One of my daughters was snacking on some pistachios near our rabbits and asked ‘Can bunnies eat pistachios?‘
No, rabbits should not eat pistachios. Pistachios are high in fat and low in fiber. Rabbits need and are designed to process foods that are generally low in fat and high in fiber. Although pistachios are packed with nutrients, the rabbit’s digestive system will struggle to process pistachios.
For primary reasons NOT to feed your rabbit pistachios, read below!
The part about drupes and botanical nuts really surprised me
and may be very interesting to you!
What Are Pistachios?
Pistachios are a nut about the size of a peanut that grow on a pistachio tree.
This Healthline article explains that the pistachio tree is part of the same family as cashew and mango trees. It can grow up to 40 feet tall and is native to the Middle East. Each spring, the trees grow clusters of fruits known as drupes. Over time, these drupes slowly harden and turn red.
Inside the hard, red drupe is a green and purple seed: a pistachio.
As seeds of a drupe, pistachios are not a true “botanical nut”, but most of the world treats them as nuts. Other drupe seeds that we generally referred to as nuts include almonds, cashews, and pecans.
Further, Healthline outlines that pistachios are very nutritious, with a 1-ounce (28-gram) serving of about 49 pistachios (a large handful) containing the following:
- Calories: 159
- Carbs: 8 grams
- Fiber: 3 grams
- Protein: 6 grams
- Fat: 13 grams (90% are unsaturated fats)
- Potassium: 6% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)
- Phosphorus: 11% of the RDI
- Vitamin B6: 28% of the RDI
- Thiamine: 21% of the RDI
- Copper: 41% of the RDI
- Manganese: 15% of the RDI
Notably, pistachios are very high in vitamin B6, facilitating better blood sugar regulation and the formation of hemoglobin, a molecule that carries oxygen in red blood cells. Pistachios are also rich in potassium, with one ounce containing more potassium than half of a large banana.
Why Can’t Rabbits Eat Pistachios and Other Nuts (Peanuts, Walnuts, Almonds, Cashews, Hazelnuts, Pecans)?
The digestive tract of the rabbit is designed to process grass, hay, and other plant materials that are high in fiber and generally low in protein. The enzymes and flora in the rabbit’s gut are designed to digest plant material.
As such, the rabbit’s digestive tract is NOT designed to digest pistachios and other nuts which are relatively high in protein (compared to grass and plants). Similarly, the enzymes and flora found in the rabbit’s gut are not designed to digest nuts of any kind.
A rabbit that eats a significant amount of nuts will get ill and perhaps die, particularly if a digestive blockage forms.
Why is a Rabbit’s Digestive System so Sensitive?
A rabbit’s digestive system is very sensitive, much more sensitive than the typical human digestive system. This means that the kinds of foods that a rabbit can process and digest are fairly limited compared to the broad range of foods that humans can process and digest.
A Rabbit’s digestive system is not designed to process an abundance of sugar, salt, milk, grains, nuts, spices, or oils. In particular, the rabbit’s digestive system in not designed to digest processed foods.
The rabbit’s digestive system has evolved over thousands of years to digest foods that the rabbit may typically find on or close to the ground in its local, indigenous environment. This means predominantly grass or hay, leafy green vegetables, and water. Some pellets that are manufactured and designed for rabbits may be used to augment a rabbit’s primary grass and hay-based diet.
The rabbit receives its vitamins, trace minerals and other required nutrients from the high fiber, plant based foods it eats and the water it drinks! In addition, the unique gut flora or microbiota of rabbits is easily thrown out of balanced by feeding them inappropriate foods. In fact, too many hard to digest foods may lead to Cecal Dysbiosis.
Note: Pistachios are sometimes found in granola! In a separate post, we answered the question – Can Rabbits Eat Granola?
What If My Rabbit Eats Pistachios?
If you know or suspect that your rabbit ate more than a few pistachios, or any other nut such as cashews, peanuts, almonds, observe your rabbits behavior carefully.
If the rabbit has loose poop or diarrhea, is not pooping, seems to be in pain, or if you have any doubts about the health of your rabbit, then contact your veterinarian immediatly for advice and assistance.
Here is a nice video showing how pistachio nuts are harvested and processed.
Final Thoughts
We’ve published a very helpful Guide to The Best Foods for Rabbits. This guide discusses the best diet for your rabbit and suggests healthy vegetable and fruits treats for rabbits. Additionally, it provides examples of foods that are healthy for rabbits and foods that you should not feed your rabbits.
As we discussed, pistachios are very nutritious for humans, but rabbits should not eat pistachios because:
- Pistachios are high in fat and low in fiber which make them hard for a rabbit to digest.
- Rabbits naturally requires low fat and high fiber foods.
However, pistachios in and of themselves are not poisonous to your rabbit. Your bunnies are not likely to have any issues if they nibble just one or two pistachios accidentaly! If in doubt about your rabbit’s health and well-being, then contact your veterinarian.