Can Rabbits Eat Blueberries? (How Much Is Safe Per Rabbit’s Size and Age?)
Feeding your rabbit a balanced diet is crucial for its health, and with a balanced diet come different nutrients. Can Rabbits eat blueberries, and is this fruit safe for rabbits to eat, and something they will nutritionally benefit from? Here is what I’ve found out.
Contents
- Can Rabbits Eat Blueberries?
- How Many Blueberries Can Rabbits Eat?
- Can Rabbits Eat Dried Blueberries?
- Do Rabbits Eat Blueberry Bushes?
- Why Are Blueberries Good For Rabbits?
- Danger Of Rabbits Eating Too Many Blueberries
- Can Rabbits Eat Moldy Blueberries?
- Feeding Blueberries Do’s
- Feeding Blueberries Don’ts
- Can Rabbits Eat Blueberries With Other Fruits?
Can Rabbits Eat Blueberries?
While rabbits can eat blueberries, and it is a harmless fruit for them to consume, it’s not essential rabbit food. It should only be an occasional snack; although it is filled with vitamins, antioxidants, and other nutrients, it also contains sugar. Rabbits require only 5% or fewer snacks in their diets, and blueberries belong in this category.
Learn more about rabbits and blueberry consumption, including how much is safe, do’s and don’ts, health precautions, and more.
How Many Blueberries Can Rabbits Eat?
Since blueberries are fruits, this is not food rabbits require in their daily diets.
However, rabbits can still eat blueberries as it has a nutritional value they can benefit from.
The amount of blueberries the owner should give to its rabbit daily is no more than 1 teaspoon per 2 pounds (0,9 kg) of the rabbit’s body weight.
Depending on your rabbit’s body weight, these are the approximate amounts of blueberries:
| Rabbit body weight or age | Serving size in blueberry pieces | The volume of blueberries in teaspoons and grams |
| up to 7 weeks old | 0 | no blueberries at all |
| 1 pound (0,454 kg) | 1-2 large 2-3 medium 3-4 small | 1/2 teaspoon (2,84 grams) |
| 2 pounds (0,907 kg) | 3 large 5 medium 7 small | 1 teaspoon ( 5,69 grams) |
| 3 pounds (1,36 kg) | 4-5 large 7-8 medium 10 small | 1½ teaspoon ( 8,53 grams) |
| 4 pounds(1,81 kg) | 6 large 10 medium 14 small | 2 teaspoons ( 11,38 grams) |
| 5 pounds (2,26 kg) | 7-8 large 12-13 medium 17-18 small | 2½ teaspoons (14,22 grams) |
| 6 pounds (2,72 kg) | 9 large 15 medium 21 small | 3 teaspoons (17,07 grams) |
| 7 pounds (3,17 kg) | 10-11 large 17-18 medium 24-25 small | 3½ teaspoons ( 19,91 grams) |
| 8 pounds (3,62 kg) | 12 large 20 medium 28 small | 4 teaspoons (22,76 grams) |
| 9 pounds (4,08 kg) | 13-14 large 22-23 medium 31-32 small | 4½ teaspoons (25,60 grams) |
| 10 pounds (4,53 kg) | 15 large 25 medium 35 small | 5 teaspoons (28,45 grams) |
| 11 pounds (4,98 kg) | 16-17 large 27-28 medium 38-39 small | 5½ teaspoons (31,29 grams) |
| 12 pounds (5,44 kg) | 18 large 30 medium 42 small | 6 teaspoons (34,1 grams) |
| 13 pounds (5,89 kg) | 19-20 large 32-33 medium 45-46 small | 6½ teaspoons (36,97 grams) |
| 14 pounds (6,35 kg) | 21 large 35 medium 49 small | 7 teaspoons (39,81 grams) |
| 15 pounds (6,8 kg) | 22-23 large 37-38 medium 52-53 small | 7 ½ teaspoons (42,65 grams) |
If your rabbit weighs in between the measurements mentioned in the table, feed your rabbit the closest amount of blueberries to its weight.
For example, if your rabbit weighs 2,7 pounds, feed it 1½ teaspoon (4-5 large blueberries), but if it weighs 4,4 pounds, you can give it 2 teaspoons (6 large blueberries).
Your rabbit will be okay even if you give it slightly more occasionally, but making it, a routine should be avoided.
And remember—less is more when it comes to fruit snacks, so even though the serving size is a teaspoon per pound, feeding your rabbit less than recommended is better.
Blueberries are something rabbits would eat in the wild, and for that reason feeding them this fruit as domesticated pets is okay.
The number of blueberry pieces rabbits can eat depends on the individual rabbit’s age and weight, but mostly on the blueberry’s size.
That’s why it is safer to measure it in teaspoons…
Can Baby Rabbits Eat Blueberries?
A baby rabbit’s diet is different from an adult’s or even a young rabbit’s diet.
Rabbits are considered babies until they are approximately 3 months old, and during that stage, owners should not feed rabbits blueberries.
At this stage, babies require mother’s milk and dense, high caloric food, which is contained in good quality pellets.
Can Young Rabbits Eat Blueberries?
Rabbits from 3 months to about 8-9 months of age are considered young and are growing fast.
Blueberries are not needed for young rabbits’ growth, but a few pieces occasionally for very young rabbits and a bit more for rabbits closer to the adult age are safe.
For Blueberry feeding suggestions according to the rabbit’s weight, see the table above.
Can Rabbits Eat Dried Blueberries?
Small amounts of dried blueberries once a week are an acceptable snack for rabbits, but keep it at a minimum. It’s easy to overfeed on such a snack.
