Can rabbits get colic

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2026-02-20 21:20

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Yes! Especially if you feed them too much lettuce.

Lettuce contains a chemical called lactucarium that can cause diarrhoea in rabbits. You shouldn't feed your rabbit any white or light-coloured lettuces because they have lots of lactucarium in them. Dark-coloured lettuces (like romaine) have less lactucarium and are very healthy for bunnies and can be included in the rotation of "salad" greens, but too much can still make them sick. See the related question below for info and links about a healthy rabbit diet.

The bigger problem with belly aches and rabbits is gas.When rabbits have gas, they often decide to stop eating; however, when rabbits stops eating, they quickly go into GI stasis, a deadly illness. (Rabbits can't safely fast for short periods like human, cats, dogs, and many other animals can.) GI stasis can kill a rabbit within a day or two, so it's important to observe your rabbit's appearance and behaviour every day. Many pet bunnies die this way because no one was paying attention. You can treat gas at home with simethicone and belly massage, but if the symptoms don't go away within a few hours you should go to the vet. See the related question below for more info and links.

Foods that cause gas in rabbits include green peppers, and cruciferous vegetables (like cabbage, kale, turnips, watercress and other cress, mustard greens, collards, brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, Chinese greens, rapini/broccoli rabe, rutabaga/swede, arugula/rocket, and radish).

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