Most pets are carnivores or omnivores, like cats and dogs. These types of pets are easier to raise. You can feed them processed food from the store and not think twice. However, that is not the case with herbivore animals.
Raising rabbits is challenging as they are grazing animals. They love to eat fresh and green vegetables and fruits as treats. Not everything will suit your precious pet rabbit. So, can rabbits eat mangetout?
Yes, mangetout is one of the few peas plants that your rabbit can enjoy. Mangetout is full of essential nutrients for your rabbit’s perfect health. However, all vegetables should be given in moderation to your rabbit as they have sensitive digestive systems.
It is often not okay for a furry rabbit to eat peas as they can choke on them. It is best to chop vegetables and fruits into smaller portions before feeding your precious rabbit. However, with mangetout, you do not have to worry about any choking hazards. Keep reading to learn more about feeding mangetout to your furry little friend.
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How Much Mangetout Can Rabbits Eat?
Rabbits are fragile creatures and require extra attention when it comes to food. You cannot feed everything to your bunny in any quantity. When it comes to feeding vegetables to your precious rabbit, you need to mix it and give it ever so little in a week.
When you choose a vegetable to feed your bunny, do not give it as a solo treat. Your furry bunny needs plenty of nutrients to live a healthy life. Some greens have specific vitamins, and others have different ones. It is best to feed your pet rabbit a suitable mixture of greens in daily meals.
Your rabbit’s daily diet should consist of 80-90% hay, 10-15% veggies, and 5-10% fruits as treats. The portion decided for the daily diet of veggies should not have just one vegetable in your bunny’s bowl. Make sure your rabbit has a variety of greens in its meal for optimal nutrient gain. You can give 200g of mangetout to your bunny once a week.
What Parts of The Mangetout Plant Can Rabbits Eat?
As plant-loving animals, rabbits would eat every plant that comes their way. However, not every plant is suitable for your rabbit.
Luckily, mangetout is a plant that is the safest for rabbits. Bunnies can eat the following parts of a raw mangetout plant:
Peas
Mangetout has podded peas that your rabbit can munch on. Usually, rabbits cannot eat peas and other parts of vegetables that they can choke on. However, mangetout peas are soft and small that do not create a life threat for your precious furry friend.
Leaves
Rabbits are massive fans of all types of grass. Whether dry, tall, wet, or short, rabbits will go crazy to munch on these leafy greens. Mangetout leaves are safe for your furry rabbit to eat. Your bunny will enjoy the soft crunch and taste of mangetout leaves once a week as a delicious treat.
Rest Of The Plant
Rabbits can safely eat the rest of the mangetout plant too. The roots are the only item rabbits cannot eat.
Nutritional Value of Mangetout
Mangetout has outstanding nutritional value for your rabbit. Fifty grams of mangetout contains only 16 calories. Being a low-calorie food, you would not have to worry about your bunny’s weight with mangetout.
Furthermore, mangetout has low amounts of carbs, fats, and sugars. It adds to mangetouts safety for your precious bunny’s digestive system as bunnies have difficulty breaking down complex carbs and sugar.
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How Can Your Rabbit Benefit from Mangetout?
When given in moderation, mangetout can serve your precious bunny rabbit just like a superfood. With all the nutrients, minerals, and vitamins in it, mangetout will help boost your bunny’s immune system and overall health to increase its lifespan.
Mangetout has plenty of nutrients that can provide your rabbit with the following benefits:
Vitamin A
The prettiest feature of a bunny is its big beady eyes. Vitamin A is essential for your rabbit to keep its vision sharp and organs healthy.
Vitamin B1
Bunnies are fragile creatures with weak bodies and bones, needing extra nutrients to prevent various diseases. Vitamin B1 prevents anorexia and seizures in rabbits.
Vitamin C
A rabbit requires a robust immune system to fight diseases. When a bunny becomes physically ill, its emotional health also declines. Vitamin C boosts your precious furry friend’s immune system and helps keep inflammation at bay.
Vitamin K
The clotting of blood is necessary for all living things. If our blood did not have this ability, we would all bleed to death. Vitamin K helps your rabbit’s blood to maintain optimal coagulating properties.
Potassium
The amount of potassium in mangetout helps regulate blood pressure, prevent strokes, and reduce the chance of kidney stones and osteoporosis.
Calcium
Rabbits have weak bones and a spine. You need to be extremely careful when handling your pet bunny. Calcium is an essential mineral for bone strength. Mangetout can help your bunny with bone development and muscle strength and boosts heart and nervous system health.
Magnesium
Magnesium in mangetout can help your pretty little guy by regulating their blood sugar levels.
Iron
Mangetout has a good amount of iron present in it. Your bunnies need iron for the healthy growth of red blood cells.
Phosphorus
Rabbits need this mineral to remove all the waste from their kidneys. It also cleans your rabbit’s blood and keeps the tissues firm.
Fiber
Rabbits need fiber to keep their digestive system running smoothly. For a healthy gut, fecal matter, and metabolism, it is vital for your rabbit to have a little mangetout once in a while.
Protein
Too much protein is bad for your rabbit’s health. However, mangetout does not have a dangerous level of protein. It helps your bunny with bone growth and teeth trimming.
Cautions to Take When Feeding Mangetout to Your Pet Rabbit
Whenever you feed any food to your bunny rabbit, you need to be extra careful. There are so many things that can go wrong with fresh vegetables. It would be best if you kept in mind the following things when feeding mangetout to your precious furry rabbit:
- Try to buy organic mangetout straight from a trusted farm.
- If you cannot get your hands on organic mangetout, take care with store-bought vegetables. Be sure to wash the pesticides and insect repellents from the greens before serving your pet.
- Check the veggie for any bugs or molt. If your pet ingests these harmful substances, it can get an upset stomach.
- Do not give your furry friend any wilted or rotten leaves or peas of the mangetout plant. Rabbits are snobbish animals and will wiggle their tails at you in disapproval.
- Chop mangetout into smaller pieces to prevent choking hazards for your pet bunny.
After feeding mangetout to your pet rabbit, keep an eye on it for 24 hours to observe any allergic reactions. If you do not see any adverse behavior from your rabbit, continue feeding mangetout to your bunny.
However, if you notice any odd behavior in your precious pet, stop giving it mangetout. Contact your vet immediately and book an appointment. Keep your rabbit calm and loved while you wait for the vet’s visit.
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Final Words
Your pet’s health should be your top priority. Before feeding anything new to your rabbit, research all the benefits, risks, dos, and donts. Vegetables can be pretty tasty and beneficial for your rabbit’s health.
Give a little bit of it to your precious bunny once a week as a treat, and notice how happy your bunny gets!
You should provide all the nutrients to your bunny for an extra boost for its immune and digestive systems. Give your bunny the optimal food, love, attention, and care. After all, that is all this voice creature ever really needs.