Rabbits eating carrots is a pretty iconic image but in reality, rabbits should eat a variety of fresh vegetables.
Feeding your rabbit celery means giving them a tasty treat that packs a ton of needed nutrients.
Can Rabbits eat celery?
Rabbits can eat celery; in fact, it is a delicious snack and part of a balanced diet. In addition to grass or hay, rabbits also need access to fresh produce, such as leafy vegetables or root vegetables. Celery actually fits both of these categories.
Celery leaves have lots of nutrients and the crunchy texture of celery sticks is perfect to help rabbits naturally grind their teeth. Just avoid feeding your rabbit too much celery.
Remember that rabbits need plenty of hay, and other food sources should not be substituted for this mainstay.
Below is a short video about some safe foods for rabbits:
Provide a wide variety of vegetables to your rabbit, including celery, so that he will receive as many nutrients as possible.
Do rabbits naturally eat celery?
In the wild, rabbits do not eat celery. They also don’t eat carrots, despite our most basic understanding of these animals.
Rabbits eat a lot of grass which is why grass or hay should be a large part of your pet rabbit’s diet.
However, just because rabbits don’t eat celery in the wild, doesn’t mean it can’t be a part of your domesticated rabbit’s source of nutrients.
In fact, it’s better to choose celery over the iconic carrots. This is because carrots are quite high in sugar whereas celery is not.
Too much sugar, even naturally occurring, can lead to health complications with your rabbit.
Is celery safe for rabbits?
Yes, celery is safe for rabbits. It has a lot of nutrients in it including Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and fiber.
While the contents of celery don’t pose any risk to rabbits, the construction of the plant can.
Celery has long, thin fibers that can pose a bit of a health risk to rabbits.
If eaten whole, these long fibers can get stuck in between teeth or even in the throat, quickly becoming a choking hazard.
To remove this hazard, cut your celery stick into small, bite-sized pieces. ½ an inch to 1 inch in length is recommended, depending on how large your rabbit is.
**Where does your rabbit sleep? Find out if rabbits really need beddings!**
How Much Celery Should I Feed My Rabbits?
At least 75% of your rabbit’s diet should consist of hay. Nutrient-rich pellets and leafy vegetables should make up the rest of your rabbit’s diet.
You can include celery leaves in your rabbit’s diet as well as celery sticks. However, you should only feed ½ of a celery stick to your rabbit per day.
Too much celery means your rabbit is eating less hay, which is important for their digestive system.
Benefits of Celery for Rabbits
Rabbit teeth keep on growing. Therefore, rabbits need access to hard objects to gnaw on, in order to naturally file down their teeth.
The natural, dense texture of celery is perfect for rabbits to file down their teeth.
However, stick to the recommended daily intake of celery to keep your rabbit healthy.
Other benefits of celery include a rich mixture of vitamins and minerals.
Celery is rich in Vitamin K which helps with bone metabolism. It is also rich in Vitamin C which protects cells, and Vitamin A which is important for vision.
Another important vitamin found in celery is folate, also known as folic acid.
It helps produce new cells and can actually prevent the development of some cancers.
Effects of feeding your rabbit too much celery
Overall, too much celery won’t lead to adverse effects. However, if your rabbit is eating more than the recommendation of just ½ a stock per day, then it means he isn’t eating as much hay.
Hay should make up at least 75% of your rabbit’s diet. If other foods are given to your rabbit, then that will decrease this important food staple.
Stomach-related issues with too much celery may include loose stools or even diarrhea.
If this happens, ease up on the celery for a few days and provide your rabbit with plenty of fresh, clean hay as well as plenty of clean water.
The digestive systems of rabbits can be quite sensitive so if you plan on giving you rabbit celery for the first time, introduce it slowly with just a few nibbles at a time.
Precautions for feeding rabbits celery
The biggest thing to remember when feeding celery to your rabbit is to cut it into small pieces.
Depending on the size of your rabbit, aim for ½ and inch to 1 inch in size pieces.
This way the long fibers of the celery are cut up and there is no risk of choking.
Also, remember to just feed your rabbit a small amount of celery per day.
Rabbits need continuous access to fresh hay and too many interesting foods can get in the way of their daily intake of hay.
Introduce celery slowly to your rabbit and let it explore the new taste and texture. Never force your rabbit to eat something they don’t want to.
Furthermore, check your rabbit to make sure they have a positive reaction to the celery.
If its stool is loose or your rabbit’s behavior changes, stop with the celery and monitor your rabbit to ensure it is as healthy as possible.
Related Article: Caring for Newborn Baby Rabbits, the special care and attention they need!
Related Questions
What part of celery can rabbits eat?
While rabbits can technically eat all parts of celery, the best parts for them are the leaves.
These pose no choking hazard and also don’t have the long fibers that celery sticks have.
If you do want to feed your rabbit a celery stick, make sure it eats no more than half a stick per day.
Also, cut the celery into ½ inch pieces to eliminate any choking hazards.
Conclusion
Most rabbits love celery.
They love to munch on the crunchy vegetable and it’s a tasty treat that will help naturally keep your rabbit’s teeth filed while also providing a rich mix of needed vitamins.
Just be sure to stick to the recommended serving size of ½ a celery stick per day.