Diarrhea; seizures, drooling or foaming at the mouth; swollen or red skin, ulcers in the mouth; burned lips, mouth or skin; bleeding from anus or other body cavity; abnormal mental state
Possible Causes:
Accidental ingestion of poison or poisonous plant, eating toxic food or garbage, improper medication administration
What to Do:
Ingested poisons:
1. Check for breathing and pulse. 2. Check the color of your rabbit's gums. Certain poisons can cause specific changes in color.
3. Push lightly on the rabbit's gums and see how fast they turn from pink to white and then pink again. They should turn pink again in one to two seconds. Less than one second or more than three constitutes an emergency situation.
4. Check the rabbit's mental state.
5. Call your veterinarian or the National Animal Poison Control Center 1-800-548-2423.
Topical poisoning:
1. Call your veterinarian or the National Animal Poison Control Center 1-800-548-2423.
2. Wash your rabbit repeatedly with soap and water.
3. Flush the eyes with large volumes of tap water or sterile eyewash.
4. If the poison is in powder form, dust or vacuum it off.
Inhaled poisons (carbon monoxide and other gases):
1. Remove the animal from the area and into fresh air.
2. Check for breathing and pulse.
3. Check for and treat shock.
Call the Veterinarian or transport to a Veterinary Hospital Immediately!
Medications Poisonous to Rabbits
The following medications have been reported to be toxic to pet rabbits:
Ampicillin, Amoxicillin, Cephlasporins, Clindamycin, Erythromycin, Lincomycin, Penicillin, Procaine, Tiletamine - (they can cause kidney damage or severe intestinal upset )
Oral penicillin is lethal to rabbits, injectable penicillin is not.
Plants found to be Poisonous to Rabbits[Garden plants]
Caladium Jerusalem cherry Carnation Juniper Chocolate Kingcup Clematis Leyland cypress Crown-of-Thorns Laburnham Cyclamen Lord of the angels Columbine Lilly of the valley Chrysanthemums Lobelia
Most house plants/ ferns Tulip Yew Wisteria Woody nightshade
MOST INDOOR PLANT ARE POISONOUS
Lawn sprays and fertilisers.
SYMPTOMS
Eating poisonous plants can affect your pet in a number of ways. They range from stomach upset to death.
Symptoms include: salivation, skin allergy and heart and breathing trouble, as guinea pigs cannot vomit, the plants that give this symptom will probably go unnoticed until it is too late. They may undergo physiological stress after ingesting those which irritate the digestive tract.
First Aid For Poisoned Rabbits
Diagnosis can be difficult unless the rabbit is seen eating the plant, if so then bring the plant to the vet with you, and your vet may be able to treat it quicker. Generally fluids will be given to help flush out the toxins quickly.
Try to keep the animal in a warm and quiet place to minimize shock.
The notion that rabbits instinctively avoid toxic plants is false! Indoors, poisonous houseplants should be put up high or eliminated altogether. Adventurous rabbits are capable of climbing, so simply placing poisonous houseplants on a table or plant stand may not be enough to keep them safely out of reach. Hang them from the ceiling or place them atop a bookshelf, but beware of trailing vines and falling leaves. If your rabbit has access to a screened porch, deck or patio, be sure to check these areas for poisonous plants as well.
Discriminating between plants which are poisonous as opposed to irritating to a given animal species is often difficult. However, here are a few popular plants thought to be harmful to rabbits:
Things you shouldn't feed pet rabbits:
Any grains Chocolate (poisonous to rabbits) Cookies, crackers, cereals, bread, or pasta Yogurt drops (Almost pure sugar--can kill your rabbit!) Other "human treats" Salty or sugary snacks Nuts Corn White Sugar
