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Fresh fruit is an important component of your rabbit’s diet. Apples are a common, affordable fruit that you’re likely to find in your own kitchen. An apple a day will keep the doctor away, but will it keep the veterinarian at bay, too?
Yes! Apples Are Safe for Rabbits
Veterinarians agree that apples of all varieties and colors are a good addition to your rabbit’s diet. Red Delicious, Gala, Honeycrisp, and Granny Smith are the varieties that you’re most likely to find in your local produce section, and all of them are safe for rabbits.
Feeding Apples to Your Rabbit
When feeding apples to your rabbit, you need to make sure they’re prepared properly. Rabbits cannot digest the seeds or the stems safely. Apple seeds and stems are toxic to most animals, but especially to small pets. Both the stems and seeds contain cyanogenic glycosides, which can cause several health issues in your bunny, ranging from vomiting and stomach discomfort to death. For safety’s sake, keep your rabbit far away from apple stems and seeds.
Moderation is key when feeding your rabbit fruit. Rabbits should eat fruit only as a treat, no more than 5% of their daily calories. So it is best to feed it only a couple of times a week. Fructose, the sugar in fruit, especially apples, is simply too high for your rabbit to consume regularly. Feed your rabbit only a piece or two of apple at a time. Just a few teaspoons with a meal is enough to satisfy their need for fruit.
Can Apple Be Bad for Rabbits?
Despite their sugar content, apples are a relatively healthy snack, stacked with important nutrients. Apples also contain some fiber, which is integral to rabbit diets, however, it is not present in the necessary amount to keep your rabbit’s digestive health working properly. Bunnies require a wide variety of vitamins and minerals for the sake of their health, but too much is never a good thing. For example, rabbits fed too many carrots will ingest too much beta carotene, and convert it into excessive vitamin A, which can be harmful to the rabbits’ joints.1 Carrots are also very high in sugar, although not as high as apples.
This is why it’s important to only feed small portions of fruits to your bunny.
How Much Apple Should I Feed My Rabbit?
You should change up the kind of fruit you give your bunny so you can make sure they get a balanced diet. Other fruit options you can try are grapes, bananas, peaches, and strawberries. Most people feed their rabbit fruit no more than three times a week, but if you use a small enough portion of no more than 5% of their diet, every other day will work well for your bunny. An every-other-day schedule is also easier to keep track of to make sure you aren’t overdoing it on the fruit.
Rabbits are herbivores, so they’re predisposed to eat plants, veggies, and fruits of all kinds. A healthy diet for your rabbit is mostly hay. While most people think of meat when they think of protein, straw and hay will provide your bunny with the bulk of their protein and fiber.
Finding the Right Mix
In addition to hay, rabbits should also be given fresh leafy greens and vegetables every day. Eating a mix of hay, pellets, vegetables, and fruit maintains the right ratio of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. All of these components are necessary to make sure your rabbit remains healthy and happy.
Treats, like apples or other fruit, should only make up about 5% of your rabbit’s diet. While most rabbits will gladly chow down on an entire fruit salad if you let them, it is imperative that you balance their nutrition for them. Since pet rabbits depend on you to offer them everything they need to survive, it is your responsibility to take educated decisions to ensure they thrive and enjoy a good healthy and happy life.
Final Thoughts on Feeding Apple to Your Rabbit
All rabbits will find apples to be delicious. Apples and other fruits are used as treats to enrich a rabbit’s diet. Once you’ve identified the kinds of fruits and vegetables that are safe for your bunny, try offering different ones as a snack. The best treat for your rabbit is one that they love, but just like we should not eat too much cake, your rabbit’s diet can not be mainly fruits. The bulk of their diet should be based on hay, including a variety of dark leafy greens, and a portion of vegetables, and pellets, once you ensure they have had that you are welcome to offer some small pieces of fruits as a treat.
Featured Image Credit: 2204574, Pixabay
