The term “rabbit food” is not very popular these days. Many consider rabbits to be expensive, furry parasites that enjoy eating exclusively plants. This isn’t always true!
Rabbits are actually omnivores, or meat eaters. Some of the most well-known rabbit foods include chicken, fish, turkey, beef, pork, and even crickets and worms!
However, there are some fruits and vegetables that can make your rabbit look like she just won an award for being the biggest plant eater!
Blackberry recipes are one such example. If you give your bunny enough blackberries, they will almost certainly tattle all over how delicious it is!
There are three main reasons why rabbits don’t like blackberries. All three apply here to making sure your bunny loves her berries!
1) Sourness
Blackberries contain a compound called tartaric acid which gives them their tangy flavor. When eaten alone, this acidity can taste sour to many animals.
For instances, dogs and cats find blackberry juice slightly irritating in their mouth. This could result in repeated spitting or vomiting if your dog or cat gets too much of the liquid.
2) Odor
Some individuals describe the smell of blackberries as strong and unpleasant. Like with the acidic nature of the fruit, the scent can be off putting to hungry bunnies.
No, they cannot
Although berry bushes are not exclusively for rabbits, blackberry plants can be very appealing to them. Because of this, there is an illusion that rabbit owners may offer berries to their furry friend as part of his/her regular diet.
This theory does not hold up, however. Rabbit digestive systems are not designed to process fruits. They have evolved to eat vegetation which contains lots of tough carbohydrates needed to fuel growth.
Rabbits also do not produce enough stomach acid to help break down most fruits. This would potentially cause diarrhea or vomiting, both of which could pose health problems for your bunny.
Sadly, it seems clear that even though it may look like fun for your rabbit to lap up some fresh berries, feeding him/her unsupervised amount of fruit is just not healthy for them.
It depends
Many people believe that rabbits can’t eat blackberry plants because they don’t look like dogs, but this isn’t true!
Rabbits are very hungry animals who will try just about anything to satisfy their needs. This includes eating fruits and vegetables that look different from what they normally are. For example, white potatoes are not usually eaten by most rabbits, but some individual rabbits may enjoy them!
Some theories say that the color of the berry helps protect it from being consumed or absorbed by the rabbit. This is not always the case though as many rabbits enjoy blue berries too!
If your bunny seems to be struggling to find his/her favorite food item, you should probably take him/her to the vet to see if he/she has gastroenteritis. This is a health problem caused when the digestive system becomes infected and malfunctioning.
At home, you can give your dog or cat an oral medication called sucralose which does not contain any glucose or fructose. Because rabbits do not have a significant amount of taste buds in their mouth, one dose of this pill should be enough to help treat their symptoms.
Source: http://www.petinfoqa.
It all depends on the blackberry
Some people may think that rabbits cannot eat blackberries because they have never seen it done before, but this is not true at all!
Many breeders will feed blackberries to their rabbit canteens as an reward for good behaviors or to see if they enjoy them.
Some even let the bunny help itself!
Rabbits are very curious animals and love trying new things so why wouldn’t they try something new like berries?
Sadly though, most rabbits that are fed fresh fruits either throw up or get sick from eating them. This could be due to some nutritional differences between berry types or maybe their stomachs aren’t strong enough to process certain foods.
It is best to give your rabbit dried fruit such as apples or oranges since these can be processed in their digestive system more easily.
Rabbits are much more likely to get stomach worms
There is one type of worm that can grow in size up to three times its initial length within a rabbit’s digestive tract. This parasite, called an Ascaris suum, does not actually eat anything else but it will slowly consume your bunny’s gut fluid.
Ascariasis happens when the larvae of this worm find their way through the intestinal wall into the lumen (open interior) of the intestine. The bile in the gut fluids acts as a natural lubricant making it easy for the larva to move around and ingest some of the gut contents.
Because rabbits do not have fur like most animals, they are very vulnerable to external parasites such as ticks or fleas. These creatures attach themselves to the skin and inject saliva containing bacteria and/or blood which provide necessary nutrients for their growth.
Rabbits can eat blackberries
If you are thinking about getting rid of your dog, don’t! That is definitely not the solution to your dog problem. In fact, it could be making things worse for them in their struggle to find love. Many people get rid of their dogs because they think that is the best option, but it isn’t.
Rabbits are mammals like dogs, so they have digestive systems similar to dogs’. Some rabbits even feed off of other animals’ stomach contents! This means that if your rabbit doesn’t seem to be eating well, try putting some berries or carrots in his/her dish instead.
You may also want to consider giving your dog an oral probiotic supplement, which contain live bacteria that help keep his/her gut healthy.
Blackberries can be poisonous for rabbits
While berry eating is a favorite pastime for most rabbit owners, one popular berry may not be safe for your bunny. The blackberry!
Blackberries are known to contain cyanide which helps promote healthy blood clotting. When consumed in large amounts, however, they can become toxic to dogs or cats.
However, it seems that blackberry toxicity is much more common when it comes to berries and furry animals than people!
Since rabbits do not have top or digestive teeth like humans or other mammals, they cannot chew and swallow fruits whole. Therefore, some of the juice from the fruit gets left behind as they nibble and eat the fleshy part.
When an excessive amount of blackberry pulp is leftover, then the skin of the blackberry becomes powdery due to the acidity. This can get stuck in their oral cavity and potentially choke them if swallowed.
Because rabbits are unable to cough up any food that has gone down, they will eventually need to take a drink of water to wash away the excess material. If you notice your rabbit drinking longer and heavier than normal, this could be warning sign of something wrong!
Hopefully you never have to deal with blackberry poisoning, but just because something isn’t harmful to people does not mean it is totally safe for our pets!
If you ever find yourself wondering whether or not your pet has eaten enough blackberries to cause health problems, here are some tips.
It is best to keep rabbits and blackberries separate
Although rabbit food can contain blackberry juice, eating too much of it could be harmful for your bunny.
Rabbits are not big drinkers of liquid so they will drink less milk or water when they eat foods that have high amounts of berries. This can lead to electrolyte imbalance which can cause convulsions and death.
As berry plants grow older their sugar content decreases, this may contribute to how tasty blackberries become as they ripen.
If you want to give your rabbit blackberries, do it in small quantities at a time until he/she seems comfortable with them. Also make sure to wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly before feeding your rabbit.
Blackberries contain oxalic acid
Oxalic acid is a natural substance that comes from plants or minerals, depending on where it is extracted. It can be found in some berries in small amounts but can sometimes cause problems when consumed in larger quantities.
Oxalic acid acts as a strong acid to your body, drawing water out of cells and potentially causing tissue damage or even stomach ulcers. Therefore, foods containing large amounts of oxalic acid may not agree with your digestive system and could contribute towards gastrointestinal (GI) issues.
Certain berry types such as blackberry can have up to two percent oxalic acid, however, this amount does not constitute an excessive risk for health concerns.
Black raspberries are one of the few fruits which naturally contain high levels of oxalic acid, making them interesting candidates to experiment with for any GI issues.