Content
- Types of snacks for rabbits
- How to choose the best snacks for rabbits
- How to make homemade snacks for rabbits
- How to give snacks to a rabbit?
Like any other animal, rabbits love edible snacks. In addition to serving to strengthen our bond with them, they also allow us to encourage positive behaviors, teach them some commands, entertain them and introduce other nutrients into their diet. However, given the huge variety of snacks that exist, it is not surprising that doubts arise among tutors when choosing the best snacks for rabbits.
In this article by PeritoAnimal, we will review the more suitable options for purchased or homemade snacks. In addition, we explain how to correctly reward a rabbit. Don't miss it!
Types of snacks for rabbits
Just do a little research to find a wide variety of rabbit snack options on the market. are basically herbs, vegetables and fruits presented in different formats or snacks for rabbits, easy to offer, handle and conserve, as well as attractive to the animal. Starting with the options for sale, the best snacks for rabbits include:
- trunks of different materials that can be bitten and eaten.
- Cookies with different types of ingredients and formats, for example, donuts or stuffed biscuits.
- Hay in various shapes, for example bell, rope, cube or ball shapes, which can also be found with different types of filling.
- bars with different ingredients.
- Vegetable and fruit chips or with mixtures that include cereals.
- Cereal or vegetable flakes.
- roots of different plants and herbs.
And since we're talking about rabbit treats, do you know the sounds of rabbits and their meanings? Check out 10 of them in this other article.
How to choose the best snacks for rabbits
The problem with the rabbit treats we've mentioned and which are readily available is that many are not as healthy in composition as they should be. That is why it is essential that, before choosing one or the other, you read the ingredients list carefully. For example, some contain sugar, a product that should never be present in a rabbit's diet. Among other problems, it is related to the overgrowth of bacteria in the digestive system. Given how delicate this system is in rabbits, the consequences can be fatal.
Another point to consider when selecting the best snacks is that they represent the introduction of variety into the diet. For that reason, you can look for other ingredients in addition to those that make up the usual diet. of the rabbit. In addition, as they also serve as a stimulus and environmental enrichment, selecting those that can be manipulated as toys is an advantage for the rabbit, as it enjoys, feeds and has fun.
In any case, you can choose some and go testing to see which your rabbit likes the most, since each animal will have its preferences.In other words, the best snack will be the one that the rabbit prefers, within the healthy options we make available.
How to make homemade snacks for rabbits
The best snacks for young or adult rabbits do not need to be purchased. Fortunately, there are many foods that work as snacks, usually present in the pantry of any home and require little preparation for the rabbit to enjoy.
Thus, there are snacks for rabbits as natural and simple as pieces of fruit. We recommend the following fruits for rabbits:
- Damascus
- Cranberry
- Cherry
- Plum
- Raspberry
- Apple
- Peach
- Strawberry
- Melon
- Pear
- Pineapple
- watermelon
- Banana
The following foods can also serve as snacks:
- Almonds
- Nuts
- sunflower or pumpkin seeds
- Cereals such as oat flakes or barley
- Legumes like peas or pods
All these foods must always be offered raw and without salt or sugar.
Likewise, the following are snacks for rabbits vegetables:
- Carrot
- Broccoli
- Bell pepper
- Cucumber
- Zucchini
- Herbs, aromatic or not
Among the herbs, we find basil, coriander, dill, mint, fennel, chamomile, lemon balm, mint, oregano, rosemary, thyme, dandelion or nettle.
Another artisan snack option much appreciated by some rabbits is the branches, which can be fruit trees, such as apple, orange or pear, or many others, such as poplar or willow. It is even easier to offer a piece of wood, as long as it has not received any treatment. A good example is the pine tree. Remember that rabbits like to nibble, and it is recommended that they do so because this contributes to the wear and tear on their teeth, which are constantly growing. So wood is a good snack for them.
While it's easy to find other foods in our pantry that rabbits might like a lot, you can you shouldn't give them dog or cat food, cooked food, meat or fish, dairy products, fruit in syrup, chocolates, avocados, potatoes, leeks, beets, olives or the mineral stones that are recommended for other animals.
In this other article, you will find a list of prohibited foods for rabbits.
How to give snacks to a rabbit?
Even the best rabbit treats can be harmful if not provided properly. First of all, we must never forget that when introducing snacks into the diet, they can't unbalance the menu, which in this species is based on hay, in greater proportion; fresh food, especially leafy vegetables, and feed specially formulated for rabbits.
Therefore, the quantities of snacks should be minimal. For example, half an almond, a tube or a daily tablespoon of fruit per kg in rabbits at the ideal weight, unless the fruit is offered dry. In that case, the amount should be reduced by about a third. In any case, the dose should be adjusted according to the rabbit's weight. and, if he has extra pounds or obesity, it will be necessary to eliminate at the very least the higher caloric rewards.
An exaggeration can lead not only to excess weight, but also to digestive problems. Also, when dealing with a new ingredient, you should give a small amount and wait to see if it suits you well before offering more or more. Fruits and vegetables, if the source is reliable, can be offered with the skin, but always well washed and dried.
Snacks can be used, in addition to increasing the variety of nutrients and stimuli, as an incentive to repeat desired behaviors or to learn certain commands. If you want the rabbit to understand why it's being congratulated, you should give him the treat just as he acts as you wish. Finally, if the rabbit is underweight, treats can also help it gain weight, although in this case it is best to follow the veterinarian's instructions.
Now that you know all about the best snacks for rabbits, don't miss our other article where we talked about whether rabbits can eat bananas.
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