Can Rabbits Eat Strawberries?

Can Rabbits Eat Strawberries? Yes. Strawberries are rabbits’ most favorite occasional treat for sure. Strawberries are not toxic for rabbits and it’s generally called as a safe food for rabbits. But we must be aware of the high sugar content in the strawberries. Overfeeding high sugary foods can lead to many health problems. Strawberries are rich in essential nutrition for rabbits, and they like the sweet taste of Strawberries. It’s totally safe to provide a small portion of Strawberries to your rabbits as an occasional treat. 

The best thing as a rabbit lover is you must always look for information and guidelines before serving new food to your rabbit. Take your time and learn all the things you need to know about new food. At Rabbit Food Guide we provide all the things you need to know about rabbit foods. There is a lot more to talk about Strawberries and rabbits. In this article, we cover all the things about Strawberries, the good side, and bad side, how much we should provide for rabbits and all other things you should know.

Let’s start without any delay!!!

Extra Information About Strawberries

Strawberries are categorized as members of the Rosaceae family. Also called Fragaria Ananassa in botanically. There are 100 Strawberries varieties, each of the varieties has a unique taste, color, size, etc. These fruits have a conical heart shape and most of the seeds lie on the skin. Strawberries are the first fruit to ripen in the spring. They are grown in every single U.S and Canadian province. Strawberries are estimated as the fifth most consumed fruit in United Sate.

Strawberries are used in many commercial industries. Most of the time they are used for sweets and savory applications. These fruits are also a good source of nutrients. Strawberries contain antioxidants, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin B complex, potassium, manganese, fluorine, copper, iron, and iodine. Strawberries come with many health benefits. Consuming Strawberries can help you with reducing inflammation, type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart diseases, preventing cancers, and many other health benefits.

Strawberries aren’t completely risk-free fruits even for humans. Overfeeding Strawberries can make many health issues like gastrointestinal upsets. Always limit the number of Strawberries for daily intakes. Also, there is a risk of allergies in some people.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture(USDA), 100g of raw Strawberries portion contains,

Energy	136 kJ
Carbohydrates	7.68 g
Sugars	4.89 g
Dietary fiber	2 g
Fat	0.3 g
Protein	0.67 g
Water	90.95 g

Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamin B6	0.047 mg
Vitamin C	58.8 mg
Vitamin E	0.29 mg
Vitamin K	2.2 μg
Calcium	16 mg
Iron	0.41 mg
Magnesium	13 mg
Manganese	0.386 mg
Phosphorus	24 mg
Potassium	154 mg

GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT: RABBITS & CUCUMBERS

Do Rabbits Like To Eat Strawberries

YES. Rabbits like to eat sweet and juicy fruits. They like the sugar flavor of the Strawberries. If you feed Strawberries for the first time for rabbits, give them small portions & check whether they like them.

Most of the time they will love to eat Strawberries. Don’t ever try to overfeed them. It can cause health problems in rabbits. If we give them sweet foods like Strawberries, 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 a rabbit’s health.

Is It Safe To Give Strawberries To Rabbits?

Yes. Strawberries are good for rabbits. It contains good nutrition like fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B6, manganese, potassium, etc. These Strawberry treats give overall good health benefits to your rabbits.

It’s safe to give fresh and raw Strawberries. Don’t feed overripen Strawberries and those contain more sugar & leads to digestive problems. Strawberries are safer only if they are eaten in very small amounts. We need to take precautions while buying good Strawberries & when serving Strawberries to rabbits.

Rabbits’ main food 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 to 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. We can add Strawberries as an occasional fruit treat for rabbits. The end of this article provides you the general diet plan and guidance before feeding strawberries to rabbits. It will help you to understand.

How Often Can A Rabbit Eat Strawberries?

We can only provide a small number of Strawberries for rabbits. Offering them Strawberries as an occasional treat is the best way to feed them. We recommend giving only one or two tablespoons per 2 pounds of your rabbit’s weight. You can serve them 2 times per week. It’s more than enough for rabbits to get all the benefits from Strawberries.

Don’t feed Strawberries for baby rabbits. You need to keep in mind not to provide too many sweets foods for rabbit’s diets. Variations are the key to keep good rabbit health. If we give sweets too often to rabbits, they will try to refuse other foods. They think they will always get sweet foods like Strawberries. Always keep the moderation.

Benefits Of Strawberries For Rabbits

Strawberries have good benefits if we feed them according to proper guidelines. These benefits are required for the growth and development of the body.

