What are you handing out to the bunnies for trick or treating this year? Hopefully, you know to save the candy bars for the hoomans but there are a lot of treats that are mistakenly given to rabbits. Especially around the holidays when you’re looking for rabbit treats.
It’s so fun to include pets in the celebrations! But not if that’s followed up with a sick rabbit. The most important part of the holidays is keeping everyone hopping around.
I’m going to give you the low-down on sugar, but first, a giveaway! We’re giving away 200 healthy snackers to 200 random commenters on our video on Youtube. To enter you must subscribe to our YouTube channel, leave a comment telling us your bunny’s favorite fruit, and send us an email. Get all the details on how to enter in the description box on the video.
Is All Sugar Bad For My Rabbit?
If you consider it a treat for yourself, then it’s probably off the table for your rabbit. While chocolate and candy aren’t “healthy” for your body, it won’t put your entire digestive system out of commission. And it very well could do that for your rabbit.
Some treats like chocolate are even toxic for your rabbit. So unless you are sure something is safe for the buns, keep it out of their Halloween bucket this year.
The natural sugar in fruits is okay for your rabbit as long as you are giving them in small quantities. So only trick or treat at a few fruity houses.
Citrus fruits are the one exception. These acidic fruits can be too much for a rabbit’s digestive system so stick to these fruits instead:
bananas
apples
berries
grapes
cherries
nectarine
peach
pear
plum
papaya
watermelon
Make sure you remove any pits or seeds as these can contain cyanide which can make your rabbit sick.
Why Is Sugar Bad For My Rabbit?
A Change in Gut Bacteria
The food that a rabbit eats feeds the bacteria in their gut. So the type of food determines the type of bacteria. Too much sugar in natural fruit can change the bacteria in their stomach. What we want is a gut factory made for large amounts of hay. So we don’t want to confuse the gut bugs by switching to fruit.
Because we all know how important hay and the rabbit’s ability to digest that hay is!
Weight Gain
Too much sugar also leads to weight gain and obesity. Too much sugar really messes with their whole system!
Wears Away Tooth Enamel
The bacteria that comes with sugar is not only bad for their gut but also for their dental health. The sugars metabolize and create an acid that wears away their tooth enamel. The bacteria also gets into the muscles in their gums.
A rabbit’s mouth is the first part of the digestive system. Once things start going wrong there you have a domino effect on their whole gut factory!
Which Rabbit Treats Are Okay For My Rabbit?
Walk into any pet store and you will see treats made especially for rabbits. But even those you need to pay attention to the ingredients so you know exactly what you’re giving your rabbit.
Yogurt drops are a big no. Almost every pet store has them so don’t make the mistake of thinking you’re buying something fun for your rabbit. Your rabbit should never be eating animal products (including dairy) and these are also full of sugar.
Small Pet Select makes a lot of fun rabbit treats with only a small amount of natural sugar from fruits.
Healthy Snackers
These snackers are made of Timothy hay, oats, and fruit. You can get a healthy snacker sampler and let your rabbit try a variety of different fruits. These are perfect because your rabbit is getting the fiber from hay with each treat which makes them less likely to eat too much sugar.
Hay Cubes
Hay cubes are exactly what they sound like, hay shaped into cubes. If your rabbit has a sensitive stomach then these are the best treats for them. The different consistency makes them feel like they’re getting something new, without the concern of sugar.
Dried Fruit
Dried fruit is another safe treat. Just be careful to keep to a small serving size. The amount of sugar in dried fruit can add up fast as the water is removed and the sugar is more concentrated. Dried papaya is a fun treat especially since fresh papaya can be harder to find in some areas.
There’s no reason to leave your rabbit out of the holiday celebrations. Just leave the hooman treats to the hoomans. And be ready with healthy treats for the buns.
