Pet Food Ingredient
Rabbit Meal
Novel-protein meal sourced from rabbit, genuinely uncommon in the mass-market pet food supply so most dogs have no prior exposure. Widely used in elimination diets.
Also labelled as
Regulatory status
AAFCO ingredient definition: rendered product from rabbit tissues exclusive of hair, hooves, hides, manure, and stomach contents.
Key notes
- —True novelty means true elimination-diet utility. Royal Canin, Hill's, and several LID brands offer rabbit-based formulas specifically for diagnostic work.
- —Commercial availability is lower than chicken or lamb, so long-term feeding can be logistically harder once diagnosis is complete.
Common alternatives
Common questions
Is rabbit hypoallergenic for dogs?
More so than chicken or lamb, but allergy can develop with repeated exposure. Rabbit is a genuinely novel protein for most commercially-fed dogs — previous exposure is low. That makes rabbit-based elimination diets diagnostically reliable. Once a dog has been fed rabbit for 8-12 weeks, it's no longer novel if allergy develops, which is why rotation is common in managing food-sensitive dogs long-term.
Why is rabbit dog food so expensive?
Supply and scale. Rabbit is not farmed at the same volume as chicken, beef, or lamb, so unit cost is much higher. Commercial rabbit-based pet food typically runs 2-3× the price of equivalent chicken or beef formulas. Cost is a real barrier for long-term feeding after an elimination diet — many owners use rabbit diagnostically, then transition to a less expensive maintenance protein.
Is this ingredient in your pet's food?
Scan the label. If it contains rabbit meal or any of the alternative names above, the scanner will flag it against your pet's allergen profile.
Scan a label →This entry is factual reference. It is not medical or veterinary advice. Consult a veterinarian for any decisions about your pet's diet.