• Water: Helps rabbits to stay hydrated and healthy. 90% of Strawberries contain water. 
• Potassium helps for healthy growth and muscle maintenance. Potassium can protect from muscle mass loss and reduce the risk of developing kidney stones
• Vitamin B6 is an essential nutrient for rabbits. It helps to enhance the immune system of rabbits & helps to maintain a healthy nervous system. Vitamin B6 removes unwanted chemicals from your rabbit’s liver and kidneys.
• Vitamin C: Helps to reduce cell and tissue damages, helps muscle development in rabbits & helps to maintain a healthy blood system. Vitamin C act as an antioxidant that helps the bones, skin, and connective tissues. Vitamin C is essential for rabbits, due to lack of vitamin C rabbis can have scurvy disease. This is a common illness among rabbits.
• Manganese: It helps for the metabolism of carbohydrates and facts. Manganese and potassium can help to reduce heart disease. Bananas are good for rabbits’ skin because of the manganese.
• Fiber does the main role in the rabbit’s health. It can help digestion and helps to prevent gastrointestinal issues.
• Strawberries contain sugars-Sucrose, fructose, and glucose that can provide good energy for the rabbit (this can be also harmful if we overfeed them)

Best Way To Feed Strawberries To Rabbits

As we know now Strawberries are good, natural food for rabbits. But there is a guide you must follow before feeding Strawberries. Let check it out.

Before introducing Strawberries to rabbits for the first time, you need to start up with small portions. Don’t try to introduce many kinds of food at the same time & try to give the same food until they are fully adapted to eat. Keep in mind to introduce a small portion of the new food with other regular foods (daily diet). Follow up the rules for better rabbit health. This must be done for the Strawberries if you introduce rabbits for the first time. 

Steps for feeding Strawberries for rabbits

1. Buy good ripen Strawberries for Rabbits. Do not provide over ripen Strawberries  
2. Wash carefully to remove chemicals & remove unwanted pesticides.
3. It’s better to slice the strawberries into pieces. 
4. Offer them a small amount first and gradually increase the amount. (Do not exceed the healthy amount of Strawberries for a rabbit).
5. Always supply them with clean water.

Always keep in mind that only serve Strawberries as an occasional treat. Never serve them frozen, cooked canned type Strawberries to rabbits. You can feed one or two tablespoons per 2 pounds of your rabbit’s weight. You can serve them 2 times per week. Organic fruits are always healthy for rabbits in many ways.

Risk Of Overfeeding Strawberries To Rabbits

There is some risk of overfeeding Strawberries for rabbits. Strawberries have high sugar content and it can lead to fatal health problems. High sugar levels in rabbits’ bodies can cause an overgrowth of bacteria in the gut & the digestive system and the rabbit’s body functioning will eventually shut down.

Because of high sugar, it can increase weight. This is called obesity risk in rabbits. Weight gain in rabbits is mainly caused due to eating too much food and lack of exercise.

Another thing is overfeeding Strawberries can lead to diarrhea. Rabbits have sensitive digestive systems. Baby rabbits have an even more sensitive digestive system. 

Don’t ever feed Strawberries without washing them. Most of the time farmers apply pesticides for strawberries. These things can lead to health problems in rabbits. Some rabbits are allergic to Strawberries. Be careful if you try to feed your rabbits for the first time. Follow the guide mentioned above.

Can Rabbits Eat Strawberry Tops?

Yes, Rabbits can eat Strawberry tops. There are no toxic compounds in strawberry tops. Strawberry tops contain leaves and stems. Rabbits can eat them without any issue. But make sure always to wash them before feeding rabbits. Make sure to feed fresh and clean Strawberry tops for rabbits.

Can Rabbits Eat Strawberry Seeds?

Unlike most of the fruits, you don’t need to worry about removing seeds in Strawberries. Rabbits can handle Strawberries seeds without any problem.

Can Rabbits Eat Dried Strawberry?

NO. Never serve dried Strawberries for rabbits. They are filled with high sugar content. Dried Strawberries are much sweeter than normal Strawberries. If we feed dried strawberries, it can lead to an increase in the sugar level and it may lead to an increase of bacteria in the belly of rabbits. It’s much better if we avoid feeding dried Strawberries to rabbits.

What Rabbits Really Need For Their Diet

Your rabbit’s diet should mainly contain fresh quality hay, grass, and clean water. Unlimited hay supply is extremely important for their health. This guide will give you an overall idea of the things that should be contained in the rabbit’s diet.

Freshwater: They must have an unlimited supply of freshwater. Use water bowls, it’s easy for rabbits to drink water & easy to clean. Make sure to change the water daily.

Unlimited Quality Hay: Keep feeding fresh grass hays. We recommend giving good types of hays to your rabbit. Such as timothy, orchard grass, etc.

Pellets: For bunnies, you can provide timothy hay pellets in a very small amount. For adult rabbits, you need to provide one-quarter of a cup daily.

Vegetables: Feed them daily with 1 -2 cups of fresh vegetables. Some good vegetables are bok choy, carrot, endive, brussels sprouts, basil, mint, green leaf, red leaf, etc.

Fresh Fruits: Give a small amount 1 -2 times per week. Some good fruits are apple, banana, berries, cherries, grapes, papaya, plum, watermelon, etc.

Alternatives For Strawberries?

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 one or two times per week as a treat.

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

Summary

Strawberries are concerned as one of the best occasional treats for rabbits. Due to the high sugar content, we can’t provide too many strawberries. We recommend giving only one or two tablespoons per 2 pounds of your rabbit’s weight. You can serve them 2 times per week. It’s more than enough for rabbits to get all the benefits from Strawberries.

Thanks for reading. And I hope this article enhances the knowledge about Strawberries before feeding to rabbits.

Thank You!!!