He ate the whole carrot chew!!!!!

[njbunny]

I bought spot one of these today at petco - http://www.petco.com/product/108635...hillas-Carrot-Chews.aspx?CoreCat=OnSiteSearch

It said long lasting and was pretty hard so I put it in his cage along with some other new stuff. When I went back to check on him not too long after (maybe 2 hrs at the most) the whole darn thing was gone! He ate it and the thing is pretty big! He is NOT a chewer so I never would have thought he would inhale it! So, I decided I will never buy one of those things again but now I am concerned how much he ate. He never gets treats. Just hay, veggies and pellets. I am scared this will through him into GI issues.... Later today he was nibbling on shredded paper from his litter box which I never see him do (only have had him 5 weeks). He has been eating really well and was excited about his pellets tonight. He also is pooping normally right now. If it is going to cause an issue how long would it take to show up? I am going to give him a fresh litter box tonight so I can keep track of his poops. grrrrr, why did he have to eat the entire thing!

 

[Imbrium]

Commercial treats marketed to rabbits are, unfortunately, extremely unhealthy... as is evidenced by the details about that carrot chew ><

Ingredients: Wheat gluten, glycerin, rice, carrot powder, pineapple fiber, gelatin, modified starch, titanium dioxide, carrot flavor, vegetable oil, calcium carbonate, fructo-oligosaccharide, maltodextrin, potassium sorbate, bentonite, propylene glycol, chlorophyll, sugar, FD&C yellow 6, vitamin E.
Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein (min.) 25.0%, Crude Fat (min.) 4.0%, Crude Fiber (max.) 2.0%, Moisture (max.) 10.0%.

...and anyone who's given a "long-lasting" chew toy to a rabbit can tell you that rabbits don't necessarily read or agree with that packaging! (I've seen a willow ball decimated within a couple hours.)

However, the major health hazards with commercial treats result from long-term habitual feeding - a one-time pig out like your bunny has done is unlikely to lead to more than a simple upset tummy (like a kid (or adult, for that matter) who just pigged out on a stash of holiday candy). Also, you might look around the area where the treat was - it's possible he chewed it to smithereens but didn't necessarily ingest all of it; there could be powderized remains still . (I know when my bunnies are chewing up the coroplast in their condo, they spit the plastic out and I find it in a pile or scattered around the condo.)

The most important thing you can do is to push the hay! Hay, hay and more hay. It's okay to reduce his pellet and/or veggie portions just for tonight in order to encourage him to eat more hay. Encouraging him to drink extra water may help as well.

As long as he's eating well, doesn't seem uncomfortable and is pooping normally, there's no cause for concern. If you're worried, you can give simethicone (infant gas drops) and/or small animal probiotics - they're considered "harmless" and potentially beneficial for tummy issues, depending on the cause. Neither is something I would deem necessary at this point but both could be used to "cover your bases" if you're worried.

Chances are, you'll see any evidence of his tummy not "getting along" with the treat by tomorrow morning; after 12h, you're most likely in the clear and by the 24h mark, you definitely are. *IF* you see evidence, it's likely to just be some soft poops (very different from actual diarrhea; see http://imgur.com/a/5N4lD for great information on bunny poops - the good, the bad and the worrisome). As long as they don't persist and he continues to eat, drink and poop normal amounts, then it's not necessarily vet-visit worthy. In the end, trust your "parent" instincts - watch for lethargy, discomfort, changes in habits, etc. and if anything truly worries you, get him to the vet... but the odds are extremely high that he will be just fine.

 

[JBun]

Store bought rabbit treats are often horrible to give to rabbits because of the ingredients in them. Unfortunately they market these things to unknowing rabbit owners. That particular 'chew treat' looks like it is full of ingredients that could possibly be problematic for a rabbits digestive system, especially for rabbits that are extra sensitive. I would suggest keeping a close eye on your buns poop and eating for the next couple of days. After that if you aren't seeing any changes, then he is probably fine.

The paper chewing could have to do with this 'treat' causing a GI slowdown, as rabbits will sometimes try and eat paper and cardboard to add fiber to help with the slow gut motility. You DON"T want him ingesting paper products as they can result in a possible blockage. Remove any paper/cardboard if you need to. If you have plain rabbit safe wood chews, that can help. You can also cut or reduce pellets for a day or two so that he will eat more hay, and don't feed any sugary treats. The extra fiber from the hay will help with the slow gut motility. If you pull or reduce pellets, just make sure that he continues to eat his hay and veggies really well.

