Everyone loves candies of all types because they are sweet, and who doesn’t like sweet things? Definitely not rabbits. Yes, rabbits love sugar and its constituents like candies among which we have peppermint candy.
Rabbits can eat as many peppermint candies as they can find if you allow them. But should they really be eating them? Are peppermint candies as nutritious as peppermints? Can rabbits eat peppermint?
Kindly read on to find out.
Can Rabbits Eat Peppermint Candy?
No, you can not. While fresh peppermint is healthy for your rabbit, peppermint candy is very toxic and should not be fed to your pet at all. This is because peppermint candies contain very large amounts of sugar and artificial flavours and colours that can harm your rabbit and cause food poisoning.
Also, peppermint candy is processed human food. Processed human foods are not healthy for your rabbit.
Can You Feed Peppermint Candy Cane To Your Rabbits?
Peppermint candy cane although only eaten at Christmas is just like a regular peppermint candy. It contains lots of sugar, and plenty of artificial flavours all processed artificially.
Can You Feed Any Other Flavour of Candy To Your Rabbit?
No. The truth is that every kind, type and flavour of candy, is made with a very high level of sugar.
Can You Feed Sugar-Free Peppermint Candy To Your Rabbit?
No. Sugar-free peppermint candy might be really sugar-free, but it contains artificial sugar, flavours and colours. Rabbits cannot digest artificial ingredients at all.
Can You Feed Raw Peppermint Leaves To Your Rabbit?
Yes, you can. In fact, peppermint leaves are very healthy for your rabbit. Rabbit nutritionists consider peppermint leaves healthy herb rabbits can eat because of their medicinal properties. Among the medicinal properties are antioxidants, fibre, calcium and so on.
Can You Feed Fresh Peppermint Leaves To Your Rabbits?
You can feed your rabbit fresh peppermint leaves. Fresh peppermint leaves are healthy, and nutritious for your rabbit. But sometimes the strong natural flavour and oil present in the leaves may be too strong for your rabbit; although not strong enough to harm your rabbit but strong enough to make your rabbit dislike it.
In this case, you should substitute fresh peppermint leaves for dry peppermint leaves or peppermint flowers in your rabbit’s diet.
Can You Feed Dry Peppermint Leaves To Your Rabbit?
Yes, you can. Dry peppermint leaves are as nutritious it’s fresh counterparts. Because of its reduced flavour, it is advisable to serve dry peppermint leaves instead of fresh peppermint leaves
If your rabbit dislikes fresh peppermint leaves. You can notice this by observing your rabbit’s reaction while eating the dry or fresh leaves.
You can also decide to include dry peppermint leaves in your rabbit’s diet even if your pet doesn’t dislike its fresh counterpart.
Can You Feed Peppermint Stem and Stalk To Your Rabbit?
The peppermint stem contains the same amount of nutrients as its leaves. Go ahead and feed your rabbit some peppermint stem.
Can You Feed Fresh Peppermint Stem To Your Rabbit?
Yes, you should feed fresh peppermint stem to your rabbit rather than dry stem.
Can You Feed Dry Peppermint Stem To Your Rabbit?
It is not advisable to feed dry peppermint stem to your rabbit. A dry peppermint stem is hard to chew and can damage your rabbit’s teeth.
Can You Feed Peppermint Root To Your Rabbit?
It is strongly inadvisable to give your bunny peppermint root to eat. Although peppermint roots will not harm your rabbit, they will not also benefit your pet.
This is because, unlike other plants’ roots whose nutrients are concentrated on their roots, peppermint roots contain no nutrients at all
Can You Feed Peppermint Flowers To Your Rabbit?
Yes, you can. Like dry peppermint leaves, peppermint flowers contain reduced flavour compared to fresh peppermint leaves.
It is advisable to serve peppermint flowers to your rabbit especially if you discover that it dislikes fresh or dry peppermint leaves. Besides peppermint flowers are more enticing because they are colourful.
Can You Feed Cooked Peppermint To Your Rabbit?
Feeding any cooked food to your rabbit is dangerous because rabbits cannot digest cooked food.
Can You Feed Peppermint To Your Nursing Rabbits?
No. You cannot feed peppermint leaves, stems and flowers to nursing rabbits because they can hinder their milk production.
Conclusion
Although peppermint is very nutritious for rabbits, it shouldn’t be assumed that these same nutrients would be transferred to peppermint candies.
Every rabbit’s diet should contain grass hay, fruits, green leafy vegetables, plenty of water, snack and treats once in a while. If your rabbit craves treats, give it small amounts of fruits like bananas and apples instead of candies.
