The Best Rabbit Dog Food – Reviews and Ratings of the Best Wet and Dry Brands for Optimal Health in 2021

For dogs with allergies, rabbit dog food can be a lifesaver. This is an unusual protein source for dog food. Most brands use chicken or beef for their foods, with pork and turkey being somewhat common as well. However, rabbit is much rarer.

Because of this, allergies to rabbit are also rare since dogs typically develop an allergy after eating one protein source for an extended period. Odds are, your dog has not eaten rabbit very much.

Of course, there are plenty of other reasons you might be searching for a rabbit dog food as well. Picky eating, weak joints, obesity, and cholesterol problems are all common reasons to feed rabbit.

Still, not all rabbit dog food is equal. It can be challenging to pick out the great foods from so-so foods. To help you in this endeavor, we wrote this complete guide to choosing the best rabbit dog food for your canine.

Reviews of the Best Rabbit Dog Foods

Best Dry Rabbit Dog Foods

Macronutrients (Dry-Matter Basis):

• 41.01% Protein
• 23.03% Fat
• 26.97% Carbohydrates

Best Raw Rabbit Meat Dog Food

Out of all the rabbit dry dog foods we reviewed, this was one of the best for your dog’s diet. It includes real, whole rabbit as the first ingredient. It does include other meat sources as the second and third ingredients. However, both of these are from fish, which are also an excellent choice for dogs with allergies. Fish are usually considered a “novel” protein as well. Our dogs aren’t exposed to them as much as other protein sources, making it less likely that they’ll have an allergic reaction to them.

Because of this, this petfood might be an excellent option for dogs with allergies, assuming they are not allergic to rabbit or fish. This food is also grain-free, which is another ingredient dogs are often allergic too.

Overall, this food has a fantastic ingredient list. Meat is included as the first three ingredients in the form of rabbit and two different types of fish. Chickpeas are also included high up on the ingredient list. Chickpeas are a very dense source of protein, and their inclusion is likely one of the reasons this food’s protein content is so high. They are also very high in fiber, which being quite low in fat. However, they are not a complete protein because they do not contain methionine, which is an essential amino acid. This is somewhat concerning since dogs cannot live off of incomplete proteins.

With that said, the high level of meat in this dog food does make us feel confident recommending it despite the use of chickpeas.

The fifth ingredient in this dog food is canola oil. There is some concern over this ingredient, but no definite consensus has been reached.  Overall, it is considered to be a harmless ingredient.

The macronutrient content of this dog food is excellent. It contains over 40% protein, which is more than enough for most canines. Fat is at 23%, with carbohydrates at 26%. Both of these are quite low, though we would have liked to see fat a little higher. As we previously discussed, our dogs naturally eat diets very high in fat. However, this food might be suitable for overweight or obese dogs because of its lower fat content.

Recall Info: Yes

Macronutrients (Dry-Matter Basis):

• 37.78% Protein
• 17.78% Fat
• 35.56% Carbohydrates

Limited Ingredient Rabbit Dog Food with Potato

This grain-free food is decent. The ingredient list is quite good, with a deboned rabbit as the first ingredient. Chicken meal and pork meals are both included in the first five ingredients. This diversifies the protein sources your dog eats, which is an excellent option for most dogs. It prevents allergies from forming and ensures your pooch is getting a complete diet. Plus, dogs tend to prefer food with multiple sources of meat included.

However, this does mean that this food is not suitable for dogs with a chicken or pork allergy. Dogs with sensitivities might be able to handle this food depending on the severity of their allergy, given that rabbit is the first ingredient.

Because of this, we recommend this food mostly to dogs who are prone to allergies but have yet to develop them – like dogs belonging to the American Pit Bull Terrier, Bichon, Boxer, Bull Terrier, or Cocker Spaniel breeds. This food provides three sources of protein, which decreases the chance that your pooch will develop an allergy.

Merrick, the creator of this dog food, does not experience many recalls, and most of the recalls that do happen are not very serious. They did have several recalls in 2011, but they have only had one since 2015 – which shows clear progress in how their food is manufactured and handled. In general, this is a pretty trustworthy brand. They were pointed out in a recent FDA investigation, however, where it was found that their dog foods might be connected to a rising, diet-linked heart disorder in canines. This report included 16 dog food brands, however, and this one was lower on the list.

