Rabbit toxication case is a serious problem. As we all know, unlike other animals, rabbits are unable to vomit so they cannot get rid of the poison off from their bodies. This might be a nightmare for you as the owner, especially if you like to let your pet rabbit roam around outside or inside your house. If we don’t carefully take our eyes on them, they might be exposed to a harmful substance. Remember that rabbits like to chew a lot, which means they can accidentally eat something that is actually harmful or even fatal to their health!
It is better for us as a rabbit owner not only to prevent but also to know what to do if any worst scenario happens. Here’s a brief on how to take care of a poisoned rabbit to help you out.
How to Help The Rabbit Toxication Case
The tricky thing is, your rabbit will not always show any symptoms of poisoning immediately. Some of them, depending on the harmful substance, can take a day or two for the rabbit to show any sign. So if you are suspicious that your rabbit has eaten something poisonous or exposed to toxic compounds, it is better to bring it to the vet as soon as possible, just in case.
Symptoms of poisoning in rabbits that you can tell
The toxicity will range from mild to severe, depending on the toxic compounds, your rabbits’ age, and rabbits’ current health condition. Some of the signs are:
- Diarrhea
- Intestinal inflammation
- Difficult breathing
- Irregular heartbeat
- Raise or low body temperature
- Abdominal tenderness
- Internal or external bleeding
- Lack of appetite
- Lethargy
- Mouth irritation
- Pain seizures
If you think your rabbit has been poisoned, here’s what to do:
- First thing first: Stay calm. This does not mean you only have to watch-and-wait your rabbit’s condition. Remove your rabbits from the poisonous source if you find any.
- If your rabbit’s skin is contaminated by it, wash your rabbit with mild shampoo and water. Rinse and dry it as well. However, never treat the poisoned rabbit by yourself.
- Contact the vet immediately. You can tell them better if you are calm. Follow their instruction if it needed.
- If you are advised to take your rabbit to the vet, then do it quickly and calmly. It will also be helpful if you can take what the rabbit chewed or ate along with you to let the vet examine it.
Diagnosing the rabbit at the veterinarian clinic
Once you (and your poor rabbit) arrive at the clinic, let the vet know what your rabbit symptoms are and what product that potentially poisoned it. It will be helpful if you can bring along the sample of the substance so the vet can diagnose your rabbit better.
The veterinarian will do some physical examination to your rabbit, some will also conduct a blood test to see any abnormalities on your rabbit health condition or even x-ray to locate the substances in your rabbit’s gastrointestinal tract. It will all depend on how the poison affecting your rabbit and the severity of the symptoms. If your rabbit comes to the clinic with difficulty breathing, your rabbit will get artificial respiratory. Some rabbits will also get hydration therapy if they experienced diarrhea. So the key is to let the vet know exactly how is your rabbit’s condition from the beginning until you bring it safely to the clinic, and let the vet do the rest.
The recovery treatment after you go back home
After your rabbit is cleared and the vet tells you that you can bring it back home again, your rabbit will have at-home monitoring. You probably need a quiet place for your rabbit to recover and provide it with plenty of water. Some vet will also likely recommend a diet for your rabbit in the next few days, and surely some medication if it needed.
Keep your rabbit away from the poisonous foods and plans!
One of the best ways to prevent your rabbit from poisoning is to avoid poisonous food from it. We all know that rabbits are vegetarians, but they cannot eat any veggies or plants because it harms them.
- Seeds of apple and pears, pits of apricots, peaches, and plums, almond, cassava roots, and mangoes contain cyanide compounds. The amount of it might not be harmful to humans, but it surely will harm your little furry friend.
- Avocado fruit, seeds, leaves, and bark is fatal to your rabbit because it contains ‘persin’ which is toxic to your rabbit, so does with the bark and twigs of cherry tree
- Spinach and rhubarb are harmful too, but it should not be fatal. Better avoid these!
- Any mushrooms from Agaricus bisporus family, like button mushroom, are harmful to your rabbit in the long term.
- Avoid eggplants, potato plants, sweet potato plants, tomato plans, and mustard plants’ root too!
- Chocolate and any food that contains caffeine can cause diarrhea, excessive thirst, abnormal heartbeat, seizures, and even death. It might be your favorite but never share them to your rabbit
- Nuts, grapes, and raisins can be harmful to your rabbit
- Milk-based products, bread or any food from yeast dough can put your rabbit into the risk of digestive system problems. The sweetener that might be in baked food might also cause increased insulin that might be bad to your rabbit’s liver. A large amount of salt can also lead your rabbit to excessive thirst, urination and sodium poisoning.
Besides food, some garden plants canalso poison your rabbits! The most commons are:
- Rodent poisons
- Ivy
- Rhubarb
- Foxglove
It’s hard to remember all of these, right? So the best way is to only feed your rabbit with the usual food that you know to be safe. Discuss the diet plan with the vet is a good choice, too!
Hope your rabbit will always be healthy and happy, after all!