Many people often believe that rabbits can only survive on salad. And that any other food like grapes is poisonous to them. In this article, you are going to find out otherwise.
Can Rabbits Eat Grapes?
The simple answer to this is yes; rabbits, whether wild or domestic, can eat grapes. But there’s a limit to how much. So, let’s explain.
Grapes are just one fruit that rabbits love. So, whether green, purple, or red, bunnies can eat any grapes.
However, rabbits have a very tender digestive system. So, there’s a delicate level of nutrients they need.
For that reason, experts often recommend a rather strict balanced diet for rabbits. Fruits are only a small fraction of that diet. Fresh hay takes up like 80% of it.
And the others should be green leaves like iceberg lettuce, carrot tops, and other fresh vegetables.
So, you should only feed red, purple, or green grapes to bunnies as an occasional treat.
That said, let’s briefly clear the air on this:
Bunnies Vs Rabbit Vs Hares: What’s the Difference?
Rabbits and bunnies are the same animals.
In some parts of the world, people call young, domestic, and pet rabbits bunnies.
But bunnies still refer to all rabbits, whether wild or domestic. However, in North America, the species of wild bunnies found there are called Cottontails rabbits.
But in no circumstance are wild rabbits the same as hares. This is because rabbits and hares belong to two different groups. In fact, hares are quite bigger than rabbits. They have long back legs and longer ears with black patterns.
Like rabbits, hares can also eat red, purple, or green grapes.
So, the habit of eating grapes runs through the veins of both rodents.
Are Grapes Actually Good for Rabbits?
Like most fruits, grapes are good vitamin sources for both humans and rabbits.
Vitamins, as we all know, can help to boost your immune system.
Besides that, they contain large amounts of antioxidants, fiber, and water.
So, with every bite, you get an explosion of quality taste in your mouth. And so does your rabbit.
- The vitamins in grapes help to boost the immune system of your rabbit.
- The vitamins in grapes help bunnies to maintain their skin.
- The antioxidants in grapes and other fruits prevent tissue damage in bunnies.
- Eating grapes can help the intestinal health of your rabbit and relieve constipation.
- When rabbits eat peeled grapes twice a week, it helps to improve their eyesight and heart function.
How Often Should Rabbits Eat Grape?
If allowed, adult rabbits can eat as many grapes as possible.
And with the sweet taste that comes with a fresh grape, you might be tempted to keep feeding rabbits grapes.
However, you should always remember that even too much of good things can be also bad.
As for grapes, you should only feed bunnies, a few balls.
In fact, according to the House Rabbit Society, feeding rabbits grapes should come only once in a while.
From our perspective, we think 1 – 2 grapes once every week should do just fine. And feeding rabbits grapes every day would later cause a problem.
- READ MORE: Can Rabbits eat watermelon?
What Happens to a Rabbit If Fed Too Many Grapes?
As said earlier, rabbits have a delicate digestive system. So, when rabbits eat grape nutrients beyond their normal tolerance range, health issues may arise.
Some of those health risks include:
1. Obesity
When bunnies eat too many grapes, they risk getting too many carbs. As we all know, this can lead to weight gain. Without adequate exercise, obesity can set in.
2. Diabetes
In case you don’t know, a cup of rabbit grapes contains 23 g of sugar. When your rabbit consumes too much of it, it can cause diabetes.
Although, diabetes is quite rare in adult rabbits. But it’s not out of place to think about it.
3. GI Stasis
GI stasis is a fatal health issue that happens when bunnies can no longer digest food. In most cases, it happens when rabbits eat too many carbs and sugar but low fiber.
Eating too many grapes or other fruits can cause this as well. When your rabbit suffers from GI stasis, it eats less, poops less, bloats, and experiences lethargy.
If you notice these, your pet rabbit needs urgent medical attention from a vet.
4. Grape Addiction
Because of its sweet and yummy taste, rabbits can’t deny a bite from a fresh grape. When you feed them very often, your bunnies will grow very fond of grapes.
