Can rabbits eat cherry tomatoes? People might take it for granted and don’t ask can rabbits eat cherry tomatoes because tomatoes are safe for humans.
Tomatoes are good for bunnies but only in small amounts twice a week. Giving them more than that will result in health problems and digestive issues.
Before going towards the hazards of tomatoes, you should know the benefits of this food for your bunnies. Read along to know these benefits and find ways to help your furball enjoy a good quality of life.
Cherry Tomato Health Benefits For Bunnies
Can rabbits eat cherry tomatoes? What are the health benefits? You must understand that tomato is not the food that your bunny requires daily. Cherry tomatoes are a good source of vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. But they are safe only if you use them as an occasional treat for your bunnies.
The following benefits help bunnies to get enhanced immunity and an extended life expectancy:
1. Antioxidants Prevent Damage From Free Radicals
The first benefit that you get after asking can rabbits eat cherry tomatoes is the presence of antioxidants.
Toxins and free radicals are present around us in the environment and in everything we eat. The same goes for the bunnies as well.
The food and environmental factors increase the number of free radicals in their bloodstream. Antioxidants in cherry tomatoes work as a discarding agent for these free radicals.
Lycopene, the antioxidant, takes all the free radicals in a rabbit’s body and, with the urinary system’s help, throws them out of the system.
2. Potassium Aids In Muscle Strength And Growth
If you ask the question, can rabbits eat cherry tomatoes so you can feed them to growing bunnies, the answer is a yes.
You can help the juveniles get muscle strength with the help of an occasional potassium dose. If your baby bunny is suffering from stunted growth, cherry tomato and potassium will help them grow at a normal rate.
If the bunny has weak muscles and the use of regular food is doing no good, cherry tomato can help in this situation.
Adding cherry tomatoes to their food twice or thrice a week will help them attain muscle strength. The enhanced strength will increase their weight to live a normal life.
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3. Water In cherry Tomatoes Help Rabbits Remain Hydrated
Many rabbits do not drink enough water and rely on food to get water and stay hydrated. But in summer, when the humidity level is low, the fodder itself gets dry and doesn’t offer much to the bunny.
The bunnies should also drink more water to stay away from heat and perform normal body functions in the hot seasons.
Cherry tomatoes are loaded with enough water to fulfill the hydration needs of your bunny. But that doesn’t mean you should offer it as daily food to the rabbit.
You can use it as an occasional treat when you see the bunny is not having enough water and panting more than usual.
4. Fiber helps in food motility in rabbit’s digestive systems
Rabbits need fiber to have a good metabolic system. Fiber increases food motility and keeps your bunny happy and healthy. Experts use the word motility to define the speed of food traveling in the digestive system of a bunny.
Grass and hay provide ample fiber, but if you think that the bunny has delayed feces, the use of this food will help solve the issue.
Can Rabbits Eat Cherry Tomatoes With Leaves And Stems
Can rabbits eat cherry tomatoes? Can they eat leaves and stems? Can rabbits eat cherry tomatoes along with leaves and stems is the question that requires you to understand the base of this plant. Tomatoes belong to the nightshade family, poisonous to bunnies and some other mammals.
Tomato doesn’t contain an increased amount of Solanine to affect your bunny’s health. But the leaves and stems are not free from this menace.
According to experts, the seeds of tomatoes also contain this toxic element, and you should remove the seeds before giving this food to your bunny.
Leaves and stem ingestion of this nightshade plant will make your bunny suffer from poisoning, and the symptoms will be as follows:
- Difficulty in breathing
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Withdrawal from food
- Anxiety
- Loss of interest in physical activities
- Fits
Conclusion – Can Rabbits Eat Cherry Tomatoes?
The answer to the question, can rabbits eat cherry tomatoes? is not a simple yes or no. You must follow some implications before giving this treat to the bunny.
Using cherry tomatoes as daily food will increase their weight and result in kidney issues and heart problems.
Rabbits need hay and water to have a happy life, but you provide your bunnies with a balanced diet when you give cherry tomatoes and other fruits or veggies. This balanced diet help enhance their immunity with nutrients and vitamins.