IS IT POSSIBLE TO GIVE CUCUMBERS TO RABBITS: WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS AND HARM, HOW TO GIVE

The diet of rabbits should be varied at any time of the year and consist of balanced feed, water and hay. Animals also need roots and vegetables.

In this regard, the question arises: is it possible to give cucumbers to pets? In the article we will try to answer this question, as well as tell about the benefits and dangers of cucumbers for domestic ears.

Can rabbits be given cucumbers

Some breeders feed pets cucumbers, as this is the most affordable vegetable in the summer garden, they have a lot of vitamins and useful elements. Consider the benefits and harms of fresh and pickled cucumbers as a vitamin supplement to the diet of rabbits.

Fresh

Cucumbers, recently plucked from the garden, are quite acceptable in the diet of agricultural rabbits, as they contain many useful substances for their bodies:

iron;
sodium;
phosphorus;
potassium;
manganese;
iodine;
zinc;
chromium;
vitamins: C, B1, B2, B9;
squirrels;
cellulose;
carbohydrates;
water.

Important! Cucumbers in the diet of rabbits should be grown in the summer, without the use of nitrates. Vegetables obtained from the greenhouse in winter usually contain a high level of chemicals, which can adversely affect the health of pets.

Due to the presence of group B vitamins, the rabbit body can cope with coprophagy - eating a small amount of its own litter, which is normal for rabbits. This is due to the fact that in the process of digestion in the intestines of the rabbit, food is fermented with the help of bacteria, and then it leaves the body in the form of night feces along with vitamins. To compensate for the vitamin loss, animals eat night feces.

In addition, the vegetable has a positive effect on the following processes in the body of the animal:

full development;
stabilization of the internal organs;
increased growth;
normalization of the skin;
improved fur undercoat;
meat quality improvement;
increase immunity;
normalization of metabolic processes.

For ornamental rabbits, this product can also be beneficial if given in small quantities, while watching the reaction of the body to avoid digestive upset.

Did you know? Scientists have proven that communication with eared animals can raise mood and produce serotonin in the human brain, so they can be successfully used in the treatment of depression.

Salty

Rabbits should eat only fresh food specifically designed for their diet. Products from a person’s table are mainly subjected to heat or chemical treatment, so any baked, boiled, salted or fried vegetables, including cucumbers, do not bring any benefit to pets and may even harm their delicate stomachs due to an overabundance they are salt.

Feeding rules

There are certain rules for feeding animals cucumbers, which take into account some of the subtleties of their use.

From what age can

Cucumbers in the diet of rabbits should not appear earlier than at 3-4 months of age due to the delicate digestive system of the animals. Grown up and adult individuals can periodically be given this vegetable for food according to the scheme and in the quantities described below.

Important! If, when eating cucumbers, rabbits had loose stools and general lethargy, then vegetables should be excluded from the animals ’diet.

How to give

Here are some tips on how to add cucumbers to a rabbit diet:

Vegetables should be washed, dried, grated or finely chopped.
Familiarize animals with a new product should be gradually, first giving a small piece, gradually increasing the portion and watching their reaction.
Chopped cucumbers can be given as a separate dish or mixed with bran, mixed fodder, cereal flakes or other grated root vegetables and vegetables.
Cucumber should not be present in pet food every day: it is best if you give it, alternating every other day.
When eating three rabbits, it is recommended to include cucumbers in the lunch meal.
Animals from the first time can refuse to use this vegetable, then you can try again in a week. If the reaction is repeated, the vegetable is removed from the diet.

Contraindications and harm

Contraindications to the use of cucumber rabbits are the following factors:

Animal age up to 3-4 months.
Negative reaction of the digestive system, expressed by diarrhea and general weakness.
Adding to the feed cucumbers grown in greenhouses using nitrates.
Use overripe fruit or rot.

Learn how to give green, branch, granulated feed to rabbits.

What else can feed the rabbits

In addition to cucumbers, other vegetables, as well as greens should be present in the diet of pets:

Carrots, pumpkins, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, artichokes - crushed with a knife or rubbed on a grater and mixed with cereal flakes.
Corn (grain, rods, leaves, tops) - grind the grain with the rods, and dry the leaves and tops and chop finely.
Kohlrabi cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, fodder, Brussels sprouts (except white) is crushed with a knife or divided into leaves.
Green peas (tops and pods) - are given in a slightly dried form.
Sauerkraut (in winter, in the form of a vitamin supplement) - no more than 100-200 g per day.
Plant root vegetables (carrots, radishes, beets) - whole feed or chop with a knife.
Celery, spinach, shoots of wheat and oats - to give, not chopping.

Did you know? Rabbits are quite voracious creations: one eared fish per day can eat so much grass that it can fill an average-sized pillow.

Thus, cucumbers in the diet of agricultural and ornamental rabbits are necessary. But only if they are introduced gradually grown and adults with a good response of the digestive system.