Rabbits are naturally drawn to fruits because they are quite sweet. However, fruits aren’t good for them all the time, especially when it’s something sugary and tangy like kiwi.
So, can rabbits eat kiwi? With caution, bunnies can eat kiwis, which can have certain benefits for their overall health. Be it as a supplement at times, or as little treats for being good babies, feed rabbits kiwi carefully.
Sounds confusing? It may be, but it’ll get easier for you once you read this article. You’ll know which parts to avoid and which ones are safe.
Should Rabbits Eat Kiwi Fruits?
Rabbits can eat kiwis, but only occasionally and under strict supervision. Kiwis have a lot of dietary fiber and antioxidants and are relatively low in sugar content. These help to keep your bunny’s gut health in check.
Besides, kiwi fruit is full of vitamins and minerals like vitamins C, E, and K, and copper, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron. These are essential supplements to maintain your rabbit’s bone and muscle health and strengthen the immune system.
Can rabbits eat the pit and seeds of kiwifruits? Yes, they can. Although fruit seeds are generally not recommended for rabbits, rabbits can eat the seeds of kiwi safely as they’re not a choking hazard. Besides, the pit is safer than the pits of berries.
How Much Fruit Should You Give to Your Rabbit?
Rabbits eat kiwi and other fruits as a sweet treat, as they love anything sweet. As a general rule of thumb with fruits, you should feed one teaspoon of these fruits per two pounds of the body weight of rabbits. Also, you shouldn’t feed more than a tablespoon of any fruit to rabbits.
Can rabbits eat kiwi more than the safe amount? Kiwi should be safe for rabbits as long as you’re giving a tablespoon of kiwi to your bunny no more than twice a week.
Although rabbits have the ability to digest kiwi easily, it’s better to be safe with the amount, as their sensitive bodies may not be able to tolerate any possible overdose. You should test their tolerance to the kiwi fruit by giving small amounts first, and observing their excreta for 24 hours.
Can Rabbits Eat Kiwi Skin?
Absolutely! Bunnies can easily eat kiwi skin. In fact, kiwi fruit skin is much better for rabbits than the flesh of the fruit itself. The skin, no matter which kiwi variety it’s from, is high in fiber and nutrition and low in sugar content.
However, you should still maintain caution, as rabbits can suffer an adverse reaction from having too much kiwi skin. Although the nutrition contents can help your bunny, and kiwi skin is safer compared to most other fruit skins, it will cause problems if there’s an imbalance.
Can Bunnies Eat Dried Kiwi?
You should never give dried kiwis, or any dried fruit for that matter, to your bunny as these are very dense in sugar. As we already know, too much sugar can create an imbalance in the pH level in their stomach, throwing off the healthy bacterial environment in their gastrointestinal system.
Should You Give a Baby Rabbit Anything From Kiwi?
Not at all! Even a fruit like a kiwi can be bad for infant bunnies. Your baby rabbits should be on their mother’s milk for up to 12 weeks, and then you should start it on hay.
Any fruit in its infancy will have severe reactions in these tender bodies. Kiwi is sugary and has a very high amount of nutrients for these small bodies to handle. Baby rabbits are already getting the necessary amount of vitamins and minerals from their mother’s milk.
It’s easy for baby rabbits to get carried away. Too much sugar will throw off the pH balance in their stomach, affecting the growth of healthy bacteria. This will lead to problems like indigestion and runny excreta, ultimately causing dehydration, malnutrition, and death.
Should Baby Rabbits Eat Dried Kiwi?
So, can baby rabbits eat dried kiwi? Absolutely not! In addition to the fact that baby rabbits shouldn’t have anything other than mother’s milk followed by hay, dried kiwi is absolutely poisonous for the tender rabbit bodies.
Whenever you dry any fruit, you’re essentially concentrating on the nutritional values. This means rabbits will be getting multiple times the amount of sugar and regular supplementary value in a teaspoon of kiwi compared to a teaspoon of fresh kiwi.
This itself is bad for mature rabbits. Imagine how damaging it can be for baby rabbits!
How Can Rabbits Benefit From the Fruit?
As mentioned earlier, rabbits can eat kiwi fruit as a supplement. Kiwi is rich in vitamins C, E, and K, and essential minerals copper, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron. Introducing smaller pieces of kiwi into the diet of rabbits can be beneficial. But how, exactly?
1. How the Vitamins Help
Rabbit bodies make vitamin C naturally; it’s important for rabbits to boost the immune system, and produce collagen which strengthens their fur, skin, nails, tendons, bones, and blood vessels. It also helps to heal wounds swiftly, repair any damage to the organs, and in the growth of cells and tissues in the body.
Vitamin E works alongside Vitamin C to keep the skin and fur healthy and strengthen the immune system. It keeps the eyesight healthy as well and fights off free radicals from the environment that could damage your rabbit’s DNA.
Vitamin K is essential for your bunnies to synthesize proteins properly. Proteins are essential for the growth of muscles, and a deficiency in Vitamin K may lead to weaker muscles, making your rabbit a bit wonky.
2. How the Minerals Help
Copper, an extremely crucial mineral, helps in making red blood cells, maintains your rabbit’s immune system, and makes its nerve cells healthy. It also helps in forming collagen, and may sometimes act as an antioxidant.
Magnesium aids in making proteins, building DNA, and building bone structure. It regulates the blood sugar level and pressure and keeps the nervous system healthy.
Potassium helps your rabbit’s heart to beat in rhythm. It also helps to maintain fluid levels in cells and makes sure there’s a proper motor function for good muscle movements.
Calcium strengthens the bones and teeth of rabbits, helps in muscle contractions and heartbeats, and also helps the blood clot properly.
Iron produces hemoglobin, an important protein for red blood cells, and also makes myoglobin, the protein that gives muscles its rich red color. It also helps the rabbit bodies carry oxygen from the lungs to all other parts of the body.
When Can This Fruit Be Dangerous for Rabbits?
We already know that any fruit, including all the parts of kiwi, is bad for baby rabbits, whether it’s the fresh flesh, the kiwi peel, or even the dried fruit itself.
Apart from that, if your bunny keeps on eating kiwi frequently and more than the suggested amounts, then excess sugar from this overfeeding can make your rabbit extremely hyper. It can get diarrhea from a pH imbalance, leaving it dehydrated and malnourished, and ultimately lead to its death.
If you find out that your rabbit has eaten too much kiwi and is now suffering from diarrhea, then you should take it to the vet immediately for treatment.
Final Verdict
Giving kiwi as occasional treats or as a supplement in small amounts is perfectly fine for rabbits, as long as you’re monitoring the amount they’re eating. However, never give any type of fruit to baby rabbits, otherwise, they’ll suffer from food poisoning.
With some precautions, you can give kiwi to your little bunny. It’ll keep them happy and healthy at the same time.