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Can Rabbits Eat Arugula Or Rocket?
Can Rabbits Eat Arugula?YES. Arugula is safe leafy green for rabbits. Arugula is commonly called rocket leaves. There is no toxic part in the Arugula plant. Rabbits can eat Argula leaves. stems and even flowers of arugula. We can feed them a small amount in moderation without any health issues. These arugulas contain essential vitamins like Vitamin C, K, A, Calcium, and many other essential minerals for rabbits. Due to the high calcium content, we can’t overfeed arugula for rabbits. Overfeed arugula can lead to many health issues like stomach troubles and kidney stones. Feeding the Right amount of arugula or rocket in moderation will not harm your rabbits
Most people are not familiar with this Arugula plant. But these leafy greens are available in supper markets most of the time. This Arugula is safe green for rabbits if you intended to buy it in the supermarket. But we can’t provide a full diet with Arugula.
Rabbits’ major food source must be fresh quality hay and grass. They take almost all the nutrition from hay supplies. We can serve a small number of leafy green herbs in their daily diet as other nutritious foods. Arugula can provide extra nutrition to your rabbits as a part of a balanced diet. This article covers all the health benefits, nutrition facts, overfeeding health issues & many more things that you should know before feeding Arugula or Rocket to your rabbits.
Let’s start without any delay!!!
Extra Information About Arugula
Arugula is generally categorized as Brassicaceae or mustard family. This plant only grows 20-80 centimeters in height. These Arugula plants are also called Rockets, Rucola, roquette, and many other names. The arugula plant is popular among people as a peppery salad green. This plant is native t the Mediterranean for medical purposes. Arugula p[lat have deeply lobed falt leaves. Leaves are harvested when they grow around 50 cm long. Arugula Leaves taste like sweet, peppery taste with a tender texture.
Arugula is an excellent source of vitamin A to maintain healthy organ functioning and vitamin C to strengthen the immune system while reducing inflammation. The peppery greens also provide calcium to protect bones and teeth and lower amounts of folate, iron, vitamin K, copper, zinc, and magnesium.
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Arugula is also known as a good herbal plant. Because of the Nutty and peppery flavor, they use for many cooked applications like salads. Arugula is rich in antioxidants to protect against damaging cells, cancers. Arugula popular herb for inflammation.
According to the USDA United States Department of Agriculture, 100g of Arugula has these nutrients.
| Energy | 105 kJ |
| Carbohydrates | 3.6 g |
| Sugars | 2.0 g |
| Dietary fiber | 1.6 g |
| Protein | 2.6 g |
| Water | 91.7 g |
Vitamins and Minerals of Raw Arugula
| Vitamin A | 2373 IU |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.073 mg |
| Folate (B9) | 97 μg |
| Vitamin C | 15 mg |
| Vitamin E | 0.43 mg |
| Vitamin K | 108.6 μg |
| Phosphorus | 52 mg |
| Potassium | 369 mg |
Do Rabbits Like To Eat Arugula
It can change from time to time. Some rabbits will like to eat fresh Arugula or Rocket leaves. Most of the time rabbits don’t like to eat mint because of its strong smell and peppy flavor. First, you can offer them a few Mints to check whether they like it or not.
If your rabbits don’t like to eat Arugula, it’s ok & it’s normal. Some rabbits don’t like the flavor of Arugula.
Tip: When you introduce new food to rabbits, always give a small portion of it to the rabbit’s daily diet. Make sure to introduce one new food type at a time. These things apply to any type of food. Rabbits’ health is in your hands.
Is Arugula Good For Rabbits?
Yes, it is safe for rabbits. Arugula is a good source of food for rabbits. These Leafy greens are high in vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin B complex, dietary fiber, folate, potassium, calcium, copper, zinc, phosphorus, thiamine, manganese, etc. Arugula has good essential nutrition for rabbits’ healthy growth. But you should offer only a small amount in your rabbit’s daily diet. Overfeeding them can lead to health issues like diarrhea or loose stools. The high calcium content and phosphorus can lead to kindy stones and increase the risk of bladder sludge. Make sure to provide fresh Argulars in small amounts in moderation.
