HELP BUNNY ATE AVOCADO

[Nikki]

This morning I dropped a small chunk of avocado on the floor and completely forgot to pick it up. As I was unloading the dishwasher, Fiona was hanging out under it and I thought nothing of it. After putting the dishwasher door up I saw the chunk of avocado sitting there. It was obvious that she had eaten some but only a teeny bit. (12:30pm) I suspect she didn’t like it because she left a majority of it uneaten. I know avocados are poisonous to rabbits so I did some googling and freaked out. I frantically fed her as much hay as she would eat, as well as a romaine leaf and a sprig of rosemary. (12:50) She was eating it just fine and seemed to be acting normal. I am now hearing some tummy gurgles (1:55pm) and she is sleeping in her normal position. I read something about Vitamin E oil or activated charcoal being good for poisoned rabbits but would not know how to dose that. She is a 4.5 lb holland lop who is 9 months old. I am extremely nervous and would accept any advice anyone has to give!! 

[Muchelle]

If it is an emergency DO NOT post on the forum but call your vet! Buns get very bad very quickly.

I don’t know much about this, but if it was a small quantity it could not give her problems, still, ask your vet over the phone and discuss if it’s necessary to take her in or to wait it out

[Wick & Fable]

I’m unsure how poisonous avocados are, but since it seems to be a small amount, I think it should be fine once it passes through her. You did great feeding her hay and wet veggies to get it through. Monitor her poo and make sure it’s still coming out at a usual rat and in it’s usual form. She may have a diuretic poo as a result, but it should regulate back.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[Nikki]

Vet is not open today it is Sunday I am hoping it will pass. I am still feeding her hay and pellets and she is taking them.

[sarahthegemini]

Is there no emergency vet you could call??

[bunnybuns]

Yes, avocados have a toxic compound called persin and the skin, flesh and seed are the most toxic although the flesh has less toxicity than the other parts.

I suggest you keep an eye on her for a couple of hours, two-three maybe and if she shows these signs:

– Obvious discomfort while trying to sit or lay down (the bunny will usually get up couple of times to find a comfortable position)
– Body temperature lower/higher than normal, normal rabbit temperature is 101F to 103F, you should use a thermometer which you can lubricate with some vaseline amd gently place it in the bunny’s bum.
– If she later refuses to eat hay, pellets and even her favorite treats, fruit and veggies then you know tgat something is wrong
– If she is is lacking enthusiasm (example; if she used to be excited when you come up to her and she doesn’t do it now), showing sleepines and inactivity.

For the vitamin E oil you can insert 1g into your bunny’s mouth with preferably a syringe, one of my mother’s friends has a rabbit and shared this with her and supposedly it’s tasty to them so i think it will go easy if you give it to Fiona.
About the active charcoal, i really don’t know and tbh never heard/knew it can be used for bunny intoxication.
I suggest you taking her to the vet even though she seems fine now, rabbits can go downhill really fast when they have eaten something that they weren’t supposed to.

[bunnybuns]

Read that your vet office isn’t open just now. Is that the clinic most near you? Some clinics work on Sundays, maybe google up some other nearby veterinarians and see if they’re working???

[Bam]

How long ago did she eat the avocado? After 6 hours most poisonings will have taken hold, meaning if you don’t see symptoms after 6 hours, you’re most likely in the clear.

Activated charcoal can be given to rabbits but should be distributed by professionals. It also only has an effect if the avocado was eaten very recently, once the avocado has left the stomach and the toxin has been taken up by the body, activated charcoal has no effect at all. It only works in direct contact with the toxic compound.

[Nikki]

She ate the avocado 2 hours and 20 mins ago. She is still running around/eating. She hasn’t pooped. There aren’t any open emergency vets around me (Hurricane Irma just hit and everyone is still closed). She seems to be acting okay right now but I don’t know what the next couple hours will bring. Should I go get some Vitamin E oil?

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By Nikki on 9/17/2017 1:52 PM

She ate the avocado 2 hours and 20 mins ago. She is still running around/eating. She hasn’t pooped. There aren’t any open emergency vets around me (Hurricane Irma just hit and everyone is still closed). She seems to be acting okay right now but I don’t know what the next couple hours will bring. Should I go get some Vitamin E oil?

