
Rabbits have hay as their main food in their diet because it brings many positive aspects to their health: it is rich in fiber, low in calories (helping them to maintain an adequate weight), helps them keep their teeth in good condition and regulates the digestive system. Still, it’s important that they eat more foods like vegetables and fruits.

To care for a rabbit properly, it is necessary that you know everything it can eat and what it cannot. This way, you’ll make sure it stays healthy. For example, a food that usually generates doubts is the tomato. The unknowns about whether you can give tomato are understandable, so in we help you solve them. Find out in this article whether rabbits can eat tomato or not.
Can rabbits eat tomato or not?
The answer to this question is simple: tomato is good for rabbits, so they CAN eat it. It is a perfect alternative to vary your diet and also to offer it as a prize, since it is a fruit that they like very much.
However, it is important that it does not become an essential food: your rabbit should eat hay every day and, occasionally, vegetables and fruits, such as tomatoes. Another aspect to highlight is that you should give only the tomato, that is, the fruit without other parts of the plant such as flowers, stems and leaves, as they are toxic to the animal.
Another question you may have been: can I give any type of tomato to my rabbit? The answer is again yes. No matter the size, whether they are red and round, elongated or small like cherry tomatoes. The essential thing is that they are ripe, fresh, clean and free of leaves so that they cannot cause any damage to the rabbit.
Small or dwarf rabbits can also eat tomato: if you have one at home, there is no downside to giving it to them. Just try to cut the large tomatoes into small pieces so that you do not run the risk of suffocation.
What benefits does tomato have for rabbits
Having clarified that rabbits can eat tomato without risk to their health, as long as it is given sporadically and not as a basis for their diet, it is important to highlight the multiple benefits that its intake has in the animal’s organism. It is a source of antioxidants, potassium and vitamins A, B6 and C.
Containing these properties, the benefits of tomato for rabbits are as follows:
- Helps lower cholesterol.
- Contributes to the prevention of premature aging.
- It helps to expel toxins since it is diuretic.
- It reduces the risk of heart attack and helps prevent cardiovascular disease.
- It strengthens the immune system, thus helping to prevent diseases of different kinds.
- Decreases the risk of infections.
- Contributes to the protection of rabbit skin.
- Regulates your intestinal transit.
All the exposed benefits of tomato for rabbits are applicable in ripe and red tomatoes. It is not recommended to give green tomatoes to these animals, since due to their greenness or immaturity they can be toxic to your organism.
How to give tomato to my rabbit
Considering that you can give red tomato to your rabbit and you should prevent him from eating it green, it is also important that you find out how best to introduce it into his diet.
- The first thing you should do is select a good tomato, that is, that is quite red (ripe) and wash it perfectly.
- Subsequently, remove the upper part of the tomato, that is, the area where the small bifurcation that joins the tomato with the stem is located. If you have leaves, remove them as well.
- Cut the tomato into small pieces according to the size of the rabbit: if you give it whole or in too large pieces, it will be dangerous for him to ingest them because if he does not chew them well enough or chokes, he will run the risk of suffocation.
- Rabbits can also eat tomato with skin without any danger. It is not necessary to peel it before giving it.
- You should always keep in mind that it is an occasional food for the animal, so you should offer some pieces a couple of times a week at most.
- Avoid giving bruised tomato parts and discard the parts that are rotten, as they can cause severe diarrhea or poisoning in your rabbit. You should always eat red tomatoes and in perfect condition.
- It is essential that you give raw tomato to your rabbit. In no case can you give it in the form of sauce, even if it is homemade. Nor should you give canned tomatoes or prepared tomato sauces, as they are products that contain chemicals, preservatives, sugars and other components very harmful to the animal.
- As for the possibility of cooking the tomato before giving it to your rabbit, it is not a recommended option because during cooking its chemical composition is modified and it becomes more acidic than in the raw state.
Now that you know that rabbits can eat tomato and how it is better to give it to them, we encourage you to continue reading and learn more about the vegetables that rabbits can eat and What rabbits eat.
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