Is it bad that I give my rabbit apples daily?

[serabeth]

So I recently read somewhere that rabbits should only have a max of 1-2 apple slices per day and you shouldn’t give it to them more often than every other day. I have 3 9 month old Holland lops and between the three of them, they probably eat about an apple a day. They are medium sized pink lady apples. I cut them into chunks and use as treats and for training (mostly getting them to come when called, be pet/handled, or hop up on something when I tap it and say “up”).

So is this bad? Should I be not giving them so much apple, or is 1/3 of a medium sized apple per day okay? Most of their diet is Timothy hay and I also give them about 1/4 cup per rabbit each of kale and pellets.

One of the rabbits especially seems to have a sweet tooth though, and he begs us for apples constantly. He’s too cute to resist, so he probably gets more than the other two. None of them have ever had irregular poop or digestive issues though. At least not since they were very young.

 

[Apollo’s Slave]

a whole apple, even a medium-sized one share between three rabbits, is quite a lot. My rabbit gets a bite of an apple/any other fruit, maybe three times a week max, if he does get fresh fruit that week. I would use their pellets as the training treats instead and lessen the fruit amount even if you don't see any physical issues (fruit is really high in sugar, so it's almost like eating chocolate and cake every day). You could also make mini training treats to use instead (if you use less sugar, and veggies or pellets instead, you could make a very yummy treat that can be fed in large quantities).

P.S kale is pretty high in calcium, and should also be fed in moderation. Only a few times a week, really. A good simple veggie is romaine lettuce or herbs! x

 

[JBun]

Fruit can be fed every day if it's not causing digestive issues. As to how much, general guide is 1-2 tbsp per 5 lbs of body weight. And it's better to feed less on a consistent basis of every day, then to feed a lot just a few days per week.

Treats

 

[serabeth]

Thanks for the input! I’ll try to reduce the amount of apples I am giving them and switch to using something else as a treat. They are not really motivated to try to learn the commands I’m teaching them if I’m not offering treats lol, so I have to give them something most of the time .

 

[JBun]

I would just make the apple pieces smaller. That way you are still offering a treat, but not giving as much each time.