This fondness can grow so much that the said adult rabbit would start denying their normal diet. Normally, this diet should include rabbit pellets, water, and a lot of hay.
But if bunnies decide to fill their bellies with grapes instead, they become malnourished.
5. Dental Problems
Rabbits have one biological defect – their teeth often grow into an abnormal size that can kill them.
To prevent that, rabbits need to keep chewing. And that’s why they eat so much hay and fiber. If they get addicted to grapes and substitute grapes for hay, then their dental defect pops back up.
Then again, grapes are just like sweets to rabbits. They contain (too) much sugar for rabbits. Since it’s not like your pet rabbit brushes its teeth every day, too many grapes can cause dental decay.
6. Digestive Issues
GI Stasis apart. Bunnies risk other health problems with too many grapes.
One common problem like this is diarrhea.
In rabbits, diarrhea can cause dehydration and eventually death. Besides diarrhea, too many grapes can disturb the acid balance in a bunny’s stomach.
When that happens, the good bacteria that help their digestion may die off.
This, of course, becomes a whole new set of troubles.
Can Rabbits Eat All Parts of a Grape?
Well… yes. But they shouldn’t.
A grape plant, rather; a grapevine, produces many grapefruits.
These grapefruits come in bunches borne on grape stems with a few grape leaves. Each grapefruit has two grape seeds on average inside a fleshy part. The grape skin covers this succulent part.
Now, a baby rabbit (even an adult rabbit) can eat all these parts of a grape.
However, prevent your bunny from eating the seed and the skin of a grape.
No, no, it’s not because grape skin and grape seeds are toxic.
Instead, it’s because bunnies can develop kidney stones when they eat them too much and too often.
In case you don’t know, kidney stones can cause severe renal failure. And this may threaten your rabbit’s life.
Sometimes, the seeds may even be too big and hard for bunnies to munch down. And with that, your rabbit can choke on the seed.
So, when next you intend to feed grapes to your rabbit, try to remove the skin and seed. It’s safer that way.
Wines Are Made from Grapes. But Can Rabbits Drink Wine?
Yes, grapes are quite amazing and refinable.
That’s why we often make grape juice, jelly, and wine out of grapes.
Since wines are made of fermented grapes, rabbits would naturally love to take wine.
A small amount won’t kill it. But we recommend you keep your bunny far away from wine.
This is because most wine (if not all) contains 11% of alcohol. Even non-alcoholic wines are somewhat alcoholic.
Can Baby Rabbits Feed on Grapes?
Baby rabbits can indeed do what adult rabbits do; they eat grapes.
However, it’s best not to feed your baby rabbits grapes, especially if they are below 12 weeks.
This is because their stomachs and other digestive organs are not well developed yet.
That’s even why these small, adorable bunnies depend on their mother’s breast milk.
Without the milk, the baby bunny may not survive past the young stage.
If they grow up to 3 weeks, bunnies often munch softly on solid foods.
You can start mixing their breast milk with hay and pellets, but never fruits.
After a while, you can gradually start introducing the growing bunnies to small amounts of the same foods eaten by the mother bunny.
Can Rabbits Eat Dried Grapes and Frozen Grapes?
Dried grapes are simply called Raisins. Or you can say a raisin is a dried fruit version of a fresh grape.
So, that means bunnies can eat raisins.
But earlier we said that rabbits should eat only a few grapes. And that this can be about 2% of their diet if no other fruits will be introduced.
For raisins, the proportion should even be way smaller.
This is because raisins and frozen grapes contain even more sugar.
In fact, the sugar in frozen grapes often crystalizes, making them even sweeter.
Of course, with more sugar comes more danger.
Final Recommendations
So far, we clarified rabbits eat all kinds of grapes, both colored and seedless grapes.
However, note the following if you are a rabbit owner:
- You should feed your rabbit grapes in a small quantity.
- It’s best for your bunnies don’t eat grape seeds and grape stems even though they can.
- Feed your baby rabbits and adult rabbits more fresh hay than anything else.
And that’s about it. If you want to know whether rabbits can eat other fruits like cucumber, click here and explore.
