A small amount of kiwi should be okay for a rabbit to eat on occasion, but it should only be fed to a rabbit on an infrequent basis. Kiwi is sugary and sweet, and like other fruits, it should therefore only be offered in small quantities and quite rarely.
Kiwis are packed with nutrients and many rabbits love them. They are also reasonably healthy, containing many vitamins, but they do have high amounts of sugar and carbohydrates in them, which could upset your rabbit’s digestive system.
Are Kiwis Good For Rabbits?
Kiwis have quite a lot of fiber in them, which rabbits need. This helps to balance the amount of sugar, making them a reasonably healthy treat to give on occasion. Kiwis also contain antioxidants, and it is thought that this may help to lower blood pressure in people – which could translate to rabbits.
One of the main reasons that people eat kiwis is for the vitamin C, but as this is something that rabbits naturally produce, they may not benefit from this significantly. Overall, therefore, kiwis are healthy, but don’t offer many benefits that can’t be gotten from other foods.
Are Kiwis Dangerous?
Kiwis can be dangerous if fed to rabbits in large quantities. A kiwi has quite a lot of sugar in it, and therefore, it can have a negative impact on a rabbit’s digestive system. Rabbits don’t cope well with high sugar foods, because they have not evolved to digest them properly.
In some cases, eating too much kiwi could lead to diarrhea and stomach pains, which will make your rabbit miserable. It is also possible for kiwi to contribute to a problem known as GI stasis.
This is when the digestive tract stops properly processing food because it is not getting enough fiber to keep it moving. This can lead to trapped gas, pain, and in serious cases, death, so you need to make sure you do not give your rabbit too much kiwi at any point.
How Much Kiwi Can A Rabbit Have?
In total, rabbits should only have a couple of tablespoons of fruit once or twice a week. Most fruits are sugary, and if you feed your rabbit a lot of another kind of fruit, even a small amount of kiwi could be a problem. It is best to count fruits in total, rather than individually.
Although rabbits can have around ten percent of their daily food as treats, it is best not to give them fruit every day, even in small amounts. Spacing it out and keeping the quantities low allows the rabbit’s digestive system time to deal with the sugar and wateriness of fruit, and reduces the risk of the rabbit getting ill
What Should You Watch Out For When You Give A Rabbit Kiwi?
If you are going to give your rabbit kiwi, you should give it a very small quantity to start with. Half a teaspoon of kiwi should be enough to find out if your rabbit likes kiwi or not, and whether it agrees with its system.
Give your rabbit its first taste of kiwi without introducing any other new foods, and see how it responds. If your rabbit enjoys the fruit and does not have any complications in the next couple of days, you can start including kiwi on its menu.
If, however, your rabbit suffers from diarrhea or seems lethargic and disinterested in its food, do not give it any more kiwi. If your rabbit stops pooping, you should take it to a vet promptly, although it is unlikely that a small amount of kiwi will cause such a severe issue.
If kiwi fruits do not appear to agree with your rabbit, do not continue to offer them. There are many other suitable fruits, such as berries, bananas, and apples, that rabbits can eat.
Can A Rabbit Eat Kiwi Skins?
Yes, a rabbit can eat kiwi skins, and indeed, these are better for your rabbit than the flesh is. They contain more fiber and lower concentrations of sugar, so don’t be afraid to offer small quantities of kiwi skin to the rabbit.
However, you still should not give your rabbit large amounts of kiwi skins, because they could still upset its digestive system. Most of your rabbit’s diet should come from hay, which is full of fiber. If you feed it too many kiwi skins, your rabbit may not eat enough hay.
Make sure that you wash kiwi skins before you give them to the rabbit; this is the best way to ensure that they are safe for consumption. If possible, you should also buy organic kiwis so that you know there are no traces of pesticides on the kiwi skins.
Can A Rabbit Eat Kiwi Seeds?
Yes, you do not need to scrape the kiwi seeds out of the fruit before giving it to your rabbit. These tiny seeds should not harm your rabbit at all, so don’t worry about them. There is no need to try and remove them before you feed your rabbit kiwi fruit.
Can A Rabbit Eat Dried Kiwi?
On the whole, it is better not to feed your rabbit any dried fruits, including kiwi. Dried fruit tends to have more sugar in it because it has reduced water content, and this isn’t very good for your bunny.
Although some people do feed their rabbits dried fruit without any issues, it is best to avoid this and only offer fresh pieces of kiwi. If you do give your rabbit dried kiwi, reduce the quantities that you offer to make sure it is not getting more sugar than its digestive system can handle. It’s also a good idea to put down plenty of fresh water.
Conclusion
Pieces of kiwi are a great way to treat your rabbit and ensure that it has a varied diet. As long as fruits are fed in moderation, they are healthy, but if you have fed your rabbit a lot of other fruit lately, do not add kiwi to its diet until its digestive system has had some time to catch up.
