Can Rabbits Eat Mango

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can rabbits eat mango

Juicy and sweet, mangoes are surely a favorite with most people! If you own a rabbit, you may have wondered, can rabbits eat mango?

It is important to understand that fruits are good treats for rabbits and that is the only time you may feed your rabbit mango. So the answer is yes, rabbits can eat mango, but only as a treat very occasionally!

The major portion of your rabbit’s diet has to include fresh clean, good quality hay, fresh green vegetables, pellets and clean water daily. Small quantities of fruit, such as mango may be given sparingly. This will ensure that your rabbit is healthy and happy.

can rabbits eat mango

Rabbits Love Mango

Your rabbit will love mango! But it cannot eat mango very often because of the high sugar content found in it.

Why is that a problem? It is because rabbits have delicate digestive systems that can get affected by food high in sugar, leading to diarrhea. They cannot digest starch or sugar very well. Due to an excessive intake of sugar, the bad bacteria living in the digestive tract would outgrow the good bacteria, leading to digestive issues.

Hay For Your Rabbit

Hay is the best for rabbits. It takes longer for the bacteria to ferment the hay so that it balances out naturally. This helps the good bacteria in the intestinal tract of the rabbit to grow in number.

You must ensure that your rabbit gets fresh hay every day for bedding and eating.

Rabbit Pet Food

Some people believe that pet rabbits should exclusively be fed only commercial pet food for the best possible health and an excellent level of activity. Your pet rabbit will be healthy and active if it is fed only soy-free and grain-free rabbit food. Such food is usually fortified with natural vitamins and minerals.

I tend to disagree with this because in my opinion, a diet as close to their natural diet as possible is a better option for pet rabbits. The best option is moderation where you offer a blend of both, natural foods and pet food.

Can Baby Rabbits Eat Mango?

If you’ve just gotten a baby rabbit, you will need to feed it a low-starch diet, but it should be high in fat to provide nutritional value similar to mother’s milk. Baby rabbits also need good quality protein which is essential for their speedy growth.

Baby rabbits should not be fed mango at all.  

Mango Facts

A juicy fruit, the mango originates from the south and south-east Asia. However, the fruit is available all across the world. Due to its sweetness and exotic taste, mango is now one of the most extensively cultivated fruits in the tropical regions. Mango is available in raw or canned form.

If you wish to give your rabbit mango as a treat, it is preferable to use the fresh variety instead of the canned one.

Nutritionally, mango is very valuable and provides important nutrition. This is evident from an analysis of its nutritional data, which helps us to see what the food really contains. 100g of mango provide 250 calories. There is very little phosphorus and calcium, but high acidic content, and quite a bit of sugar. Both of these elements make it bad for rabbits as a main food.

Rabbits are unable to manage sugar and eating mango as a primary food in larger amounts will make them unable to digest it, leading to diarrhea. As they can digest only small amounts, you may give your rabbit a little bit to nibble occasionally.

Should The Mango Be Peeled?

You do not have to peel the mango before feeding it to the rabbit. The skin is okay for them and they may nibble it. However, you should not give your pet the rather large seed as it is not good for rabbits.

Can Rabbits Eat Dried Mango?

Not at all! Dried mango is not good for your rabbit at all. Its digestive system cannot process the sugary dried fruits, which will cause way more harm to your rabbit than fresh mango. The excessive quantity of sugar will convert to fat or move into the cecum. The bacteria here will use the sugar for energy and grow rapidly, ultimately leading to gistasis and bacterial imbalance. Not just dried mango, any dried fruit is bad news for your pet rabbit.

Conclusion

Rabbits love eating, which is why you will find your rabbit nibbling away at something or the other at most times. As their tolerance for unusual or new foods may vary from animal to the other, you should be careful when introducing any new foods. Particularly fruits such as mango. So to answer the initial question, can rabbits eat mango, the answer is yes, but occasionally only and in small quantities.

Related Articles:

Can Rabbits Eat Cantaloupe

Can Rabbits Eat Zucchini

References:

https://www.naturalrabbitfood.com/can-rabbits-eat-mango/

http://riseandshinerabbitry.com/2012/02/26/safe-food-list-for-rabbits/

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/diet.html

http://www.saveafluff.co.uk/rabbit-info/safe-foods-for-rabbits

http://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Treats

 

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