As people become increasingly aware of how important a healthy diet is for us, it is logical that many pet parents are looking for more fruits and vegetable options to give to their pets. Pet rabbits are no different. Apples are certainly a tasty, yet healthy snack (or part of a meal) for us, so the question comes up - Can my pet rabbit eat apples?
A pet rabbit's main diet should consist of grassy hay, but
Rabbit .org suggests the following guidelines for feeding apples or other fruits to your pet bunny:
"Fruits can also be fed in small amounts. In the wild these would be special high calorie foods obtained only at certain times of the year. Fruits make great training treats! You also might choose to hand-feed the fruit portion of the diet as part of developing a close bond with your bunny and also to make sure he has an appetite every day. It is a great way to see if your bunny is feeling good when you observe if he takes his fruit treat every morning! If he doesn’t want to eat his treat, it is time to call your veterinarian. Remember that dried fruits are about 3 times as concentrated as the fresh variety so feed less of those. Rabbits, like many animals naturally gravitate towards high calorie foods such as those high in sugar or starch. This is a protective device from the wild days when they could never be sure when or if they would get the next meal. When a plant would produce fruit, it is for a limited time and all the animals in the area would want to gobble these gems up quickly! This means that rabbits cannot limit themselves when given sugary or starchy foods if left to their own devices! Overfeeding fruits can result in a weight gain or GI upset so it is up to you to feed these foods in limited amounts. An approximate amount of fruit to feed your rabbit is a teaspoon per 2 lbs of body weight daily in one feeding or divided into multiple feedings.
A pet rabbit's main diet should consist of grassy hay, but
Rabbit .org suggests the following guidelines for feeding apples or other fruits to your pet bunny:
"Fruits can also be fed in small amounts. In the wild these would be special high calorie foods obtained only at certain times of the year. Fruits make great training treats! You also might choose to hand-feed the fruit portion of the diet as part of developing a close bond with your bunny and also to make sure he has an appetite every day. It is a great way to see if your bunny is feeling good when you observe if he takes his fruit treat every morning! If he doesn’t want to eat his treat, it is time to call your veterinarian. Remember that dried fruits are about 3 times as concentrated as the fresh variety so feed less of those. Rabbits, like many animals naturally gravitate towards high calorie foods such as those high in sugar or starch. This is a protective device from the wild days when they could never be sure when or if they would get the next meal. When a plant would produce fruit, it is for a limited time and all the animals in the area would want to gobble these gems up quickly! This means that rabbits cannot limit themselves when given sugary or starchy foods if left to their own devices! Overfeeding fruits can result in a weight gain or GI upset so it is up to you to feed these foods in limited amounts. An approximate amount of fruit to feed your rabbit is a teaspoon per 2 lbs of body weight daily in one feeding or divided into multiple feedings.
IMPORTANT: Before introducing any fresh foods to a rabbit it
is best if he has been eating grass hay for a minimum of 2 weeks. The grass hay
will help to get his GI tract motility and flora in good working order so that
he will be able to accept new foods more easily. When introducing new fresh
foods to any rabbit’s diet it is best to go slowly to allow the
gastrointestinal tract and all its important microorganisms to adjust.
Introduce one new food every three days and keep a watch on the stools. It is rare
for a rabbit that has been on a hay diet first, to have any problems using this
method, but if you note softer stools that persist over a couple of days, then
you might want to remove that food from your bunny’s diet. Keep a list as you
go of the foods that your rabbit has successfully eaten; you will then have a
handy shopping list when you go to the store!"
The entire article can be read at Suggested Vegetables and Fruits for a Rabbit Diet
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