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Can Rabbits Eat Spinach?
Can Rabbits Eat Spinach? Yes!!. Spinach is a good leafy green for rabbit’s which should be fed in moderation. Spinach provides a pack of health benefits and nutrition for rabbits. Spinach is rich in vitamin A, vitamin B9, vitamin K, iron, calcium, and magnesium, etc. Spinach is a great superfood for both you and your rabbits. But due to high oxalic acid and high calcium, we can’t provide spinach too often to rabbits. Spinach is a great occasional treat for rabbits and it is recommended by veterinarians.
Healthy rabbits need a well-balanced diet with nutrients and vitamins. Don’t try to overfeed them with Spinach. Rabbits’ diet should be mainly covered with fresh water and good quality hay. Rabbits need a good diet which is high in fiber, low in sugar and fat. We can add safely limited Spinach to a rabbit’s diet in moderation. Spinach is rich in essential nutrition for rabbit’s health. Overfeeding Spinach can lead to many health issues in rabbits. There is a lot more to talk about Spinach. This article covers all the things you should know about Spinach before feeding your rabbits.
Let’s get started!!!
Extra Information About Spinach
Spinach is botanically classified as Sljnacia Oleracea. Spinaches are popular around the world and those are available all year round. There are three main varieties of Spinach. Savoy, semi savoy, and Flat -leafed. Spinach is the main concern as a superfood. Spinach plant has dark green type leaves, loaded with many nutrients. Spinach is largely produced in Northern Europe and the United States. Spinach comes to market as fresh, canned, and frozen. Most of the time people eat fresh and raw Spinach. Spinach is a good source of food for animals too.
Spinach is an excellent source of antioxidants. Spinach has four times that of the beta carotene found in broccoli. Its high lutein content helps to lower cholesterol and aid in eye health. Spinach also contains carbohydrates, protein, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron, and folic acid.
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Spinach comes with many health benefits like, provides eye health, reduces oxidative stress, reduces blood pressure, and many other health benefits. According to the USDA United States Department of Agriculture, 100g of Spinach has these nutrients.
Water | 91.4 g |
Energy | 97 kJ |
Carbohydrates | 3.6 g |
Dietary fiber | 2.2 g |
Protein | 2.9 g |
Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamin A | 469 μg |
beta-Carotene | 5626 μg |
Vitamin A | 9377 IU |
Vitamin C | 28 mg |
Vitamin E | 2 mg |
Vitamin K | 483 μg |
Calcium | 99 mg |
Iron | 2.71 mg |
Magnesium | 79 mg |
Phosphorus | 49 mg |
Potassium | 558 mg |
Sodium | 79 mg |
Types Of Spinach Good For Rabbits
Most of the time Spinach sold in the market is filled with fertilizers and pesticides. All ways wash them thoroughly before feeding to rabbits. Chemicals can harm your rabbit’s health. All ways buy good quality fresh Spinach for your loving rabbits. All varieties are safe for rabbits. But we must always limit the number of spinach and provide them in moderation. We can mix Spinach with other good leafy greens too. There are three main types of Spinach common in people. They are Savoy, semi-savoy, and Flat spinach.
Savoy: This Spinach has crinkly, curly leaves with dark green color. Bloomsdale, Merlo Nero, Viroflay are some of the examples of savoy spinach.
Flat Spinach: This variety is also called smooth leaf spinach. Most of the time this variety is grown to make canned and frozen spinach. Giant noble is an example of flat spinach.
Semi savoy: This variety is called hybrid spinach. This spinach has slightly crinkled leaves.
Do Rabbits Like To Eat Spinach
It can change from time to time. Some rabbits will like to eat fresh spinach leaves. Most of the time rabbits like to eat spinach. Because it has a sweet taste and crunchy texture. First, you can offer them one leaf of spinach to check whether they like it or not.
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 are applied to any type of food. Rabbits’ health is in your hands.
Is Spinach Good For Rabbits
Absolutely. Spinach is good leafy green for rabbits if we feed them according to a proper guide. If we feed them a limited amount in moderation there is no health risk of feeding spinach to rabbits. Therefore, we must care about the amount we serve to your loving rabbits. Overfeeding those can lead to many health issues. Due to the high oxalic acid and calcium. It’s best we provide spinach twice a week to Rabbits.
Always wash them before feeding to rabbits. Pesticides and chemicals can be harmful to rabbits if we don’t wash them properly before feeding rabbits. 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. Spinach is one of the good leafy greens we can provide in moderation to rabbits. There is no harm if we feed the right amount of Spinach to rabbits.
How Often Should We Feed Spinach?
