Can Rabbits Have Clementines? 6 Things To Remember!

Can rabbits have clementines? Yes, they can. Rabbits, as herbivores, are supposed to eat strictly foods made from plants. And that’s what I ever thought the first time I got Thumper.

I guess you also get to see your rabbit tired whenever you’re serving them the same food every day. For us humans, having to eat the same thing every day seems tiring and boring. The same goes for our pets. You just need to mix some things up. There is no harm in trying something new.

But before you do, do some background checks first. Is that food safe, or is that food good for my pet? Ask yourself. Will he gain benefits from it? Those questions should rise into your mind. Believe me or not, you should make a more professional approach, especially when it comes to your pet.

Visiting your veterinarian and asking for more advice on your bunny’s new diet regime is the right thing to do. If you’re in doubt if rabbits can have clementines, don’t be. We’ll answer all the questions in your mind.

What Are Clementines?

Clementines are one of the families of oranges. Actually, they are a hybrid of sweet oranges and mandarin. These tiny fruits are bright, orange colored. They’re easy to peel and taste a lot more precious than other citrus fruits, plus they’re typically seedless too.

This tiny fruit is best given to children; you don’t have to worry about getting the seeds eaten because they are practically seedless, as I mentioned earlier.

Citrus fruits are a great source of vitamins and antioxidants. Most calories of clementines are from natural sugars and small amounts of proteins. They’re a good source of vitamin C (well, all of the citrus family are).

They also contain amounts of potassium, carbohydrates, and sugars. Citrus fruits are most commonly known as fruits that boost one’s immunity.

Clementines are perfectly safe for your bunnies to eat, provided that they have a controlled diet. A slice or two won’t harm them but make that twice or thrice a week to avoid unnecessary diseases.

At home, I tried giving Thumper clementines. I make sure that I serve this fruit only around twice a week. I want to ensure that it can give good than harm. Hopefully, you do the same thing too.

 

Benefits Of Clementines

Can rabbits have clementines? There are a few great benefits a clementine has to offer to your bunny’s body. If you ask me, I am confident giving this fruit to Thumper. Well, let’s take a good close look at each one of them.

 

• Rich in vitamin C

Actually, rabbits make their vitamin C, so they don’t have to rely on oranges to get some. But vitamin C is still essential to improve their digestive response. Some green leafy vegetables have more vitamin C than clementines, but giving them one doesn’t significantly harm them.

 

• Good source of fiber

If you want to feed the right food for your pet, make sure it is loaded with fiber. Why so? Because fiber serves as a food for the bacteria found in your bunny’s gut. It also softens stool and decreases constipation.

But don’t feed them too much food rich in fiber; rather than aiding your rabbit’s digestion process, it may cause them indigestion. And I know you don’t want that to happen, so you have to be cautious when feeding them.

 

Things To Consider When Feeding Them Clementines

Now, please don’t get so excited about starting to feed them clementines. Hold on for a bit first as there are some other things you should consider before giving them one.

#1. Something new

If clementines are new for your rabbit, it is recommended to give them a few bits at first. See how they react. If they like it, that is the time to decide on giving them a little more. But to be sure, limit these new things until you are confident enough that it won’t have any adverse effects on your bunny.

 

#2. Dosage

It’s not like they’re in medication or something. Dosage here means how much your rabbits can eat. Learn here How long can rabbit go without water

Clementines are one of their favorite foods; they often get confused with the orange color of carrots. They usually take this kind of food as treat. Give them 2 to 3 slices a meal; 2 to 3 times a week will do.

Again, take clementines as a treat and never include them in their daily diet.

 

#3. Plant

If you have an orange plant at home, you are probably wondering if the branches and leaves are also edible for your bunny. The branches and leaves are perfectly safe for bunnies to eat as long as there are no pesticides or chemicals sprayed all over them.

The same principle goes for the orange peels. Actually, opinions differ. Some vets say that they’re okay, but some rabbit owners stay clear of it.

They insist that the peels might have pesticides sprayed on them too. But if you are the plant owner, you should probably know the risk if you’ve sprayed chemicals on your orange plant and then feeding them to your rabbit.

We don’t want to feed chemicals to our cute ones now, don’t we?

 

#4. Baby bunnies

Just like mammals, baby rabbits, when born, mainly rely on their mommy’s milk as a source of their nutrients. As they get older, that is the time when you should start feeding them solids, but you should do so in small amounts.Please read here Can baby rabbit drink cow milk

Around 12 weeks old, rabbits can start eating veggies. However, experts suggest waiting until your rabbit reaches approximately seven months to start feeding them new foods like oranges.

 

#5. Can be addicting

Because of the sweet taste of clementines, they can most likely contribute to sugar. But just because they’re sweet and your bunnies love them doesn’t mean that these should be given to them as a part of their regular diet.

 

#6. Dried oranges

An orange mainly has high water content. When you dry it, water is taken away from the fruit. During this process, the fruit shrinks (as mentioned, it is mainly due to the water removal), which gets smaller in size.

These smaller pieces of fruit may seem tempting to consider as a treat for rabbits but wait a minute. Removing the water from the fruits means they’re concentrated and also equated to more sugar and calories.

So dried ones are not much healthier than the regular ones. Dried oranges in stores are sometimes added with sweeteners and sugars to improve their taste, so it’s a reason to avoid feeding them to your bunnies.

 

Conclusion

Can rabbits have clementines? Clementines are a rabbit’s treat, so, yes, they can. But it doesn’t mean that they should. You can feed them with clementines as a treat; that means that you should only give them for their excellent behavior or whenever you’re teaching them tricks.

Remember, too much can harm your precious fluffy friends. As they tend to eat everything you serve them, overeating could be a problem. Control their diet to a healthy one, and with that, you’ll be confident about what your pet eats.

Always consult your veterinarian for professional advice. It will cause you no harm in asking these people for pieces of advice because they are the right ones for the job.

Again, rabbits can have clementines as a treat. Never over treat them to have a fun, healthy life for your bunny. Happy growing!