Some owners train their rabbit’s tricks using dried pieces of blueberries as a training tool.
Keep in mind that dried blueberries have almost double the calories as fresh ones in the same amount.
Both fresh and dried blueberries provide similar amounts of fiber and antioxidants.
Do Rabbits Eat Blueberry Bushes?
Unlike wild rabbits, domesticated rabbits don’t have blueberry bushes available unless owners plant them in the yard or a pot and make the plant accessible to them.
The blueberry bush is a safe option for pet rabbits to gnaw on, including fruit, stems, and leaves.
If you have an option to make an indoor rabbit garden, include this bush as a snack option.
However, if you are bringing blueberry twigs from the outdoors that might be sprayed with pesticides or have mold and pests, make sure to clean them thoroughly before feeding them to your pet rabbit.
It’s important to know that some plants look very similar to blueberries but could be poisonous.
If you are unsure whether the branches are from the eatable blueberry bush or not, better don’t feed it to your rabbit.
Why Are Blueberries Good For Rabbits?
Rabbits can benefit from eating blueberries since the fruit contain all the nutrients needed, including carbohydrates, fiber, protein, and various vitamins and minerals.
This fruit is something rabbits would naturally eat in the wild, and it’s important to simulate that diet to keep your rabbit healthy.
Main nutrients in blueberries that are beneficial for rabbits.
| Nutrient | Nutrition in 3,5 ounces (100g) or % |
| Fiber | 2,4 g |
| Protein | 0,7 g |
| Carbs | 14,5 g |
| Fat | 0,3 g |
| Water | 84% |
| Vitamin A | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 16% |
| Vitamin E | 3% |
| Vitamin K | 24% |
| Vitamin B6 | 3% |
| Calcium | 1% |
| Iron | 2% |
| Magnesium | 1% |
| Potassium | 2% |
| Manganese | 17% |
| Copper | 3% |
Even though blueberries contain most of the nutrients rabbits need in their diet, this fruit does not contain enough value.
Feeding blueberries should not substitute for regular rabbit food (hay, pellets, or greens) for any of the nutrients mentioned in the table above.
Danger Of Rabbits Eating Too Many Blueberries
Blueberries contain a high sugar level, nearly 10 grams per 100 grams of fruit—too high for rabbits.
Too much sugar fed to your pet rabbit can lead to the overgrowth of bacteria in its gut, consequently causing many health problems.
Obesity is a common problem among pet rabbits, veterinarians warn.
Due to feeding too many treats too often, including blueberries and other fruits, rabbits get overweight fast.
Issues with rabbit obesity are related to health problems, such as heart, liver, and kidney diseases.
Can Rabbits Eat Moldy Blueberries?
While mold might not be dangerous to your rabbit in a tiny amount (such as on one blueberry), feeding moldy blueberries is never supported.
Mold is a fungus, and there are potential dangers and toxicity from the different types of blueberry mold.
A rabbit’s digestive system is sensitive, and consuming mold with blueberries can make your pet ill.
Feeding Blueberries Do’s
- feed your rabbit blueberries only as a snack
- measure the number of blueberries fed according to rabbit’s weight
- wash blueberries thoroughly before feeding as they can contain pesticides and residues
- feed organic blueberries when possible
- use it as a training treat—rabbits are food-driven
- when feeding rabbit blueberries for the first time, only give one or two pieces once a week for the first three weeks
- use other parts of the blueberry plant occasionally
Feeding Blueberries Don’ts
- give your rabbit the whole container of blueberries to eat as much as it wants
- give rabbit blueberries that contain mold, dust, dirt, or another residue
- feed rabbit with any human food containing blueberries
- feed your rabbit blueberries as the only snack
- substitute rabbit’s regular food with blueberries
Can Rabbits Eat Blueberries With Other Fruits?
Rabbits can eat many fruits combined with blueberries, including apples, grapes, strawberries, blackberries, and more.
It’s crucial to measure how much combined fruit you are feeding. The serving size for a snack is approximately 1-7 teaspoons depending on the rabbit’s weight.
This means if your rabbit weighs 2 pounds, you can feed a half teaspoon of blueberries and a half teaspoon of other fruit.
Can Rabbits Eat Blueberries and Strawberries?
Both blueberries and strawberries contain good nutrients rabbits can benefit from.
When combining strawberries with this fruit, both fruits’ serving sizes should not be more than recommended for the rabbit’s size.
As an example…
| Rabbit size | Snack serving amount | Blueberries | Strawberries |
| 6 pounds | 3 teaspoons | 1½ teaspoons | 1½ teaspoons |
Can Rabbits Eat Blueberries and Grapes?
Rabbits can snack on both grapes and blueberries together. Grapes do contain more sugars, though.
Be aware of serving sizes when giving both fruits at the same time.
For example…
| Rabbit size | Snack serving size | Blueberries | Grapes |
| 4 pounds | 2 teaspoons | 1 teaspoon | 1 teaspoon |
Can Rabbits Eat Blueberries and Blackberries?
Both fruits are healthy and safe for rabbit consumption, but blackberries have half of the sugars compared to blueberries.
As an example…
| Rabbit size | Snack serving size | Blueberries | Blackberries |
| 8 pounds | 4 teaspoons | 2 teaspoons | 2 teaspoons |
Can Rabbits Eat Blueberries and Apples?
Rabbits enjoy both fruits, and some will prefer apples over blueberries. Apples contain slightly more sugar per cup than blueberries.
For example…
| Rabbit size | Snack serving size | Blueberries | Apples |
| 10 pounds | 5 teaspoons | 2½ teaspoons | 2½ teaspoons |
