How much fruit do you feed your bun?

[SniffSniff186]

Hi! I’m new here so hopefully this is the right place to ask this 😛

I was just curious how many people give their buns fruit, and if there are any that don’t.  We give ours a very small amount only once in a while as a special treat, but I’ve heard of people giving their rabbits fruit daily.

Our vet recently told us that rabbits should strictly have ZERO fruit.  Ever.

I thought that was a bit extreme… what is everyone’s thoughts on this?

[DanaNM]

I view fruit as special treat as well, so I tend to feed it very rarely. I kind of think of it the same as a bowl of ice cream for a human, so daily is probably too much, but it also depends on the amount. A bite of apple every day would be fine for most buns, but a large slice would be too much.

Rabbits don’t need fruit ever, so your vet is right about that, but they certainly do love it. Sometimes it seems like it’s more for the human enjoyment of giving them such a yummy treat.  Some buns also have very sensitive GI tracts and get soft poops after eating fruit, so they can’t have any.

I think the way you are currently feeding sounds fine, as long as it agrees with your bun’s digestion and your bun eats plenty of hay.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Azerane]

I almost never give fruit. I did recently buy some dried strawberry as treats (I’ve given Luna 1 tiny piece a day), and I mixed banana and blackberry through Luna’s critical care (first time she’d tried either). But that’s really only because she’s been ill. I don’t routinely give fruit at all.

[Bam]

I give my bun a piece of apple almost every day, something like an inch cube. He’s special needs though, and a senior, so he has trouble keeping weight on. He weighs 1.5 kilos, so its quite a big chunk of apple for him.

Wild rabbits will eat wind fall apples and pears in the fall (which is extremely cute to get to watch), but wild rabbits obviously need a lot more energy than our house buns do, so their situation is very different. They need to keep warm and run from potential predators, which, thankfully, our pets don’t have to.

 

[DanaNM]

I also think that high fiber fruits, like apple, seem to be a bit better tolerated by buns (compared to something like banana that is super sweet)? Or maybe that’s just my perception of things?

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[jerseybunnies]

My bunnies have been great with apple. Maybe it’s because apple has a lot of “water” or rather, “liquids” in it, that they digest it better? I saw something online about apple being a better tolerated fruit because of the liquid content rather than the thicker piece of fruit. Obviously, I’m not sure if this is true or not, but I guess it kind of makes sense?

These are just my suggestions. Please seek an experienced veterinarian if you have medical needs / questions. Thank you! 

[SniffSniff186]

Thanks for the replies everyone!  Admittedly, we probably gave our bun more fruit than we should have when we first got her.  But we’ve learned to really limit that now (this is especially important since she has a lot of health problems).  But I do give her a nibble of an apple every once in a while, but it’s very rare.

Unfortunately, I can’t seem to eat a banana anywhere in the house without her finding me and begging me for some!  I have to eat them in secret now…

[DanaNM]

Omg yes I cannot eat a banana around Cooper, he will literally climb up my legs LOL

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[TORY93]

It is very rare that I would give my rabbit fruit .. I might give her the teeniest tiniest square of apple if im having one and she hasnt had any in a while. Its probably less than once a month and it really is a negligible amount, probably a piece the size of a tic-tac. Shes not a banana girl, takes after her owner in that regard lol.

[LBJ10]

I give a small piece of dehydrated apple every day. A very special treat would be a small bit of fresh banana.

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