Almonds are one of my favorite snacks; I often have a handful in the early afternoon. For this reason, we always have a bag of these nuts in the pantry, but when my youngest son asked if he could offer some almonds to our rabbits as a treat, I let him know that almonds are not a good option for rabbits.
While almonds are not toxic to rabbits, they are very hard for your rabbit to digest and are not recommendable as a healthy or desired food.
Why Can’t Rabbits Eat Almonds
Almonds are part of the Prunus plant genus, one that is well known for its poisonous seeds (learn more about this in our post on Can Rabbits Eat Peaches).
However, research has shown that the amygdalin within the almond seed does not pose a serious health risk to rabbits if ingested.
So, why can’t rabbits eat almonds?
Because almonds offer imbalance nutrients to your rabbit and are a food that they do not usually ingest.
Therefore, ingesting almond nuts can cause severe digestion blockage, back-up, bloating, and nutrient deficiency in your rabbits.
This is especially dangerous as rabbits cannot throw-up or pass gas! This is why digestive issues are a serious health risk for rabbits.
Almonds Are A Health Risk To Rabbits
Raw, whole almonds offer the following nutrients per 100g serving:
- 4.26g of Water
- 21.4g of Protein
- 51.1g of Lipids
- 10.8g of Dietary Fibers
They also contain a number of vitamins and minerals, including essentials such as:
- Zinc
- Iron
- Potassium
- Magnesium
This all may sound great, especially the large amount of dietary fibers available per serving, after all, rabbits require 75-80% of their diet to be dense fibers!
But we’ve got to realize that along with those fibers comes even more proteins and fats, two nutrients that rabbits do require, but in much smaller doses.
Nibbling on almonds introduces way too many proteins and fats all at once to your rabbit’s digestive system, which is a nutrient composition they are not used to and one that can cause some serious digestive blockage; potentially leading to fatal GI stasis.
In fact, if we humans eat too many nuts at once, we also experience indigestion!
So, What Kinds Of Nuts Can Rabbits Eat
Because all nuts are dense in proteins and fats, we do not recommend offering any type of nut to your bunnies!
They are a healthy and yummy snack for humans, but are just too far outside of your rabbits natural diet to be considered a great food for them.
What Can Rabbits Eat
Rabbits can eat and enjoy a wide variety of healthy plant foods.
As obligate herbivores and high fiber ingesters, we love to provide our rabbits with unlimited hay, measured amounts of rabbit pellets, and a weekly mix of rabbit safe treats which includes fruits, veggies, and herbs.
To learn more about all the great foods you can safely feed your rabbit, check out our post on What Does A Rabbit Eat?
Frequently Asked Questions Related To Can Rabbits Have Almonds
Can Rabbits Eat Walnuts and Peanuts?
No, do not offer your rabbits walnuts or peanuts. Not only are these nuts too high in lipids (fats) and proteins, but walnuts also contain a potentially toxic compound that can harm your animal if eaten in large amounts.
Can Rabbits Eat Pumpkin Seeds?
No, pumpkin seeds are another nut that are simply too dense to be safely enjoyed by rabbits. A few seeds here and there won’t harm your bunny but we do not suggest making it a habit!
Can Rabbits Eat Dried Fruit?
Dried fruit is a bit tricky because it contains 0% water, and digesting it can be extra hard for your rabbits as they have to first work to rehydrate it in their digestive system.
For this reason we have chosen not to offer our bunnies dried fruit, although we have friends that give their rabbits small slices of dried apples as treats and have never had an issue!
Can Rabbits Eat Pecans?
No, just like almonds, pecans are nuts that should not be eaten by rabbits.
Final Thoughts On Can Rabbits Eat Almonds
Nuts, such as almonds, are simply not a part of the natural diet that wild, and later domestic, rabbits have evolved with.
As such, it is much more difficult for bunnies to digest these foods, and there is much less nutritional value present in them for your rabbit.
We suggest keeping the almonds as a snack for yourself and instead focusing on fresh, green veggies, fruits and herbs for your rabbits!