If your rabbit has eaten something harmful, or stops eating or passing droppings, contact a veterinarian who treats rabbits right away, even if your rabbit seems fine. Rabbits cannot vomit, so do not try to make your rabbit throw up.
Why
Potatoes are on the avoid lists of Rabbit.org, the RSPCA, VCA Animal Hospitals and Pasadena Humane. The RSPCA specifies potatoes and sweet potatoes, raw or cooked.
The plant itself is toxic in places. The Merck Veterinary Manual lists potato eyes, new shoots and green parts among foods that are toxic to rabbits, and Rabbit.org notes that potato greens belong to the nightshade family and are toxic.
Starch is the other concern with potatoes. Nutrition scientist Susan Smith, writing for Rabbit.org, explains that starch reaching the cecum is fermented rapidly and can lead to bacterial overgrowth, bloat and gastrointestinal stasis, and the Merck Veterinary Manual notes that excess starch can feed harmful bacteria such as Clostridium spiroforme.
Signs to watch for
- Raw potato pieces, peels and sprouted potatoes
- Green potatoes and potato plants in gardens
- Chips, fries and mashed potato
- Sweet potatoes, which the RSPCA also lists to avoid
- Bloating, hunched posture or fewer droppings after eating starchy food
What to do if your rabbit eats it
- Remove any remaining potato.
- Offer plenty of hay and fresh water.
- Watch appetite and droppings closely for the next 24 hours.
- Call a vet promptly if your rabbit ate green potato, sprouts or leaves, or stops eating or passing droppings.
- Do not try to make your rabbit vomit. Rabbits cannot vomit.
Green potatoes, sprouts and potato leaves
The green parts of the potato are the toxic ones. The Merck Veterinary Manual lists potato eyes, new shoots and green parts as toxic to rabbits, and the poisonous plant list republished by Rabbit.org includes green potato.
Potato peelings in a kitchen bin and sprouting potatoes in a cupboard are the usual sources. Keep potato scraps in a closed bin, and fence off potato plants in a garden where a rabbit roams.
What about sweet potatoes?
Sweet potatoes are not a better choice. The RSPCA lists potatoes and sweet potatoes, raw or cooked, among foods rabbits should not eat, and the Merck Veterinary Manual lists sweet potato among foods to limit.
Sweet potato vines are a separate case. Rabbit.org lists sweet potato vines among leafy greens while stressing they are not regular potato greens, which are toxic. The safest approach is to keep the tuber off the menu entirely.
Chips, fries and mashed potato
Potato dishes for people add salt, fat, butter and often onion or garlic. The RSPCA lists processed foods and sugary or salty human foods among the things rabbits should not eat.
A rabbit that steals a fry needs watching rather than panic, but a rabbit that eats a large amount of any starchy food should be checked by a vet if its appetite or droppings change.
Common questions
Are potatoes good for rabbits?
No. Potatoes are on the avoid lists of Rabbit.org, the RSPCA, VCA Animal Hospitals and Pasadena Humane.
Are potatoes bad for rabbits?
Yes. Signs of poisoning to watch for: raw potato pieces, peels and sprouted potatoes; green potatoes and potato plants in gardens; chips, fries and mashed potato.
Are rabbits allowed to have potatoes?
No, keep them away from your rabbit. If your rabbit eats some anyway: remove any remaining potato.
My rabbit ate a piece of potato. What should I do?
Remove the rest, offer hay and water, and watch the rabbit's appetite and droppings for the next day. Call a vet if the potato was green or sprouted, if the rabbit ate potato leaves, or if the rabbit stops eating or passing droppings.
Can rabbits eat potato peels?
No. Potato peels can include green patches and eyes, which the Merck Veterinary Manual lists as toxic to rabbits.
Sources
- Rabbit.org. Best Vegetables for Rabbits: A Healthy Diet Guide (Paige K Parsons; adapted from WabbitWiki).
- RSPCA. What Do Rabbits Eat? Rabbit Diet Advice.
- Merck Veterinary Manual. Diet for Rabbits (Laurie Hess, DVM, DABVP).
- Merck Veterinary Manual. Nutrition of Rabbits (Joerg Mayer, DVM).
- Rabbit.org. Treat Foods (Susan Smith, PhD).
- Rabbit.org. Poisonous Plants (compiled by the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences).
- VCA Animal Hospitals. Spotlight: Bunny Care Basics.
- Pasadena Humane. Rabbit Safe Vegetable and Fruit List.
- House Rabbit Society. Healthy Rabbit Diet.
- Merck Veterinary Manual. Disorders and Diseases of Rabbits.