Rabbits are inquisitive creatures and love to explore new foods – especially when those foods are sweet, juicy treats like mango! As a responsible pet owner, it’s your job to make sure you only offer food that is safe for your rabbits to eat – which begs the question, can bunnies eat mango?
Mangoes can be a healthy addition to your rabbit’s diet. However, this seemingly innocuous fruit can also cause life-threatening health issues for your bunny if you feed it too much. The good news is that there are some basic rules to follow so that you can continue to give this treat that your rabbit loves.
In this article, we will cover the following:
- Health benefits of mangoes
- How to feed your rabbit mangoes, and how much mango to give your furry friend
- Which parts of a mango plant a rabbit can eat
- Risks associated with feeding your rabbit mangoes
- Alternatives to mangoes in a rabbit’s diet
Can Rabbits Eat Mango?
Rabbits can eat mangoes in moderation. Mangoes contain several beneficial vitamins and minerals which can be beneficial to their health. The problem with mangoes lies in their high sugar and acid content, which may result in gastrointestinal issues or diabetes if your bunny consumes too much of the fruit.
Health Benefits of Mangoes
Most rabbits enjoy the sweet juiciness of mango, and this healthy treat comes packed with many benefits for your rabbit, including:
- Source of fiber: Mangoes contain fiber which aids digestion in rabbits. Mango peels contain more fiber than the pulp. You should consider leaving the peel on when feeding your rabbit mangoes. To avoid pesticides, wash the mangoes first.
- Contain essential vitamins: Mangoes contain vitamins including vitamins B6, E, and K.
Mangoes also contain high levels of vitamin C, but rabbits don’t usually need vitamin C in their diets because they can make it themselves.
- Contain minerals: Mangoes also contain minerals like phosphorous, potassium, iron, magnesium, and calcium. These are essential to maintain bone integrity and proper blood levels of these minerals.
- Contain antioxidants: Mangoes are a good source of antioxidants like beta-carotene. Antioxidants have been shown to protect rabbits’ internal organs from damage.
How to Feed Your Rabbit Mangoes
Now that you know rabbits can eat mango as well as some benefits associated with feeding your bunny mangoes, how do you go about feeding your pet rabbit mangoes? Here are some pointers.
- Buy high-quality mangoes from a reputable source. Organic fresh mangoes are best because they have not been farmed with pesticides or herbicides.
- Feed your rabbit ripe mangoes rather than hard, green, unripe mangoes. However, you should avoid feeding your bunny overly ripe mangoes because they might be contaminated with bacteria which can cause diarrhea.
- Wash the fruit properly to remove all traces of dirt, insecticides, or pesticides.
- Remove the mango seed and cut the fruit into bite-sized pieces.
- Give your rabbit a few cubes as an occasional treat only – not more than once or twice a week.
- All uneaten mango pieces should be thrown out after a couple of hours. This is because the fruit attracts fruit flies and leaks juice into the enclosure, which causes hygiene issues.
Which Parts of Mango Plants Can Rabbits Eat?
Rabbits are herbivores, and they don’t limit themselves to the fruit pulp of any plant. However, is it safe for them to eat different parts of the mango tree? Here’s a quick breakdown of the parts you can feed your beloved pet.
Can rabbits eat mango skin?
Rabbits can eat mango skins. In fact, this may be the best part to feed your rabbit, as it has a higher fiber content than its flesh. Ensure that the mango skin is fresh and clean before giving any to your furry friend.
Can rabbits eat mango leaves?
Mango leaves fresh from the tree are safe to feed to your rabbit. However, ensure they are clean and free from insecticides or pesticides.
Can rabbits eat mango seeds?
While your rabbit might like to test out its strong teeth on the mango seed, it’s not recommended.
The seed doesn’t contain any beneficial nutrients for rabbits, and actually contains low amounts of toxic cyanide, which is released if the seed is chewed.
Remove the seed before you give mango to your rabbit.
Risks Associated with Feeding Your Rabbit Mangoes
It is safe to feed mango to your rabbit as long as small portions are served as an occasional treat only.
The high sugar and acid content of mangoes can cause problems for your rabbit if it consumes too much of the fruit too often.
Here are some health concerns associated with feeding mangoes to your rabbit.
- Diarrhea: A rabbit’s digestive system is sensitive and can react to an abrupt change in its diet. If you are introducing mangoes to your rabbit’s diet for the first time, do so slowly and sparingly. If you notice signs of diarrhea or stomach pain after your rabbit has had mangoes, stop feeding mango to your bunny and contact your vet immediately.
- Gastrointestinal stasis: Feeding your rabbit too much mango can cause gastrointestinal stasis. This is a blockage of the rabbit’s digestive system and can be fatal if not treated immediately.
- Obesity: The high sugar content in mangoes can cause your rabbit to become obese. Being overweight is bad for a rabbit’s health. It can result in kidney and liver problems and even heart attacks.
Alternatives to Mangoes in a Rabbit’s Diet
Mangoes shouldn’t be a regular part of your rabbit’s diet, and you should take care not to feed your rabbit too much mango at one sitting. One or two thin slices or small cubes fed once or twice a week are sufficient to maintain your pet rabbit’s health and give it a treat.
A balanced diet for a rabbit should consist of 80-90% hay and 10-20% rabbit pellets, daily fresh vegetables, and occasional fruits.
Apart from mango, rabbits can enjoy a wide range of other fruits and vegetables that do not contain too much sugar and are beneficial to their health.
Here are some examples of leafy greens and other fruits that can serve as healthier alternatives to mangoes in your rabbit’s diet.
- Apples
- Cherries
- Apricots
- Watermelon
- Basil
- Bibb and butter lettuce
- Romaine lettuce
- Spinach
- Carrot tops
- Turnip greens
- Cabbage
You can check out our comprehensive guide for more information on the ideal rabbit diet here.
FAQs
Can rabbits eat dried mango?
Rabbits shouldn’t eat dried mangoes because it has a higher sugar content than fresh mango fruit. It is never a good idea to let your bunny consume too much sugar, as this exposes it to problems like diabetes and obesity.
Can rabbits eat cooked or processed mango?
It is not recommended to feed bunnies cooked or processed mangoes. Your rabbit’s sensitive digestive system is well adapted to obtain nutrients from raw foods. When rabbits eat cooked mango, they cannot absorb the nutrients they need. It also saves time and energy to just give them fresh fruit.
Can rabbits drink mango juice?
Rabbits should not be given mango juice to drink regularly due to its high sugar and acid content. However, vets will sometimes recommend a small amount of mango juice if a rabbit isn’t eating properly, to help kick-start the digestive system again.
Can baby rabbits eat mangoes?
Baby bunnies and juvenile rabbits shouldn’t be fed any fruit until they are at least a year old, because their digestive system is still adapting.
A baby rabbit’s diet should strictly be confined to its mother’s breast milk and a little alfalfa hay during its first four months.
After that, you can introduce it to pellets and some leafy greens in small quantities. Fruit treats can be introduced as part of a well-balanced rabbit diet from one year onwards.
Conclusion
It is safe to feed your rabbit mango, but you should consider it a tasty treat that is fed in moderation. Mangoes contain many vitamins and minerals that can be beneficial to adult rabbits, but youngsters under one year of age should not have fruit.
If you have enjoyed this article, share it with your fellow rabbit owners! If you have any questions about your bunny’s fruity treats, please leave them in the comments section below.