We must only feed fresh raw Arugula to rabbits. If you bring Arugula from the market wash them thoroughly before feeding them to your rabbits. (Remove wax and pesticides). We can Provide Arugula by mixing other leafy greens like Kale, Basil, Bok Choy, spring greens, mint, and other good leafy greens.
Also, keep in mind that only mix low oxalic acid leafy greens one at a time to your rabbits die. Arugula is one of the high Oxaclic acid greens. Don’t mix Arugula with other oxalic greens like Parsley, Radishes, Spinach, beet greens, and so on. High oxalic acid can increase the chance of urinary calcium kidney stones.
Rabbits’ main food source should be hay. We should prioritize hay in the regular diet plan. Overall nutrition can be covered by hay. Unlike humans, fiber is essential for rabbits. It can prevent bad bacteria from forming in the intestines. Some of the bacteria can lead to critical health issues in rabbits. This is why we should give priority to hay. But rabbits can’t live eating hay all day long. We must add veggies and fruits to their daily diet. Arugulas is one of the good leafy greens we can provide to rabbits in moderation.
How Often Should We Feed Arugula
Arugula is a good vegetable for your rabbit only if we feed them according to a proper guide. A small right amount of Arugula can provide good health benefits for rabbits. Overfeeding can cause gastrointestinal distress and lead to many health issues.
We can provide 3 or 2 small Arugula leaves for an adult rabbit. Beter way to provide Arugula is by mixing it with 5-6 other good leafy greens. We can provide 1 cup of chopped leafy green per 2 pounds of your rabbit weight. Provide arugula 2 to 3 times power week, it’s more than enough for an adult rabbit. Always keep the moderation.
Benefits From Arugula For Rabbits
Arugula is good nutritious leafy green herb for humans as well as rabbits. Arugula contains essential nutrients for the growth of rabbits’ health. Arugula is a low calory food that will help rabbits to keep healthy body weight. Arugula contains 90 % of water. These Leafy greens are high in vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin B complex, dietary fiber, folate, potassium, calcium, copper, zinc, phosphorus, thiamine, manganese, etc
Vitamin C helps muscle development in rabbits & it helps to maintain a healthy blood system. Vitamin C act as an antioxidant that helps the bones, skin, and connective tissues. Vitamin C is essential for rabbits, as lack of vitamin C in rabbis can cause scurvy disease. This is a common illness among rabbits.
Arugula is a rich source of Calcium. Calcium can helps blood t clot normally and helps to the healthy growth of bone health, rabbit teeth, and muscle functions. Potassium in Arugula can help to maintain heart functions and reduce high blood pressure.
Arugula is a fine source of Vitamin K. It will help with blood coagulation. Arugula increases the efficiency of the immune systems in rabbits and provides vitamin E. Vitamin E also acts as an antioxidant in the rabbit’s body. Fiber helps to increase the efficiency of the digestive systems of rabbits. Vitamin A can help to support immune functions and provide good nit vision and protect eye health.
Proper Guide To Feed Arugula For Rabbits
As we know now, Arugula is good, natural food for rabbits. But there is a guide you must follow before feeding Cabbage. Let us check it out.
Before introducing Cabbage to rabbits for the first time, you need to start up with small portions. Keep monitoring them 24 hrs & check whether they show some illness such as diarrhea, lethargy, constipation, and loss of appetite. If they do not show any kind of illness, you can increase the amount slightly to your rabbit. Don’t try to introduce many kinds of foods at the same time & try to give the same food until they are fully adapted to eat. Keep in mind to introduce a small portion of the new food with other regular foods (daily diet). Follow up the rules for better rabbit health.
