Rabbits are one of the cutest pets in the world and deserve excellent care like any other animal. If you are a rabbit owner and concerned about the ideal diet for your rabbits, let us tell you that rabbits need a balanced diet to gain weight and smooth growth.
When it comes to a balanced diet for rabbits, there can be nothing better than a watermelon. Yes, a watermelon! Now you might be wondering, “Can bunnies eat watermelon?” The answer to your question is yes! This article explains why rabbits can eat watermelon and everything else you must know before feeding them watermelon.
Table of Contents
Can rabbits have watermelon?
Yes! Rabbits love watermelons, especially in summer it is the most favorite food of rabbits because Watermelons are enriched with water and low sugar levels. However, you must keep in mind that excess of everything is terrible, and feeding excess watermelon to your rabbit can cause medical complications. You are advised to feed them a controlled amount of organic watermelon because sprayed watermelon can also hurt the rabbit’s health.
Nutrients Present in Watermelon
| Nutrition Facts | Raw Watermelon |
|---|---|
| Calories | 45.6 |
| Total Fat | 0.2g |
| Sodium | 1.5mg |
| Potassium | 170.2mg |
| Net carbs | 10.9g |
| Sugar | 9.4g |
| Fiber | 0.6g |
| Glucose | 2.4g |
| Fructose | 5.1g |
| Maltose | 0.1g |
| Sucrose | 1.8g |
| Protein | 0.9g |
| Vitamin A | 42.6μg |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.1mg |
| Vitamin C | 12.3mg |
| Vitamin E | 0.1mg |
| Vitamin K | 0.2μg |
| Calcium | 10.6mg |
| Iron | 0.4mg |
| Magnesium | 15.2mg |
| Phosphorus | 16.7mg |
| Zinc | 0.2mg |
| Lycopene | 6888.6μg |
| Choline | 6.2mg |
| Water | 139g |
Watermelon is healthy for your rabbit because it is enriched with high-energy nutrients that are beneficial for the overall health of the rabbit. Here is a list of nutrients present in watermelon:
- Proteins: 0.6 grams
- Fats: 0.2 grams
- Carbohydrates: 0.8 grams
- Water: 90 grams
- Kernels: Kernels are enriched with vitamin A, B, and C, unsaturated fatty acids, proteins, magnesium, calcium, and iron.
Consumption of all these nutrients has a very positive impact on the general health of a rabbit.
Can rabbits eat watermelon rind?
The rind of the watermelon is too juicy contains a lot of valuable substances, but in the end, it can cause digestive problems for the rabbit. Moreover, the sweet juice stains the rabbit’s face and attracts insects and flies, which can be a miserable experience for your rabbit. Therefore, you are advised not to feed pulp directly to the rabbit, instead mix it with some other fibrous diets and give it to the rabbit.
Can rabbits eat watermelon peel?
Watermelon peels are ideal for feeding your rabbits because they are less juicy. Therefore, there is less risk of them causing digestive problems and staining the mouth of your rabbit. Moreover, watermelon peels are enriched with nutrients like:
- Dietary Fibers
- Vitamin A, B, C, E, PP & Group B
- Organic Acids
- Calcium
- Sodium
- Potassium
- Magnesium
- Phosphorus
- Zinc
- Silicon
- Iron
These nutrients are crucial for maintaining the average health of rabbits. However, let us remind you again that excess of everything is terrible, so do not overfeed watermelon peels to your rabbit. Instead, mix it with a small layer of pulp to create a balanced diet.
Things you must know before feeding watermelon to rabbits
While feeding watermelon to rabbits, there is a set of rules you should always consider. Follow these tips to safely feed the watermelon to your rabbit:
- Age: Do not give watermelon to a rabbit below four months of age. Once your rabbit exceeds the age of four months, start by offering small watermelon pieces and carefully observe any change in behavior and general health of the rabbit. If you see some negative symptoms like bloating or diarrhea then you should immediately stop feeding watermelon to the rabbit.
- Clean the Watermelon: If the watermelon is dirty, make sure to thoroughly wash it before feeding it to the rabbit because dirty surfaces contain germs, bacteria, and pathogens that can be extremely harmful to the rabbit.
- Remove the Seeds: It is recommended to remove the seeds from the watermelon and cut it into small pieces before offering them to the rabbit to avoid suffocation and any other inconvenience.
- Remove Old Watermelon from the Cage: A lot of rabbit owners leave the uneaten pieces of watermelon in the cage for weeks. Remember that those old pieces will start rotting after a few hours and become a hub for bacteria and fungus. If by any chance, your rabbit eats that rotting piece of watermelon, it can have a terrible impact on its health. So make sure to remove the uneaten pieces from the cage after a few hours.
When to give watermelon to your rabbits?
Watermelon is not something you can feed your rabbit every day. If you do so, it can be harmful to its health. So feed it only once or twice per week as a treat. You are advised not to give watermelon to the rabbit in a row, instead give it on alternate days. You can add another fruit like an apple or banana to create a better and healthy diet plan for the rabbit.
When to avoid giving watermelon to rabbits?
If you are offering watermelon for the first time to the rabbit then you should start with giving it small pieces and observing its impact on the rabbit. If it is normal then you can continue with it but if it is showing negative impacts like diarrhea, bloating, allergy, or any other negative symptom then it is an indicator that you should not be feeding watermelon to your rabbit anymore. Moreover, watermelon can stain the mouth of the rabbit and attract insects and flies from all around.
So if your rabbit is living in such an environment then you should stop feeding watermelon for a while and think of a solution to keep the insects and flies at the bay because those insects can also cause potential harm to the rabbit and affect its health.
Final Thoughts:
If given in a controlled amount, watermelon can be a delicious juicy diet for your rabbit. Carefully observe the impact of feeding watermelon to your rabbit it will help you determine whether you should continue or discontinue with offering watermelon to the rabbit.
References
- https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-0-387-30443-4_12
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/266886
- https://food.ndtv.com/health/5-side-effects-of-eating-too-much-watermelon-1843398
The next question in your mind might be can you feed rabbits bananas?
Shannon work as nurse practitioner in Alliance Health Medical Group. She own pets and she love pets. With her knowledge in medicine, she know what can the pet eat and what can’t
