Poisonous Plants for Rabbits and Guinea Pigs

Click here to see the Russel and Gerty's Guide to Dangerous Plants poster

Rabbits and Guinea Pigs are natural herbivores and in the wild live on a variety of green plants. So needless to say they require an element of this in their diet in captivity. Wild plants are easily digested and provide good sources of protein and essential vitamins and minerals. Spring is the time that new shoots begin to appear and can be included into your pet’s diet, however ensuring they are introduced to the diet slowly, as they develop gastro-intestinal problems in response to abrupt dietary changes. The stomach needs time to adjust slowly or conditions such as diarrhoea and bloat may occur.

You can feed many plants to your pet and this will help add variety and interest to their diet. You will soon become familiar with the plants that your animal prefers but don’t force them to eat anything they don’t like. This guide is to assist you in identifying plants that may be harmful to your pet and avoid any potential danger.

Animals may not instinctively avoid poisonous plants, as often believed, although only tend to eat them if they do not have any other food source. The garden can be a dangerous place, if your pet is running free, if you are not familiar with the plants that may cause illness. Illness can range from minor stomach upsets to fatalities.

Rodents and lagomorphs are incapable of vomiting and so plants usually inducing this symptom may go undiagnosed. They may undergo physiological stress after ingesting those, which are irritating to the digestive tract. Fortunately most plant ingestion’s result in moderate digestive upset and is not usually an emergency.

Poisonous species

Amongst the most poisonous are species such as anemone, azalea, bittersweet, bryony, caladium, cyclamen, columbine, dog mercury, figwort, nightshade deadly & woody, poppies, ragwort, buttercups, daffodils, bluebells, foxglove, hemlock, spurges, kingcup, marsh marigold, monkshood, meadow saffron, mistletoe, St john’s wort, Leyland Cypress, fools parsley and hellebore.

Your garden may also contain cultivated plants that can cause problems, such as; dahlias, lupins, chrysanthemums, delphinium, lily of the valley, tulips, iris, morning glory, antirrhinums, lobelia, fig, figwort, Jerusalem cherry, juniper hyacinth privet, yew, laburnum, lords and ladies, ivy berries, philodondron, rhododendron, azalea, wisteria, clematis, holly and most evergreen trees.

If you have any plants in your garden that maybe potentially harmful there are a number of things that you can do. If your pet has free run of the garden then you will need to remove the plant. Alternatively secure access to the plant by surrounding the area with a piece of chicken wire. If your pet is contained within a run ensure the plant is not in contact with the wire as they may be able to nibble it through the wire. This way you can collect the plants that are harmless and place them in the run with the animal.

Contamination

It is also important to consider any possible chemicals that may have been used in the garden such as pesticides and herbicides, as they contain lethal contaminants, the residues of which may still be present. Many products are now formulated to be safe for animals so ensure you check the product labels and only use these, to avoid any problems.

When collecting plants to place in your pets run from roadsides and fields the same principle applies. Plants on the roadside may look inviting but may be covered in dirt and exhaust fumes, leaving lead deposits, and the result may be lethal. Farmers routinely use chemicals to control pests and weeds and the plants you collect may have residues of these on them so again beware. Avoid plants collected from parks or fields where dogs may have been walked, or contain livestock, as disease can be transmitted through urine and faeces.

Presentation of plants

If you do collect plants for your rabbits ensure they are stored properly, as they can become dusty, mouldy or even begin to ferment, which may then cause bloat in your rabbit. Once they have eaten the remaining plants should be removed for the same reasons. Many plants, if dried first, loose their harmfulness e.g. buttercups and care must be taken to ensure thoroughly dry before feeding.

Rinsing plants under water before presentation can assist in removing any harmful residues.

Be sure!

If you are in any doubt, do not feed the plant, flower, berry or twig to your pet.

Needless to say if your pet becomes ill after being in the garden it may possibly be poisoning and the vet should be consulted immediately. Diagnosis of a particular poisoning can be difficult unless the rabbit is actually seen eating it, if so the plant should be taken to the vet for assistance in diagnosis. Treatment of the symptoms relies heavily on symptomatic and supportive care.

First Aid

As an owner, try to keep the animal warm and quiet to comfort the animal and minimise shock. Fluids can be given if the animal is interested and may assist in diluting and flushing the agent through. At the Surgery fluids and gut protectants may then be administered to limit gastro-intestinal damage and symptoms may be treated as they appear.

Identification

The plants included on the poster are poisonous to your pet and cause a variety of symptoms. Always carefully identify your plants before feeding them to your pet and many harmful plants are similar in appearance to harmful ones. The general ruling should be if in any doubt do not feed them at all and provide grass, hay and fresh vegetables to vary their diet.

Plants your pet will love

Similarly there are a number of, in addition to grass, that your pet would relish and can be of great nutritional benefit as well as a welcomed treat These include dandelion, coltsfoot, meadow horsetail, chickweed, yarrow, comfrey, hogweed, plantain, clover, vetch, shepherds purse, sow thistle, cow parsley, grounsel. Sunflower, rose, knotted persicaria, lad’s thumb, hazel, willow, fruit trees, nettles, corn marigold, corn spurry, young oak leaves, alfalfa, oxeye daisy, acorn, beechnuts, hawthorn berries, privet berries, thistle, lucerne, wheat, and barley.

It is important to remember that you must correctly identify the plant you wish to feed to ensure it is not harmful, as many plants can look very similar.

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