Can Rabbits Eat Lambs Lettuce?

Last Updated on March 5, 2023 by Marjon Ramos

As far as vegetables go, lettuce is probably what most people would think is good for rabbits.

But did you know that certain kinds of lettuce, like iceberg lettuce, are not recommended for rabbits due to an excess amount of lactucarium, which is toxic for rabbits in high amounts?

That’s why you have to be careful when you’re planning on giving your rabbits veggies.

Some of them could cause digestive distress to rabbits.

So anyway, back to the topic, to answer the question — can rabbits eat lamb’s lettuce? 

Yes, rabbits can eat lamb’s lettuce.

As a general rule to help you remember, the darker the leaves, the healthier it is for rabbits.

Just make sure that you introduce it to your rabbit slowly to avoid upsetting their stomach.

Now that I’ve given you the gist of the article, read on as I explain in detail why rabbits can eat lamb’s lettuce:

Do rabbits like to eat lamb’s lettuce?

Yes, rabbits like to eat leafy greens like lamb’s lettuce.

In fact, my two babies prefer to eat them over their normal food, especially when it’s fresh.

Just remember to go easy and only give your rabbit small amounts of lamb’s lettuce for the first few weeks to see if they will get any digestive distress from eating it.

If you don’t do this, your rabbit will probably eat a lot and upset its stomach accidentally.

As we all know, rabbits have little to no self-control when it comes to food.

Is lamb’s lettuce safe to be eaten by rabbits?

Yes, compared to other types of lettuce like iceberg, lamb’s lettuce doesn’t contain as much lactucarium and calcium.

Lamb’s lettuce is also a good source of beta-carotene, which turns into vitamin A when ingested.

Vitamin A is responsible for bone development, vision, reproduction, and immunological response.

How much lamb lettuce can a rabbit eat?

The key to safely giving lamb’s lettuce to rabbits is the amount you give, as well as if it’s appropriate for their age.

You can feed your rabbits 128 grams of lamb’s lettuce per 2 pounds (one kilogram) of your rabbit’s weight per day.

Just be sure that lamb’s lettuce 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 lamb’s lettuce you should limit giving to your rabbits:

Rabbit’s weight based on breed	Age	Allowed lamb’s lettuce per day
Small breed (1.1–3.5 pounds)	Young/growing rabbits(less than 12 weeks old)	None
	Adult/fully grown rabbits(more than 1-year-old)	<128 grams
	Pregnant or lactating rabbits	Same diet. Increase pellet for the last 10 days of pregnancy.
Medium breed (6 to 10 pounds)	Young/growing rabbits(less than 12 weeks old)	None
	Adult/fully grown rabbits(more than 1-year-old)	384-640 grams
	Pregnant or lactating rabbits	Same diet. Increase pellet for the last 10 days of pregnancy.
Large breed ( 9 and 12 pounds)	Young/growing rabbits(less than 12 weeks old)	None
	Adult/fully grown rabbits(more than 1-year-old)	384-760 grams
	Pregnant or lactating rabbits	Same diet. Increase pellet for the last 10 days of pregnancy.

When can rabbits start eating lamb lettuce?

Lamb lettuce can be introduced slowly at 12 weeks old.

Just make sure that you gradually introduce it and only introduce one vegetable at a time so that if you notice any changes in their stool, you will know what vegetable is the culprit.

Young rabbits have sensitive stomachs and could easily die of diarrhea or GI stasis if they are fed the wrong diet.

Be careful about feeding your rabbit unnecessary food at this age.

If you notice any changes in their stool, either in size or consistency, bring your rabbit to a veterinarian immediately.

When should you not feed lamb lettuce to rabbits?

Rabbits who already have digestive distress should be fed a high-fiber diet only.

Feeding them any other food, like lamb lettuce, whose water level is high, could exacerbate the problem.

If you ever notice that your rabbit has softer stool whenever you feed them lamb’s lettuce, don’t feed it to them again.

Some rabbits are just not cut out to eat lettuce, whatever kind it is.

Risk of overfeeding lamb lettuce to rabbits.

Any food other than hay has risks when fed to rabbits in large amounts.

That’s why it’s up to us, rabbit owners, to control the food we give to our pets.

Here are the risks associated with when a rabbit is overfed lamb’s lettuce:

• Diarrhea: Overfeeding lamb’s lettuce to rabbits could also lead to diarrhea because of the lack of fiber in it.
• Uneaten caecotrophs: Uneaten caecotrophs are usually caused by a diet that is low in fiber or overfeeding foods that are high in water content.
• Gastrointestinal stasis: When your rabbit is overfed with the wrong kind of food, like lamb’s lettuce, it could lead to an imbalance in your rabbit’s gut flora and slow down the passage of food through the GI tract.

Healthy alternatives to lamb lettuce.

To have a more balanced diet, you need to give your rabbits different kinds of vegetables every day.

Here are some of the vegetables and herbs you can give to rabbits that are safe:

• 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)

Conclusion

Yes, rabbits can eat lamb’s lettuce as long as you limit it to >128 grams per day for small breed rabbits, 384-640 grams per day for medium breed rabbits, and 384–760 grams per day for large breed rabbits.

You should also wait until your rabbit is 1 year old before giving them the amount I listed.

You can start introducing lamb’s lettuce to your rabbit at 12 weeks old.

Just make sure that you only give your rabbits one vegetable at a time to not overload their gut flora.

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