Yes, Rabbits Can Eat Cucumber! But Follow These 3 Tips

Lionhead Rabbit, Agricultural Field, Animal Body Part, Animal Hair, Animal Head
Sophia Floerchinger/ via Getty Images

Written by Katie Melynn Wood

Published: December 9, 2023

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Many rabbits enjoy a tasty treat now and then. Cucumbers are a healthy snack for rabbits due to their high water content and crunchy texture. When feeding your rabbit cucumber, it’s best to make sure that you follow a few tips to prevent choking or other potential health hazards. Now that you know that yes, rabbits can eat cucumber, let’s go over some key things to remember when feeding them this healthy snack.

1. Wash Cucumber before Giving It to Them

Cucumber clipping path. Cucumber vegetable with cucumber slice isolated on white background. High End Retouching

You can peel cucumber or leave the skin on when feeding it to rabbits, just to sure to wash it first.

Rabbits can eat the cucumber skin but you should take extra steps to wash them, especially if the cucumber is not organic. Pesticides and other residue can cause health problems over the long term, especially in such a small pet. Some cucumbers also have a wax coating to help them stay fresh on the shelf. While this isn’t toxic to your pet rabbit, it’s still not a healthy part of their diet.

2. Give Cucumber as a Treat

Decorative Rabbit on a Greens Background. Cute Fluffy Bunny Sits in Near Romaine Lettuce Salad, Cabbage, Dill, Parsley, Oak Salad, Corn, Asparagus and Spinach. Various Natural Organic Food For Vegans

Let your rabbit try new vegetables gradually so that their digestive systems have time to adjust to the new food.

Cucumber has a lot of water. If your bunny is dehydrated, this is a perfect snack to give them. But for a regular diet, try to keep cucumber just as an occasional treat. If they chow down too much on cucumber, they might be missing nutrients from the other food that they need. If your rabbit eats too much cucumber it can lead to diarrhea.

When you first introduce cucumber (or any other new food) to your rabbit, do so just a little bit at a time. This allows their digestive system to adjust. It also helps you keep an eye out for any potential reactions or issues. The most common problem with adding cucumber is diarrhea, which usually means that they’ve had too much too quickly.

3. Cut Into Bite-Sized Pieces

Feeding food for the rabbit.

Small bites are better for rabbits because they are less of a choking hazard.

Before giving any food to your rabbit, make sure that it is small enough for them to chew and eat. Because the inside and seeds are softer, they are less of a risk than the crunchy exterior and skin. But rabbits like to crunch their food and it’s good for their teeth, so just try to balance size and texture. Small slices tend to be the best way to serve cucumber to rabbits. It’s also a good idea to watch them closely when first introducing the new food to get a good idea of how they eat it.

What Is a Rabbit’s Favorite Food?

Two Lion Head Rabbits Outdoors

Rabbits need grass and hay in their diet.

Rabbits are grazers and in the wild, they eat plenty of grass and hay. As pets, they prefer many of the same foods. Timothy and oat hay are the most popular because they are plentiful, rabbits like them, and they are part of a healthy bunny diet. They need hay to help with their dental hygiene and overall health. You should try to have some fresh hay available daily.

Rabbit pellets are also a good source of nutrition because they are specially formulated for the needs of these little pets. They don’t need much and pellets should only be part of their diet. The best rabbit food is low in protein (they don’t need a lot compared to other pets) but high in other nutrients that bunnies need. You can also talk to your vet about the best rabbit pellets for your bunny’s health concerns.


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About the Author

Katie is a freelance writer and teaching artist specializing in home, lifestyle, and family topics. Her work has appeared in At Ease Magazine, PEOPLE, and The Spruce, among others. When she is not writing, Katie teaches creative writing with the Apex Arts Magnet Program in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. You can follow Katie @katiemelynnwriter.

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