Can Rabbits Eat Zucchini? 9 Things You Need To Know.

Last Updated on March 12, 2023 by Marjon Ramos

My two rabbits, Tyr and Freya, love veggies. In fact, I feed them some whenever I’m cooking. Tyr especially loves to munch on zucchini because it’s tough and rabbits like to grind their teeth on anything they can.

Squash actually refers to the four species of the genus Cucurbita, which includes zucchini squash, pumpkin, butternut squash, and yellow squash.

Giving rabbits zucchini as a supplement to their diet is totally safe. But be careful that you only give it to them as an addition to a high-fiber hay diet.

Feeding your rabbit’s zucchini as a substitute for their regular food is a bad idea because zucchini don’t have enough fiber and nutrients that a rabbit needs throughout the day.

In this article, I’ll be discussing the different questions you might have when you’re thinking about feeding zucchini to your bunnies.

So without further ado, let’s get started.

Do rabbits like eating zucchini?

Yes, rabbits like to eat vegetables, including zucchini. Just make sure that you only give it to your rabbit as a small part of their diet.

Your rabbit’s diet should be 80% hay. Even if your rabbit likes eating zucchini, you have to control the amount you give them to make sure that they are eating the right amount of fiber.

Rabbits fed the wrong diet, like being too low in fiber or high in carbs, can lead to digestive issues like GI stasis or diarrhea.

Is zucchini safe to be eaten by rabbits?

Zucchini or courgettes are safe for rabbits to eat. Just make sure that your rabbit is still eating enough hay. The reason is that zucchini is low in fiber.

Rabbits that are not eating enough fiber could lead to digestive issues that are often fatal to rabbits.

Is zucchini good for rabbits?

Yes, zucchini is good for rabbits because it is rich in vitamins A, folate, and choline. It’s also rich in minerals like magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, and potassium.

But just because zucchini has these benefits, it  doesn’t mean it’s okay for you to feed them too much. In fact, over-feeding your rabbits zucchini could lead to a variety of digestive distresses like GI stasis, diarrhea, and uneaten caecotrophs.

What are the benefits of feeding zucchini to rabbits?

Gist:

Zucchini is a good source of vitamin A.

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For you to know the benefits of zucchini for your rabbit’s health, you must first know the required vitamins and minerals that a rabbit needs per day.

Here’s a nutrient constraint calculator to help you understand how much nutrition your rabbit is getting per day when feeding zucchini. You can click the blue icon beside the nutrient name to see the benefits and deficiency of each nutrient.

As you can see from the calculator above, feeding less than 100 grams of zucchini to rabbits per day is still well within the nutritional constraints for rabbits.

How much zucchini can a rabbit eat?

You can feed your rabbits 128 grams of zucchini per 2 pounds (1 kg) of their weight per day.

Just be sure that zucchini is not the only vegetable you’re giving your rabbit, and that your rabbit is getting enough hay.

Here’s a table to help you decide how much zucchini you should feed your rabbit based on its weight:

As you can see from the table above, rabbits that are less than 7 months old should only eat 15g of vegetables like zucchini regardless of their weight or breed.

This would ensure that growing rabbits are eating enough hay to maximize their growth.

Finally, when introducing a new diet to your rabbit, make sure that you SLOWLY introduce it so that your rabbit’s gut flora has enough time to adjust to the new diet.

In the case of zucchini, slowly feed your rabbit small amounts per feeding time for several weeks until the recommended amount is met.

Adult or fully grown rabbits

Adult or fully grown rabbits are those who are more than 1 year old. Adult rabbits can start eating zucchini normally based on their weight or breed (see table above).

Just make sure that you’re giving your rabbits other veggies because it’s always better to give your rabbits a variety of choices when it comes to their food to mimic what they eat in the wild.

If it’s the first time you’re giving zucchini to your bunnies, the first week should be 15 grams per day, then gradually increase it to 10 grams per week until you reach the normal amount (see table above).

Young or growing rabbits

Bunnies or rabbits that are less than 12 weeks old should not eat any veggies like zucchini.

You can start feeding your bunnies 15 grams of veggies, including zucchini, but make sure that you do it slowly over a few weeks.

The reason is that the rabbits’ gut flora are not yet used to digesting the new food source and could cause digestive distress like diarrhea or GI stasis.

Pregnant or lactating rabbits

Pregnant or lactating rabbits should not change their diet. Both the amount and the type of food you’re giving them prior to your rabbit getting pregnant.

