The answer is, yes they can! Bunnies adore dandelions, but they shouldn’t have them too often.
Dandelions are extremely rich in phytonutrients and vitamins making them a great natural body tonic.
It's a great way of getting your rabbit to eat more hay, simply sprinkle some dandelion into their hay!
What exactly are dandelions?
Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) is a flowering plant that belongs to the Asteraceae family.
Dandelions are rich in calcium, potassium, iron and beta-carotene. They contain more iron than spinach and more beta-carotene than carrots.
They are also rich in vitamin B complex as well as phosphorous, zinc, magnesium and other nutrients.
Dandelion is one of the safe weeds; these herbs are really nutritious for your rabbit!
Dandelions have lots of benefits for your bunny including:
Improved digestive and respiratory health.
Reduced risk of bloating, diarrhea, constipation and breathing problems.
Prevention of swelling, bladder infections, pneumonia and liver problems.
Introduce your rabbit to dandelions slowly and gradually the same way you introduce other foods.
You can start off by feeding your bunny with one or two leaves.If you have fresh dandelions you can feed your bunny with a piece of blossom as well.
After feeding, you should keep an eye on your bunny for the next 24 hours, check for problems including discomfort, diarrhea and bloating.
If everything is normal, then you can feed them to your bunnies 3 to 4 times per week.
It is best to mix dandelions with some other herbs and then feed them to avoid digestive problems.
Dandelions are high on calcium. It’s important to monitor your bunnies calcium intake as the excess of calcium can bind the oxalates in vegetables and lead to the formation of kidney stones.
Don't feed your bunny dandelions on the same day when you’re feeding them with other high calcium foods.
Before feeding your bunnies with dandelions wash the dandelions thoroughly under water to get rid of any pesticides.
Rabbits can eat dandelions and in fact it is one of their favorite foods!