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Rabbits love to have plant-based foods in their diets such as vegetables and fruits and don’t eat meat because they are herbivorous.
They want variety in their diet so it becomes difficult for you to decide which new fruit or vegetable to introduce in their diet daily, which not only good in taste but keep them healthy as well.
In this guide, we’ll be discussing celery, a specific type of vegetable, and its benefits and cons for rabbits.
Can Rabbits Eat Celery?
Have you heard about celery before? … No? No problem, here I tell you.
Celery is a type of vegetable from the family Apiaceae, which also includes parsley and carrots. Both its leaves and fibrous stalk can be eaten by both humans and rabbits.
In fact, most bunnies love the taste of celery because it has a rich, savory taste and is full of water and nutrition.
So, it’s safe to add celery in a rabbit’s diet, but in small amounts to avoid any complications because it’s natural anything fed in excessive amounts can upset stomach or cause health problems.
Health Benefits of Celery for Rabbits
Celery makes a great snack for your rabbit’s diet not just because it has a good savory taste but also because it comes with some great health benefits.
This vegetable is loaded with nutrients such as vitamin A, C, iron, fiber as well as potassium, calcium and folic acid.
However, if you’re feeding them celery, you’re providing them all the necessary nutrients which help them stay healthy and active.
It’s hard and crunchy texture is also great for the dental health of your rabbit. As you probably may already know, rabbit’s teeth never stop growing.
This can be very dangerous and painful for your rabbit if left unchecked.
To help your rabbit wear down his teeth, celery would be a great option to add in their diet as its hard and crunchy texture makes it difficult to chew and so helps keep your rabbit’s teeth in check.
When Can It Be Bad For Rabbits?
While celery is absolutely safe for rabbits, there are some health risks associated with it.
Celery strings are one of the most dangerous things, which can get stuck in your rabbit’s teeth and can cause infection.
They can also get stuck in their stomach and can lead to blockages.
However, it is recommended to cut the celery up into small pieces, and then feed these nice and small pieces to your rabbit so that they can’t hurt your rabbit.
Celery is full of water content, if you feed your rabbit with celery too often or in large amounts, then it can cause digestive problems such as diarrhea.
Celery contains oxalates not as much as other vegetables, but some. Too much intake of something which contains oxalates can lead to kidney problems.
How Much Celery Should I Feed My Rabbits?
Rabbits love to gnaw on different vegetables such as celery and kale.
Although, celery is safe for rabbits a good way is to start them off with a small amount.
The amount of celery can then be gradually increased over a few days if your rabbit does not show up any signs of stomach problems such as diarrhea.
If it shows signs of digestive system problems then stop feeding them with it or reduce the amount.
Also, it is highly recommended to cut the celery up into small pieces, as a general guide these pieces can be one-inch long.
This is good to prevent fiber-like strands from getting caught in your rabbit’s teeth.
How to Prepare Celery for Rabbits?
As long as you’re giving celery in a small amount to your rabbit, it makes a healthy part of your rabbit’s diet.
Although your rabbit’s diet mostly consists of leafy greens and hay, vegetables are important too.
After all, they contain many essential nutrients needed by your rabbit to thrive.
Celery is one of those vegetables. Organic celery that has not been cultivated with pesticides is the best option for your rabbit.
Make sure you wash the celery with clean water before feeding it to your rabbit.
Finally, cut the celery into small pieces, each one-inch long, to avoid any complications for your rabbit.
Can Baby Rabbits Eat Celery?
Baby rabbits drink their mother’s milk up to 6-8 weeks, during that time and up until 12 weeks their digestive system is too sensitive that it can’t metabolize anything in a complex way.
So, they should not be fed celery or any other vegetable or fruit during this period of age.
When they are 8-12 weeks old, they should be fed some solid content such as hay but in a small amount to help build their digestive system.
FAQs
- Can Rabbits Eat Celery Leaves?
Yes, celery leaves are perfectly fine for your rabbit. In fact, leaves are the best part of celery to add in your rabbit’s diet.
Celery leaves have low sugar and water as compared to other parts of celery.
- Can Rabbits Eat Celery Seeds?
No, celery seeds should not be fed to your rabbit.
Seeds are loaded with fat and protein which makes it too healthy or you can say too heavy for your rabbit, and so should be avoided at all costs.
- Can Rabbits Eat Celery Root?
Yes, rabbits can eat celery root. They are completely safe for both rabbits and humans because they do not contain any toxins or compounds that would hurt your rabbit.
- Can Rabbits Eat Celery Every Day?
No, you can’t give celery to your rabbit every day.
Celery contains oxalic acid and too much consumption of oxalates could lead to kidney problems.
Rotate this vegetable with other leafy greens to avoid any complications for your rabbit.
- Can Rabbits Eat Cooked Celery
I suggest don’t feed your rabbit anything cooked.
Whether it is celery or any other vegetable, cooking reduces the amount of nutrients from it, which makes it unhealthy or completely useless to feed your rabbit.
