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Forum DIET & CARE What if rabbits eat spicy food?

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    • blackfang
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        What would you do if your rabbit(s) touch/eat/rub spicy food with their tongues? I know for sure that rabbits will run around and trying to cool off their tongues.

        We cannot give any dairy products, bread, or meat to help to cool off because of course, not typical of food for rabbits..

        So, what is the solution for this situation?

        I was thinking to give them vegetables but I dont think it will work. Rabbits might not want to eat vegetables while they are thinking of “pain” on their tongues.

         

        (No, my rabbits do not eat spicy food. I was just wondering, that’s all.)


      • Sarita
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          I’m not really sure what their taste sensations are like to tell you the truth. I suppose if this happened you could only offer water or just wait for the heat sensation to naturally subside. I imagine that this could possibly cause them to stop eating if they are the sensitive type. I know my rabbit like basil and that’s fairly spicy (certainly not jalapeno spicy). I wonder if the fragrance might deter them from eating something spicy since they are sensitive to scents.


        • peppypoo
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            Capsaicin, the “spicy” molecule, activates heat receptors in most mammals; that’s why something spicy will feel really hot to us. I doubt just the capsaicin itself would be bad for them…not sure about the rest of the spicy food, though. I would guess that they would just try to drink lots of water to cool down the sensation. I know that a good squirrel-deterrant in gardening is to mix spread pepper, so it would make sense that pepper would be aversive to bunnies as well. The spicyness in basil is a little different, and due to another molecule, so I’m not sure that would be a good comparison.


          • Deleted User
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              When Pogo was younger he was determined to DESTROY the cage bottom. I had made his cage out of the cubes and choroplast and it was pretty big (3.5 feet square cube divided into 3 levels). He’s 2 lbs and that still was not ok with him. I only closed it at night when I was sleeping too. While I would try to sleep he would chew and chew and chew his cage bottom. It was soooo loud! Not to mention I was afraid he’d ingest some of it. He chewed off a good portion of one side. I tried spraying him with a squirt bottle. I tried treating him when he would stop for more than 3 seconds. I tried the bitter yuck stuff for dogs. NOTHING worked! He HATED being closed in. I finally tried what a dog trainer said to try. I put a little watered down tobasco sauce on there with a paint brush. No effect! so I slowly increased the amount of tobasco that I put in the water until it was just straight tobasco. I think he loved it…..I don’t know how normal bunnies are but Pogo seems to like the spice and the bitter. Needless to say…Pogo won that battle. He now has free roam of the carefully bunny proofed room 24/7 and refuses to have it any other way!


            • LittlePuffyTail
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                Olivia once found some spicy Dorito crumbs on the floor, gobbled them all up and then looked around for more.


              • Kokaneeandkahlua
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                  Although I’ve used dairy to cool my toungue with spicy food, supposedly, neuoroloically, it doesn’t work. Water is the only proven ‘coolant’ for spicy food….so I would assume that would do I would guess they wouldn’t eat spicy food though


                • peppypoo
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                    Some nice icy water might feel the best when it seems like your tongue is burning up, but dairy works well because capsaicin is an oil-soluble molecule, so the oils in milk actually remove capsaicin from the oral area, whereas water only relieves the burning sensation. Alcohol works too, but in dangerously high concentrations, lol. I don’t think it’s a good idea for buns to have milk or alcohol though! lol


                  • lwayne
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                      Posted By Pogo ‘The BUNNY!’ Rodriguez! on 02/05/2011 09:05 PM

                      No effect! so I slowly increased the amount of tobasco that I put in the water until it was just straight tobasco. I think he loved it…..I don’t know how normal bunnies are but Pogo seems to like the spice and the bitter. Needless to say…Pogo won that battle. He now has free roam of the carefully bunny proofed room 24/7 and refuses to have it any other way!

                      I’ve used hot sauce too, on cords and stuff they really can’t chew on, and I’ve definitely seen Arduina sitting there lick at it!  I think it must be a preference, like people, somebuns like a little spice .

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                  Forum DIET & CARE What if rabbits eat spicy food?