CHOCOLATE!!!!

[CowieCow]

Hi I’m new to this forum and what really brought me here is that it being halloween and all, well I had a big bowl of chocolates out and my bunny got into it eating some wrapper and a little bit of kit kat. How bad is chocolate for rabbits?!? She didn’t eat much I caught her quick enough, but I just want to make sure its not like poison for bunnies.

worried,

katie

[BinkyBunny]

WELCOME COWIECOW. 

There is some chemical in chocolate, Theobromine that is not good for rabbits.  I know if the animal gets a lot of it, then it can be at a toxic level.  It sounds like your bunny got into a "small" portion, but I also don’t know the size of your bunny or how much is too much for your bunny. 

I know, in the past, some bunny owners have said their bunny got into a small piece of chocolate, and had no negative affects, but to be safe, I would call a vet and clarify the weight of your bunny and how much exactly your bunny consumed.   If it is after hours, you can call an emergency vet and see if they will advise you.

Here is a great article about chocolate toxicity – there is a paragraph about how much is too much.

http://vetmedicine.about.com/cs/nutritiondogs/a/chocolatetoxici.htm

Keep us updated!!

  

[CowieCow]

Thanks Binky, that article was great. She didn’t eat very much at all, and she’s fine, I think the sugar got to her tho because a little while later she was zipping back and forth across the living room like a crazy bunny. It was pretty funny. She’s fine she didn’t hesitate for her food this morning either, as usual, I think she may actually be a pig, cuz she eats like one.

thanks again

[BinkyBunny]

Oh good!!   Sounds like all she got from it was a sugar high!    Yahoooo!!

[MSBOND]

I found this thread on google, after 2 years of feeding my bunny chocolate on a daily basis I got told it might not be good for her. She seems extremely healthy and happy, just loves her chocolate treat for supper. Usually gets 4-5 drops of cooking chocolate or a square of Cadbury dairy milk chocolate daily.

[Gravehearted]

welcome to binky bunny MSBOND. Chocolate is not lethal for rabbits, like it is for dogs. However, rabbits have extremely sensitive gi tracts, which can easily be thrown out of whack and cause gi stasis. Too much sugar is often the culprit in stasis, since it upsets the balance of good and bad bacterias needed in the bunny’s stomach to keep it working properly. I think some bunnies are very lucky and their tummies can handle more sugar than others, which may be like the case with your bunny. However, I would not recommend to anyone to feed their rabbits chocolate. There are many natural treats – like fruit that are a healthier choice.

[BinkyBunny]

Welcome MSBOND!!  What a beautiful Avatar!   

I ditto what Gravehearted has said.  It’s sort of like a long-term smoker never having any ill effects.  I’ve known people who have smoked all of their lives and never had to deal with serious health issues due to smoking, but the rest of the population would be more likely to have health issues. 

It’s great that so far you bunny hasn’t suffered from any serious digestive issues, but I wouldn’t recommend that anyone follow this treat routine. If it were my bunny, I would err on the side of caution as serious digestive imbalances can set in over a longer period of time.  There are plenty of healthier treats that are less risky.   Many bunnies love fruit! 1 – 2 oz is the recommended max amount by the house rabbit society.    Does she have a fruit preference?

[MSBOND]

Yep, she loves pineapple and fruit juice but nothing quite beats choco drops, ahaha. I have tried to cut down in the last couple of days but its so hard with those beady little eyes.

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