Can Rabbits Eat Cranberries?

Can Rabbits eat Cranberries? YES. Cranberries are one of the best treats we can feed to rabbits as an occasional treat. Most of the time they eat hay as their main food supply. We can add some Cranberries in small amounts as a reward for them. They always love to eat sweet things like berries. Cranberries are good for rabbits only as a treat. It contains a high level of sugar and high acidity. Cranberries are a good snack for rabbits if we feed in proper limited amounts.

In general, the main food source is high-quality hay. Hay mainly contains fiber that helps their digestive system. The problem is when rabbits like sweet foods, they will end up overeating those. Cranberries contain high sugar amounts. Overfeeding them can cause serious health issues. As long as we provide Cranberries to rabbits, by following a proper guide, Cranberries can be a good occasional treat for your rabbit. Before feeding Cranberries, you need to know what are the good type of Cranberries, the proper guide to serving them, how often we should feed Cranberries for rabbits, the good & bad sides of Cranberries, and many other things.

Don’t worry. This article will cover all the things you need to know before feeding Cranberries to your rabbits.

Without further delay, let us get started!!!

Extra Information About Cranberries

Cranberries are categorized botanically as Vaccinium macrocarpa. Most of the time Cranberries are available during the winter months. These fruits are related to Blueberries and lingberries. Cranberries are small rounded fruits. In the beginning, it’s green color and after ripen its red color. These fruits are also referred to as American Cranberries. Cranberries have bitter, sour and tart flavors. Most of the time people eat raw Cranberries.

Cranberries are a good source of carbs and fiber. Cranberries contain a good amount of vitamin C, manganese, vitamin E, Vitamin K. Quercetin, myricetin, and peonidin are some of the antioxidants rich in Cranberries. These berries are popular for health-boosting benefits. Cranberries are good for cancers and inflammatory effects. And also, Cranberries can reduce blood pressure, improve eyesight, and have many other health benefits.

Overfeeding these Cranberries can lead to many health problems. Cranberries have possible side effects like causing upset stomach and diarrhea. And another issue is making kidney stones.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 100g of Cranberries have these nutrients,

Energy	46 kcal
Carbohydrates	12 g
Sugars	4.3 g
Protein	0.5 g
Water	87 g

Vitamins & Minerals

Vitamin B6	0.057 mg
Vitamin C	14 mg
Vitamin E	1.3 mg
Vitamin K	5 μg
Calcium	8 mg
Manganese	0.36 mg
Phosphorus	11 mg

Do Rabbits Like To Eat Cranberries

Definitely, Rabbits like to eat Cranberries. They like the sugar flavor of The Cranberries. Most of the rabbit’s owners use Cranberries as a treat. Even my TuTu really likes to eat Cranberries. If you feed Cranberries for the first time for rabbits, give them small portions & check whether they like those.

Most of the time they will love to eat Cranberries. Don’t ever try to overfeed them. It can cause health problems in rabbits. If we give them sweet foods like Cranberries, they will be addicted to those. Sometimes they will try to reduce eating healthy food in their diet. So, keep in mind to give only small portions to rabbits. Moderation is the key to rabbit’s health.

Are Cranberries Safer To Be Eaten By Rabbits?

Cranberries are safe & good healthy nutritious treats for rabbits. As long as we provide Cranberries as an occasional treat, we don’t have to worry about rabbit’s health. Cranberries contain high amounts of sugar level and acidic levels. We must limit the amounts when we feed Cranberries to rabbits. Take precautions before feeding to the rabbit. Don’t serve them another sugary treat with Cranberries on the same day. Don’t try to provide Cranberries to young rabbits. It’s better to provide Cranberries for adult rabbits.

Rabbits’ main source should be hay. We should prioritize hay in the regular diet plan. Overall nutrition can be covered by hay. Unlike humans, fiber is essential for rabbits. It can prevent bad bacteria from forming in the intestines. Some of the bacteria can lead to critical health issues in rabbits. This is why we should give priority to hay. But rabbits can’t live eating hay all day long. We must add veggies and fruits to their daily diet. Cranberries are a good source of food treat for rabbits. At the end of this article, I provide you the general diet plan for rabbits. It will help you to understand.

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How Often Should We Serve Cranberries To Rabbits?

Cranberries are not one of the foods that we can provide daily to rabbits. It contains high sugar. We must limit the Cranberry treats for a better healthy life of rabbits. Don’t serve other sugary treats with Cranberries at the same time. It could be leading to critical health issues in your rabbits.

We recommend giving one or two Cranberries twice per week. If you want to add another fruit or vegetable at the same time, reduce the treating amount and serve rabbits. The best way to provide the treat is according to the body weight. You can provide a mix of fruits, 1 teaspoon of fruits per 2 pounds of your rabbit’s body weight.

Benefits From Cranberries To Rabbits?

