Can Rabbits Eat Celery? More Exciting Benefits To Know!
Can rabbits eat celery? Of course, yes. Rabbits are herbivores, and they have a plant-based diet in which they surely do not eat meat. Their diet includes grass, clover, and vegetables like celery.
We all learn from when we are young that it is very iconic to see a rabbit eats carrots. But we also have to know that these animals also have to eat a wide variety of fresh vegetables.
What Is Celery?
Celery is one of the healthiest vegetables that your rabbits can eat. It is a marshland plant that is cultivated to be a vegetable. Celery has long and fibrous stalk and healthy leaves. This veggie is low in calorie, and it consists of mostly water that provides antioxidants.
It is full of minerals like Vitamin C, A, B6, and fiber. The fiber present on celery can give a significant advantage to your pet’s digestive and cardiovascular system.
So, can rabbits eat celery? Yes! Rabbits can eat celery. In fact, it is a very delicious snack for them. There’s no doubt why I also consider this as a significant part of my pet, Thumper’s, diet.
Celery is a leafy green and root vegetable. Just like a broccoli, it is also crunchy in texture and indeed perfect to naturally grind your pet’s teeth.
Although leafy vegetables are good for your rabbit, do not feed too much celery. As a rabbit owner, you have to remember that your pet needs to have plenty of hay. Other rabbit food should not overpower your pet’s meal plan.
Give your rabbits a wide variety of fresh and delicious vegetables to allow them to receive lots of minerals that will help in their growth.
Health Benefits Of Celery To Rabbits
Is celery good for rabbits? Can pet rabbits eat celery?
Aside from being a tasty snack, celery has many incredible nutrients and benefits for rabbits. Like its staple food, the celery’s fiber content can be of great help for the rabbit’s digestive system.
Furthermore, it helps wear down a rabbit’s teeth, especially when it’s chewing it. This vegetable is an excellent alternative for your pet’s chew toy. Learn here what rabbits can chew on.
And since this fantastic veggie is low in calories, it only means that even overweight rabbits can eat it. It won’t cause your pet to gain more weight and won’t lead to possible health issues in the future.
Although low in calories, celery contains many vital minerals that are important for your rabbit’s health. These are some main nutrients in celery:
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin K
- Potassium
- Vitamin B-6
- Folic Acid
- Iron
So, can you feed rabbits celery? Yes, it is safe for them to eat and provide many essential vitamins for healthy bodily function. It is a vegetable that is very easy to digest by the rabbit’s herbivorous system.
Risks Of Feeding Too Much Celery To Rabbits
We certainly know that too much on anything comes with danger. When overfed, celery will have adverse effects.
Hay is the staple food for rabbits and should make up 75% of their diet. Too much celery can cause health-related issues that will surely make your pet experience discomfort.
Loose stools and diarrhea
Stomach issues are one of the side effects from overconsumption of celery and can reduce your pet’s energy.
Too much celery can lead to loose stools and even diarrhea. If this happens, you have to ease up your rabbit’s celery intake for a few days. Give plenty of hay and water to make it feel better. Read here on how to make a homemade rabbit water bottle.
Celery strings cause blockage
Celery stems are tough and stringy that run vertically on every stalk of the vegetable.
Do rabbits eat celery stalks? Well, these unwanted strings can get caught on your rabbit’s teeth. What is more dangerous is that it can cause blockage on the digestive tract of your pet. It is uncommon but something to look for if anything goes wrong.
Problems caused by too much sugar
Celery does not taste sweet to us, but it is high in sugar content if we compare it to other vegetables.
Celery contains about one gram per stick of sugar and that is not a good number for your rabbit.
Too much sugar can cause health problems to rabbits, putting their lives in danger.
Too much water content
This vegetable is rich in water content, just like cucumbers (Do Rabbit like cucumber?). If your pet’s diet contains too much water, this may lead to gastrointestinal problems and may even lead to diarrhea.
Filled with oxalic acid
Do you know that oxalates are not harmful if taken in small amounts? It could only be detrimental if your pet has eaten food filled with too much oxalic acid; they can build up in the rabbit’s body that may cause kidney damage.
In the worst-case scenario, your pet will suffer from kidney failure due to increased amounts of oxalates taken for a long period.
How To Safely Feed Celery?
If you do not want the celery strings to hurt your rabbit, chop them into small pieces before serving.
As I mentioned in most of my blogs, whenever I feed Thumper, I make sure that he can digest what I give him. If the food is too large, then you should adjust the size.
Each of the chopped veggies should be no more than half an inch in length.
How Much Celery Should I Feed My Rabbit?
For rabbits’ diet, you have to make sure that they eat 75% staple food, which is hay. To make the diet healthier and more robust, add vegetables so your rabbit gets an adequate amount of nutrients.
Can rabbits eat celery stalks? Can rabbits eat celery leaves? The celery leaves and sticks should only compose of half of their vegetable diet. An excessive amount of this vegetable means that they are not eating as much hay as they should.
Conclusion
Can rabbits eat celery? Do rabbits like celery? Most rabbits love celery because it is a crunchy vegetable. Your pet would be happy to munch fresh, clean celery. It will also help to keep naturally your rabbit’s teeth filed.
Furthermore, this super veggie is very rich in nutrients that will make your pet healthier than ever. Feed them no more than the recommended serving size of half a celery stick per day.
