Simple Herbs for a Stressed Out Rabbit

While there are many herbs that will have a calming soothing effect on your rabbit, the ones that I choose to treat with the most are lavender and chamomile. I will also mix some oregano into the feed sometimes as an immune system boost. Just like people, rabbits will have a higher tendency to get sick when they are stressed. When my two does turned eight months old, it was a very hard time. Their hormones were surging, and they were much more irritable than they were just a couple months before.

n an attempt to counter these lovely personality changes, I placed a small, heavy dish that I purchased at the pet store in each of their cages, and filled it with chamomile and a small pinch of lavender if needed. Believe it or not, they love it. They go directly to it and munch away. It does not remove the aggression and irritability completely, but it will temporarily calm them down a bit, and allow them to get some rest. The lavender can have a sedative effect on them, so I use it sparingly.

I generally give only chamomile, but in extreme cases of hair pulling, I will mix in a touch of lavender. The difference in the lavender is that it works with the heart to slow the blood pressure causing a calming effect, while the chamomile works with the brain.

While fresh herbs are best and plentiful in the spring and summer, I use dried herbs through the winter.

Another way to offer chamomile to your rabbit is to brew a tea with it, and offer it to them in a small dish or in an additional water bottle in their cage. If you do this, the tea will need to be changed daily.

(Top photo taken at P.Allen Smith’s Moss Mountain Farm)

Keep in mind that rabbits in the wild, could self medicate themselves with these herbs, and it is amazing to see how drawn they are to the fresh herbs. However, during the winter months, I do use the dried varieties of several different herbs as part of a mixture I add to their pellets.

The basic purposes for each of these herbs:

Chamomile: a natural pain relief, calming effect on stressed rabbit, has antibiotic properties. Lavender: Used sparingly to lower blood pressure, ease nervous tendencies, sedative effects- treats circulation problems.
Oregano: Boost immune system

This is CoCo and Chanel! They are my 8 month old Dwarf- Double Maned Lionhead does. Precious as they look, they are 1.5 and 2 pounds of pure fluff! When they turned 8 months, they became 1.5 & 2 pounds of cute + temper! They were aggressive, territorial, temperamental, and just plain rude. However, at 12 months old, their hormones began to settle down, and slowly they returned to their sweet selves.

I purchase my dried herbs here. Each bag is one pound, and it will last a very long time.