With all of that said, this food’s macronutrient content was not the best. Carbohydrates are very high at over 35%, which is far higher than most foods we recommend. Protein is decent at nearly 37%. However, fat is deficient at only 17.78%. We would have much rather seen the fat content higher and the carbohydrate content much lower.

Recall Info: Rarely

Macronutrients (Dry-Matter Basis):

• 42.22% Protein
• 18.89% Fat
• 30% Carbohydrates

This food is a solid choice for dogs without allergies who would benefit from consuming a large variety of proteins. Rabbit is not the first ingredient listed. It doesn’t appear until much further down in the ingredient list. However, deboned duck is the first ingredient. This ingredient is also considered a “novel” protein because it is not a common ingredient in dog food.

However, chicken meal follows as a second ingredient, which is one of the more common ingredients that dogs are allergic too. Because of this, this dog food is not particularly useful for those with allergies, unless your dog is allergic to something that doesn’t appear on the ingredient list. It is a somewhat suitable choice for those who are interested in rabbit for a different reason.

The vast majority of ingredients on this list are meats. Potatoes and sweet potatoes are included. These are starchy veggies that don’t provide much nutritional benefit, and they can cause your dog’s blood pressure to spike. This food is also not suitable for dogs with diabetes or prediabetes because of this.

The macronutrient content of this food is quite good. Protein is over 40%, though fat is somewhat low at 19%. Carbohydrates are at 30%, which is so-so when compared to what our dogs would naturally eat in the wild.

This food is a decent choice for most dogs, but it is not one of the best – especially if your dog has allergies or you want food with lots of rabbit in it. While this food does include rabbit in the description, it is not included very high on the ingredient list. For most people, this wouldn’t be a huge problem. But, if you’re specifically looking for a rabbit dog food, this can be an issue. This is one of the main reasons we only rated this food at 3.5.

Recall Info: Rarely

Best Rabbit Wet Dog Foods

Best Limited Ingredient Rabbit Dog Food

If your dog has severe allergies, this is one of the best dog foods you can choose. It is made of minimal ingredients and only contains rabbit and chickpeas, as well as a variety of added vitamins and minerals. Even if your dog is allergic to a whole host of animal proteins, if they can stomach rabbit, this food should be excellent. It is also grain-free and only contains one veggie – chickpeas.

This dog food is made in the USA using only the finest ingredients available. The rabbit included is farm-raised, and the food is in a loaf-texture, which is suitable for most dogs.

The macronutrient content of this dog food is pretty good, given that it is just made out of rabbit. Protein is above 45%, which is one of the highest out of all the dog foods we’ve reviewed. Fat is somewhat low, at 13.64%. However, this is mostly because rabbit contains very little fat by itself. Most dog foods bulk the fat content of their rabbit formulas with chicken or a similar protein because of this. This dog food is designed to be made with very few ingredients, though, which means it cannot increase its fat content through these means.

The carbohydrate content could be a little lower, but it is decently low at 27.27%. We would like it to be a little lower, but it is much better than most of the other dog foods on the market currently.

Overall, this is fantastic dog food for those with severe allergies. It is somewhat more expensive, but this is mostly because it is made of almost nothing but rabbit, which is expensive in its own right. If your dog does not have a severe allergy, you may be better off choosing a less expensive rabbit formula.

Recall Info: Yes

Macronutrients (Dry-Matter Basis):

• 42.86% Protein
• 25% Fat
• 21.43% Carbohydrates

This is another fantastic choice. Rabbit is included as the first ingredient, with water as the second. The water is just necessary for processing and making wet food actually “wet.” It does not “water down” the nutritional content of the food. All of our macronutrient calculations are determined based on the nutritional content of the food if it contained no water, which allows us to compare wet and dry food more efficiently.

