bunny ate raw sweet potato

[SnowyShiloh]

Oh no! I just found out that Phoebe Mae (15 weeks old) ate some raw sweet potato. The bag of sweet potatoes (destined to be cooked for Thanksgiving in a couple days) was on a shelf and she mountain goated herself up there. She ate about 3 square inches of skin and a very thin layer of the flesh underneath. She would have done this during the afternoon- I knew she was in the kitchen but thought she'd gone back in her cage!

Anything I need to look out for? She's acting pretty normally, we let her out to play more so hopefully her digestion is good. Her poops look normal and she's eating fine.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Oh no

Here's what I Found! I think the idea is not to feed them it cause if it's fed too much it will destroy their good feed. I don't think it's poisonous to them. I would be pushing LOTS of hay with that girl. Also watch for gassy belly!

http://www.carrotcafe.com/f/veggies.html

Can cause gas or are very sugary: do not feed

• Green beans
• White and red potatoes
• Beets
• Fresh corn
• Fresh peas

Dangerous, contain compounds that destroy nutrients: do not feed

• Sweet potato
• Cassava
• Bamboo shoots
• Maize
• Lima beans
• Millet
• Bracken fern
• Tea leaves
• Coffee plants

Dangerous, contain toxins: do not feed

• Rhubarb leaves
• Raw lima, kidney or soy beans
• Onions [suP]2[/suP]
• Citrus peels

Can cause impaction

• Whole seeds
• Nuts
• Grains
• Dried corn
• Dried peas

 

[Maureen Las]

This forum is slow again today

I would push fluids (possiblypedialyte)and give bene-bac also in addition to hay

To be honest there is so much discrepancy between lists that I am getting more confused!

I do think that sweet potatoes are on the unsafe list but after looking at this present posted list I also noticed that citrus peels were mentioned as bad

We already have another thread going saying that they are OK
http://www.carrotcafe.com/f/veggies.html

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Thanks, guys! It's been over 2 hours since she had the raw sweet potato, and she appears to be fine...

 

[tonyshuman]

I would just look for symptoms of poisoning. Keep an eye on input and output, and make sure she doesn't have a GI slowdown or rumbly tummy. My first guess is that sweet potatoes with all their starch could cause GI slowdown. My second guess is that they themselves could be toxic, and there are several things to look for there. Obvious things like behaving strangely, coughing, wheezing, rapid or slow heart rate, etc. Also I would do the "neurological symptoms" check--shine a flashlight in her eye and look for the iris to contract (pupil gets smaller). Slow or no contraction of the iris could mean neurological problems. I hope she only got a tiny bit and everything will be a-ok!

 

[JimD]

How's she doing?

~Jim

ETS:
I'm going to move this to the Infirmary

 

[Maureen Las]

How's Phoebe Mae?
I would guess that she's still doing well???

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Sorry guys, I had to leave for work right after I last posted and I just got home a couple minutes ago. My boyfriend had the day off and he kept an eye on Phoebe Mae. She seems to be completely normal- her usual cheerful, hyper, hungry, poop machine self! It's been well over 24 hours since she ate it, when is she out of the danger zone?

Thanks for your concern, everyone!

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

Sounds like she's fine, Shiloh. Thank Goodness!

 

[pamnock]

Sorry I didn't see this post earlier, but here is info for reference . . .

Raw sweet potatoes are used as rabbit feed in some countries, so a little certainly won't hurt your rabbit. Trypsin inhibitors that "may"slightly interfere with protein digestionhave been voiced as a concern (especially in young, developing stock) but no conclusive evidence is available.

"Use of sweet potatoes in rabbit feeding
197. Sweet potato tubers are good energy feeds for rabbits. You can feed them as:
- chopped, fresh tubers;
- dried chips;
- meal.



[align=left]198. You can feed the rabbits with sweet potatoes in the same way as you feed the pigs. You must take the same precautions. "[/align]


[align=left]http://sleekfreak.ath.cx:81/3wdev/CD3WD/AGRIC/FB46UE/B109_7.HTM#B109_7_2
[/align]
[align=left]
Sweet potatoes as a feed is also mentioned in an on-line article by well respected rabbit expert and author P.R. Cheeke.[/align]


[align=left]http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/003/T0554E/T0554E16.htm[/align]


[align=left]Pam[/align]

 

[Maureen Las]

onder:To feed or not to feed

That is the question............

I had to laugh afterI readPam"s

post because we are surrounded with so much conflicting info but.. it's good to sort all of this out because knowledge is POWER

I had a feeling Phoebe would be OK

I don't think that pet rabbits need the sugar in the sweet potato tubers

so I'm not going to feed them
but I wouldn't over worry if a bun got a hold of one either

 

[pamnock]

angieluv wrote:

I don't think that pet rabbits need the sugar in the sweet potato tubers

To put it into perspective, apples and the canned pumpkin commonly fed to rabbits have more sugar than sweet potatoes.

Pam