Question re: beets, turnips and parsnips

[Maureen Las]

I think that we should continue to gather all the info that we can about this; it will not only help our bunnies but others in the future who want to feed parsnip.

i think it probably has to do with wild foliage over the actual tuber but I'm not sure...

we'll just keep on it...

 

[kherrmann3]

I emailed some of the sites with toxic plant lists. I asked a couple of questions, and I will let you guys know what I get back in my inbox. These were some of the questions.

- Are parsnips safe for rabbits?
- Are there certain parts of a parsnip that are safe/toxic to rabbits.
- Does the toxicity depend on the variety of parsnip?
- Are parsnips safe once they reach a certain ripeness, or are they toxic overall?

We'll see what they say!

 

[Maureen Las]

kherrmann3 wrote:

I emailed some of the sites with toxic plant lists. I asked a couple of questions, and I will let you guys know what I get back in my inbox. These were some of the questions.

- Are parsnips safe for rabbits?
- Are there certain parts of a parsnip that are safe/toxic to rabbits.
- Does the toxicity depend on the variety of parsnip?
- Are parsnips safe once they reach a certain ripeness, or are they toxic overall?

We'll see what they say!

Good questions!!

 

[Luv-bunniz]

Agreed.
I am trying to find out what is in a parsnip that could be labeled "toxic". So far no luck, but I have found some people saying its kinda like feed carnivores liver - "got loads of good stuff, wich when fed in big portions becomes bad!" .

 

[Luv-bunniz]

Just found this:

Wild parsnip the same as wild celery is toxic!

shop parsnip is not but it is very high in sugar, more than carrot apparently!

In vet books they advise it should not be given!

Type into google "can rabbits eat parsnips" can look at the second website on the page. You will see the whole thread.

 

[kherrmann3]

OK, I got my first email reply! Here is what it says:

"Parsnips, like many members of the carrot family (Apiaceae) have toxins in their tissues, but mostly in the leaves. Domestic cultivars of parsnip have a lower concentration of the toxins, but they are still present in small quantity.

The question is, though, can rabbits detoxify these toxins, as they so often can? I've fed parsnip greens to my bunnies before I was aware that they could have some toxins in them, and no harm done! It may be either that bunnies have enzymes that de-tox the parsnip compounds, or that the compounds are present in such small quantities that they don't present a danger for immediate toxic reaction.

But I err on the side of caution, and don't feed parsnips to my bunnies. The roots are too starchy, and the leaves are so simlar to parsley and other similar herbs, that why not feed those, instead?

Hope that helps.

Dana Krempels, Ph.D.
University of Miami Department of Biology
H.A.R.E. (Houserabbit Adoption, Rescue & Education)"

 

[Maureen Las]

You don't need too much more than the advice of Dana Krempels; I think that she is the person who is the administrator and head honcho of etherbun

 

[kherrmann3]

I got back the second email. It is basically what the first one said. I'll just post it here anyways. This is from Dana Farbman of the ASPCA:

Thank you for contacting the ASPCA regarding your question about parsnip.

Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) contains psoralens, which in humans can cause skin irritation. Wild parsnips are much more likely to cause irritation than the store-bought variety, however. The same is true for carrots- the garden variety is not harmful, but the wild species can contain problematic amounts of psoralens.

With that said, a small amount of parsnip is not likely to be a problem, but as parsnips are quite starchy they don't really fulfill the nutritional needs of rabbits. Since rabbits have sensitive stomachs- but cannot vomit- it is best to avoid making sudden or major changes to their diet.

I hope you've found this information to be of help to you and your fellow rabbit enthusiasts. If I can be of help with further questions, let me know.

Side note: Are radishes OK for buns?

 

[tonyshuman]

my guys will eat radishes, but don't really enjoy them too much.

 

[kherrmann3]

In my reading, I've only seen that the tops are OK, I've never seen anything for the rest of it... Good or bad...

My mom was over here on Saturday and brought a bunch of them over. I hate them, and to Will, they might as well be kryptonite. We were just wondering if they can eat them