Raw Cranberries contain 80% of water. This will help your rabbits to stay healthy and active. Cranberries contain a good amount of vitamin C, manganese, vitamin E, and vitamin K. Quercetin, myricetin, and peonidin are some of the antioxidants rich in Cranberries.

Cranberries are a fine source of vitamin K. It will help to maintain good healthy bones. Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting. Cranberries also protect against liver diseases, reduce blood pressure, improve rabbit’s eyesight and improve rabbit’s cardiovascular health. Cranberries fiber helps to increase the efficiency of the digestive systems in rabbits.

Reduce Inflammation: Cranberries are rich in anthocyanins and cyanidin antioxidants. These antioxidants help your rabbits to reduce inflammation. That is because they have an anti-inflammatory effect. These Antioxidants also help to prevent cell damage. Vitamin C helps muscle development in rabbits & it helps to maintain a healthy blood system. Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant that helps the bones, skin, and connective tissues. Vitamin C is essential for rabbits, as lack of vitamin C rabbis can cause scurvy disease. This is a common illness among rabbits. 

Risk Of Overfeeding Cranberries For Rabbits

We need to be careful before feeding high sugar content food like Cranberries. Overfeeding those may lead to critical health issues in rabbits.

• Cranberries have high sugar content; it can lead to an overgrowth of bacteria in the digestive system. This causes an upset stomach, loose stools, stomach pain & diarrhea. 
• Too much sugar in a diet can also lead to obesity issues. This may lead to many varieties of health problems in rabbits.
• Some rabbits are allergic to Cranberries. Be careful if you try to feed your rabbits for the first time. Follow the guide mentioned above.
• Due to the high sugar amounts, Cranberries can also be affected for dental problems in rabbits.

Can Rabbits Eat Dried Cranberries

Yes, but we must provide them once in a while. They are filled with high sugar content. Dried Cranberries are much sweeter than normal Cranberries. These things can increase sugar levels quickly and it may lead to an increase of bacteria in the belly of rabbits. It’s much safe to avoid feeding dried Cranberries to your loving rabbits. 

If you intend to give dried Cranberries, make sure to cut them into small pieces to reduce the choking hazards. And feeding dried Cranberries may cause red urine.

Can Bunnies Eat Cranverries?

Don’t try to feed cranberries to baby bunnies less than 4 months old. They have a more sensitive digestive system than adult rabbits. Few food changes can affect bunnies’ health seriously. After they are eligible to eat vegetables and fruits . We can serve a small number of cranberries to bunnies.Don’t try to overfeed them with Cranberries and always keep the moderation.

Alternatives For Cranberries?

Rabbit’s diet should mainly be covered with quality hay and grass. In addition, we can provide a small portion of vegetables and fruits. We recommend giving two cups of fresh vegetables to adult rabbits daily.

• Bell peppers
• Bok choy
• Brussels sprouts
• Basil
• Cilantro
• Endive
• Green leaf
• Red leaf
• Parsley
• Fennel

Fresh fruits should be served once or two times per week as a treat.

• Grapes
• Banana
• Berries
• Melon
• Peach
• Pear
• Plum
• Watermelon
• Papaya
• Pineapple
• Orange

Best Common Healthy Diet To Feed Your Rabbit

We need to make a good meal plan for rabbits. We need to provide them with good quality foods. Before feeding rabbits with new food, check whether it’s good for rabbits. As a good Rabbit owner, check whether you cover all the guidelines mentioned below. It’s a general food guide for rabbits.

• Good Quality Grass Hay – I recommend Timothy hay as the most popular/good, all-around unlimited offer to your rabbits. Orchardgrass, meadow fescues are also good for rabbits. Hay is the main food supply. Hay will help your rabbits to stay healthy and strong and maintain a healthy digestive system.
• Fresh Water – Ensure rabbits can have clean, freshwater 24/7. Water bows are most commonly used to supply water for rabbits.
• Provide Good Quality Leafy Greens – Provide them with 5-6 varieties of safe washed green vegetables, weeds, herbs daily (arugula, basil, kale, cabbage, etc.). Try to introduce new greens in small portions.
• Treats & Fresh Fruits – For the safety of rabbits, only provide 1 -2 tablespoons per day. Feed carrots, apples, blueberries, etc.
• Provide Good Quality Pellets – It is good to provide a small number of healthy pellets daily. There are too many products out there, keep it in your mind to supply quality and healthy foods for rabbits.

(source -.https://www.rspca.org.uk/)

Summary

Cranberries are a safe & good healthy nutritious treat for rabbits. As long as we provide Cranberries as an occasional treat, we don’t have to worry about rabbit’s health. Because of the high sugar level land acidic level, we can’t provide cranberries more often to rabbits. We can provide 1 teaspoon of fruits per 2 pounds of your rabbit’s body weight. Always monitor your rabbits if you are feeding Cranberries the first time. If your rabbits have digestive problems stop feeding Cranberries to them.

I think this article covers all the things you should know about Cranberries before feeding to your Rabbits.

Thank You !!!