Can you feed rabbits iceberg lettuce

Want to give your furry friend a treat? Check out our post about cheap toys for bunnies. Sign up to our newsletter:. But is everything in a salad good for rabbits? Many salads contain iceberg lettuce. It adds a bit of crunch to the dish. But should you feed iceberg lettuce to your bunnies? Is iceberg lettuce rabbit food? Can rabbits eat iceberg lettuce? What is the nutritional value of iceberg lettuce? Ingredient Amount per g of iceberg lettuce Calories 12 kcal Fat 0 g Carbohydrate 2.

In other words, iceberg lettuce provides almost nothing that bunnies need except water. Iceberg lettuces are not going to keep your rabbit healthy. What is lactucarium? What is the effect of lactucarium? Peter Rabbit, the Flopsy Bunnies and the effects of lettuce A hundred years ago, lettuce not just iceberg — all lettuce had a reputation for being good for sleep. Image from The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies, edition The flopsy bunnies did stuff flowering lettuces down themselves — which is not a good idea with any food for bunnies except hay.

Should I worry if my rabbit eats some iceberg lettuce? Conclusion Rabbits can eat a few leaves of iceberg lettuce safely. The darker the leaves, the healthier it will be. Do not feed a rabbit iceberg lettuce as it contains excessive amounts of lactucarium, which is toxic for rabbits in high doses. Once or twice a week is more than enough. There are many other fresh, healthier vegetable leaves and tops that rabbits enjoy eating. Rabbits enjoy eating lettuce. Traces of lactucarium will make their way into the lettuce leaves.

It will go into a mild trance, feel relaxed, and likely doze off. While lactucarium is a naturally-occurring substance, it can still be harmful to rabbits if too much is ingested. If consumed to excess, lactucarium can result in stomach upsets and diarrhea, which can be fatal to rabbits. Despite the risk of over-consumption , there are health benefits to feeding your rabbit lettuce. Offer your rabbit darker lettuce leaves. Lettuce is high in calcium. This could lead to a urinary tract infection.

Leaf lettuce is recommended. You can serve your rabbit red or green leaf lettuce. Green leaf lettuce contains more Vitamin K, which is beneficial for active rabbits. Keeping its blood flowing well will optimize energy levels, and distributing calcium will ensure that bones are strong. You can feed red and green lettuce to your rabbit simultaneously. You just need to manage the portion size due to the high calcium content. Romaine lettuce is also referred to as cos lettuce. While not quite as nutritious as leaf lettuce, it is still good for rabbits.

Romaine lettuce should be fed in moderation as it contains more water. While this does not detract from the nutrition, it can cause runny stools. Introduce this lettuce slowly with other crunchy vegetables. Rabbits will enjoy eating romaine lettuce as it has a distinctive crunch. Do not offer a rabbit an entire heart of romaine lettuce.

But what is the truth about this garden green? Because different varieties of lettuce may not be equivalent in their effects, we will also be answering what the best types of lettuce to feed your rabbit are. Varieties like Iceberg lettuce are made almost completely of water and have little to no nutritional value. Darker and leafier lettuces, on the other hand, are loaded with vitamins and minerals.

This makes varieties like red lettuce a much better choice to feed your rabbit. The controversial aspect of feeding lettuce to your rabbit is based on lactucarium , a chemical compound found mostly in wild lettuces that can induce hallucinations in large doses. While iceberg lettuce may have little to nothing to offer in the way of nutrients, darker varieties like red leaf lettuce and romaine lettuce have significant health benefits for rabbits as a result of their Vitamin A and Vitamin K.

The jury is still out on whether lettuce can have any genuine psychoactive effects for rabbits. However, it is readily known that the watery varieties of lettuce such as iceberg can routinely lead to diarrhea problems for rabbits. Rabbits most definitely can eat romaine lettuce! Alongside red leaf lettuce, it is one of the healthiest varieties of lettuce that you can choose for your rabbit.