Vet Says Fruit is Unsafe for Bunnies?

[Ghost]

Hi, everyone. This was just a bit confusing … my vet (he’s worked with rabbits for 30 years, supposedly), says that fruits are unsafe for bunnies. This puzzled me, since everyone seems to be giving fruits to their bunnies as treats once in a while, so when I was offered some Oxbow treats (dried strawberries, that’s it…) from the cashier as a little treat for Pocky when I was buying him pellets, I… was puzzled, to say the least. I called the exotic pet clinic to ask about this and they mentioned something about “it’s like how there is unhealthy things on shelves at grocery stores.” I do trust the vet, though, he is very skilled with rabbits. But this didn’t add up. Bunnies also can’t process sugar well, apparently. Thoughts? I couldnt really find anything saying fruits were lethal…. so im just a little lost

[Ghost]

Ah, and the lady who was explaining also mentioned how fruits can cause GI stasis, and how people often bring in sick bunnies because of fruit. She said that it was my choice, but it was a risk. I just need some input

[Asriel and Bombur]

Bunnies love fruits and they’re totally fine for them! Some bunnies that are prone to Stasis and gas need to be careful around them. But a small piece of fruit every few days isn’t going to kill your bunny.

[sarahthegemini]

If you give your bun large amounts of fruit then yes it can cause problems inc stasis. But a small amount every so often should be fine. Every bun is different though of course and there are buns out there that can’t handle any fruit whatsoever.

[Bam]

Fruit isn’t lethal to rabbits, but it should be served in moderation. Sugar is easy-access food for gut microbes and may promote the growth and proliferation of the “wrong” gut microorganisms. That means the delicate balance of microorganisms working together in the bunny gut to break down food and help make nytrients available to the system can get disrupted by too much sugar.

Rabbits that are getting a healthy, well-balanced diet of grass hay, appropriate vegs and a small amount of good quality pellets can have a small piece of fruit now and then as a treat.

Rabbits often get sick from an inappropriate diet, Their humans give them whole carrots, whole apples, seeds and nuts, breakfast cereal, hard bread and a lot more pellets than the bun needs. This is all done with love. Rabbits do go crazy for treats and have no clue whats good for them long term. What makes it worse is that pet stores and also the pet shelves in grocery stores carry a lot of rabbit-inappropriate treats and muesli-type food. There are pictures of cute rabbits on the packages so naturally people buy them for their rabbits, thinking it’s ok stuff. Very often it isn’t.

I give my bun a thin slice of apple now and then. He eats lots of hay, for which i am so very grateful. Buns that won’t eat hay have a lot more tummy trouble than hay eating buns do.

[FlemishDad]

Some fruits have odd sugars which a rabbit’s intestine may not have the enzymes to digest and those could cause trouble.

Small to moderate amounts of common sugars won’t make it to the cecum where they can indeed cause a lot of trouble. Rabbits are hindgut fermenters which means that up to the large intestine their digestive system is broadly similar to ours. The small intestine gets to absorb nutrients first and it can absorb a fair amount of sugar.

I supect the problem is that a lot of people who treat rabbits with fruit also give plenty of pellets which have molasses and some starchy treats which become sugar in the intestines and maybe some yogurt treats that have lactose which rabbits probably *can’t * digest intestinally and all these sugar sources added up can overwhelm a rabbit’s intestinal capacity.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Ditto everything said. Small amounts are fine, as long as your bun can handle them. My girl gets a piece of apple or pear every night before bed and is fine. I’ve had buns with more sensitive tummies, however, so I limited fruit more for them.

[Ghost]

Ah, okay, I see. Thank you! The vet is super against fruit with rabbits though… wonder why..

[DanaNM]

Maybe the vet is just used to people over-doing it, so they prefer to just say to give none?

Bunnies certainly don’t NEED fruit for any reason (just like a human doesn’t NEED ice cream… but it is nice once in a while!). I think especially in families, multiple family members might give the bun fruit as treats (because they DO love it), but then it’s easy to over do it as all the little bits add up quickly.

I tend to give fruit really rarely because my Bertha has been told she is a bit too heavy, and I notice extra cecals when she gets too many treats. But as other’s have said once in a while is usually fine! And a nice way to bond with bun, or as a really good reward after a very unpleasant experience, like a nail trim!

. . . 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.  

[Muj Mom N Bun]

Ditto to everything as well… fruits are also said to be associated with causing megacolon. I give my girl a little fruit, here and there… I must admit I spoil her and since she is my first bunny I’ve spent a lot of hours doing a lot of worry panic reading….I have considered trying to not give her any fruit but I simply can’t do it! I can’t!

[Bam]

As Dana says, rabbits don’t need fruit. So it’s perfectly safe to cut it out of their diet completely. As Flemish Dad says, small amounts of sugar never make it down to the cecum. It’s when the sugar hits the cecum that you get a problem.

Fresh berries have less sugar than most fresh fruits (with the exception of blueberries), so they’re safer to give than fruit. All dehydrated fruit and veggies are high in sugar because all the water is gone.

Wild rabbits eat windfall apples and pears. Especially pears. That doesn’t mean it’s good for them, but because they run over large areas, dig holes and have babies pretty much all the time, they can make use of extra sugars in ways a house rabbit can’t.

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