Preparing Arugula for rabbits:
- Purchase good quality fresh Arugulafor rabbits. Try to find organic Arugula, they are much better for rabbits’ health.
- Carefully wash them to remove any chemicals or wax that could be harmful to the rabbit’s health.
- Cut them into small-sized pieces, when introducing for the first time. (You can also provide Arugula leaves to your adult rabbit)
- You can also mix with other good 5- 6 leafy green(Kale, Basil, Bok Choy, spring greens, mint) with Arugula.
- Always provide water for them.
Don’t try to overfeed them. Do not feed Arugula for baby rabbits less than 12 weeks of age. Moderation is the key to rabbits’ health.
Health Risks of Arugula for Rabbits
Most of the Arugula in the market are applied with pesticides. These chemicals are harmful to rabbits. They can lead to serious health problems in rabbits. Wash it thoroughly before feeding to rabbits.
We must safely provide the recommended amount of Arugula to rabbits. Overfeeding high calcium foods like Arugula can lead to the risk of Bladder slide and kidney stones. And we must keep the oxalic acid green for a limited amount.
Arugula contains more than 90g of water in 100g of raw Arugula. Overfeeding them can lead to critical issues like diarrhea. Do not feed Arugula for baby rabbits less than 12 weeks of age. They have a more sensitive gastrointestinal system.
Other Good Foods You Can Provide To Rabbits
A rabbit’s diet should mainly be covered with quality hay and grass. In addition, we can provide a small portion of vegetables and fruits. We recommend giving two cups of fresh vegetables to adult rabbits daily.
- Bell peppers
- Bok choy
- Brussels sprouts
- Basil
- Cilantro
- Endive
- Green leaf
- Red leaf
- Parsley
- Fennel
Fresh fruits should be served one or two times per week as a treat.
- Grapes
- Banana
- Berries
- Melon
- Peach
- Pear
- Plum
- Watermelon
- Papaya
- Pineapple
- Orange
Best Common Healthy Diet To Feed Your Rabbit
We need to make a good meal plan for rabbits. We need to provide them with good quality foods. Before feeding rabbits with new food, check whether it’s good for rabbits. As a good rabbit owner, check whether you cover all the guidelines mentioned below. It’s a general food guide for rabbits.
- Good Quality Grass Hay -I recommend Timothy hay as the most popular/good, all-around unlimited offer to your rabbits. Orchardgrass, meadow fescues are also good for rabbits. Hay is the main food supply. Hay will help your rabbits to stay healthy and strong and maintain a healthy digestive system.
- Fresh Water – Ensure rabbits can have clean, freshwater 24/7. Water bows are most commonly used to supply water for rabbits.
- Provide Good Quality Leafy Greens – Provide them with 5-6 varieties of safe washed green vegetables, weeds, herbs daily (arugula, basil, kale, cabbage, etc.). Try to introduce new greens in small portions.
- Treats & Fresh Fruits – For the safety of rabbits, only provide 1 -2 tablespoons per day. Feed carrots, apples, blueberries, etc.
- Provide Good Quality Pellets – It is good to have a small number of healthy pellets daily. There are too many products out there, keep it in your mind to supply quality and healthy foods for rabbits
(source -.https://www.rspca.org.uk/)
Summery
As you know Now Arugula is one of the safe leafy greens we can provide to rabbits in moderation. Arugula contains good essential vitamins and minerals for rabbits’ healthy growth. Overfeeding them can lead to health issues like diarrhea or loose stools. Due to the high calcium content and phosphorus can lead to kindy stones and increase the risk of bladder sludge. Providing the right recommended amount will not harm your rabbit’s health.
Make sure to provide fresh Argulars small amount in moderation. We can Provide Arugula by mixing other leafy greens like Kale, Basil, Bok Choy, spring greens, mint, and other good leafy greens. Also, keep in mind only mix low oxalic acid leafy greens one at a time to your rabbits die.
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