Zucchini is a Mesoamerican vegetable that is also known as marrow in Britain and Ireland. If you have a pet bun you might wonder if he or she can eat zucchini. Yes, rabbits eat zucchini. Let us find out how zucchini can be added to your pet’s diet routine.
Zucchini as a Diet for Pet Rabbits
You can securely feed zucchini to your pet rabbit as it is a highly nutritious food belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family of plants. Some other fruits of this family include melons, pumpkin, cucumber, and other gourd fruits. Zucchini can be added to the diet of rabbits easily with a different preparation each day. The variety of colors such as yellow, green, and white make it a great treat for the rabbits. However, you should add other fresh green vegetables such as carrots, cucumber leaves, lettuce, broccoli, bell peppers, squash, cilantro, and fruits like peach, cherries, kiwi, banana, apple, apricot, and others; along with zucchini.
Health Benefits of Eating Zucchini
Nutritional Value of Zucchini
Zucchini contains polyunsaturated fat, minerals like sodium, potassium, phosphorus, carbohydrates, protein, and calcium. Zucchini does not contain cholesterol at all and has a lower amount of fats. Vitamins like vitamin A, B6, C, thiamine, folate, riboflavin; fibrous nutrients, and little sugar are also present in zucchini. Potassium is typically very important for a rabbit’s nervous system and healthy muscular build of their body.
High Water Content
Rabbits live a consuming lot of water. Fortunately, zucchini has 94% of water. It keeps their body hydrated and healthy. Hence it makes a great diet for the rabbits for its low-calorie content with just around 20 calories for every 124 grams of it.
Reduces Stomach Upsets
Before giving zucchini to your pet you should take notice if he likes it or not. If your pet is eating zucchini then it can be of great health benefits in terms of reducing their stomach upsets and diarrhea. Zucchini can be digested easily due to its high water content. The dietary fiber in zucchini helps improve digestion by adding volume to the diet.
Zucchini Skin, Leaves, Flowers and Seeds as Food
Zucchini does not contain any poison in it. So you need not worry before giving them to rabbits. You can give zucchini to rabbits without peeling it. Zucchini's skin is full of nutritional content. Zucchini skin should be fed in small quantities. One teaspoon of zucchini for every two grams of bunny weight should be given as a meal to the rabbits.
Rabbits can have zucchini flowers. You should serve small quantities of zucchini flowers and they ought to be fresh. If you have too many zucchini flowers give one at a time every day so that your rabbit can relish them while eating. Zucchini flowers are of two types, such as male zucchini flower and female zucchini flower, and fortunately, both are edible.
Similarly to the flowers, zucchini leaves are also safe as foods for the rabbits. Rabbits are not very much fond of zucchini leaves. So they should be given in small amounts along with other fruits and veggies. Make sure you feed fresh zucchini leaves as folded up leaves are not good for bunnies.
Zucchini seeds can be fed to your rabbit. These seeds are not poisonous. Zucchini seeds are very soft; hence rabbits can eat them too. While giving zucchini to your pet you need not worry about its seeds.
Cooked Zucchini for Rabbits
Boiled zucchini can be a source of good nutritional value for the rabbit’s health. It reduces the chances of indigestion in rabbits.
If you have too much zucchini you need to cut them into small pieces and cook in boiled water for some time and store them in the refrigerator. This preparation is called blanched zucchini. You can simply serve it to rabbits.
Nutrients of zucchini get broken once cooked or frozen. So it is completely your choice how you want to feed your rabbit.
Raw Zucchini for Rabbits
Raw zucchini is more recommended than cooked as rabbit food. Rabbits can eat raw zucchini along with grass, hay, and other nutritious vegetables.
You may wish to buy a bigger zucchini for your pet, but small to mid-sized zucchinis are full of flavors.
Darkest zucchinis are of the highest nutritional values. Hence they make a great treat as a rabbit diet.
How Much Zucchini Can Be Given to Your Pet
You need to follow some instructions before feeding zucchini to your pet. For baby and juvenile rabbits, zucchini is not a good option as a diet. Zucchini can be fed to the adult rabbits starting from 2 to 4 months of age starting with a little serving at first and increasing them gradually.
Side-Effects of Zucchini
Obesity
Eating too much of any vegetable like zucchini can cause obesity in your rabbit. Zucchini contains more carbohydrates than other rabbit foods like hay or grass. Hence you should be precautious before giving a certain amount of zucchini, its leaves, or flowers to your rabbit.
Your Rabbit May Fall Sick
While giving any new foods like zucchini to your rabbit you should be careful of their digestive problems as rabbits tend to have a sensitive one. Take notes of any changes that occur in your rabbit after giving them zucchini. If your rabbit does not prefer zucchini give them plain foods like hay, pellets, or grass. Reach your veterinarian as you figure out any unusual symptoms or changes in your pet without a delay.
Zucchini squash does not cause any harm to your bunny. You can add a small portion of logic toys to it as it is considered as a great source to boost their already-intelligent brain. Rabbits like to chew so you can give newspaper and wooden scraps besides giving zucchini and other vegetables and fruits. Finally, zucchini is harvested mostly in the summer. So your rabbit can have a delicious treat of zucchini once summer is around the corner.
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