Is it possible and how to properly give tangerines to rabbits, contraindications and harm
In rabbit breeding, it is important to feed your pets a balanced feed. Using inappropriate food can harm your rabbits. Good owners often want to pamper them and add their favorite foods 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 peel of any citrus contains a lot of essential oils that are undesirable for the eared animal. A large amount of essential oil causes indigestion, leading to severe allergies.
Attention! Of the citrus family, the safest to feed is mandarin. But even this fruit needs to be given a little, especially carefully, until the rabbit gets used to the unusual treat, 1-2 slices once every 15-20 days.
Grapefruit and oranges do the most harm, and they have the most dangerous peels. It is better not to give tangerine peels at all. But it is permissible to occasionally feed a very small piece of skin. But this should not be done more often than once every 2 weeks.
It is best to choose seasonal tangerines for pets. They have a mild and delicate taste, slight acidity and 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 in the peel, contain a whole bunch of different microelements, vitamins and other useful substances. By the way, citrus feeding is useful for rabbits, especially decorative ones, in winter. But you must not allow an excess of essential oils in the feed, do not forget that most of them are contained in the crusts.
In small quantities, these compounds will benefit the animal's body. For example, essential oils found in fennel, dill seeds, bitter wormwood, green carrots, tansy inflorescences greatly reduce the activity of many animal parasites and harmful microorganisms. Improves intestinal activity and accelerates metabolism. In addition, the rabbit's body needs a lot of fiber.
But officially, bitter wormwood is a poisonous plant for eared animals, but on a small branch, for prevention, it is permissible to feed it once a week.
What is the difference between citrus essential oils and oils of other plants? 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 provide benefits. 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% of essential oil, it contains pectins, coloring and bitter substances, carotene, flavonoids and organic acids. Rabbits, in addition to pulp and skin, will benefit from the white mesh surrounding the fruit. It contains an unusually large amount of glycosides - elements that make the animal's vessels stronger.
A small amount of fresh tangerine 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 susceptible to citrus allergies. If in doubt, forget about such food altogether. The risk is not appropriate here.
To avoid harming your rabbit, first test it for citrus susceptibility by feeding a small amount of tangerine along with other food. For example, moisten a little crouton with drops of tangerine or orange juice, and after a few hours look at the pet's condition.
Keep in mind that nowadays traders use wax or chemicals to treat fruit to increase shelf life. For this reason, the animals need to be washed well with hot water before giving them, if possible, buy those that were not processed before transportation, for example, from Abkhazia.
Do not forget that rabbits have a very delicate digestive system, this is especially important when drawing up a diet for babies.
