Rabbits digest and metabolize food differently from humans. Therefore, there are a lot of foods that are made for humans and strictly for humans. While these foods can be safe, nutritious, and delicious for humans, they can be potentially deadly for cats, dogs, birds, and even rabbits.
So, with that let’s talk about “can rabbits eat digestive biscuits?”. Most people enjoy some digestive biscuits treats from time to time.
However, you’ve probably noticed your curious pet rabbit watching you as you enjoy eating some digestive biscuits with a cup of tea in hand. It may seem as if your pet rabbit is asking you to let them try some. And of course, if you let your rabbit eat a digestive biscuit, it will take the opportunity for sure.
Can Rabbits Eat Digestive Biscuits?
In short, it’s defiantly not recommended to feed rabbits digestive biscuits as bunnies have a delicate digestive tract. Their distinct ability to process nutrients and fiber makes rabbits adaptable to various environments. Although, their unique digestive tract means you need to be extra careful when feeding them.
If you’re trying to share a digestive biscuit with your pet rabbit, it mightn’t be a great idea. While it’s safe and good for me and you, the case is different for rabbits. There’re some human foods that can be potentially harmful to rabbits.
Rabbits have sensitive stomachs and therefore require a low-fat and low-sugar diet. The following are the human foods that you must avoid giving to your rabbit:
- Rice
- Bread
- Potatoes
- Chocolate
- Biscuits
- Chips
- Lollipops
- Avocado
These foods, particularly biscuits in general, can disrupt the digestion of a rabbit and won’t benefit their overall health. As you can see, foods such as digestive biscuits and lollipops aren’t that healthy even for humans, never mind rabbits. In general, sugary foods like digestive biscuits can only do harm to their health.
Why You Shouldn’t Feed Digestive Biscuits To Your Rabbit Regularly
Foods such as pasta and bread, crackers and biscuits are all rich in carbohydrates. These are sugary foods that you should never try to offer to your rabbit.
While your rabbit may show some interest in these foods, you should stick with the rules of a rabbit’s diet. If not, you’re risking letting your rabbit get into an unhealthy condition.
Digestive biscuits are very unhealthy for rabbits, not just because they’ve been made for humans. They simply don’t offer anything good to rabbits because of their ingredients.
Digestive biscuits are high in carbs, meaning that they’re higher in calories. Some of their ingredients are artificial.
The main ingredient of digestive biscuits is wheat flour, which contains protein, starch, and fat with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Starch isn’t dangerous for rabbits, as long as you keep it in limited amounts. However, when provided in excess amounts, a rabbit can become more susceptible to digestive and weight problems.
Gluten is the protein that’s present in wheat. Although many pets like dogs can tolerate gluten very well, pets like rabbits cannot. Your rabbit needs foods that are rich in fiber, as they have a delicate digestive system.
Alternatives To Digestive Biscuits
Store-bought treats
You can buy rabbit treats online and at pet stores, which is usually the best way to go. Because fresh fruits and vegetables can go bad quite quickly, it’s nice to have some treats ready that you can give to your rabbit as an occasional treat and, of course, they have a longer shelf life.
Baked hay treats
Baked hay treats are a good, relatively healthy treat option for rabbits. They’re made up of mainly timothy or alfalfa hay and have a little bit of sweet flavoring to make them enticing for a rabbit with a sweet tooth.
There’re lots of different brands that offer these hay treats. Again, you can usually find these types of treats in any pet store or online, although you should check the list of ingredients to be sure the brand you choose is healthy. If you don’t see alfalfa hay, timothy hay, or some other form of hay as the first ingredient on the list, then it may be best to pick a different brand.
Conclusion
In short, it’s defiantly not recommended to feed rabbits digestive biscuits as bunnies have a delicate digestive tract. Their distinct ability to process nutrients and fiber makes rabbits adaptable to various environments. Although, their unique digestive tract means you need to be extra careful when feeding them.