Pork liver is included as the third ingredient, and egg protein is included as the fourth. Some dogs might be allergic to these ingredients, though they do cause allergies less often than chicken and beef. If your dog is not allergic to one of these ingredients, you should have no problem feeding them this dog food, though. They help increase the overall nutritional content of the food and raise the fat content a bit, which can be significant given that rabbit does not contain very much fat by itself.

In total, this food contains 25% fat and 42.86% protein. This is quite good, especially when compared to other dog food formulas on the market. This is one of the better macronutrient contents we have come across. Carbohydrates are at 21.43% and could be a little lower. However, it is not high enough for us to mark this food down at all.

One note of warning: this food does seem to have a lower calorie content than most foods. This means you will need to feed your dog more of it, which can increase your overall cost. With that said, this food might be an excellent choice for dogs that are overweight or obese for this very reason – they can eat the same amount without actually eating the same number of calories.

Recall Info: None

Macronutrients (Dry-Matter Basis):

• 36.36% Protein
• 22.73% Fat
• 27.27% Carbohydrates

As another single-ingredient dog food, this is another solid choice for dogs with lots of allergies. The only meat source it includes is rabbit and rabbit broth, both of which are not heavily associated with food allergies in dogs.

The use of broth instead of water in this recipe increases the overall nutritional value since rabbit broth has more nutrients in it than plain water. This also helps increase the fat and protein content, since the broth is mostly just fat and protein, to begin with.

Pea flour is included as the third ingredient. This is not a particularly great choice and is the reason why we had to mark this food down by half a point. Peas have quite a bit of protein in them, but it is not a complete protein and does not contain all the amino acids our dogs need. It throws off the protein content of the food, though, and often makes food look like it has more meat in it than it does. Furthermore, it has been linked to a heart condition in dogs by the FDA. The reason for this is currently unclear, but some experts are suggesting that peas interfere with Taurine production or absorption, which can lead to heart problems.  Having pea flour so high on the ingredient list is worrisome for this reason.

With that said, everything else about this adult dog food is excellent. The macronutrient content is decent, though we would like to see the carbohydrate content a little lower. The rest of the ingredient list is solid as well. This food is made with very few ingredients, which makes it less likely that your pet will have an allergic reaction to something. 

Recall Info: None

Read More Dog Food Reviews: Best Pitbull Food and Best Diabetic Dog Food

Why You Should Trust Us

I’ve been a dog owner my whole life, growing up with puppies to adopting my newest pup, Max. We have reviewed hundreds of different dog foods over the years, so we have an expert view of what the market currently offers. All of our reviews are based on scientific evidence, not marketing campaigns or ads. We carefully stay up to date on the latest research so that we can recommend only the best to you and your pets. 

Before making it into any article, each dog food has to pass a rigorous review process that involves more than just surface-level information. We calculate all of our own macronutrient data. While we pay attention to the ingredient list, we also consider macronutrient ratios and recall frequency. Additionally, we speak to the dog food brands, vets, and dog trainers to make sure our recommendations are the most healthy options for your dog.

Why should you feed your dog rabbit meat?

Allergies are the number one reason most dog owners choose to feed their canine rabbit.

Unlike people, dogs develop allergies after eating a particular protein source for an extended period. Over time, dogs begin to lose their ability to digest specific proteins, which makes their immune system act up. This immune response causes allergies, which usually show up as itching and redness.

The most common protein sources used in dog food today are beef and chicken. Because of this, many dogs spend much of their lives consuming these proteins, and some dogs eventually become allergic to them.

Rabbit is quite rare, which makes allergies to it much less common. If your dog has allergies, switching to a rabbit dog food is a great option. This is especially true if the dog food is limited-ingredient.

Furthermore, rabbit contains almost all-white-meat. This is less calorie-dense than dark meat, which means rabbit is generally lower calorie than other protein options. If your dog is obese or prone to being obese, this is a suitable option. Rabbit is also higher in protein than some other meat sources, making it a suitable choice for canines in need of a high-protein diet. It also is a complete protein, which means it contains all the necessary amino acids your dog needs.

Rabbit meat is very nutrient-packed as well, primarily if the organs are used. It is an excellent source of vitamin B12. This vitamin is essential for nervous system functioning, making it an excellent choice for older dogs and puppies.