And I would suggest NOT buying that again. If you want to give treats, giving small amounts of fruit would be much better than that store bought crap.

ETA: Jennifer, you beat me to it

 

[Imbrium]

However, the major health hazards with commercial treats result from long-term habitual feeding

Specifically, diet-related health issues in bunnies typically stem from an overabundance of protein, starches and/or sugar in the bunny's regular diet (the jury is still out as to whether "excess" calcium in the diet can actually be linked to calcium-related health issues such as bladder sludge) and/or not getting a sufficient amount of fiber.

The carrot treat in question has inappropriately high amounts of protein, starch and sugar and virtually no fiber. The way to "balance out" the junk-food-carrot in the event of a binge is, as I've already mentioned, lots and lots of hay. Protein, starch and sugar can all be found, to some degree, in a healthy rabbit diet - it's when they get too much of those things on a regular basis that problems arise.

Sweet foods/junk foods aren't necessarily bad for humans in small amounts but can cause serious health issues like obesity and diabetes when consumed in larger quantities over a longer span of time - the same is true of rabbits. That's why they're allowed to have up to 1 tsp fruit and/or 1 tbsp non-leafy veggies per 2 lbs body weight as a daily treat (assuming no health issues that contraindicate it) and why oats are sometimes fed in moderation.

Compare yourself to a human parent that permitted their kid to pick out 2-3 pieces of their Halloween candy for dessert... only discover that their child decided to be naughty and inhale the entire bucket of candy when they weren't looking! Unless the child has a medical issue or allergy that's susceptible to something in the candy, they shouldn't experience any repercussions more serious than a passing tummy ache and whatever punishment their parents have in mind for their disobedience. "Punish" your rabbit with lots of healthy hay, the way a human parent might "punish" their kid with extra veggies .

Bottom line: Don't stress yourself out!... just feed LOTS of hay and keep an eye on those poops.

 

[njbunny]

Thanks everyone. I did not see an ingredient list on the package! I was thinking it was going to be like a nylabone for dogs. It takes them awhile to get through them. He literally does not chew on anything (no wood toys, grassmats, willow, etc. and very little cardboard). I figured since he is not a chewer this would sit in his cage like the rest of the stuff and he may just nibble at it here or there! He is not a huge hay eater as it is but I will try to keep putting in some fresh hay to make it more appealing.

 

[Imbrium]

See, this is the problem with bunnies - they lull you into a false sense of security to get you to keep offering tastier and tastier treats/chews in hopes of finding one they'll actually like even a little... then when you finally offer something especially nummy, they'll DESTROY it in a way you couldn't possibly have anticipated!

Bunnies seem to thrive on knocking their human(s) off their game, lol.

 

[pani]

What is the best thing to give a bun to chew? I was letting mine chew at some cardboard, but now I've been reading that he shouldn't be ingesting it...

 

[Imbrium]

Most rabbits don't seem to actually eat the cardboard anyway - I always find shreds of it around the box, same way I find plastic shreds when they've been chewing their coroplast. Untreated lumber (either hard woods or kiln-dried soft woods like pine) is perfectly safe and can be obtained cheaply at a hardware store (you can also get the store to cut it for you) - 1x2s, 2x4s, etc. Willow is safe, as is untreated wicker. I once ordered eucalyptus branches and leaves for my gliders and gave some of the branches to my bunnies. I can't seem to find anything in my bookmarks about safe tree branches (though I know I've got something somewhere), but many fruit tree branches are safe as long as they're clean and the tree has never been treated with pesticide or fertilizer. I know apple is ok, but not all fruit tree branches are safe even if the fruit is safe for them (I want to say cherry might be one of the no-nos).

Some rabbits don't actually chew much. It's not a problem as long as their teeth don't get overgrown. The long fibers in hay really help keep their teeth worn down and leafy green veggies require some chewing motions that help wear down teeth as well.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Nylabone, HA!! They originally came with a chew-proof guarantee or free replacement. Our little boy, 95 lb name of Dogzilla (doberman) went thru six of them in a month befre they rescinded the guarantee. I'd get some fresh and clean (no pesticides) apple or willow branches. Ours like chewing them, especially when they are still fresh and green.

 

[Imbrium]

Wow, your dog managed to get them to rethink their lifetime guarantee? Very impressive!

 

[njbunny]

So we passed 24hr and all is well. Never again!!!! Only real foods now!

 

[Imbrium]

Hehe! I'm sorry he gave you such a scare... thank goodness it had a happy ending!