As we know, a hungry rabbit will eat anything green and leafy. These bunnies like to feed on young and tender plants. They might wreak havoc on your flower gardens, but it’s a mystery how they remain adorable in the aftermath.
Although they might munch on your dandelions and other plants, how can you say no to your lovable bunny?
If you have dandelions at home, it is 100% much better than other plants in your garden. It contains all the nutrients your furry friend needs for faster growth and development.
Dandelions at home have two purposes, either it serves as a rabbit food or just a source of positivity around the house.
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Do Rabbits Eat Dandelions?
Can bunnies eat dandelions? Yes, and in fact, rabbits love eating dandelions. These flowers are safe for your bunny to eat. Surprisingly, a dandelion is full of fiber that is essential for the rabbit diet.
It helps the rabbit to achieve a normal consistent function of the pet’s digestive system. Aside from this, it is proven to be more nutritious that contains beta carotene than carrots, more calcium than, and more spinach potassium than bananas.
Dandelions have vitamins K, A, B-1, B-2, B-5, B-6, B-12, C, E, and D. Inositol, biotin, zinc, magnesium, and phosphorus are present in the plant as well. This will enable them to improve their health and prevent issues like rabbit hairlessness and others.
Appealing Snacks For Bunnies
Dandelions are one of the favorite foods of rabbits, like tomatoes and green leafy plants. The nutrition brought by these plants works for the benefit of their digestion and respiratory health. The vet recommended dandelions as they can reduce stress and prevent osteoporosis.
The good thing about these dandelions is all the parts of these plant is not poisonous. Anything that you find with serrated leaves growing in a rosette pattern will be edible.
Some rabbits are sensitive that they do not like dandelions, and they get diarrhea whenever they eat it. However, this situation is rare because their love for dandelions is beyond immeasurable.
Dandelions are beautiful yellow-orange plants and form rosettes of leaves. They are from the Asteraceae family native from Eurasia and later introduced to Australia, North America, New Zealand, South America, India, New Zealand.
You can typically find them a niche in nature and the backyard gardens. They are one of the first plants to bloom in spring. Aside from their undeniable beauty, these dandelions have many uses.
Facts About Dandelions
Dandelion is not a typical plant. It is powerful and historic. Besides feeding it to the rabbits, Asian Cuisines used dandelions as part of the ingredients in sandwiches and salads.
It is not a secret anymore that Dandelions are well-known across the world. It is the only flower with three celestial bodies during the different stages of its life cycle.
The yellow-orange flower of the plant symbolizes the sun. The seeds of the plant resemble stars, and the puffball of the dandelion plant is the moon.
The dandelion flower opens at sunrise and closes at night. They have mini flowers called ray florets. Aside from the nutritional benefits of dandelions, did you know that it is also for folk medicine? Yes, it can treat infections and liver disorders. You can make a dandelion tea that is functional for the excretion of urine.
While roses or sunflowers are a kind of mainstream flowers in the garden, dandelions are better than them. It increases the content of minerals and nitrogen.
It also improves the soil quality. Each part of the dandelion is useful from roots to leaves and flowers as these parts can be used for dying of medicines and foods. This plant can grow up to 10 inches long. Now, that’s so much information about dandelions. Let’s go to the main topic!
Can Dandelions Kill Rabbits?
Will eating dandelions harm your bunnies? Dandelions are one of the healthiest snacks for your rabbits, and the answer is no. Therefore, it is safe for rabbits. They are naturally nutritious, and it is a cure for some diseases. It helps purify the blood, treats bladder infections and diarrhea, and aid for respiratory ailments. These three cases are a few of many benefits of dandelions to your rabbit.
You can feed your rabbit the whole dandelion, flowers, leaves, and roots. It can prevent constipation and diarrhea that we know are both disturbing health problems for a rabbit. It plays a vital role in the hepatic system as the leaves strengthen the teeth. It is an abundant source of potassium.
Thus, it is safe to give your pet some fresh dandelions as much as you could. Avoid wilted dandelions as they can cause a bloated stomach to your rabbit.
Choose the fresh one because bunnies tend to leave the dandelion for a few hours before they finish it. So, do not try to give them wilted dandelions for their safety.
These plants are the best recovery food for rabbits. You can see the improvement in just 2-3 days. That is how fast and effective they are.
Which Flowers Will Rabbits Not Eat?
