Rabbits are herbivores, but they can be really sensitive with their diet. Even the slightest upset can cause them real trouble. So, you’re doing a fantastic thing as an owner by checking to see whether your rabbit can eat fruit such as pears.
The good news is that your rabbit can absolutely eat pears in moderation. In fact, they will love nothing more than munching on a sweet, juicy slice of pear—and they will look forward to it when treat time comes around. We’re here to tell you all the details of feeding pears to your rabbit.
Rabbits Can Eat Pears
Pears are good in every way, too, with no notable toxins to mention. Rabbits will enjoy feasting on the moist hunks of pear slices. If you add this into their regular diet as an occasional goodie, they eat it up with pleasure.
All parts of the pear tree are entirely safe for your rabbit friends. Unlike apples, pears have no compounds that cause toxicity in the roots or seeds. So, even if you give your rabbit a little leaf or stem, they might snub it—but it won’t hurt them if they nibble.
Too much of anything is harmful in anyone’s diet, even our furry friends. So, make sure you never substitute your rabbit’s daily diet with pears. Like many fruit items, rabbits can eat pears about once per week, and you should always prepare them properly.
Pear Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1 Cup
Pear Health Benefits
Pears are bursting with health benefits that make them so yummy and nutritious. Here are a few areas of health to consider for your bunnies.
Copper
Pears contain a fare amount of copper, which is responsible for several functions in the body. Copper helps your rabbit maintain healthy bone structure, blood vessels, nerve endings, and immunity.
Vitamin C
Your rabbit’s body naturally produces vitamin C, so they don’t really require much more of it outside of their normal diet.
Potassium
Potassium is super important in the diet of your rabbit. It has such an irreplaceable job in the body—like regulating the heartbeat. In addition to heart muscle function, it helps your rabbit’s body synthesize protein and metabolize energy.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is a group of fat-soluble vitamins that help with bodily functions like blood clotting, bone health, and maintaining proper calcium levels in the blood.
Pear Downfalls
As much as pears can be beneficial to your rabbit’s diet, they can also have their downfalls. For example, since pairs are so full of natural fiber, it can loosen your rabbit stools and even cause diarrhea. This disruption in the digestive tract can potentially make your bunny sick—and we don’t want that.
To maintain proper health, you should always feed your rabbit a natural diet that is full of grains, hay, and veggies. Fruit should be an occasional treat. Also, pears are very high in sugar, which is ideal to not overload in your rabbit’s diet.
Canned vs. Fresh Pears
Fresh pears will undoubtedly be more nutritionally beneficial for your rabbits. The reason is that when pears are canned, some of the naturally occurring nutrients are lost. Plus, it’s common for canned pears to lay in a bed of heavy syrup for preservation.
You see, you probably already know that your rabbits have quite the sweet tooth. Unfortunately, they can’t detect the difference between natural sugars and refined sugar (man-made.)
Your rabbit needs no extra sugar outside their regular diet items—including fruits. These added sugars are not only bad for your rabbit’s diet, but they are also downright dangerous. Added sugar can lead to a whirlwind of trouble for your bunnies.
Refined sugars can disrupt your rabbit’s gut health, lead to obesity, and contribute to other health issues down the line. So, always make sure to feed your rabbit fresh pears when you can. If the pears are canned naturally with no additional sugar, canned pears might be safe—but go with fresh when possible.
How to Serve Pears to Your Rabbit
You might not think you need a little lesson on how to serve pears to your rabbit. And some of you might be right. But we just want to give you a few pointers that can help out.
First of all, many pears, especially store-bought selections, are covered in pesticides. We all know that rabbits have delicate digestive systems, and they don’t need to be eating any of these things.
So before you even start, thoroughly wash the pair’s skin to remove any bacteria, debris, or chemical compounds that can be removed.
Next, dice the pairs up into thin slices so your rabbit can easily munch on them. It would be best if you never feed your rabbit an entire pear at a time. One to two slices should do them fine. And remember, you should also provide them with bits of pears mixed with other goodies like fresh fruits and vegetables.
Go Light on the Pears
It might seem like you should give your rabbit a variety of commercial food, Timothy hay, and fresh fruits and vegetables daily. While this is mostly true, you should always switch up what you’re offering while keeping the daily food base the same.
Rabbits require a commercial pellet containing all the necessary vitamin and mineral levels to keep your rabbit healthy. In addition, hay is an absolute staple in their diet, and it should always be readily available to them.
You might be able to get by with feeding your rabbit raw veggies daily, permitting that vegetables like carrots are not so high in sugar. Ultimately, you should offer sugary fruits like pears approximately once to twice per week.
Final Thoughts
So now you know that rabbits can absolutely eat pears. Not only will this give them a boost of copper, vitamin K, and potassium, but they will love the scrumptious flavors.
Remember to wash any fresh pears thoroughly you plan to give your rabbit. Cut them up in thin slices to ensure they’re easy to eat. Offer pears to your rabbit approximately once to twice per week. Moderation is always key, so never substitute their regular commercial pellet diet for pears.
