How rabbits react to poisonous plants
There are many wild plants that are ideal for rabbits in the wild. But it is, after all, also where they live when they do not live in captivity by humans. The wild rabbits know which plants are poisonous and which are edible by their instincts but it can be a little difficult for domestic rabbits to distinguish the difference. The rabbits that live in captivity will usually avoid the dangerous and poisonous plants but if we as owners restrict the feeding, a problem arises as the rabbits can no longer decide for themselves what they want to eat. If you come to offer the domestic rabbits some poisonous plants with vegetables and other things, then it can be difficult for the rabbits to see and smell what it is and then you cannot count on them sorting it out themselves. It is therefore our task as owners of the rabbits to only offer them the plants that are good and nutritious for them and then sort out the poisonous ones from the edible ones.
It is therefore very important that we look closely at the plants and make sure that they are the right ones we give and that we give them the right amount. Being able to know the difference between plants in nature is a knowledge you have to learn and sometimes it can be very difficult. If you are in doubt, then Google it before giving it to your rabbits. There may be some plants that are very similar to each other so you have to learn to distinguish a poisonous from a harmless plant.
Many rabbit owners are concerned about giving wild plants to their rabbits because they fear that the plants are poisonous. However, there have been very few cases of poisoning and rabbits seem to be able to eat plants that are otherwise considered toxic to other animals. Among other things, rabbits do not react to the toxin pyrrolizidine alkaloids which are found in several poisonous plants.
Taste and smell
Many of the poisonous plants have an ugly taste and are irritating in the mouth and throat so the rabbit will find out that it is not the right plant to eat by taking a small taste sample. They rarely eat larger amounts of a new plants that they do not yet know and are sure they can tolerate. It is therefore unlikely that the rabbit will eat a poisonous plant in large amounts. Many of the poisonous plants are not lethal and therefore the rabbit will not die from it even if it eats the plant. It will instead upset the stomach or some similar symptoms.
Plants that are otherwise considered harmless may, however, be toxic or harmful to health if eaten in very large amounts or simply daily for an extended period of time. As with everything when it comes to rabbit diets, it is important to feed moderately and varied. If you are in doubt about a plant, it is better not to feed it to the rabbit. If it is toxic, there will be a reaction within approx. 6 hours.
Most rabbits will be able to smell that a certain plant is poisonous but there is still a risk that it has overlooked something, and therefore will chew on it anyway. We as owners must therefore still be aware, but in most cases, rabbits themselves can both taste and smell that the wild plant is toxic to it. It will therefore keep its distance. It may therefore also happen that the rabbit just wants a taste of the plant to see if it can tolerate it. It may differ from rabbit to rabbit. Some rabbits tolerate wild plants better than others. It is the same with rabbits as all the other animals. They are all individuals and are different and must therefore also be treated and fed differently.
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