Seeing your rabbit thrive is one of the most uplifting and rewarding feelings I can think of. Getting your pet to this point involves a lot of hard work and care and this includes providing him or her with a healthy diet.
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While most rabbit owners know that there are some foods that are essential to their pet’s wellbeing, many struggle with which fruits and veggies are safe. Take iceberg lettuce, for example, this is something that a lot of owners think is OK for their buns when in reality, it’s one of the worst things for them.
But surely bananas couldn’t do much harm, could they? Well, the good news is that if you’ve been wondering can bunnies eat bananas, your pet is in for a treat. Rabbits can eat bananas without many problems but as with other sugary fruits, they should always be given in moderation and you should look out for signs that the food doesn’t disagree with your bunny.
So, if you’re looking for a treat for your furry friend that he’s sure to adore, banana is an excellent choice. In this guide, we will be explaining everything you need to know to use this yellow fruit as fuel for your bun!
Video – Can Rabbits Eat Bananas?
Watch Jack the Flemish giant rabbit snack on a moderate amount of banana.
What You Need To Know About Using Banana As A Treat For Rabbits
Adult rabbits can safely eat bananas provided that it is given in moderation. The main part of your rabbit’s diet should consist of hay and some good quality rabbit pellets as well as plenty of leafy greens.
However, just like humans, bunnies enjoy the occasional treat and there is nothing wrong with offering them a small amount of banana. You might do this to help with training or simply to give your rabbit something different to enjoy.
Rabbits have very delicate digestive systems which are easily irritated. It isn’t uncommon for the rabbit to suffer from painful bloating and trapped gas after having eaten too much sugar. Since banana is a fruit high in sugar, it’s essential not to overfeed your rabbit.
Typically speaking, you should only give your rabbit a maximum of two teaspoons of banana for every five pounds of its body weight. Even then, you would never want to offer this much right off the bat as your bun’s delicate stomach needs time to adjust to any new additions to his or her diet; so always go slowly.
Can Rabbits Eat Banana Peels?
While humans might not be partial to banana peel; it doesn’t have the greatest taste or texture for us, rabbits can’t get enough of the stuff! That said, do keep in mind that the peel won’t have anywhere near as much nutritional value as the fruit so there’s really no need to use this as a treat, although it’ll do no harm if you do.
In much the same way as offering banana fruit, when feeding peel to your rabbit, you’ll need to do this in tiny amounts to begin with, gradually upping the amount as you feel confident that your rabbit is getting on well with this new treat.
Can Rabbits Eat Dried Banana Chips?
Dried banana chips are, as you would expect, small pieces of dried banana. Provided that you purchase 100% banana, there is no nutritional difference compared to regular banana as it’s exactly the same food just in a different form. Think of it like a raw carrot and a cooked carrot.
However, since dried bananas do contain the same levels of sugar as a fresh banana, this does mean that you’ll need to be careful about how much you let your rabbit eat. Once again, it’s a good idea to start off small and work up to larger amounts never exceeding more than the two teaspoons per five pounds rule.
Can Rabbits Eat Banana Leaf?
One of the benefits of banana leaves is that they are packed with fiber which is an essential part of your rabbit’s diet. This stands to reason that banana leaves are a good choice for your pet and you can add them to its diet without any problems.
In fact, there have been studies that have shown that a rabbit would need to eat an excessive number of banana leaves before experiencing any health problems. For this reason, many pet owners decide to use banana leaves as part of their bunny’s leafy greens diet.
Of course, as with any type of food, you will need to make sure that you source your banana leaves from somewhere reputable. Buying leaves from farms where chemicals such as pesticides are used could mean that trace amounts are left behind and if your rabbit ingests these, it will almost certainly spell trouble.
Introducing New Food To Your Rabbit
If you have decided to offer your bunny a banana treat then that’s great but there are a few things you should keep in mind when doing this. For starters, you should NEVER feed your rabbit large quantities of banana, especially in the early days.
Significant changes to your rabbit’s diet can cause severe digestive upset and in the worst cases, can be fatal. For this reason, experts recommend only offering very small amounts of new foods and gradually increasing this.
But even when your rabbit is used to the banana, it should still only be offered in small amounts because of the high sugar levels.
Moreover, we would never recommend giving banana to a baby rabbit as their already delicate digestive system simply isn’t ready to cope with this. Generally speaking, you should wait until your rabbit is at least six months old before introducing foods like this.
Once your rabbit has eaten its first mouthfuls of banana, we would suggest waiting a while before offering any more. This is so you can monitor the rabbit and check for any signs that the banana doesn’t agree with your pet. If you notice symptoms such as diarrhea, bloating, pain, or that your rabbit is behaving differently from usual, don’t give them any more banana and have them checked by your vet.
When Should Rabbits Not Have Banana?
Before you add any new food to your diet, we would strongly suggest that you speak with your vet. They will be able to give you the best and most tailored advice for your rabbit as each one is unique and has individual needs that cannot be generalized.
However, there are some situations in which a rabbit should never be given banana. For example, young rabbits under the age of six months should only be given a diet of hay and junior pellets. There are some sources that suggest allowing rabbits to eat bananas after the age of three months but their digestive systems may still be too delicate at this point.
You should also avoid offering sugary foods like bananas if they have had any previous digestive problems, especially related to new foods. You may also wish to keep bananas to an absolute minimum if your rabbit is overweight. While you might think that a few small tidbits won’t be a problem, there is enough evidence to show that obesity in rabbits can be fatal.
Conclusion
Banana is a sweet, sugary fruit that is widely available all over the world. Since rabbits are herbivores (see also ‘Are Rabbits Herbivores?‘), it’s natural that their owners want to provide them with a tasty fruit or vegetable based treat from time to time and banana is a great choice.
That said, owing to the high levels of sugar in this fruit, it is not recommended to give your rabbit more than a couple of small pieces as an occasional treat. If you want to mix things up, you might also offer clean banana skins. But whatever you choose, it is essential to make sure that you start slowly and monitor your rabbit for any signs that the banana is causing health problems.