Ah okay. Keep pushing the hay and make sure she drinks plenty. Keep her up and moving too as that will help her gut.

[Bam]

Vitamin E oil wont hurt, but I think its a misconception that it helps with poisonings. It’s said to have some effect on floppy rabbit syndrome, a condition that’s been suspected to arise from vitamin E deficiency. If you feel giving her vitamin E would make you less worried, do get some. You can squeeze the contents of one capsule right into the bun’s mouth. Hydration is important, and hay. Wet greens is the easiest way to get more fluids into a bun. 

The persin contents vary between avocados and between parts of the avocado. The parts closest to the pit has the most persin. Hopefully she got hold of a more middle part.

Keep a close eye. You can’t make her vomit because bun’s can’t vomit, and it’d be to late for that anyway, because the avocado piece must be out of the stomach by now. Make sure she’s kept warm. 

[Nikki]

I hope she got a middle part too.. I am trying to keep her hydrated and fed. Is 6 hours the max time that the poisoning would have taken hold?

[joea64]

Posted By Nikki on 9/17/2017 2:23 PM

I hope she got a middle part too.. I am trying to keep her hydrated and fed. Is 6 hours the max time that the poisoning would have taken hold?

From what I’ve seen in this thread, I’d think so, yes. Fiona ate the avocado about 12:30 pm (Eastern time?), it’s close to 6:30 pm now (3:30 pm Pacific time – by the way, is there a way to reset the time zone?).  If she hasn’t displayed any significant bad effects by pretty soon, I’d say she’s in the clear. Is she continuing to eat and drink normally otherwise? Other activity OK? Has she pooped in the past 4 hours since your report around 2 pm that she wasn’t, at that time?

[Nikki]

<g class="gr_ gr_7 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_disable_anim_appear Punctuation only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="7" data-gr-id="7">Yes</g> she has pooped! I sat her on her potty and patiently waited (Lol). She seems to be doing okay. She has been running around and eating hay/pellets. She isn't drinking much water but I have been giving her some wet veggies. I also have no idea how to reset the time on this but it is very <g class="gr_ gr_252 gr-alert gr_spell gr_disable_anim_appear ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="252" data-gr-id="252">annyoing</g>.&nbsp;</p>

[Nikki]

I am not sure what happened up there but this was my reply:
Yes she has pooped! I sat her on her potty and patiently waited (Lol). She seems to be doing okay. She has been running around and eating hay/pellets. She isn’t drinking much water but I have been giving her some wet veggies. I also have no idea how to reset the time on this but it is very annoying.

[joea64]

Posted By Nikki on 9/17/2017 5:30 PM

I am not sure what happened up there but this was my reply:
Yes she has pooped! I sat her on her potty and patiently waited (Lol). She seems to be doing okay. She has been running around and eating hay/pellets. She isn’t drinking much water but I have been giving her some wet veggies. I also have no idea how to reset the time on this but it is very annoying.

Good news! The interesting thing about rabbits and water is that they actually get a lot of their water requirements from their vegetables, therefore, a lot of people (like you and me) wet down their greens before serving them to their buns. Bunnies that get ample rations of water from their greens, especially wetted down, don’t generally do much more than sip from their water bowls to wash down their hay.

 

To my inexpert eye, it looks as if Fiona is out of the woods here, but keep a weather eye out on her overnight just to be sure – I’d refill her water bowl and offer her more hay just before bedtime to be safe. 

[Nikki]

Thank you so much for all the help! I will update tomorrow on how she is doing!

[Bam]

How is she doing now?

There is no way to reset the time, and I do agree it is annoying. We’re all on different times here- well obviously, since we are from all parts of the world. We ought to have some type of Zulu time- system. 

[Nikki]

Fiona is doing good! Her normal morning binkys and shenanigans. Thank you for everyones help

[sarahthegemini]

Yay, great news!

[joea64]

Outstanding!  Now just remember to sweep the kitchen floor in future…

[Bam]

Great to hear! They can really scare their hoomins, these little ones.

[Author]

Messages