If you ask me, there’s not much food that can beat some beans in the summer. I mean, freshly made beans are some of the best side dishes there are so it’s only natural to ask yourself can rabbits eat beans.
To be completely honest, there’s nothing wrong with giving some beans to your rabbit, but just once in a while and as a treat and not as a regular part of your pet’s diet.
I’ve also asked myself that some time ago, and I’m going to share with you all that I learned since posing that question. Like with all food (except rabbit pellets) there are some specific things you’ll need to write down in order to ensure your pet’s well-being and health.
There’s no such thing as bad food, but there are bad quantities of it so to find out how much beans and how often to feed to your bunny, and some additional tips and tricks I suggest you scroll through and pay close attention.
Let’s go!
Can Rabbits Eat Beans? The Ultimate Guide
When I want to implement a new food in my rabbit’s diet, what I first do is look at the nutritional value of said food. If we’re talking about veggies, it’s much easier to make a decision whether to implement it or not. This is due to vegetables not containing simple sugars of any sort or harmful ingredients like food that comes out of the factory.
To show you how easy it is to make sure if a vegetable is safe for your pet or not, I made a table that contains everything you need to know about beans and their nutritional value:
| INGREDIENT | AMOUNT |
|---|---|
| Carbs | 45 g |
| Fiber | 15 g |
| Protein | 15 g |
| Fat | 1 g |
| Calcium | 8% RDI |
| Magnesium | 21% RDI |
| Iron | 20% RDI |
| Phosphorus | 25% RDI |
| Folate (Vitamin B-9) | 74% RDI |
| Potassium | 21% RDI |
*RDI – Recommended Daily Intake
There are a few things that caught my eye while making this table. I’d like to share those things with you and break them down one by one so you better understand how nutritious beans are.
Carbohydrates
Everyone who hears “carbohydrates” always thinks “that’s bad” but that’s not necessarily true. Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy for all living things including rabbits.
The only time carbohydrates cause complications is when you go overboard with them. Excess energy that is found in carbs is then stored in fat and causes all sorts of problems.
Since you won’t be giving your pet a full cup of boiled beans, they won’t ingest 45 grams of it, so be calm when thinking about this.
Fiber
I can’t stress enough how important fiber is. It’s responsible for good digestion and a healthy tummy in your pet. For that reason alone I recommend fiber-rich food as a staple in your rabbit’s everyday diet.
As you can see from the table – beans are very rich in fiber and can take care of your pet’s needs in that field. This can stop diarrhea, prevent tummy aches and even regulate their digestive tract.
Protein
Everyone who’s ever googled any food knows how crucial protein is. There’s nothing much to say here, the only thing to take notice of is that protein-rich food is welcomed in your rabbit’s diet for various reasons.
The biggest one is muscle tissue recovery and energy which rabbits need a lot of.
Fat
Not only fat doesn’t have a big place in your pet’s diet, but it’s certainly one of the least desired ingredients in any food you think of giving to your pet.
Fortunately, beans are very low in fat and that makes them perfectly safe for rabbit consumption.
Especially if your pet has some extra pounds on them, this is a perfect food to lower the weight and keep their cardiovascular system in check.
Calcium
Rabbits can seem small and fragile but in reality, they have really strong bones that help them be agile and move with ease.
If you want to keep it that way, you should implement calcium-rich food in your pet’s regular diet because calcium is one of the most important ingredients for healthy and strong bones and teeth.
Rabbits also tend to eat some food that can damage their teeth over time so soft beans are a really good way to ensure your rabbit has some strong teeth!
Magnesium
Muscle and nerve function is the most important thing for any living being, and that’s exactly why rabbits need magnesium as much as we do.
Sugar levels in the blood and their regulation is another big thing that magnesium helps with. Keep this in mind because rabbits tend to like sugary foods which are not the best for their cardiovascular system.
Blood pressure is the third important thing magnesium has an effect on. All of these three things are as vital as they can be so magnesium level in beans is crucial to your rabbit’s diet.
Iron
Iron is a crucial component of blood. In order to ensure your rabbit’s well-being in every aspect feed it a lot of iron-rich food. Every muscle in your pet’s body is fed by blood and a healthy level of iron is something to keep an eye out for in every moment.
Phosphorus
Every cell of every tissue is repaired by phosphorus. So in a situation where your pet injures itself a healthy level of phosphorus will wean a speedy recovery process. Even carbohydrates and fats are dissolved partially by phosphorus so it has a dietary role as well as a role in tissue recovery.
Folate (Vitamin B-9)
Brain and spine defects can occur when there is an insufficient level of B-9 vitamin in your pet’s diet. Nobody wants to see that happen to their pet, so in order to avoid this, your pet needs a lot of this ingredient.
As you can see from the table, beans have a high dose of B-9 even for human consumption, so there is no need to be worried if your bunny has had enough of it.
Potassium
Nerve signals and muscle contractions are highly dependent on the potassium level in your pet’s body.
You all know how energetic bunnies are and how much they move around. To keep it that way you need to provide food with enough potassium in it for your rabbit.
Beans have some, but that’s not enough for them so you’ll probably have to supplement it from other veggies.
How To Feed Beans To Your Rabbit?
In this particular case, the simplest option is the best one for your pet. What I mean by this is that your pet is best fed with raw beans because it ensures you don’t lose any of the nutrients found in it by cooking or boiling it.
This doesn’t mean boiled beans are bad, it just means that the raw ones are better. I suggest you give your rabbit three to four bean strips once every two weeks to munch on, so you are sure no negative side effects occur.
Boiled beans are totally fine, but you just need to remember that treating any vegetable with heat causes some of the nutritional values to vaporize. If you decide to go with boiled beans I’d recommend you keep the same quantity as with the raw ones.
Frying or anything that involves oil is forbidden for rabbits as it can seriously harm their cardiovascular system, cause fatty liver, and be lethal in the long run.
Potential Negative Side Effects
Besides the side effects of frying these, there are things that can happen even if you feed your rabbit with raw or boiled beans. None of these are serious, but you should keep an eye out for them just in case.
The biggest one is indigestion. This can happen with any food if given in too big of a quantity for your pet to ingest. Beans are not an exception to this rule, so be careful when feeding your pet with it so you don’t go overboard.
Bloating is also another digestive problem that can potentially occur. It’s nothing seriously harmful but it’s quite an unpleasant experience for your rabbit.
For this reason, alone I’d avoid feeding your pet with beans more than I’ve recommended just to prevent any bloating or indigestion.
Final Thoughts
Being fully educated on can rabbits eat beans you can now make up your own mind if you’re going to do this or not. There’s nothing wrong with giving your rabbit some beans as an occasional treat, but nothing more than that.
Furthermore, you should pay attention to how your rabbit reacts to beans the first couple of times you do this because every animal is different and can react differently to the same food.
I suggest picking up some fresh beans and giving them a chance because your bunny will love it and you’ll have a new reason to pick them up every time you go shopping!