Mango season is one of the sweetest times of the year. You can enjoy a mango salad, pie, cobbler, milkshake, custard, chutney, etc. The king of fruits provides us with delicious juiciness with an excellent aroma.
Your pet bunny must have looked your way with eyes wide in hopes of a piece of mango for itself. You must have wondered at that moment, can rabbits eat mango?
Yes, rabbits can eat mangoes. Your pet bunny would love mango as it is soft and full of flavor. However, due to their high sugar content, mangoes should be a small portion of the diet of rabbits.
Before giving anything to your furry baby, always do a benefits check. Your precious pet is your responsibility. You give it the best life and maintain its health. When introducing fruits to your rabbit’s diet, weigh your options about each fruit. If the pros outweigh the con, go for it.
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Are Mangoes Healthy for Your Bunny?
Mangoes are full of essential minerals and vitamins. Mangoes can enhance your bunny’s health and provide the nutrients needed for everyday hopping and running. Apart from their taste, mangoes are the king of fruits because they contain the following:
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin K
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin B6
- Copper
- Potassium
- Folate
All these minerals and vitamins strengthen your bunny’s immune system and enhance gut health.
How to Feed Your Rabbit Mangoes?
Rabbits are small creatures. There is a way to give them food. It is appreciated if you cut a rabbit’s fruits or greens into smaller pieces. The pieces should be small enough to chew but not small enough for the bunny to choke on them. Do the following while serving your precious rabbit mangoes:
- Try to get organic mangoes from trusted farms
- If you cannot get organic mangoes, wash the store-bought fruit thoroughly to remove any insect repellent and toxins.
- Check for mold on the mango.
- Only use bruise-free mangoes for your fragile bunny.
- Dice the mango in small pieces to make it easier for your rabbit to eat.
Determining your rabbit’s mango intake involves a little bit of math. You should give 2 tsp of mangoes per 2lbs of your bunny’s weight per day. You can use this measurement for any fruit. Although you can feed your rabbit thoroughly washed mango skin, avoid giving it the mango seed.
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How Often Can You Feed Your Rabbit Mango?
Mangoes should be given in fewer amounts as they carry a large amount of sugar. Rabbits are herbivores. Their bodies cannot digest too much sugar.
While introducing mangoes to your little guy, start with half a teaspoon as a test run. After your bunny has eaten the diced mango, keep an eye out for unusual behavior for the next 24 hours.
If your bunny keeps zooming about, as usual, the mango has suited its digestive system. However, if your bunny shows any signs of slowness or diarrhea, take it to the vet and do not feed it mangoes.
If you believe the mango agrees with your furry friend, add it to the bunny’s diet once or twice a week in the measurement discussed earlier.
Can You Give Your Rabbit Cooked Mango?
Your rabbit will disapprove of a cooked mango or any cooked food, for that matter. Bunnies are grazing animals and have an innate love for raw vegetables, fruits, and flowers.
It is much healthier for your bunny to eat its food raw than cooked. It is beneficial for its forever-growing teeth as the rawness of the foods helps the bunny keep the teeth trimmed naturally. Furthermore, uncooked greens and fruits contain pure nutrients.
Keep in Mind The Following While Feeding Your Rabbit Mangoes
There are a few things you should keep in mind when you decide to feed your little furry friend some mangoes. For every food you buy for your pet, you need to do a quality check, research if it is suitable for your pet and if they are age appropriate or not, etc. Mangoes are high in energy and sugar and can harm your bunny if not chosen carefully.
Here is a list of things to keep in mind when your feed your darling pet any mangoes:
Pesticides
If you know a farm that grows mangoes organically, you do not need to worry about harmful toxins. However, if you buy mangoes for your furry baby from the local mart, beware of insect repellents.
Most mangoes in marts are covered in pesticides by farmers to avoid insect invasion. These pesticides are extremely harmful to your bunny. Always ash any store-bought food with fresh water before giving it to your pet.
Parasites
Mangoes can carry parasites like small insects or worms. Double and triple-check the fruit before serving your furry friend. If your bunny eats a parasite, it will become ill and increase your stress and vet visits.
Acidity levels
Mangoes are acidic fruits. Humans tackle this acidity issue by drinking a glass of milk afterward. However, the same remedy does not work with our furry housemates.
It is necessary to give small portions once a week to your bunny to avoid any acidic issues. Too much acidity will stress your bunny with unwanted discomfort and stomach pain.
The Ripeness Of The Fruit
Your bunny would love a less ripened mango than an over-ripened smush. Your rabbit will love the slightly sour taste and crunchy texture of an unripened mango and the perfect sweetness of a fully ripened one.
However, the rabbit will disapprove of a wilted and bruised mango. In addition, rotten fruit can cause your bunny intestinal diseases like diarrhea or gastrointestinal disorders.
The Age Of Your Bunny
Mangoes are only to be fed to bunnies above the age of 12 weeks. Baby bunnies do not have strong digestive systems. They are still adapting to their environment at this stage. Making that process easier for them is all they need.
So, do not feed a baby bunny mangoes. You should not give any vegetables or fruits to a bunny that is less than 12 weeks old.
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What Will Happen If You Overfeed Mangoes to Your Rabbit?
Overfeeding mangoes to your furry friend will not bode well for your bunny. The fruit contains a high amount of sugar, which is harmful to your furry baby. The only food your bunny can eat in abundance is hay.
Everything else should be portioned and measured before feeding time. The mango’s high sugar content can cause the following troubles for your little guy if not given in a controlled manner:
Overgrowth Of Digestive Bacteria
The sugar in mangoes can cause a spike in your bunny rabbit’s bacteria in the digestive tract. It can cause an upset stomach for your little guy leading to loose stools, stomach ache, and diarrhea.
Obesity
Just like humans, too much sugar can cause your bunny to get obese. Mangoes contain complex sugars that can accumulate in your bunny, causing weight gain. Obesity will bring more illnesses to your bunny.
With the additional weight, your bunny’s physical activity will minimize. It can cause it to develop bone issues and disrupt its metabolism. In addition, the extra weight can stress your bunny’s fragile heart and emotional state. It will also come between your pet’s grooming activities.
Hyperactivity
Mangoes contain sugars like sucrose, fructose, and glucose. These sugars are responsible for providing energy. If your keep feeding your bunny a good amount of mangoes, there is a chance it will go into hyperdrive.
Hyperactivity and too many zoomies are not friendly for your sensitive bunny. All the energy can cause heart damage, increase anxiety, weaken bones, and tire your bunny. Plus, this amount of sugar, if uncontrolled, can cause various intestinal problems for your precious pet.
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Final Word
Rabbits have sensitive bodies and organs. Even the slightest of things can cause the bunnies stress and disrupt their normal bodily functions. While introducing anything new to your precious furry friend, research first.
You should always begin with a little amount as a test run to see any allergic reaction in your bunny. Once your notice the new food suits your furry baby, do not overdo it. Give your bunny a mix of the new addition with its routine hay and greens. Fiber should be the biggest portion of your bunny’s diet and fruits should be the smallest.
It is suggested to give fruits and flowers as treats once or twice a week. However, there is no limitation on attention, love, care, and playtime! These things are the more, the merrier for your little bunny.