Can Rabbits Eat Nectarines? Here’s Why.

Last Updated on February 24, 2023 by Marjon Ramos

Nectarines are safe and highly favored by rabbits when it comes to treats. Just make sure that your rabbit is old enough (7 months old) to eat nectarines and that you’re only giving it 1-2 times per week.

The only way nectarines could harm your rabbits is when you overfeed them large amounts of nectarines or when you give them to young rabbits who are susceptible to digestive distress.

Now that I’ve given you the gist of the article, read on as I explain in more detail why rabbits can eat nectarines:

Do rabbits like eating nectarines?

Your rabbits would gobble up nectarines if you gave them some.

Rabbits are suckers for anything sweet.

In fact, they will often overfeed sugary treats like nectarines if you let them have as much as they want.

In my case, both my rabbits, Tyr and Freya, love to eat nectarines.

I’ve also asked some of my friends who have rabbits.

All of them reported giving nectarines to their babies because their rabbits love the stuff.

Are nectarines safe to be eaten by rabbits?

Nectarines are safe for rabbits as long as you only give them in moderation and your rabbit is old enough to eat treats (7 months old).

You should also stop giving nectarines to your rabbits if they are having any digestive problems.

What are the benefits of feeding nectarines to rabbits?

To properly understand the benefits of nectarines, you can use this nutrient constraint calculator, which shows the amount of nutrients your rabbit is getting and if it’s within the nutritional constraint for rabbits.

You can also click on the blue icon beside the nutrient to show the benefits and deficiency of each nutrient:

As you can see from the nutrient constrain calculator above, nectarines contain very little nutrients per 100 grams.

But, as an occasional treat, it’s perfectly fine to have low nutrients because you should never rely on treats to meet any of your rabbit’s nutritional requirements anyway.

Are nectarines good for rabbits?

Nectarines have trace amounts of vitamins A, E, and B6. Copper, niacin, pantothenic acid, fiber, choline, protein, phosphorus, and potassium are also present.

All of these are necessary and beneficial to your rabbit’s health and well-being if given in small amounts.

How many nectarines can a rabbit eat?

The amount of nectarines you should feed your rabbits is determined by their current weight and age.

You can use this nutrient constraint calculator in order to determine the proper amount of nectarines (treats) to give your rabbits:

If you currently have no idea of your rabbits’ weight, here’s a table that shows the average weight of rabbits based on their breed and how much nectarines to give:

When can rabbits start eating nectarines?

The table above assumes that your rabbit is at least 7 months old.

Another important factor when deciding how many nectarines to give your rabbits is their age.

Here’s a table that shows how many nectarines to give based on your rabbit’s age:

When should you not feed nectarines to rabbits?

Gist:

Stop giving nectarines to rabbits who are having digestive problems.

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Rabbits that are having digestive problems should only be fed hay.

Remove any other food from their diet except hay.

This would ensure that your rabbit is getting their required fiber for the day.

But you should still bring your rabbit to a veterinarian if they are having digestive problems.

Risk of overfeeding nectarines to rabbits.

While nectarines are safe and nutritious for rabbits, there are still risks associated when a rabbit owner overfeeds their rabbits:

• Gastrointestinal Stasis: Overfeeding nectarines in lieu of hay to your rabbits could lead to GI stasis, which is caused by a lack of fiber in your rabbit’s diet.
• Diarrhea: Diarrhea is also possible when rabbit owners overfeed large amounts of nectarines to their rabbits too fast. Always introduce any new diet to your rabbits slowly.
• Uneaten cecotropes: Soft uneaten cecotropes are also possible when rabbits are eating large amounts of nectarines instead of hay. This could lead to softer cecotropes due to the lack of fiber.
• Dental problems: Due to the sugar content of nectarines, feeding your rabbits large amounts of them could lead to dental problems.
• Obesity: Overfeeding nectarines to older rabbits, whose metabolism is slower, could lead to obesity due to the high sugar content of nectarines. Obesity could also lead to uneaten cecotropes, or “poopy bottoms,” because obese rabbits wouldn’t be able to reach their cecotropes to eat them.

Healthy alternatives to nectarines.

While nectarines are safe to be given to rabbits, rabbit experts recommend that you mimic what wild rabbits eat in the wild.

Wild rabbits have an abundance of choices when it comes to their diet.

Here are some alternatives to nectarines that you can give to your rabbits one to two times per week as a treat:

Conclusion

Nectarines can be eaten by rabbits in small amounts, or 1-2 times per week.

Your rabbit should also be at least 7 months old before being fed nectarines or other sugary treats to prevent triggering any digestive problems.