro
Clover
Collard greens*
Dandelion greens and flowers (no pesticides)*
Endive*
Escarole
Green peppers
Kale (!)*
Mint
Mustard greens*
Parsley*
Pea pods (the flat edible kind)*
Peppermint leaves
Raddichio
Radish tops
Raspberry leaves
Romaine lettuce (no iceberg or light colored leaf)*
Spinach (!)*
Watercress*
Wheat grass

(!)=Use sparingly. High in either oxalates or goitrogens and may be toxic in accumulated quantities over a period of time.

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Fruit List:
Please refer to the Diet FAQ for detailed info on proper quantities and combinations to feed for a well-ballanced diet.

Apple (remove stem and seeds)
Blueberries
Melon
Orange (including peel)
Papaya
Peach
Pear
Pineapple
Plums
Raspberries
Strawberries

Sugary fruits such as bananas and grapes should be used only sparingly, as occasional treats. Bunnies have a sweet tooth and if left to their own devices will devour sugary foods to the exclusion of healthful ones.

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Toxic Plant List
http://www.adoptarabbit.com/articles/toxic.html

Toxic Plant List


A
Agave (leaves)
Almond
Aloe
Amaryllis (bulbs)
Andromeda
Anemone
Angel's Trumpet
Apple (seeds)
Apricot (all parts except fruit)
Asian Lilly
Asparagus Fern
Australian Nut
Autumn Crocus
Avacado (leaves)
Azalea (leaves)

B
Balsam pear (seeds, outer rind of fruit)
Baneberry (berries, roots)
Barbados Lilly
Begonia
Betel-nut Palm
Bird of Paradise (seeds)
Bitter Cherry (seeds)
Bittersweet (American & European)
Black Nightshade
Black Walnut (hulls)
Bloodroot
Bluebonnet
Boston Ivy
Buddhist Pine
Busy Lizzie
Buttercup (leaves)
Black Locust (seeds,bark, sprouts, foliage)
Blue-green algae (some forms toxic)
Bloodroot
Boxwood (leaves,twigs)
Bracken fern
Branching Ivy
Buckeye (seeds)
Buckthorn (berries, fruit, bark)
Bull Nettle
Buttercup (sap, bulbs)

C
Cactus Thorn
Caladium
Calendula
Calico Bush
Calla Lilly (rhizome, leaves)
Caladiur (leaves)
Carnation
Carolina Jessamine
Castor Bean (seed, leaves - castor oil)
Celastrus
Ceriman
Chalice vine (all parts)
Cherry tree (bark, twig, leaves, pits)
China Doll
Chinaberry tree
Chinese Bellflower
Chinese Lantern
Chinese Evergreen
Choke Cherry (seeds)
Christmas Candle (sap)
Christmas Rose
Chrysanthemum
Cineraria
Clematis
Climbing Nightshade
Coffee Bean
Cone Flower
Coral plant (seeds)
Cordatum
Corn Plant
Cowbane
Cowslip
Crown of Thorns
Cuban Laurel
Cuckoopint (all parts)
Cutleaf Philodendron
Cycads
Cyclamen

D
Daffodil (bulbs)
Daisy
Daphne (berries, bark)
Datura (berries)
Day Lily
Deadly Amanita (all parts)
Deadly Nightshade
Death Camas (all parts)
Delphinium (all parts)
Devil's Ivy
Dieffenbachia (leaves)
Dogbane
Dracaena
Dumb Cane
Dutchman's Breeches

E
Easter Lilly
Eggplant (all but fruit)
Elderberry (unripe berries, roots, stems)
Elephant Ear (leaves, stem)
Emerald Feather
English Laurel
English Ivy (berries, leaves)
Eucalyptus

F
False Hellebore
False Henbane (all parts)
False Parsley
Fiddle Leaf
Fig
Fireweed
Flamingo Plant
Florida Beauty
Flowering Maple
Flowering Tobacco
Foxglove (leaves, seeds)

G
Garden Sorrel
Geranium
German Ivy
Ghostweed (all parts)
Giant Touch-me-not
Glacier Ivy
Gladiola
Glory Lilly
Gold Dust
Golden Chain (all parts)
Golden Pothos
Green Gold

