food rabbits should not eat.

Question
My family has a male giant rex who is six years old.  When we first acquired Hocus Pocus my daughter read a book on rabbit care that listed things your rabbit should not eat.  It said the leaves from some flowers and house plants can be poisonous to a rabbit(e.g.: day lilies, bleeding heart plant, creeping charlie,) and also the seeds from some fruits could damage the stomach and intestine of the rabbit.  We are unable to locate that book and would like to know where we could find a list of foods that could be bad for a rabbit.  thanks for any info.    DAVE

Answer
Hi Dave,

Here are some good list to follow and remember everything in moderation to much can be bad here is a link if I forgot anything bellow there are a lot to remember

http://www.adoptarabbit.com/articles/toxic.html

here is a list of items that you should avoid, as they can make your rabbit sick:



* Acorns
* Almonds
* Apple Seeds
* Apricot Pits
* Asparagus Fern
* Azalea
* Bleeding Heart
* Carnations
* Cherry Pits
* Clematis
* Creeping Charlie
* Daffodil Bulbs
* Daisy
* Eucalyptus
* Gladiola
* Hyacinth Bulbs
* Iceberg Lettuce
* Iris
* Ivy
* Jack-in-the-Pulpit
* Jonquil
* Lily of the Valley
* Milkweed
* mistletoe
* Mustard's
* Nutmeg
* Oak
* Peach Pits
* Pear Seeds
* Peony
* Philodendron
* Plum Pits
* Poinsettia
* Rhododendron
* Rhubarb Leaves
* Skunk Cabbage
* Tomato Leaves
* Tulip Bulbs

Iceberg lettuce is on the list because it has no nutritional value for your rabbit. Rabbits will eat a lot of it. By doing so they will fill up on something that adds no nutritional value.

Can cause gas or are very sugary: do not feed
Green beans
White and red potatoes
Beets
Fresh corn
Fresh peas

Dangerous, contain compounds that destroy nutrients: do not feed
Sweet potato
Cassava
Bamboo shoots
Maize
Lima beans
Millet
Bracken fern
Tea leaves
Coffee plants

Dangerous, contain toxins: do not feed
Rhubarb leaves
Raw lima, kidney or soy beans
Onions  
Citrus peels
Can cause impaction
Whole seeds
Nuts
Grains
Dried corn
Dried peas

Things to watch out for
Carrots and root vegetables are high in sugar and may cause cecal problems or gas in some rabbits.
Celery and rhubarb stalks contain strings that should be removed before feeding. Alternatively, cut the stalks into small pieces.
Iceberg lettuce has a reputation for causing diarrhea in many animal species. I do not recommend iceberg be fed to bunnies. However, many people have reported feeding this to bunnies without a problem.

This is a suggested ok list for bunny's

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

Here are some of the ok fruits

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.

I hope this helps