Rabbits are herbivores, and need a decent amount of vegetables in their daily diet to help them get the balanced nutrition they need. You may naturally want to feed your rabbit green vegetables such as bok choy.
But before you give your rabbit a new vegetable, it will be important to ensure that they are actually okay to eat it. So can rabbits eat bok choy? The great news is that yes, your rabbit can eat bok choy! However, there will be a few things that you will need to bear in mind before you give bok choy to your rabbit.
In general, bok choy is a harmless green leafy vegetable that your rabbit will be able to enjoy when given in moderation. Bok choy is one of the many vegetables that you can give to your bunny without it causing serious health issues.
Whenever you give your rabbit new food, it is important to only give them a small amount at a time. You should then watch them for the next 12 hours or so and see how they react. If your rabbit tolerates the bok choy well, then you can start to feed this to them in gradual amounts.
This should always be given alongside other vegetables so as to give your rabbit the varied balanced diet they need.
The right amount of bok choy is around 1 cup for every 2 pounds of your rabbit’s weight. It will also be important to only ever give your rabbit bok choy in moderation.
While this vegetable isn’t toxic for your bunny, it could cause them discomfort if given in too large an amount. This is because too much bok choy will cause your rabbit to experience painful gas.
The general rule of thumb is that leafy greens like bok choy should account for no more than 10% of your rabbit’s daily diet. Most of their diet – around 80% – should be made up of hay.
This is because leafy greens such as bok choy don’t have enough fiber in them. So as long as you feed this to your rabbit in a sensible amount, it shouldn’t harm them.
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What are the benefits of feeding bok choy to your rabbit?
So now that you know not to feed your rabbit excessive amounts of bok choy, you may be wondering what benefits your rabbit will get from adding this leafy green vegetable to your bunny’s diet. Bok choy is a highly nutritious vegetable that will not only be tasty for your bunny but also comes with a range of great health benefits.
Bok choy contains an impressive amount of calcium, which will be helpful for your rabbit. Alongside the calcium content in their normal diet, this will help to prevent your rabbit from developing bladder stones. Another great thing about bok choy is that it’s naturally low in oxalates, which can be harmful to rabbits.
This vegetable has an impressive amount of antioxidants. These work to protect your rabbit’s body from diseases, and can even help to fight free radicals. Bok choy is actually a much better source of these antioxidants than most fruits.
Bok choy also has a range of vitamins that can give your bunny’s immune system a boost. It is a great source of vitamin A, C, and K. Vitamin K is fantastic for dealing with blood clotting.
Another great factor about bok choy is that it is naturally low in calories. So you can give this to your bunny as a treat without worrying about them putting on weight.
Can rabbits eat bok choy cores or stems?
Most people will choose to feed their rabbit only the leafy parts of a bok choy. But what about the core and stems? Are these safe to give to your rabbit?
Your rabbit can indeed eat the core and stems of bok choy, however, these parts are more likely to give your rabbit gas. If you know your rabbit has a sensitive digestive system, you may want to avoid letting them eat these parts of the bok choy.
Or if you did want to give your rabbit the core or stems, this should only be done in small amounts or every now and then.
Does bok choy make rabbits gassy?
Bok choy does make rabbits gassy, yes. Particularly so if it’s given in larger quantities, and this can even be very painful for your bunny depending on how much you’ve given them. In fact, several vegetables from the cabbage family such as bok choy can cause painful gas for your rabbit when given to them in larger amounts.
The best course of action will be to only give your rabbit a small amount of bok choy alongside their regular diet. You should be able to tell if your rabbit is suffering from gas because they may shift between several strange positions, or hunch up.
It will also be worth keeping an eye on your rabbit to see if they’re suffering from gastrointestinal stasis or diarrhea. The stomach and intestines are the most sensitive part of your rabbit. If you’re particularly worried about your bunny not eating or being in too much discomfort, you should contact your vet.
In summary
So there you have it! Your rabbit can indeed eat bok choy. However, it will be important to only give this to them in moderation so that they don’t suffer from any painful gas.
Bok choy isn’t toxic to your rabbit, however, leafy greens should only account for around 10% of their diet. If you give your rabbit any more than this, they could become incredibly gassy.
Most people tend to only feed their rabbit the leafy parts of the bok choy because the cores and stems can cause even more gas. It will be important to introduce your rabbit to bok choy slowly, and observe them to ensure that they are able to comfortably eat this leafy green.
