Safe Veggies for Bunny with Sensitive GI System

[BakingBunny]

Hello, I was wondering if endives and kale is a good idea to add to my bunnies diet.

[DanaNM]

Yes, definitely! Endive (and the closely related frisee and chicory) is a great staple veggie because it isn’t high in calcium or oxalates. My bunnies love it.

Kale is very nutritious and high fiber, but is higher calcium, so I feed it in a rotation and usually don’t have it make up more than 1/3 of the day’s salad. It’s also a brassica, so occasionally bunnies get gassy from it, but most do great with it.

With any new veggie, introduce a small amount first to make sure it agrees with them, and don’t add more than 1 new food per week.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[BakingBunny]

Okay thank you! I just wanted to make sure because there are so many “yes” and “no” answers online. Thanks for the detailed information!

[ParsleyBun]

I wanted to say, if your rabbit is sensitive, don’t give them collards, bc from my experience they can be pretty gassy and cause looser stools. Don’t feed cabbage either, bunnies shouldn’t have that whether they are sensitive or not, bc it is really gassy.

I hope your bunny stays well! 🙂

[BakingBunny]

Yeah, she’s been having up and down GI problems and my vet told me yesterday to introduce some endive and kale because they could give her some extra fiber. But, I’m worried about it making her gas worse.

[DanaNM]

It’s true that some rabbits are very sensitive to things, so just trying a little at a time is a good way to test out what agrees with your bun. I remember some member’s bun would have issues if he ate a single browned mint leaf! If I remember correctly, your bun had more of an issue with fruit and treats?

If your bun is prone to gas, then I would start slow with kale, as it does fall in the cabbage family. Collards, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, arugula, and bok choy are actually all in the same Genus, so they are very closely related! Of those, bok choy and arugula seem very well tolerated by buns. I love giving my buns bok choy as a staple veg. Kale usually is too, while collards, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower can tend to cause more issues with gas.

Endive and chicory are awesome (and have a good shelf life in the fridge), so def worth trying!

If you find your bun is having issues with many veggies, you can try feeding dried greens. Many buns with sensitive tummy do better with dried greens, so you can either purchase dried veg (such as dandelion), or dry things yourself so you can give your bun more variety.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[BakingBunny]

Yes, I cut out any treats with the exception of her digestive biscuit from oxbow. But she went back down 3 days ago. I took her to the vet yesterday and he suggested to introduce those veggies to her. I wouldn’t be able to give her dry veggies because she is refusing to drink and her wet veggies are one of the only sources of water I’m able to get into her along with critical care. I’m also going to try to switch from 2nd cut Timothy hay to 1st cut.

[DanaNM]

Oh gotcha! There are also a variety of herbs that can have various medicinal properties. They are also fragrant which can tempt a bun to eat.

I do think when a bun is completely refusing to eat, offering different veggies is a good strategy, even if the bun hasn’t had them before. Cilantro and green carrot tops are also really good ones, and my go-to when I have a sick bunny. Most rabbits LOVE carrot tops and they are very healthy for them. Sometimes you can get them for free at the grocery store when they cut them off the bunches of carrots for other customers.

Fennel and mint are also really good ones for bunnies with tummy issues. My buns are divided on mint (some like it, some dont), but they all love fennel.

http://www.disabledrabbits.com/herbs.html

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Bunbun♡]

What about low calcium? And gi sensitive.

[DanaNM]

Endive and cilantro are low calcium options. 🙂

Romaine lettuce is also good and usually well-tolerated.

Here’s a chart from an older article about rabbit nutrition with calcium content of various foods (most of the super low calcium things are fruits):

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

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