Last Updated on February 28, 2023 by Marjon Ramos
Roses (Rosa) are one of the safest and most recommended plants that can be eaten by rabbits. Just make sure that your rabbit is eating enough hay because, even though roses are safe, they cannot meet the required fiber a rabbit would need per day.
While roses are safe to be eaten by rabbits, you should still avoid making them a part of your rabbit’s regular diet.
There is better, more nutritious food out there that’s better for rabbits.
Now that I’ve given you the gist of the article, read on as I explain the topic in more detail:
Table of Contents
Would rabbits intentionally eat roses?
Yes, rabbits would intentionally and gladly eat roses.
Roses are actually one of the most common and safest plants that can be fed to rabbits.
Even gardeners are having trouble keeping wild rabbits away from their roses due to how much wild rabbits love this stuff.
Most gardeners are using all kinds of tricks, like surrounding their garden with high fences to keep rabbits from eating their roses.
Here’s a rabbit eating roses:
We’ve interviewed several rabbit owners who have roses or from where they’re from.
Most of them reported giving their rabbits some amount.
Risk of overfeeding rose to rabbits.
While roses themselves are not poisonous to rabbits, overfeeding them to your rabbits, on the other hand, could lead to the following conditions:
- GI stasis: Gastrointestinal stasis is possible when your rabbit is eating roses in lieu of hay. Make sure that you’re not replacing your rabbit’s main diet (hay, veggies, and pellets) with roses.
- Diarrhea: Diarrhea is also possible when you feed your rabbits too many roses in one meal. Diarrhea in rabbits often happens when new food is introduced too fast and too much.
- Soft uneaten cecotropes: Feeding too much unnecessary food like roses to your rabbits could also lead to uneaten cecotropes due to the lack of fiber in your rabbit’s diet. This can be fixed by feeding large amounts of fiber (hay) for several weeks to a month.
Healthy alternative to roses.
Here are some alternatives to roses that are safe to be given to rabbits:
- Dandelion
- Nettles
- Daisies
- Clover
- Sunflowers
- Pot
- Nasturtiums
- Pansies
- Chickweed
Conclusion
Giving roses to your rabbits is safe as long as they’re not eating them in lieu of hay.
If it’s the first time you’re feeding roses to your rabbits, take it slow and feed them in small amounts.
Introducing new food into your rabbit’s diet too fast could trigger diarrhea and other digestive distress.
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