Strawberries are among the most common and valued fruits of the spring season, not only for their great taste, but also for the nutritional benefits they provide. Therefore, it is common that when this season arrives, many caregivers wonder if their pets can consume this fruit, especially in the case of guardians of herbivorous animals such as rabbits.
If you too are wondering if rabbits can eat strawberries,don't hesitate to join us in the next article on our site, at which will explain everything you need to know about this fruit in the diet of rabbits.
Are strawberries good for rabbits?
Rabbits are herbivorous animals whose diet must be based on three fundamental elements:
- Hay (80%).
- I think (5%).
- Fresh food (15%).
The fresh food fraction must be made up mainly of green leafy vegetables and other vegetables. However, occasionally a small amount of fruit. may be offered.
Strawberries are on the list of suitable foods for rabbits, since they do not contain any compound that is toxic to the organism. However, like all other fruits, must be offered in very limited quantities for two reasons:
- Its high content of easily digestible sugars can cause the proliferation of harmful bacteria in your intestinal tract or the abnormal accumulation of gas in the digestive system (bloat).
- Most rabbits tend to show great interest in this fruit, due to its sweet taste and juicy texture. Therefore, if given too frequently, rabbits are likely to begin to reject dry food (hay and dry food), which should make up the bulk of their feed. their feeding.
Therefore, although rabbits can benefit from the nutritional value and flavor of strawberries, it is important to offer them in moderation to avoid any detrimental effect on your he alth. In the following sections we will detail in what quantity this fruit should be administered to rabbits.
Benefits of strawberries for rabbits
In this section we collect some of the benefits that strawberries can provide in the diet of rabbits, provided they are offered in moderation:
- They are fruits low calorie: the fact of including strawberries in the diet of rabbits does not lead to a notable increase in energy value of their ration, which is a great advantage to keep the body condition of these animals stable. If you are interested, you can consult the following article on Rabbits with obesity: detection and diet, to have more information on the subject.
- They are a good source of fiber: fiber is a fundamental nutrient in the diet of rabbits. In addition to regulating intestinal transit and energy intake, it maintains intestinal he alth by preventing the appearance of pathologies such as mucoid enteritis.
- They are very rich in vitamin C: in fact, their content of this vitamin is even higher than that of oranges.
- You contain minerals: such as iron, iodine, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium.
- They contain some flavonoids known as anthocyanins: these compounds act as powerful antioxidants, thus helping to delay cell aging.
- Su flavor: strawberries are usually an exquisite delicacy that few rabbits reject, therefore, it is one of the fruits that you can use as a prize to train your rabbit. Receiving this reward can be a great incentive for learning new tricks or commands. However, you must remember that the fact that rabbits show great interest in this fruit does not mean that they can eat it in large quantities.
How to give strawberries to rabbits?
First of all, you must wash the strawberries to remove any traces of contaminants or pesticides present on their surface. After that, you should dry them well, because if they get wet and your rabbit doesn't eat them right away, they may ferment and proliferate dangerous bacteria.
People are used to consuming strawberries by removing the sepals or green leaves that crown the fruit, however, this is the part recommended for rabbits. Therefore, we recommend that once washed, cut the leaves together with a small amount of fruit (half a centimeter, approximately) and offer them in this way to your rabbit So you can enjoy all the flavor and nutritional benefits of strawberries, without involving a large contribution of undesirable sugars.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that strawberries should only be offered fresh Strawberries dehydrated or in preparations such as jams or compotes should never be offered, due to its high sugar content. It is also not recommended to offer them too cold (frozen or directly taken from the refrigerator), but they should be served at room temperature.
Dose of strawberries for rabbits
As we have already mentioned, fruits should not be part of the rabbits' daily ration nor should they be provided in large quantities, because their high sugar content can have very negative consequences for their he alth.
Therefore, we recommend that when you decide to include strawberries in your rabbit's diet, you do so in moderation. The he althiest way to do this is offering them as a reward, sporadically.
As a guideline, you can provide one or two strawberries a week (remembering that you should only administer green leaves with a small amount of fruit), although this amount may vary depending on the breed and size of the animal.
So that you can learn more about the rabbit's diet, we leave you the following video with toxic foods for rabbits that you should not offer them.