Before bringing a rabbit home, you must know that these bunnies are herbivores. They can eat your plants in the garden. If you have a bunch of plants, you need to accept the consequence of having a rabbit.
It might serve as their meal, and the next time you step into your garden, your plants disappear. But somehow, bunnies are picky eaters too. They have a list of plants that they will never eat.
Rabbits do not eat Cleome’s prickly stems because of its strong scent. Ageratum is another plant they hate. Its fuzzy texture and fringed blooms are one of the turn-offs of a bunny in plants.
Your bunnies also hate geranium’s pungent smell, and they find snapdragon unappetizing. Portions of it are toxic to these furry creatures, and if you have these plants in your garden, better remove or cut them as these rabbits would feel uncomfortable around this plant.
Is It Safe For Bunnies To Eat Grass?
At first, it is surprising to know that rabbits eat grass. Is it okay to let feed this to your pets? Yes, it is perfectly fine for these furry pets to munch on the
But why do they enjoy eating this type of grass? When your rabbits start to roam around the garden and found grass, they will surely get those and have a blast eating the grass.
It is just a sign that they are engaging with their instincts. A wild rabbit hunts food to survive, and domesticated bunnies are no different from them. They find it a fun activity to do every single day.
The grass is tough to chew, and rabbits enjoy the challenge of chewing it. Their teeth continuously grow, and constant chewing is necessary to keep their teeth busy. Unfortunately, these furry creatures will not enjoy eating other grass.
They only have a specific type of grass that will satisfy their craving. These are the Dandelion, Chickweed, Nettle, Plantain, Blackberry or Bramble leaves, and Clovers. They are an excellent addition to their diet.
You can only pick grass from areas that are free from pollutions and pesticides. Also, you have to make sure that these grass are fresh and not fouled by other animals.
Signs That A Rabbit Ate Toxic Weeds
Did you know that rabbits are not capable of regurgitating or vomiting? It can be bad news for your bunny when they eat something inappropriate. Their bodies will not be able to get rid of the poison. So, you have to be careful and check the foods before giving them to your rabbit.
Not all grass is essential for your rabbit’s nutritional diet. It would be dangerous for your furry friend when exposed to those grass. A mild to severe symptom may result due to poisonous grass. Sometimes, the signs may not be visible, and this is dangerous to your rabbit.
You are not aware that your rabbit is experiencing toxic exposure, and you cannot do anything about it.
The symptoms depend on how long the poison has been present in your rabbit’s system. Your rabbit may have abdominal tenderness, depression, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, and low body temperature. These were the common earliest symptoms when they got poisoned.
You can also notice their hunched posture, weakness, irregular heartbeat, and lack of appetite for food or water.
Fortunately, this condition is curable when you notice it early and immediately consult a vet the next day. As we said, rabbits can be asymptomatic (shows no symptoms). If it gets worst, your rabbit may die.
Your Bunnies In The Garden
Rabbits are timid creatures. They prefer to hide in an area where they can quickly escape when they feel sudden fright from their surroundings.
You can find them eating on the corners of your garden, and you will never see them having a feast in the center of your house or in an area where there are many people.
For the sake of your bunny and also for the plants in your garden, provide a hiding place like stone piles, brush piles, and areas of tall grass. They might prefer to eat in a hiding place than in your garden.
Final Thoughts
Rabbits are for everyone. However, supervision is required because they are fragile and children are mischievous. They can unintentionally harm the rabbits by squeezing too tightly or dropping them. Handle the rabbits appropriately to avoid bites and scratches.
Treating them special will develop a positive relationship with their owner. Unlike other sensitive animals, rabbits should be regularly handled while they are still young. Hold them on your lap to let them feel secure and comfortable.
The rabbit (as a swift prey animal) is also known for its speed, agility, and endurance, symbolized (for example) by the marketing icons the Energizer Bunny and the Duracell Bunny.
Aside from the full nutritional content that dandelions possess, a rabbit’s diet should consist of unlimited access to grass or plants.
If the rabbits are kept inside the house most of the time and do not have grass to eat, you can use grass hay as an alternative fiber source. Two cups of fresh green vegetables should be in their daily diet too.
Hezekiah is a pet lover since birth, according to his parents. He started writing for the Pets Checklist in 2020. He is fond of playing with and taking pictures of different friendly animals around his neighborhood. He loves to read and write articles about pets, science, and music.
