Are the following ingredients in a rabbit toy safe?

[Lemony]

This toy is like crack to my rabbit ever since she first tried it. I tried all other types of toys and stopped buying this one for a while and she ended up chewing an inch of the carpet because she wasn’t stimulated enough by her chew toys. I know it was irresponsible to not check the ingredients before buying it the first time but I’ve asked several rabbit owners and they say this specific toy is ok for them.

3 red flags with this item: 1, it is marketed for both rabbits and Guinea pigs. I know that usually things that are marketed for other animals besides rabbits its not great. 2, it has alfalfa in it and she’s an adult rabbit. From what I’ve learned adults shouldn’t really have alfalfa. 3 it’s got an ingredient with the word starch in it :/

Here are the ingredients: Pine Wood Shaving, Cassava Starch, Alfalfa, Sodium Alginate, Potassium Sorbate, Propionic Acid, Honey, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol. Could someone tell me if any of these are potentially dangerous? It claims to he 100% edible and she loves it so much you couldn’t take it away from her. I’m constantly worried about it though

[Bam]

Except the pine shavings, all the ingredients are edible and commonly found in a variety of foods we eat every day. How safe this toy is would mostly depend on how much of it she eats per day.

Cassava starch is starch from the root of cassava, a plant that is harmless once cooked. It’s a major staple in many parts of the world. It’s also called tapioca.

Propionic acid is a naturally occurring carboxylic acid (another, more common carboxylic acid is ethanoic acid, commonly called vinegar). Propionic acid is widely used as an antifungal agent in food. It’s safety has been tested on rats and rabbits and mice.

Potassium sorbate is an anti-fungal agent that occurs naturally in fruit and berries. It’s a preservative with the E-number E202. It’s often found in for example jam or skin lotions.

Sodium alginate is a natural gel made from brown algae. It’s used in many edible products such as ice cream.

Glycerol is a sugar alcohol, E 422. It’s a thickener and sweetener used in for example candy.

Propylene glycol is used in food to maintain moisture and flavor. It’s also used in skin products. It’s considered safe to consume.

There is sugar in the toy (honey) and it’s not healthy to consume lots of wood shavings every day, but if she eats it in smallish amounts, I think it’s fine. Its to be considered a treat.

[Lemony]

This was incredibly helpful thanks so much… I do think she chews it too often, I try to limit her time with it and provide other toys and hay as an alternative when she is going to town on it. I’m guessing the sugar is the delicious part she can’t get enough of. Anyway thanks for the info

[Author]

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