The staple of rabbits should consist of unlimited hay, water, handful or pellets, and veggies. At the same time, fruits are also considered a part of their diet as treats because it provides additional nutrients. But some fruits which are safe for humans may not be suitable for rabbits. So, the question is can rabbits eat plums? Is it safe and healthy for them? Can rabbits eat plum skin, leaves, or tree branches? Let’s find it all in this article.
Rabbits can eat unpeeled plum without its stone as it is safe and contains beneficial nutrients. However, feeding plums in excess amounts or frequently could cause health issues like obesity or GI stasis due to high sugar. So, consider providing one to two tablespoons of plum once or twice a week.
This article will briefly discuss plums’ health benefits and drawbacks, whether they eat canned plums or plum pits, and how often you should provide plums to your rabbit. So, let’s find it out.
Contents
- 1 Can I feed plum to my rabbit?
- 2 Health benefits of plum?
- 3 Is it safe to feed plums to rabbits?
- 4 Can rabbits eat plum skin or peel?
- 5 Can I feed plum leaves and tree branches to rabbits?
- 6 Can rabbits eat plum pits or stone?
- 7 Can rabbits eat canned or cooked plums?
- 8 How often should I feed plums to my rabbit?
- 9 Conclusion:
Can I feed plum to my rabbit?
You can feed plums to your rabbit as it contains a good source of nutrients which is beneficial for their health.
However, it should be fed in moderation because too much plum too often could cause health issues for a rabbit.
Plums contain a good amount of vitamins such as vitamins A, C, and K and other nutrients like copper, potassium, and manganese, which are beneficial for a rabbit’s health and development.
Plums also contain a high amount of fiber, which is beneficial and essential to your rabbit’s diet.
Although plum is safe for rabbits as it contains beneficial nutrients, they also have a high amount of sugar content which should be fed to rabbits in moderation to avoid health issues like obesity or weight gain.
So, in general, plums have some benefits, but if you want to maintain your rabbit’s health, you must give them in moderation.
In addition, plums have both advantages and disadvantages, so before you start giving your rabbit this fruit, it’s crucial to write down any unfavorable reactions they might have.
Also read: Can Rabbits Eat Apple?
Health benefits of plum?
Along with fiber and antioxidant properties, plums include a variety of vitamins and minerals.
So, here are some nutritional values of 100g plum:
| Nutritional Values | Amounts |
|---|---|
| Fiber:Â | 0.9g |
| Sugars:Â | 6.6g |
| Calories:Â | 30 |
| Carbohydrates:Â | 7.5g |
| Fat:Â | 0.2g |
| Protein:Â | 0.5g |
| Vitamin A: | 11.2mcg |
| Vitamin C: | 6.27mg |
| Calcium: | 6 mg |
| Manganese: | 0.052 mg |
| Phosphorus: | 16 mg |
| Magnesium : | 7 mg |
| Potassium: | 157 mg |
| Zinc: | 0.10 mg |
| Copper: | 0.057 mg |
Also, here are some essential and beneficial nutrients of plums for rabbits:
Calcium:
Calcium helps your rabbits build and keep strong bones. In addition, calcium is necessary for the heart, muscles, and nerves to operate appropriately.
Plums have the ideal amount of calcium, and the body needs calcium as fuel to function properly. It is a mineral that the body needs to produce bones and other tissues.
It’s crucial to remember that too much calcium can cause painful side effects for your rabbits, including bladder stones and urinary tract infections that occasionally require surgery to be removed.
To prevent this, you must monitor the amount of calcium you feed your rabbits across all the items they consume.
Also read: Can Rabbits Eat Beetroot?
Phosphorus:
Together with calcium, this helps maintain your rabbit’s bone strength.
For your rabbit to function correctly, its food must contain an appropriate amount of both calcium and phosphorus.
In particular, calcium and phosphorus are crucial because of how they affect bone structure.
In addition, minerals like calcium and phosphorus are crucial for your rabbit’s diet.
Also read: Can Rabbits Eat Pineapples?
Potassium:
It is crucial for the regular operation of every cell, and it also aids in controlling the heartbeat and the healthy function of muscles and nerves.
Potassium, one of the body’s essential minerals, is found in plums.
A potassium-rich diet helps to preserve the body’s ability to retain water and lowers blood sugar levels.
Additionally, potassium helps the body use carbohydrates and make protein.
That implies your rabbit needs potassium to appropriately distribute where the energy from carbohydrates goes to be adequately fuelled by their meal.
Antioxidant properties:
A healthy immune system can reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, and other diseases.Â
Antioxidants are abundant in plums and enhance a rabbit’s immune system.
Plum contains vitamin C, the most nutritional dietary antioxidant of a rabbit’s health.
In addition, plums have many antioxidants, which can shield your rabbit’s cells from free radical damage.
Also read: Can Rabbits Eat Papaya?
Is it safe to feed plums to rabbits?
Feeding plums to rabbits is considered a safe and healthy treat that should be provided in moderation.
It has good nutritional value that your rabbit needs. There is some vitamin C, vitamin A, and other nutrient content in plums.
So, here are some nutritional benefits of plums for rabbits:
- Rich in antioxidants: Plums are a good source of antioxidants, which are beneficial for lowering inflammation and defending cells from free radical damage. In addition, they include a lot of polyphenol antioxidants, which are helpful for bones and reduce the risk of diabetes.
- Rich in fiber: Plums provide just the proper amount of fiber. According to research, meals high in fiber are good for rabbits’ teeth and digestive systems and lower the incidence of colon cancer.
- Prevent heart disease: Plum consumption may be beneficial for heart health. They may lower high cholesterol and blood pressure, two important risk factors for heart illnesses.
