Can Rabbits Eat Mushrooms? [Toxic Or Safe?]

Naturally, owners want to bring more diversity into rabbits’ diets, and mushrooms are available and cheap. Can rabbits eat mushrooms, though? Here is what is to know about mushrooms and whether or not they would be a safe choice for your rabbits.

Veterinarians and rabbit experts don’t recommend feeding rabbits mushrooms, not even the types safe for human consumption. Even though there is insufficient data showing mushroom toxicity to rabbits, it’s wiser to exclude this food from the rabbit diet until there is enough data.

There must be a good reason why mushrooms aren’t on any safe rabbit food list. Find out more detailed info about rabbits and mushrooms.

Can Rabbits Eat Store Bought Mushrooms?

Although humans call them vegetables, mushrooms are not veggie nor a fruit but fungi—with completely different structures from other foods consumed by rabbits.

Since mushroom is technically not a plant, and rabbits are herbivores eating a plant-based diet, it’s reasonable to assume this type of food would be hard on a rabbit’s GI tract.

Can rabbits eat mushrooms their owners buy in food stores?

Whereas owners might believe mushrooms found in food stores should be safe food for rabbits, as they are safe for them, this might not be the case.

Unfortunately, no published studies show that store-bought mushrooms have positive or negative benefits on rabbits despite the nutrients.

Can Rabbits Eat Button Mushrooms?

Perhaps button or white mushrooms are the most widely available worldwide and indeed present in many rabbit owners’ fridges.

The nutritional value of these mushrooms, such as high vitamins B and D and many minerals such as potassium, selenium, copper, and zinc, is a great food source for rabbit owners but not proven to be safe for rabbits.

Can Rabbits Eat Portobello Mushrooms?

Despite the good nutrient content, Portobello mushrooms are not shown to be safe for rabbits and shouldn’t be offered to rabbits even in small quantities.

This mushroom may seem harmless, but it’s unknown if it would be toxic to rabbits, even in small amounts.

Can Rabbits Eat Baby Bella Mushrooms?

Many online sources say Baby Bella mushrooms or crimini mushrooms are just “a juvenile Portobello mushroom.”

Like Portobello mushrooms, Baby Bella mushrooms in their earlier mushroom growth stage are not shown to be safe for rabbits to consume.

Can Rabbits Eat Wild Mushrooms?

No rabbits should ever be fed any wild mushrooms, not even the types proven to be safe for humans.

Truth be told, some humans witnessed wild rabbits eating wild mushrooms in the woods and on their properties.

Does this mean that some of them are safe for rabbits, and rabbits can sense which mushrooms are non-toxic?

While this might be the case, the list of all the rabbits’ food in the wild is still unknown.

Can Baby Rabbits Eat Mushrooms?

Even if the mushrooms were safe for rabbits in general, baby rabbits would not be able to eat them.

Mushrooms would negatively affect the baby rabbit’s sensitive digestive tract, harm, and possibly be fatal depending on the mushroom type ingested.

Please do not give any mushrooms in any quantity to baby rabbits or rabbits at any other life stage.

Can Rabbits Eat Sweet Mushrooms?

Sweet mushroom, also called a Candy Cap, is certainly different from other types of mushrooms. This mushroom is small in size but not known to be safe for rabbit consumption.

While most mushrooms have a meaty taste, the sweet mushroom is sweet and smells similar to maple syrup.

Can Rabbits Eat Green Mushrooms?

There are different wild green mushrooms; some are toxic (like Chlorophyllum Molybdites) to humans, while others are eatable for humans, but none of the green mushrooms should ever be fed to rabbits.

Why Can’t Rabbits Eat Mushrooms?

Mushrooms are considered poisonous to rabbits. Even though no scientific data show which ones are toxic vs. nontoxic, veterinarians and rabbit experts suggest keeping the mushrooms out of the rabbit’s diet.

Even if mushrooms would be eatable for rabbits, they would most likely be just a snack, not a part of a balanced diet.

There were numerous cases where pet rabbits ate mushrooms from the yard and got ill.

