Medicinal Foods: Here you will find a list of foods that have such a nutritional content that they can be fed as medicinal foods. Some of these foods should be fed regularly to keep your rabbit healthy and prevent disease. Others can be fed to cure certain illnesses. The descriptions below tell a little bit about what each food can be used for. Please take the time to read these descriptions carefully, as these natural remedies are often the difference between life and death for your rabbit.
- Most garden herbs - see below for a list of edible herbs and their uses.
- Banana/skins - these are rich in potassium, fiber, and Vitamin C, and contain plenty of calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, and Vitamins A and B. The acid in bananas is useful for preventing or treating furballs. This is also useful for curing constipation. Banana/skins should be fed in small amounts regularly.
- Garlic - has long been noted for its antibiotic, antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial properties. It is also used for preventing/treating worms and other internal parasites. It is useful for preventing/curing a multitude of other ailments, but never feed any part of the garlic plant in excessive quantities, as Garlic, like all other bulbous plants, can have adverse affects upon your rabbit.
- Pineapple & juice - The high acidity of this fruit is very useful for preventing or treating furballs. Pineapple is also very good for aiding digestion, and is reputed to kill intestinal worms.
- Sow Thistle - This "weed" is almost any rabbit's favourite food. Rabbits find this plant irresistible, so it is useful for feeding to bunnies that have "gone off" their food. Its many medicinal properties make it a very healthy snack, and it can be fed in generous quantities without the rabbit experiencing stomach upsets.
- Milk Thistle - This plant is very useful for keeping rabbits' livers healthy and curing lactation problems by increasing and enriching a nursing rabbit's milk supply. It is also said to be a treatment for food poisoning.
- Blackberry/raspberry leaves and stems - have astringent properties and are useful for curing diarrhea, not to mention the healthy vitamins they contain.
Herbs:
All herbs, excepting parsley, should only be fed medicinally. They can have a harmful effect when fed in excessive quantities.
- Mint - relieves indigestion and respiratory problems as well as helping to reduce the mother's milk supply when her young are ready for weaning.
- Basil - useful for relieving constipation, diarrhea, and other digestive problems.
- Rosemary/Lavender - uterine stimulants, so can be used to induce labour. Can cause digestive problems, so feed with caution.
- Parsley - rich in Vitamins A, B, C, D, & E, iron, calcium, and contains dozens of other beneficial minerals. Best fed in regular sprigs as a health booster.
- Thyme - is a natural antiseptic, antifungal and antiparasitic, and has also been used to treat diarrhea and lack of appetite.
- Sage - useful as an astringent, antiseptic, & anti irritant.
- Fennel - increases a nursing mother's milk supply, and the leaves or stems pounded into a paste can be applied to ease mastitis. It acts as an appetite depressant, so can be useful when trying to make an obese rabbit lose weight, but be wary about feeding to rabbits that are already a healthy weight.
- Marjoram - has been used to relieve congestion, indigestion, stomach upsets, and nervous disorders.
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