After 3 weeks of feeding the same amount and type of food you normally give your rabbits, you can start gradually increasing the amount of pellet for the last 10 days of your rabbit’s pregnancy and the first week of lactation.

During pregnancy or lactation, your rabbit should only eat zucchini as a supplement to hay and pellets because pregnant rabbits need the most nutritious diet they can get.

When can rabbits start eating zucchini?

Gist:

Rabbits can start eating zucchini at 12 weeks of age. You can slowly incorporate zucchini into your rabbit’s diet in small amounts (about 15 grams).

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Zucchini can be given in small amounts to bunnies that are 12 weeks old. The important thing to remember when feeding your rabbit, especially young ones, is to GO SLOW.

One vegetable at a time, so that you can easily spot what food makes your rabbit sick, because young rabbits can easily die from diarrhea or other digestive diseases.

Here’s a table to guide you on how much zucchini you should feed your rabbits as they get older.

When should you not feed zucchini to rabbits?

Gist:

You should not feed zucchini to rabbits that are less than 12 weeks old or rabbits that have any digestive problems. Also, if you notice any changes in their stool, remove any other food except hay.

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Young rabbits have sensitive stomachs, so it’s best to not feed them any other food except hay. But after 12 weeks, you can start feeding them veggies in small amounts (e.g., 15 grams).

If you notice any digestive distress or changes in your rabbit’s stool, the recommended action is to always remove any other food except hay.

Your rabbit might be eating too many veggies and other unnecessary stuff and be lacking fiber in its diet. Most of the time, changing their diet to hay would fix the problem.

But as always, it’s still best to consult your veterinarian when you notice any odd changes in your rabbit’s behavior or if your rabbit has any changes in their eating habits.

Remember that most digestive distress could lead to GI stasis, which is fatal to rabbits.

Risk of overfeeding zucchini to rabbits.

Uneaten caecotrophs

Uneaten caecotrophs are usually caused by a diet that is low in fiber or overfeeding foods that are high in water content.

Zucchini alone could not meet the daily fiber requirement of rabbits. Therefore, zucchini should only be fed in small amounts as a supplement to a hay-based diet.

Diarrhea

Overfeeding zucchini to rabbits could also lead to diarrhea because of the lack of fiber in them.

Your rabbit’s diet should mainly consist of hay and pellets.

Vegetables like zucchini should only be fed in small amounts because rabbits could not get enough fiber from them.

If your rabbit is suffering from diarrhea, bring your rabbit to a veterinarian immediately because diarrhea is fatal to rabbits extremely fast.

Gastrointestinal stasis

Gastrointestinal stasis is also caused by a diet that is low in fiber and too many carbohydrates.

When your rabbit is overfed with the wrong kind of food, like zucchini, it could lead to an imbalance in your rabbit’s gut flora and slow down the passage of food through the GI tract.

If you suspect that your rabbit might be suffering from GI stasis, immediately bring your rabbit to a veterinarian because GI stasis could lead to organ failure and death if not treated.

Healthy alternatives to zucchini.

In order for your rabbit to be as healthy as they can be, experts suggest that you need to mimic what they eat in the wild.

Wild rabbits have the whole forest full of fruits and vegetables to choose from, so they are getting a balanced diet all the time.

While zucchini is good for rabbits, here are some vegetables and herbs that you can mix into your rabbit’s diet or as an alternative to zucchini squash:

• Spinach
• Celery
• Green peppers
• Basil
• Mint
• Alfalfa, radish & Clover sprouts
• Beet greens (tops)
• Parsley
• Peapods (the flat edible kind)
• Peppermint leaves
• Bok choy
• Escarole
• Clover
• Peppermint leaves
• Carrot & carrot tops
• Radicchio
• Raspberry leaves
• Wheatgrass
• Watercress
• Cilantro
• Dandelion greens and flowers (no pesticides)

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Conclusion

Rabbits can eat zucchini as long as it’s not the only food you’re giving to your rabbits. Also, the amount of zucchini is important.

For small-breed rabbits or rabbits that are 1.1–3.5 pounds, you can feed your rabbits no less than 128 grams of zucchini. If your rabbit is less than 7 months old, give them only 15 grams.

For medium-bred rabbits or rabbits that are 6-10 pounds, you can feed your rabbits 384-640 grams of zucchini. If your rabbit is less than 7 months old, give them only 15 grams.

For large-breed rabbits or rabbits that are 9–12 pounds, you can feed your rabbits 384–760 grams of zucchini. If your rabbit is less than 7 months old, give them only 15 grams.