If your dog has high cholesterol, you’ll be happy to find out that rabbit meat is lower in cholesterol than other meats. Merely switching to this meat source can be a great way to lower your canine’s cholesterol.

Rabbit may also help dogs who have sensitive stomachs, for similar reasons it doesn’t cause allergies. Rabbit is usually considered a “novel” protein, which just means your dog likely hasn’t been exposed to it very much.

Is rabbit good for dogs?

Yes, rabbit is perfect for dogs in a variety of ways.

Firstly, the macronutrient content is outstanding. Studies have found that in the wild, our dogs would eat a diet consisting of approximately 30% protein, 63% fat, and 7% carbohydrates. Rabbit meat has one of the highest percentages of protein out there at nearly 20.8%. For comparison, pork is 11.9%, beef is 16.3%, and chicken is 20%.

At the same time, rabbit is quite low in fat at only 4.5%. Chicken is 17.9% fat, while beef is 28.0% fat. While our dogs need more fat than rabbit offers, they can usually get it from other sources in their dog food. The low-fat content might be especially useful for overweight dogs, though, or those whose stomachs are sensitive to fat.

Rabbit is also significantly higher in certain nutrients when compared to common protein sources. In particular, it is much more abundant in calcium and phosphorus. Calcium is essential to bone health, while phosphorus is also a significant component of our dogs’ bones. This makes rabbit an excellent choice for older dogs or those with already weak bones.

Rabbit meat is also significantly lower in cholesterol when compared to other meat sources, with only 56.4 mg per gram of meat. For comparison, beef has a content of 114.5 mg of cholesterol per gram. For dogs with high cholesterol, this is a significant difference and can seriously help them manage their condition.

Furthermore, rabbit meat is not a common source of allergens among dogs. This is not because of something in the meat itself. Instead, it is because dogs just don’t eat rabbits as much as they eat other protein sources.

Because dogs typically develop allergies after being exposed to a food overtime, rabbit usually is not on the list of allergens. If your dog has developed an allergy to chicken or beef, rabbit dog food is an excellent option to switch to. Just remember to switch your dog’s protein source often. Otherwise, they’ll develop an allergy to rabbit as well.

How We Choose the Best Rabbit Dog Foods

When we rank each dog food, there are many different factors we look at.

Firstly, for this article, in particular, we checked to see if each rabbit dog food contained substantial amounts of rabbit. Many dog foods will list “rabbit” in their formula name, while rabbit is very far down in the ingredient list. Many rabbit dog foods contain chicken as the first ingredient.

Since you’re reading this article, we’re assuming you want a rabbit dog food for an important reason. Because of this, we focused on foods that contained rabbit – not just listed it in their recipe name.

Secondly, we looked at the overall ingredient list for each food. Besides just check for rabbit meat, we took a look at all the ingredients to determine if the food was high-quality. Rabbit meat might be a perfect choice for some dogs, but a rabbit dog food stuffed with fillers and less-than-optimal ingredients typically aren’t the best option. The type of rabbit matters too of course. Rabbit meal is better than rabbit by-products. 

We strive to choose foods free of fillers, preservatives, or artificial preservatives. Instead, we ranked foods high if they include high-quality protein sources, whole grains, digestible carbs, natural fats, and plenty of nutritional supplements.

Thirdly, we took a look at the macronutrient content of each dog food. This is the percentage of protein, fats, and carbohydrates each food contains and is one of the most critical parts of choosing a dog food. Food might have a great ingredient list and whole rabbit listed as the first ingredient, but if it has 30% or more carbohydrates in it, it likely isn’t the best option.

Macronutrients are the main building blocks our dogs eat to survive, so their food must meet this crucial nutritional need. As we previously stated, our dogs would naturally eat a diet containing 30% protein, 63% fat, and 7% carbohydrates in the wild. We ranked foods higher if they came close to this natural diet.

We also considered extra ingredients that may be beneficial to your canine, like riboflavin supplements, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin b12 supplements, vitamin d3 supplements, copper proteinate, and zinc proteinate.