Peach Twigs

[johnsonfarm]

From what I've researched, rabbits aren't supposed to have Peach leaves, twigs, or pits. Although I've seen some sites that say the twigs are ok as long as they're dry.

I recieved an email from a woman who gave her rabbit "Peach Orchard Sticks" that she bought at Petco and her rabbit died, she asked me if that's what might have killed her bun.

I first thought that maybe these "Peach Orchard Sticks" were just flavored wood of some other kind but they look like they are the real thing.

Can anyone clear this up? Are peach twigs really poisonous to rabbits? Is this a really stupid thing to market for rabbits?

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

I believe leaves and twigs are toxic. Here's a link to one of the articles from our Bunny 101 section. I haven't found anymore than that on it as of yet...

http://earthhome.tripod.com/saferab.html

 

[BEAUKEZRA]

:shock:My buns have those "peach orchard sticks" all over their rooms! My hamster has some in his cage too!

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

BEAUKEZRA wrote:

:shock:My buns have those "peach orchard sticks" all over their rooms! My hamster has some in his cage too!

Remove them:shock:. Have they ever nibbled them/eaten them? Eek.

Not sure about hammies though, they might be okay for them:?.

 

[MsBinky]

:?

 

[BEAUKEZRA]

I'm at work so I can't remove them right now. I'll see if my husband's home yet. Actually, I don't think I've ever seen them chewing them. They prefer the apple flavored. I'm freaking out! Why would they sell them for rabbits?

 

[Spring]

Peach twigs are not safe for rabbits, and I assume hamsters as well. I looked around a bit, and found they were not safe for guinea pigs nor chinchillas, so I would be safe and remove them from the hamsters cage as well.

According to a post from a member on a chinchilla forum, the twigs are unsafe because it comes from a tree that has fruit that has pits, which are in a group of wood where the wood naturally concentrates the chemicals from the pits into other parts of the tree. Interesting!

http://www.chins-n-quills.com/forums/showthread.php?t=111221

 

[MsBinky]

How could a pet shop sell that??? :grumpy:

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

MsBinky wrote:

How could a pet shop sell that??? :grumpy:

How could a manufacturer make to sell?:grumpy:

 

[BEAUKEZRA]

I feel like a moron .

 

[Spring]

Not at all! A lot of people don't know, and figure if it says it's safe and sold at a pet store, it must be ok! Why would you question it if it says it's safe right on the package? You didn't do anything wrong at all, you just weren't aware of it, nothing wrong with that.

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

BEAUKEZRA wrote:

I feel like a moron .

Oh please don't. You didn't know. It's an easy mistake, they sell them for heaven's sake.

In the future, just do a bit of research before buying a product you're not sure of. Or ask here.

 

[seniorcats]

Fruit tree branches, such as, apricot and peach are toxic while attached to the tree but not after they're cut and dried (a month or more). Lisa McSherry and Rusty Fayter, who package The Busy Bunny baskets, share this research. Another tip they offer for your bunny's safety is to keep your purchases of imported baskets limited to willow, the only basket material not sprayed with pesticide.

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/chewing.html

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

seniorcats wrote:

Fruit tree branches, such as, apricot and peach are toxic while attached to the tree but not after they're cut and dried (a month or more). Lisa McSherry and Rusty Fayter, who package The Busy Bunny baskets, share this research.

Good to know. See how confusing this can be? You just sometimes don't know for sure. I personally don't give twigs, so it wasn't an issue for me. The sites I checked were pretty generic in their lists of toxics. No real information on why. Thanks Seniorcats for this info. (Not sure if this is in the library.)

 

[seniorcats]

AngelnSnuffy wrote:

seniorcats wrote:

Fruit tree branches, such as, apricot and peach are toxic while attached to the tree but not after they're cut and dried (a month or more). Lisa McSherry and Rusty Fayter, who package The Busy Bunny baskets, share this research.

Good to know. See how confusing this can be? You just sometimes don't know for sure. I personally don't give twigs, so it wasn't an issue for me. The sites I checked were pretty generic in their lists of toxics. No real information on why. Thanks Seniorcats for this info. (Not sure if this is in the library.)

Speaking of confusion, I went to a luncheon with a group of professional horticulturalists. The restaurant had vases full of this lovely plant that had our jaws dropping. It was poisonous water hemlock - leaves look like parsley and the stalks like celery. Then there was the cake book i got as a present. For a spring cake recipe, the book suggested decorating the cake withlily of the valley. All parts of lilly of the valley are poisonous. The cook book was recalled.

Sometimes it's hard to know what is poisonous and what's not. Our front walk is full of lily of the valley, aconite, belladonna.... all lovely to look at. Tomato and pepper plant leaves are poisonous (solanine) butnot the vegy - go figure. Fresh peach leaves, twigs and pits are loaded with prussic acid (cyanide). Talk about gardens of deadly delight.

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

seniorcats wrote:

AngelnSnuffy wrote:

seniorcats wrote:

Fruit tree branches, such as, apricot and peach are toxic while attached to the tree but not after they're cut and dried (a month or more). Lisa McSherry and Rusty Fayter, who package The Busy Bunny baskets, share this research.

Good to know. See how confusing this can be? You just sometimes don't know for sure. I personally don't give twigs, so it wasn't an issue for me. The sites I checked were pretty generic in their lists of toxics. No real information on why. Thanks Seniorcats for this info. (Not sure if this is in the library.)

Tomato and pepper plant leaves are poisonous (solanine) butnot the vegy - go figure. Fresh peach leaves, twigs and pits are loaded with prussic acid (cyanide). Talk about gardens of deadly delight.

I agree. Also, exactly a point that was made earlier, that if peach (any) twigs are "cut and dried", it's okay:?. Also, like cherries; they havepits as well as a peach; aren't good, so, couldthe pits cause the toxicity? Wish it could be more clear, everywhere.

 

[MsBinky]

I think the company should really put a warning though so people don't start cutting branches from their trees withoutknowing that it needs to be dried first. :?