What will happen if my bunny has had too much sugar?

[Jaanu]

Im very concerned as i have been giving my bunny dried fruit for a few weeks now i assumed it would be okay. Upon researching i picked up that it should not be given to my bunny at all. Im a bit stressed as i do not know what sort of danger her health is in.

 

[MameJenny]

Dried fruits like raisins, craisins, banana, papaya, and mango are fine for bunnies. They should be given in very small amounts, but they’re a good treat. I usually stick to about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp per ~5 lb of rabbit. If your bun had more than that, she probably won’t have any lasting effects. In the long term, giving too much dried fruit can cause obesity and make a bunny more prone to GI stasis. But if her appetite is good and she’s acting normal, I wouldn’t worry

 

[Augustus&HazelGrace]

As long as she is eating hay, veggies and pellets if you have them, and that is not the only thing you are feeding her she will be fine. Diet should be unlimited hay, 2-4 cups of veggies and 1/8-1/4 cup of pellets per 5 pounds of rabbit per day. Treats such as dried fruit should be limited to once a week in the measurements stated above.

 

[Imbrium]

There's nothing inherently wrong with dried fruit if it doesn't have extra sugar added... just bear in mind that dried fruit needs to be measured as though it were the fresh counterpart. In other words, one raisin = an entire grape, etc. HRS guidelines allow up to 1 tsp fruit per 2 lbs body weight (and up to 1 tbsp non-leafy veggies) per day (though if feeding a sugary veggie like carrot, you shouldn't also give fruit that day). It's okay to give a very small amount every day as long as the rabbit isn't overweight. One of the main concerns with too much fruit is the potential for diabetes... while obesity is a risk factor, the main cause is diet - eating too many carbs/sugars in a meal (or beverage, like regular soda) on a regular basis. In other words, giving a 4 lb rabbit 2 tsp of fruit a day is infinitely better than giving them 14 tsp once a week. What I'm getting at is that whether you feed fruit once a day or once a week, the portion sizes should be the same.