Can rabbits eat tangerines: feeding rules, contraindications and harm

In rabbit breeding, it is important to feed pets a balanced diet. Using the wrong food can harm rabbits. Good owners often want to pamper them and add the food they like to the diet. Often (especially the owners of ornamental breeds) they ask if rabbits can be given tangerines and oranges, and similar ingredients that are not traditional for our places. Citrus fruits are considered dangerous foods and are carefully fed to rabbits.

Can rabbits be given tangerines?

Often noticing that the rabbit likes citrus fruits, the owner of the animal begins to give this fruit more often.Moreover, they feed the fruit with pulp and peel, as he eats it with pleasure. But few people know that the skin of any citrus contains a lot of essential oils that are undesirable for an eared animal. A large amount of essential oil causes indigestion, leads to severe allergies.

Attention! Of the citrus family, the tangerine is the safest to feed. But even this fruit should be given little by little, especially carefully, until the rabbit gets used to the unusual treat, 1-2 slices once every 15-20 days.

Grapefruits and oranges do the most damage and have the most dangerous skins. It is better not to give tangerine peels at all. But it is permissible to occasionally feed a very small piece of skin. But you can’t do this more than once every 2 weeks.

It is best for pets to choose seasonal tangerines. They have a mild and delicate taste, slight acidity and they will not harm the animal's body. The most important thing is to strictly control the composition of the diet and observe moderation.

How to give tangerines?

It turns out that these fruits, and especially the peel, contain a whole bunch of different trace elements, vitamins and other useful substances. By the way, citrus top dressing will come in handy for rabbits, especially decorative ones, in the winter. But you should not allow an excess of essential oils in the feed, do not forget that most of them are found in crusts.

In small quantities, these compounds will benefit the animal's body. For example, essential oils found in fennel, dill seeds, bitter wormwood, carrot greens, and tansy inflorescences greatly reduce the activity of many animal parasites and harmful microorganisms. Improve bowel activity and speed up metabolism. In addition, the rabbit's body requires a lot of fiber.

But officially bitter wormwood is a poisonous plant for eared animals, but it is permissible to feed it once a week on a small branch, for prevention.

What is the difference between citrus essential oils and other plant oils? Moreover, in nature, these animals are found in those regions where lemons and tangerines grow. The fact is that only in small quantities these substances are beneficial. They do not play the role of food, but medicine, if you give a lot of it, then there will be no benefit from it, and some substances can turn into poison.

Contraindications and possible harm

The peel of mandarin fruit contains vitamin C, up to 2.5% essential oil, it contains pectins, coloring and bitter substances, carotene, flavonoids and organic acids. Rabbits, in addition to the pulp and skin, will benefit from the white mesh surrounding the fruit. It contains an unusually large amount of glycosides - elements that make the vessels of the animal stronger.

A small amount of fresh mandarin peel activates the production of gastric secretions and improves the absorption of nutrients, in addition, it helps to relieve abdominal pain, bronchitis and diarrhea, and dry - serves as a sedative for the nervous system.

Small rabbits (up to 3 months old), decorative animals and albinos are especially prone to allergic reactions to citrus. If in doubt, forget about such food altogether. No risk here.

Attention! Any food for eared pets must be exceptionally fresh, it cannot even have traces of mold and rot.

In order not to harm the rabbit, first test it for susceptibility to citrus fruits by feeding a small amount of tangerine along with other food. For example, moisten a little cracker with drops of tangerine or orange juice, and after a few hours look at the condition of the pet.

Keep in mind that nowadays fruit vendors treat fruit with wax or chemicals to increase shelf life. For this reason, the fruits must be washed well with hot water before giving the animal, if possible, purchase those that have not been processed before transportation, for example, from Abkhazia.

Do not forget that rabbits have a very delicate digestive system, this is especially important when preparing a diet for babies.

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