Rabbit
54 foods contain this ingredient
This is an alphabetical list, not a ranking. Add KL+ to rank foods for your pet in the Food Finder.
About Rabbit
Rabbit is a single-source animal protein in dog and cat food, valued mainly as a novel option for pets that react to more common meats.
Rabbit is used in pet foods as a novel or alternative animal protein source for dogs and cats, prized for lean, highly digestible muscle protein and often selected for pets with food sensitivities. It supplies essential amino acids and low fat, but owners should choose complete, balanced formulations (cats especially need adequate taurine), be mindful of mineral imbalances if bone-in/whole‑prey ingredients are included, and avoid improperly handled raw rabbit due to food‑safety risks.
Related ingredients
- Derived from
- farmed rabbit muscle meat, sometimes with organs or meal
- Primary role
- novel protein for elimination diets
Why it's used
Because rabbit rarely appears in everyday commercial diets, veterinary dermatologists commonly select it for elimination diet trials to help identify whether a dog or cat's symptoms are tied to a food protein. Clinical use in novel-protein and hydrolyzed diet trials has shown improvement in itching and GI signs for many food-allergic patients when the diet is fed exclusively for several weeks.
Common concerns
- Only works as novel if truly new Rabbit's usefulness in an elimination trial depends on the individual pet never having eaten it before, so a prior history of rabbit-containing treats or foods can undermine the trial.
- Balance still required A rabbit-based diet still needs to meet complete-and-balanced nutrient standards, since lean muscle meat alone does not supply all needed vitamins, minerals, and (for cats) taurine.
- Raw handling As with any raw meat, improperly handled raw rabbit carries a documented risk of bacterial contamination such as Salmonella.
Also relevant
Elimination diet trials using novel proteins like rabbit are typically fed exclusively for several weeks (commonly four to twelve) before a rechallenge, per veterinary dermatology protocols.
Common Questions
What category is Rabbit?
Rabbit is categorized as a protein ingredient in the KibbleLab database.
Is Rabbit part of an allergen group?
Yes. Rabbit is grouped under the Red Meat allergen group in the KibbleLab database.
Which foods contain Rabbit?
54 foods in the KibbleLab database contain Rabbit, including Merrick, Nature's Logic, NutriSource.
Foods with Rabbit
Alphabetical by brand. Scores run 0 to 10, higher is better, on published veterinary science.
Find the right food for your pet
Sign in free to sort and filter by score, and avoid or require Rabbit in the Food Finder. Add KL+ to see these foods ranked for your pet's breed, age, and health focus.
Continue with Google
Continue with Facebook