Cooking a rabbit

[Dot, Maggie and KoKo]

Having never cooked rabbit, I really don't know where to start.  KoKo has some sort of an allergy and the vet wants me to feed her something she has never had before as a way of clearing out her system.  She suggested alligator, kangaroo, ostrich or rabbit.  KoKo will eat only one of these proteins with a carb (most likely sweet potato) for two months.  At that point I will begin to introduce one other food and so on.  Rabbit can be purchased at a butcher shop in the next town so I think that is what we will use.  They sell it as a whole rabbit.  I've never eaten rabbit or even seen one ready for cooking so it kind of creeps me out.  I am hoping the butcher will at least cut it up for me.  Does anyone know how I should cook it?  When I spoke to the butcher when trying to locate a source he said he could grind it but I would have to feed it raw.    There is a company that sells pre-made meals of rabbit and squash (like a tv dinner) but that would cost me about $100 per week.  Any help/recommendations would be appreciated.

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Okay, this is a first I am sure. LOL

Seems to me if it tastes like chicken (so many say that) then you should be able to cook it like one. I would try the roasting or boiling approach.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There are limited ingredient kibbles that use rabbit and kangaroo as the protein sources. They are intended for exactly what your vet is recommending, using a novel protein source to test for allergies. (It's not really a way to "clean out her system"; it's because she can't have an allergic reaction to something she's been exposed to, so if she still has whatever the issue is after being on a novel diet for two months, you know that her food wasn't the problem.)

Natural Balance has a Rabbit/Potato formula, and California Naturals has a Kangaroo/Lentil formula. They are used for elimiation diets and for dogs with IBD. Addiction foods has other exotic formulas as well. And Bravo sells a raw rabbit diet. It's very expensive, though.

Otherwise, I am sure you can find instructions for cooking rabbit on-line. I do know that boning them is a PITA, and it takes a LOT of rabbits to get enough food for a standard-sized dog. A girl in my IBD group cooks rabbit for her Rottweiler.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Rabbit for a rottweiler, OMD.

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

what do you feed your rottidoodle F?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Rabbit and quinoa, no less. And that's his whole diet. Here I thought I went to a lot of trouble for JD, lol!

[Elizabeth, Bailey & Bruin]

I wonder if you could have him grind it up and you could cook it like hamburger meat.  Just saute in a pan and be done with it.

Or like Lisa says and boil or roast it...

[Judy, Meg & Polly Wolly Doodle]

You can do anything to a rabbit that you could do to a chicken.  I would imagine in this case stewed or boiled where you can pick it off the bone...

[Donna K & Quincy]

Just boil it until you can get it off the bones but there is not a whole lot of meat on a rabbit.  Rabbit bones are very, very sharp and you need to make abolutely sure there are no little bones left in. Too bad you don't live around here we could go out and catch you some for free. :>) This sounds like an expensive undertaking and I would be more inclined to check out the food Karen suggested.

[Deanna & Desi & Cori]

Please, please, please Sedona - don't ever need this kind of thing!!!  I don't cook for my human family, so I can't imagine cooking for my dog - especially rabbit!  I'm grossed out right now!!!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I don't cook either, Deanna.  My guys would be SOL if I was supposed to cook for them.....

[Linda And Loo]

Dad would go rabbit hunting when we were kids. Mom always fried it like chicken. If I was going to feed it to my dog, I would boil until it was tender enough to debone! Good luck!

[Sharon & Monty]

I ate lots of rabbit as a child, and yes it is delicous.  Slow cooking makes it tender, I doubt your dog will care about that.  lol  If it were me, I'd throw a bunch in the crock pot or slow cook in the microwave and remove bones.