Safe Herbs for Rabbits and Their Medicinal Properties

Herbs are a healthy way to bring variety and balance into your rabbits diet. They give your rabbit lots of new flavors to check out every day, making them a great enrichment tool to include in your rabbit’s environment. But herbs are good for more than just their yummy flavor. They also enhance your rabbit’s health with their natural nutrients and medicinal properties.

Medical disclaimer

-Advertisement-

While herbs are generally healthy, can be used to enrich your rabbit’s life, and have mild medicinal properties, you should never try to treat a rabbit’s illness using just these herbs. If you notice any symptoms of illness in your rabbit please consult your veterinarian as soon as possible.

1. Basil

-Advertisement-

Basil is a common herb that you can find in just about any grocery store or farmers market. It contains a high concentration of phytochemicals, giving it a strong flavor and nutritional content. Basil also contains a few chemicals (including caffeic acid and salicylic acid) that have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. This makes basil a mild pain reliever and can help prevent frequent infections in rabbits. It also helps in maintaining the health of rabbit fur and skin.

-Advertisement-
Learn More

 2. Cilantro

Cilantro is a fragrant herb that is generally very enticing to rabbits. Many elderly rabbits who are losing their sense of taste and smell will end up gravitating toward these aromatic herbs. Cilantro is also made up of a number of phytochemicals that can help aid in digestion, prevent frequent infections, reduce stress, and help alleviate symptoms of urinary tract infections. Cilantro is also known to contain geraniol, which helps prevent tumors.

3. Chamomile

Chamomile is a common flower herb used for its many different kinds of medicinal properties. It’s known to have calming properties that can reduce stress in rabbits, and can also reduce pain, inflammation, and even fever. Rabbits that tend to have a lot of digestive issues can benefit from having some chamomile because of its ability to reduce gas and the discomfort that goes along with it. (Chamomile is a flower and should be given to rabbits in small quantities as a treat)

Read also: 6 Benefits of raising rabbits

4. Dandelion greens

Dandelion greens are some of the most nutritious weeds we can feed rabbits. They have a high mineral and vitamin content that helps to strengthen the immune system and prevent frequent infections and reduce pain and inflammation in rabbits. Dandelion greens are also known to aid in digestion and help prevent heart disease. However, dandelion greens do contain a high level of oxalate acid, so it’s best to feed this type of green in moderation.

 5. Echinacea

Echinacea is a well known and effective medicinal herb that is used for boosting the immune system. It is very useful for rabbits that battle frequent infections and can be used to boost the overall health and vitality of your rabbit. Echinacea does such a good job at rebalancing a rabbit’s immune system that many veterinarians will actually recommend adding it to our rabbit’s regular diet.

 6. Fennel

Fennel is an interesting herb that some rabbits really enjoy, though the flavor tends to be hit or miss. This herb is good for aiding in rabbit digestion by reducing gas, and it can help with symptoms of respiratory illness. There have also been studies done that show fennel seed extract aids in the prevention of kidney disease.

Read also: 7 ways you can make money from rabbit

7. Mint

Mint, including peppermint and spearmint, contains a wide variety of vitamins and nutrients. It helps to reduce inflammation, making it good for helping rabbits with symptoms of arthritis. It can also help with digestive disorders, reducing fever, preventing infections, and treating urinary tract infections. Mint can be a great option for elderly rabbits because of its strong flavor and ability to help alleviate painful joints.

8. Lavender

Like cilantro, lavender has the chemical geraniol, which has anti-tumor properties. This herb also has anti-fungal and blood thinning properties also, reducing cholesterol levels in rabbits. It also has some immune enhancing effects and works as a local anesthetic when used as a topical medication. Despite this, lavender is one of those plants that rabbits usually don’t enjoy very much. They’ll often avoid eating it because of the strong, sweet scent and unappetizing flavor.

9. Parsley

Parsley is a very nutrient dense food that contains many vitamins, nutrients, and minerals that are beneficial to a rabbit’s health. It can alleviate some of the pain from arthritis, reduce the likelihood of cardiovascular disease, protect against digestive disorders and urinary tract infections, and prevent frequent infections. Parsley is also very easy to find in grocery stores and easy to grow in an herb garden.

Read also: Advantages of rabbit farming

10. Rosemary

Rosemary is another useful herb with mild medicinal properties that can help a rabbit’s overall health. It’s good for treating arthritis, preventing heart disease, aiding digestive health, and even helping in the prevention of some tumorous cancers.

11. Thyme

Thyme contains caffeic acid and luteolin which give it antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. It also has blood thinning effects that can help in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Thyme can also be used to alleviate the symptoms of respiratory illnesses and reduce fever in rabbits.

12. Rose Petals

Roses also have some health benefits for rabbits. The petals, in particular, act as an anti-carcinogen and may help in preventing the development of cancer. The petals can also aid in preventing infections, respiratory diseases, and they can help in calming a rabbit by reducing stress and anxiety. Rose hips are also known to aid in a rabbit’s digestive health.

Contributed by Amy Pratt

For more information and updates join our WhatsApp group HERE

Follow us on Twitter Here