NO. Almonds are bad for rabbits. Almonds mainly contain high protein and fat.
These nutrients are generally unhealthy for rabbits. Do not include it as a part of the rabbit’s diet.
Risk of Feeding Almonds
- Poisoning: Almonds contain a poison called cyanide. This can cause issues in small doses but is likely worse the more your rabbit eats. Signs of cyanide poisoning in rabbits include seizures, high fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, inflammation, and depression. Get your rabbit to a vet ASAP if they have any of these.
- Fatty liver disease: Eating foods high in fat too often can cause fat-related diseases. Signs of this are weight loss, dehydration, lethargy, loss of appetite, and smaller fecal droppings.
- Diarrhea: Feeding your rabbit the wrong diet or changing it suddenly can cause your rabbit to have loose stools. This can result in dehydration and discomfort if it continues long-term.
- Obesity: If your rabbit ate lots of starchy food, they’d begin to put weight on. Too little exercise and the wrong diet can end up with your rabbit becoming obese. Once they are obese, they can have problems with their skin, mobility, heart, and more.
- Uneaten cecotropes: If your rabbit isn’t getting enough fiber and eating food like almonds, they’ll end up with soft cecotropes, which they won’t want to eat. This means they’ll miss out on nutrients that they’d otherwise get.
- Gastrointestinal (GI) stasis: Eating the wrong diet can disrupt the bacteria in your rabbit’s gut. This creates painful gas and can be fatal if not treated quickly. Signs of this include if your rabbit is hunched over, not eating, depressed, or grinding its teeth. If they have any of these symptoms, they’ll need immediate veterinary attention.
These are the more common issues linked to rabbits eating food like almonds. If your rabbit eats almonds and you’re concerned, always speak to a vet.
What if My Rabbit Ate Almonds?
The most important thing to do if your rabbit has eaten almonds is to remove any remaining almonds and closely monitor them for the next 24 hours.
You need to be watching out for any signs of cyanide poisoning, fatty liver disease, and gastrointestinal stasis. General indicators that something is wrong include if your rabbit’s eating or toilet habits change.
If your rabbit has only had a small number of almonds, it might not suffer too much. Feed them hay and water and keep an eye on them for the next day in case they start showing symptoms that something is wrong.
The best option if your rabbit has eaten something bad and you suspect poisoning is to consult your vet as soon as you can.