H
Hahn's Ivy
Hart Ivy
Hawaiian Ti
Heartleaf Philodendron
Heavenly Bamboo
Hemlock, Poison (all parts)
Hemlock, Water (all parts)
Henbane (seeds)
Hogwart
Holly (berries)
Horse Chestnut (nuts, twigs)
Horsehead Philodendron
Horsetail Reed
Hurricane Plant
Hyacinth (bulbs)
Hydrangea

I
Impatiens
Indian Hemp
Indian Rubber
Indian Turnip (all parts)
Indigo
Inkberry Iris (bulbs)
Ivy, Boston & English (berries, leaves)

J
Jack-in-the-Pulpit (all parts)
Japanese Euonymus
Japanese Show Lily
Japanese Yew
Jasmine
Java Bean (uncooked bean)
Jerusalem Cherry (berries)
Jessamine
Jimson Weed (leaves, seeds)
Johnson Grass
Jonquil
Juniper (needles, stems, berries)

L
Laburnum (all parts)
Lace Fern
Lacy Tree Philodendron
Lady Slipper
Lantana (immature berries)
Larkspur (all parts)
Laurel (all parts)
Laurel Cherry
Lily of the Valley (all parts)
Lima Bean (uncooked bean)
Lobelia (all parts)
Locoweed (all parts)
Lords and Ladies (all parts)
Lupine

M
Macadamia Nut
Madagascar Dragon Tree
Manchineel Tree
Marbel Queen
Marijuana (leaves)
Marsh Marigold
Mauna Loa Peace Lily
Mayapple (all parts except fruit)
Meadow Saffron
Medicine Plant
Mesquite
Mexican Breadfruit
Mescal Bean (seeds)
Milk Bush
Milkweed
Mistletoe (berries)
Mock Orange (fruit)
Monkshood (leaves, roots)
Moonflower
Morning Glory (all parts)
Mother-in-law
Mountain Laurel
Mushrooms (some)
Mustard (root)

N
Nandina
Narcissus (bulbs)
Needlepoint Ivy
Nephtytis
Nicotiana
Nightshades (berries, leaves)
Nutmeg

O
Oak (acorns, foliage)
Oleander (leaves, branches, nectar)
Oxalis

P
Panda
Parlor Ivy
Parsnip
Patience Plant
Peace Lily
Peach (leaves, twigs, seeds)
Pear (seeds)
Pencil Cactus
Peony
Periwinkle
Peyote
Philodendron (leaves, stem)
Plum (seeds)
Plumosa Fern
Poinsettia (leaves, flowers)
Poison Hemlock
Poison Ivy
Poison Oak
Poison sumac
Pokeweed
Poppy
Potato (eyes & new shoots, green parts)
Precatory Bean
Primrose
Primula
Privet (all parts)
Purple Thornapple

Q
Queensland Nut

R
Ranunculus
Red Emerald
Red Lily
Red Princess
Rhododendron (all parts)
Rhubarb (leaves)
Ribbon Plant
Ripple Ivy
Rosary Pea (seeds)
Rubrum Lily

S
Sago Palm
Schefflera
Self-branching Ivy
Sennabean
Shamrock Plant
Silver Pothos
Skunk Cabbage (all parts)
Snake Palm
Snowdrop (all parts)
Snow-on-the-Mountain (all parts)
Solomon's Seal
Spindleberry
Split Leaf Philodendron
Star of Bethlehem
Stinkweed
String of Pearls
Sweet Pea (seeds and fruit)
Sweet Potato
Sweetheart Ivy
Swiss Cheese Plant

T
Tansy
Taro Vine
Thornapple
Tiger Lily
Toadstools
Tobacco (leaves)
Tomato (leaves, vines)
Tree Philodendron
Tulip (bulb)

U
Umbrella Plant

V
Vinca Violet (seeds)
Virginia Creeper (berries, sap)

W
Walnuts (hulls, green shells)
Water Hemlock
Weeping Fig
Western Lily
Wild Carrots
Wild Cucumber
Wild Parsnip
Wild Peas
Wisteria (all parts)
Wood Lily
Wood-rose

Y
Yam Bean (roots, immature pods)
Yellow Jasmine
Yew (needles, seeds, berries)
Yucca