Can Rabbits Eat Raisins?

Last Updated on March 6, 2023 by Marjon Ramos

Raisins are safe to be eaten by rabbits as long as your rabbit is old enough (at least 7 months old) and you only give them in moderation (2 times per week). You should also base the amount you give your rabbits on their current weight.

Be careful not to overfeed raisins to your rabbit because they contain large amounts of sugar and starch.

Rabbits should limit themselves to 0–140 g/kg of starch, meaning they can live without starch in their diet.

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

Do rabbits like to eat raisins?

Yes, rabbits would intentionally and gladly eat raisins.

Rabbits will eat anything that’s sweet, including raisins.

Here’s a video of a rabbit eating some raisins:

We’ve also interviewed several rabbit owners about whether they’ve fed raisins to their rabbits in the past, and all of them reported that their rabbits liked eating them.

Are raisins safe to be eaten by rabbits?

Raisins are safe to be given to rabbits as long as you’re only giving them in moderation or only 2 times per week and your rabbit is already 7 months old.

Your rabbit should also never eat raisins in lieu of hay.

Hay should be your rabbit’s primary diet.

Finally, if your rabbit is suffering from digestive issues or if you suspect that your rabbit might be suffering from one, stop feeding raisins or any treats.

Treats can make digestive problems worse in rabbits.

Instead, bring your rabbit to a veterinarian.

What are the benefits of feeding raisins to rabbits?

To properly understand the benefits of feeding raisins to your rabbits, let’s first take a look at how much and what nutrients your rabbits are getting when you feed them raisins.

You can use this nutrient constrain calculator to determine if the amount you’re giving your rabbits is within the recommended nutrient constrain:

As you can see from the calculator above, raisins contain few nutrients and are within the nutritional constraints for rabbits.

It’s actually okay for rabbit treats to be this low in nutrients because treats should only account for 1% of your rabbit’s diet.

You should never rely on any sugary treats to meet any nutritional requirements for your rabbits.

Are raisins good for rabbits?

100 grams of raisins contain small amounts of vitamin E, B6, copper, pantothenic acid, niacin, choline, protein, fiber, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium.

All of which provide health benefits to your rabbit if fed in controlled amounts.

Be careful not to feed raisins to rabbits that are less than 7 months old.

Raisins contain starch, which could lead to digestive problems in young rabbits.

How many raisins can a rabbit eat?

The proper amount of raisins a rabbit can safely eat would depend on your rabbit’s age and weight.

You can use the diet portion calculator to determine the proper amount of raisins (treats) to give your rabbits:

If you don’t know your rabbit’s weight, here’s a table that shows the average weight of rabbits based on their breed and how many raisins to give:

When can rabbits start eating raisins?

The table above, which shows how many raisins you can give your rabbit, assumes that your rabbit is at least 7 months old.

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

Here’s a table that shows how many raisins you can give your rabbit based on their age:

When should you not feed raisins to rabbits?

Gist:

Never give raisins to young rabbits (less than 7 months old) or rabbits that are having digestive problems.

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Feeding raisins to rabbits that are having digestive problems could exacerbate the problem due to the sugar content of raisins and the lack of hay in your rabbit’s diet.

The proper protocol for rabbits that are having digestive problems is to remove any other food in their diet except hay and bring them to a veterinarian.

As for young rabbits, or rabbits that are less than 7 months old, they should focus on eating high-quality hay, veggies, and pellets in order to maximize growth.

Not to mention, young rabbits are more likely to develop digestive problems when fed sugary treats like raisins, so it’s not advisable to feed them any.

Risk of overfeeding raisins to rabbits.

While raisins are safe for rabbits, there are still risks associated when rabbit owners overfeed their rabbits:

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

Healthy alternatives to raisins.

Even though raisins are safe to be eaten by rabbits, you should still give your rabbits a variety of choices when it comes to their diet, just like what wild rabbits eat.

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

• Melon
• Nectarine
• Apple (remove seeds)
• Banana
• Papaya
• Peach
• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Pear

• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Cranberries
• Pineapple
• Plum
• Watermelon
• Cherries (remove seeds)
• Grapes
• Orange

Conclusion

Raisins are safe to be eaten by rabbits as long as your rabbit is old enough and you only give them sparingly, or two times per week.

Another factor to consider when giving raisins to rabbits is your rabbit’s weight.

The treats you feed your rabbits should be based on their weight.

Overfeeding raisins to your rabbits could lead to digestive distress.

This is especially true for young rabbits, which are susceptible to digestive problems.