Rabbits are great creatures each of which has its features. Another aspect about rabbits is that unlike other animals they need to have a well balanced diet that should be based on fresh grass and rabbit pellets, as well certain vegetables are good for rabbits too! Some herbs will not be good for everyday consumption – just as not all kind greens or else they’d probably turn toxic if one hasn’t sampled enough the initial times.
What is watercress?
Watercress is also called as Nasturtium aquatica, Rorippa, Chinese cress, or garden cress. The draba is an Arial panther and it has wild growing ability on the brooks and rivers of the world. Watercress plant has elongated green stems with rounded leaves beside them and small white flowers at the apex of the stems; it’s kind of pungent in taste.
Watercress also contains good amounts of vitamins K, A, and C, folate, iron, calcium, potassium, and fiber which might be good or bad for your rabbits.
Nutritional Value
- Vitamin A – Can help maintain healthy skin and coat in rabbits while also helping with eye health and immune system function which might be good for rabbits who live outdoors or in colder climates.
- Iron – It May help to improve your rabbit’s energy levels which is great for older rabbits whose bodies don’t produce as much of the potential nutrients that
- Vitamin B6 – It is needed for many body functions including protein metabolism and the regulation of hormones which might be good if you’re trying to breed your rabbits.
- Calcium – The calcium within watercress helps with teeth development, general bone health and can help prevent serious diseases that affect bones like osteoporosis.
- Potassium – There’s also a decent amount of potassium which works with sodium to control your heart’s electrical system and helps muscles to contract.
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Can rabbits eat watercress?
Watercress is safe for rabbits to eat in moderation.
But not all herbs are harmless you provide to your rabbits because some of them contains some chemicals some of which might be poisonous or toxic when consumed. If you are wondering whether it is okay to feed your rabbit water cress then it of course has it’s risks, therefore it is best to try and follow the guidelines as closely as possible to be able to minimize the chances of problems occurring.
However it is recommended that watercress should be given to your rabbit sparingly and not on a daily basis as this may harm your rabbits healthwise and make them get upset stomachs in the process. If your rabbit feeds on excessive watercress, then it may result in digestive upsets in the rabbit and this will lead to diarrhea, bloating and malnutrition if the rabbit is not well fed again.
You should also ensure that they are consuming hay or grass and watercress because this might lead to formation of bladder stones which are simply hard small substance that tend to accumulate in the bladder of your rabbit. This can be very embarrassing for rabbits which can hardly urinate which in turn can lead to other health complications.
Is watercress good for rabbits to eat?
I would agree for the most part that watercress is beneficial for your rabbits only if they do not OVER indulge in the calcium content of the plant as it would be detrimental to their health. The plant part, watercress, has high calcium content and may be difficult to reduce them to appropriate levels without incorporating other high calcium foods in their diet together with the watercress.
Calcium is important for rabbits so that they are strong and healthy but then again taking large amounts of calcium will not always be good for them which is why watercress might not be so beneficial after all especially if one is not careful concerning the amount of food that the rabbit consumes daily.
Is watercress toxic to rabbits?
The reason why watercress is not toxic to rabbits because it is good most of the time. But it is very important that you cannot allow your rabbit to take much watercress as it will affect the overall health of your rabbit and other things too.
One beneficial side of the watercress is that it contains a reasonable amount of calcium ideal for rabbits but they require a certain amount of calcium daily and that is why you should not feed your rabbit too much watercress.
It also contains potassium which rabbits do need to be happy and healthy, vitamin A, vitamin B6, and iron which are all in a rabbit’s best interest to consume.
Rabbit lovers are advised to ensure that their rabbits eat moderate amounts of watercress because if they overindulge in it, then you will have some problems on your hands anyway.
(Information in this article are not verified by animal medical professionals so please consult a vet)
What happens if my rabbit eats watercress?
It is believed that if your rabbit consumes watercress then you might find them affected by some of the above health complications including diarrhea or swollen eyes and respiratory complications. It also becomes fatal to feed them watercress since they may become a paralyzed rabbit if given this in their regular diet.
What to do if my rabbits eat watercress?
If ever your rabbits have consumed watercress in some way, then you should bring them to a vet as soon as possible because this is a serious problem if not taken care of soon. This poisoning is damaging for your rabbit’s health and can worsen rapidly, therefore, it is better to skip all these intermediate steps.
Luckily, most cases of watercress poisoning seem to recover with the appropriate treatment although it’s best to avoid feeding them this herb on a regular basis.
Is it possible for my rabbits to eat too much watercress?
As mentioned above, the watercress is safe for rabbits so long as the rabbits do not rely on it for their meals, in which case it leads to much calcium. This may cause some health concerns in the long-run hence it is advisable to feed them with other kinds of hay and grass to reduce on the risk of any complications that may arise from feeding them on lucerne.
How to prepare a watercress for a rabbit?
In feeding your rabbits watercress, it is very important that it should be clean from any chemicals and pesticides before feeding the rabbits. That is why it is advisable to always turn up the leaves themselves in order to see small insects on the plant.
How much watercress to give to a rabbit?
Therefore their food ration of watercress must correspond with the size, size, age and weight of the rabbits that you have. The difference in eating habits is due to the size of the rabbit and age, a young small rabbit it is advisable to feed on just a few leaves every now and then while a big rabbit may be fed some more than the one or two leaves only. It is also very important not to give them too much in order avoid possible negative health implications.
What time is best to feed rabbits with watercress?
Yes, rabbits can have watercress in the morning and in the evening but this may, of course, depend on the normal serving size. You should know that when rabbits start eating watercress every day they may lose appetite for hay or grass which is good for digestion so you should include more fiber rich foods.
Is there anything else I should know?
When giving watercress to the rabbits one should ensure that the rabbits do not feed on poisonous plants since some of the food stuffs may look alike. Do not feed your rabbits with a lot of this herb on daily basis, just in case they cannot digest it because it may lead to serious health complications if they take chemical treated or dirty food from the garden.
Conclusion
There is nothing more important than to learn the fact how you can take care of your rabbits and feed them with on the regular basis watercress. If we do this then they should slowly get their health back as well a bit of minerals here and there through out the day from eating them.
Note: This article is for information only and is not verified by animal medical professionals so please consult a vet.