- Boost immune system:Â Plum is a rich source of vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, and other necessary vitamins, making it a great extra nutrient to the rabbits’ diet. In addition, it is recognized for improving immune system health. A lack of vitamin C in their body causes the immune system to underperform and inflammation to rise.
However, feeding plums in excess amounts could cause severe health issues like GI stasis or obesity due to their high sugar content.
Also, plum contains a good amount of fiber, which helps improve a rabbit’s digestive or immune system.
Still, too much fiber might cause constipation and diarrhea, which can then result in dehydration.
In addition, when you feed your rabbits a lot of plums or any other fruit or food that contains high sugar and carbohydrates level, it causes the risk of stomach problems, diarrhea, bloating, and other issues.
So, When feeding plums to your rabbit, be aware of the other following common health issues:
- Diabetes: It is a common health problem in rabbits. They can develop diabetes and other related health problems like obesity and dental issues if we consistently give them foods high in sugar and carbohydrates.
- Upset stomach: Plums have a lot of sugar, and feeding plums frequently could make your rabbit’s stomach uncomfortable. In addition, due to their sensitive gastrointestinal system, rabbits have difficulty digesting sugar and may also get cramps.
- Kidney problems: Plums have the appropriate amount of oxalic acid, which can form risky calcium stones and kidney infections that can be extremely painful for your rabbit. In addition, because plums contain a lot of calcium, your rabbits may develop calcium residues in their urine, which can be uncomfortable and painful to pass.
So, providing plums in small quantities as an occasional treat to your rabbit is considered safe and healthy for rabbits.
Feeding too much plum or any sugary fruit could cause health issues and even life-threatening conditions, which are fatal.
Therefore, sticking to a small portion while serving plum or any other food to your rabbit is essential to avoid digestive issues.
Also read: Can Rabbits Eat Guava?
Can rabbits eat plum skin or peel?
Rabbits can eat plums along their peel or skin, which is healthy and safe as it contains more fiber, additional nutrients, and antioxidants than inner flesh.
However, before serving unpeeled plum to your rabbit, it is essential to wash the plum thoroughly with water to remove harmful chemicals like pesticides that may be sprayed on it.
Instead, try to get organic plums because even minute pesticides can harm your rabbit’s health.
Although frequently, the fruit skin is healthier for your rabbit than the actual fruit flesh, and if you don’t know that the fruit is unsafe, it’s best to leave the skin.
Also read: Can Rabbits Eat Strawberries?
Can I feed plum leaves and tree branches to rabbits?
Offering plum leaves and tree branches is unsafe for rabbits as it contains cyanide, which is toxic for them.
It is poisonous, and it is best to stay away from wood and leaves from trees that produce fruits with seeds like peach, plum, apricot, and cherry unless the wood is entirely dried.
Instead, offer them leaves, twigs, or wood from multi-seeded fruits like pears, apples, grapes, and many more.
Also read: Can Rabbit Eat Radish?
Can rabbits eat plum pits or stone?
A rabbit should not be provided plum pit even as a chew toy due to a trace amount of cyanide present, and plum stones are dangerous for rabbits.
Although your rabbit could like chewing on plum stones, they could split, cause mouth pain, and be a choking hazard.
Even cleansed plum stones should not be given to your rabbit since they may smell like food, and the rabbit may try to ingest them.
Although it is doubtful that consuming just one plum stone will cause your rabbit to consume enough cyanide to be hazardous, you should still exercise caution.
In addition, Even if the rabbit doesn’t choke, this can still result in a blockage.
So, the plum shouldn’t include plum stones while offering to your rabbit.
Also read: Can Rabbits Eat Carrots?
Can rabbits eat canned or cooked plums?
Most canned and cooked plums have undergone processing, and many of their natural nutrients have been removed.
In addition, canned plums contain various preservatives and chemicals like salt to extend their storage life, which could cause severe health issues.
To avoid upsetting your rabbit’s stomach and causing GI stasis, you should only offer fresh raw plums to your rabbit.
In addition, cooked or canned plums contain a significant quantity of carbohydrates.
So, it would be best to avoid feeding canned or cooked plums to your rabbit.
Also read: Can Rabbits Eat Kiwi?
How often should I feed plums to my rabbit?
You should feed one to two tablespoons of unpeeled plum once or twice a week as an occasional treat to your rabbit.
In addition, you should provide the serving size of the plum or any meal according to your rabbit size.
Also, it is always vital to introduce new meals gradually, frequently with one or more test runs, before you are confident that they are secure for your rabbit.
You should always introduce your rabbit plums or fruit in tiny amounts and observe them for 12-24 hours for any behavioral change.
The rabbit may react negatively to the plum if you see any symptoms, such as loss of appetite or lethargy, or if it develops diarrhea or constipation.
Wait for your rabbit’s system to stabilize before re-introducing the plum next week.
However, don’t offer your rabbit any more plums if it reacts particularly severely, and consult a veterinarian to ensure a full recovery.
If your rabbit appears to be healthy, perform one or two more tests before allowing it to consume plums as part of a balanced diet a few times each week.
Also, do not serve plums or fruit to baby rabbits until they are three months old.
Small rabbits have a very sensitive digestive system, and their gut bacterial flora cannot digest high sugary meals like plums, fruit, or vegetables.
Also read: Can Rabbits Eat Watermelon?
Conclusion:
- You can feed plums to your rabbit as it contains a good source of nutrients which is beneficial for their health.
- Feeding plums in excess amounts or frequently could cause health issues like obesity or GI stasis due to high sugar.
- Rabbits can eat plums along their peel or skin, which is healthy and safe as it contains more fiber, additional nutrients, and antioxidants than inner flesh.
- It would be best to avoid feeding canned or cooked plums to your rabbit.
- Offering plum leaves and tree branches is unsafe for rabbits as it contains cyanide, which is toxic for them.