Luckily, most rabbits got well as they didn’t ingest large amounts of mushrooms, but it could be deadly to them if they did.

Wild Mushrooms In The Yard And Rabbit Safety

If you have a fenced front or back yard and a free-roaming rabbit, there is a chance it can accidentally nibble on some hidden mushrooms.

Mushrooms grow fast, and in no time (even overnight), they grow big enough for your rabbit to nibble on.

Please do not assume your rabbit won’t be interested in the mushrooms just because it didn’t show any interest so far.

It’s safer to remove them and keep your rabbit safe.

There are miscellaneous toxins in mushrooms that the science didn’t explain, yet they are intoxicating humans.

Comparing the human digestive system with the rabbit’s digestive system, it’s expected to do more harm to this small animal.

To learn more about wild mushroom poisonings, as well as different toxins in mushrooms, please visit The North American Mycological Association.

Additional Problem When Rabbit Eats Yard Mushroom

Lawn mushrooms can contain parasites and organisms that can, along with toxins, contribute to health problems for rabbits who ate mushrooms.

Types of organisms that live on mushrooms depend on many factors, including the area you live in, the soil structure, and if any other animals live nearby or even on your property, roaming free in the same place like rabbits.

What To Do With The Mushroom In Your Yard?

If you are concern about the toxicity of mushrooms in your yard

• please find all the types and identify them
• keep your lawn short
• check your yard for mushrooms daily
• pull out the mushrooms as often as possible and wash your hands afterwards
• limit the area where your rabbit can free roam

What To Do If Your Rabbit Ate The Mushroom?

The most common scenario is where the rabbit ate the mushroom in the yard.

It’s doubtful your indoor pet rabbit will eat mushrooms unless it’s given to it, but accidents happen.

You might lose a mushroom while cutting it for your next meal, and your rabbit just happened to be around, grabbed it, and ran away with it.

If you suspect that your rabbit ate a mushroom, these symptoms may occur:

1. unsteadily moving from side to side
2. skittish rabbit is not running away when approached
3. paralyzes of the legs
4. overtiredness
5. faint noises
6. teeth grinding
7. rabbit is sleeping much more than usual
8. rabbit is not urinating

If you know your rabbits well, you will surely notice different behavior indicating something is wrong.

The symptoms above require veterinarian attention.

You may want to call the vet first.

In some cases, it may be too much stress for the rabbit to travel to the vet, and you will most likely be told to monitor its behavior for a while.

Even if the rabbit does not show any symptoms after eating the mushroom, it might start showing after a few hours.

Take a picture of the mushroom as your vet might be familiar with toxic mushrooms in your area.

This way, the vet could identify the toxicity level even before taking the rabbit to the vet.

It might even be helpful to bring a sample of mushrooms from the yard to the vet, the ones your rabbit possibly ingested.

Make sure to store the mushroom carefully and not to touch it.

Try to keep as detailed notes as possible.

Info on these might come helpful…

• what and how much rabbit ate
• if it drank any water
• it the rabbit is urinating or not
• is rabbit pelleting
• anything strange about the pellet consistency and texture
• is the rabbit trying to move
• is rabbit showing interest to be active at all

Even if the rabbit shows little progress over the course of a few hours, such as drinking water or eating to flush out the toxins is a good sign.

Take your rabbit to the vet.

The veterinarian will run the tests and advise about further actions.

Summing-Up on “Can Rabbits Eat Mushrooms” Subject

All the research I’ve done regarding the “Can Rabbits Eat Mushrooms?” question didn’t give evidence that eatable mushrooms for humans would intoxicate and harm rabbits.

Still, little to none is known about how mushrooms would affect a rabbit’s sensitive gastrointestinal tract.

For sure, some owners unconsciously gave mushrooms to their rabbits without having any health issues, but this doesn’t mean mushrooms wouldn’t harm your individual rabbit.

Hopefully, more studies regarding this matter will be done soon, and data will be available; as for now—rabbits should stay away from any type of mushroom, wild or store-bought.