Yes, your rabbit can eat apples. It will make a delicious and healthy treat for your rabbit. Two slices of apple make a good serving size and should be given around once a week. It’s important to wash the apple and remove the seeds, core, and stem before giving to them though.
Which Parts of an Apple Are Safe to Eat?
Your rabbit can eat apple skin – so there’s no need to peel the apple.
Rabbits can also have leaves and branches from an apple tree, and their teeth will benefit from the chewing. Just make sure to wash anything your rabbit eats to clean off any chemicals or pesticides.
You’ll need to remove the apple core and seeds. Not only are they choking hazards, but if your rabbit eats seeds in too high numbers, they are poisonous. This is because a chemical called cyanogenic glycosides can be found in the seeds, which causes a bunch of internal problems for your furry friend that could end up with a trip to the vets.
Benefits of Rabbits Eating Apple
Apple makes a great treat for your rabbit. There are quite a few health benefits that make apples worth your rabbit’s while. Apple is full of flavor and crunchy, so it could quickly become your rabbit’s favorite snack.
- Fiber: Essential for good gut health and digestion.
- Water: Keeping your rabbit hydrated.
- Potassium: Important to prevent hypokalemia and help them grow.
- Antioxidants: To promote better overall health.
- Calcium: Stronger teeth and bones.
Like anything, there can be too much of a good thing. You should always control the portion size of the apple your rabbit eats. Scroll on to find out what problems too much apple can cause your rabbit.
Risks of Rabbit Eating Apple
Though apples do have some good benefits, there are also some downsides. Feeding your rabbit too much apple or too often can have unfortunate consequences on your rabbit’s body.
- High sugar content: Sugar needs to be limited to prevent obesity, diabetes, and dental issues. Cut the apple into slices and limit it to two per serving to combat this.
- Apple core, stems, and seeds are toxic: This can cause upset stomach, diarrhea, breathing problems, reduced heart rate, convulsions, and in the worst cases even death.
- Chemicals: Apples are usually grown with chemicals and pesticides on them. If you haven’t washed them thoroughly
- High vitamin C levels: Too much vitamin C can cause kidney damage.
If your rabbit eats any toxic parts of the apple or seems to be unwell, you should speak to a vet ASAP.
Related Questions
Can Baby Rabbits Eat Apples?
No, baby rabbits can’t eat apples. Although you might want to let your baby rabbit try some delicious apples, you’d be doing more harm than good by giving them fruit so soon.
While they’re still young, they need a specific diet made up of their mother’s milk.When they’re a little older, they need hay and age-appropriate pellets to help them grow.
Once they’re nearing the one-year-old mark, you can start broadening their diet. Start with a small piece of apple and monitor their response for the next day. If everything is okay, you can give them a bigger portion next time.
Does It Matter What Color the Apple Is?
It doesn’t matter what color apple your rabbit eats – they can have green and red apples. Red apples are supposed to be sweeter, so your rabbit might favor red. It doesn’t matter what brand of apple (e.g. Gala, Pink Lady, Granny Smith, etc.) either, as your rabbit likely won’t differentiate between the different types.
Can Rabbits Have Apple Juice?
Your rabbit shouldn’t have apple juice under normal circumstances. There may be a time when a vet advises you to put some apple juice in your rabbit’s water, but you should only do this under guidance from a vet.
Can Rabbits Have Cooked Apple?
No, your rabbit shouldn’t have any sort of cooked apple. The process of cooking apples reduces the nutrients. Cooked apples have little fiber and a lot of sugar and starch. This can lead to stomach upset.