Spinach is a good leafy green for your rabbit only if we feed them according to a proper guide. A small amount of Spinach can provide good health benefits for them. Overfeeding can cause bloating, increase gas inside your pet, and too much calcium, phosphorus levels can be harmful to your rabbit’s health. Don’t mix with other high oxalate greens like Radishes, Parsley, and Sprouts, etc. We can mix Spinach with low oxalate vegetables like Kale, Bok Choy, Basil, Cilantro, Rosemary, and Cucumber, etc.
Always provide Spinach in moderation. It’s better if you can provide Spinach mixing with other leafy greens and vegetables. You can provide 1 cup of mixed vegetables for a rabbit with a 2-pound body weight. You can add Spinach to your rabbit’s diet 2 times per week.
Health Benefits Of Spinach To Rabbits
Spinach is considered a superfood due to its high nutritional value. Spanish contain a high amount of water and it helps to stay hydrated. Spinach is also rich in beta-carotene and vitamin A that contributes to good eye health, the strong immune system of bacteria, and provides a healthy reproductive system for rabbits.
Spinach contains good antioxidants like vitamin E, vitamin C, etc. These nutrients help to prevent cancer risk, prevent heart diseases and provide many other health benefits. Spinach is a good source of vitamin K. Vitamin K is an essential nutrient for rabbit’s health. It helps rabbit’s bone health and healthy growth.
Spinach is rich in several minerals like potassium and magnesium. According to researches, these nutrients can reduce the risk of death by heart diseases. Potassium can protect from muscle mass loss and reduce the risk of developing kidney stones. Spinach is also an excellent source of iron that helps to maintain healthy bloodstream.
Proper Way To Introduce Spinach For Rabbits
As we know now, Spinach is a good, natural leafy green for rabbits. But there is a guide you must follow before feeding Spinach and let us check it out. If you buy Spinach from the market, wash it carefully and gently remove waxes and pesticides.
Before introducing Spinach to the rabbits for the first time, you need to start up with small portions (one leaf of Spinach). Keep inspecting them carefully. If they show some illness, stop feeding Spinach and only feed the rabbit’s daily diet (Diarrhea, lethargy, constipation, and loss of appetite are some of the illnesses)
Don’t try to introduce many kinds of food 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 a better rabbit’s health.
Don’t try to overfeed them with Spinach. Do not mix Spinach with other high oxalate leafy greens. Do not feed Spinach for baby rabbits less than 12 weeks of age. Always provide a small amount of Spinach occasionally as a part of your rabbit’s daily diet. Moderation is the key to rabbits’ health.
Risk Of Feeding Spinach To Rabbits
This risk comes mainly when rabbit owners overfeed Spinach to rabbits. Feeding a large amount of Spinach leads to many health issues. It is because of the high nutritional level. Spinach contains a high amount of oxalic acid and calcium. These things can harm your rabbit’s health if we feed in large amounts.
Oxalic acid is only safe for rabbits in a small amount. High oxalic acid can bind with other minerals and make them insoluble. This can lead to itchy skin and bladder stones. Because of the high amount of calcium, it can lead to kidney issues.
Another thing is rabbits get infected with many health problems when we give Spinach and other leafy green without washing them. These things can contain chemicals and pesticides. Always wash them before feeding to rabbits.
Can Rabbits Eat Spinach Stems And Stalks
Rabbits can eat Spinach stems and stalks. Don’t remove them if you intended to give spinach to rabbits. These stems and stalks contain more fiber than leaves. Keep in mind to only serve them a limited amount even stems and stalks. Overfeeding these things can lead to health issues.
Can Rabbits Eat Spinach Roots
Most of the time we can buy Spinach without roots. These roots contain high sugar amount. It is better if we avoid feeding Spinach roots to rabbits. Why do we even take a risk of feeding roots to rabbits if roots contain a high amount of sugar?
Other Good Foods You Can Provide To Rabbits
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
- Mint
- Cilantro
- Endive
- Green leaf
- Red leaf
- Parsley
- Fennel
Fresh fruits should be served once 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, fresh water 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/)
Summary
Spinach is good leafy green for rabbits if we feed them according to proper guide. If we feed them a limited amount in moderation there is no health risk of feeding spinach to rabbits. Due to the high calcium and oxalate amount we can’t provide those too often.
We can provide 1 cup of mixed vegetables for a rabbit with a 2-pound body weight. We can add Spinach to your rabbit’s diet 2 times per week. Do not mix Spinach with other high oxalate leafy greens. Do not feed Spinach for baby rabbits less than 12 weeks of age. Please follow this guideline when you are feeding Spinach to rabbits. I think I have covered all the things you need to know before feeding Spinach to rabbits.
Thank you !!!