Plain Popcorn?

[Erbear]

So Radar found a new treat…. plain popcorn… I was wondering if anyone else’s buns have had this.  (She got into some when I was making treats for christmas)  I’ve seen it at a local petstore for guinea pigs and ferrets etc.

 

Thanks for all the advice btw!

[babybunsmum]

my bun hasn’t scored herself a popcorn treat but she did find a stray puffed wheat and gobbled it up.  i don’t think carb-type treats are very healthy for their digestive system (can cause poop problems) but probably not incredibly harmful in small infrequent amounts.  i could be wrong.  seems that most of the rabbit-wise folk recommend veggies / fruits as good treats & i havent heard any comments specifically about popcorn.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

im not sure -corn is supposed to be tocic but its a different kind of corn…???

[MarkBun]

I have seen some ‘popcorn’ treats for bunnies as well that are sold in leading pet shops.  Granted, not everything there is great for them but I think that if it was overly toxic, they’d not sell it.  Still though, I’d not let her have her fill of a bag of the stuff.  Maybe one or two puffs every other day or so won’t hurt.  I’d also say that if you pop your own (free of all oils and other additivies), it would be a bit better.

I believe the danger with corn is that dried corn kernels have husks that they cannot digest and therefore can cause issues.  So if you are going to give a bun popcorn, make sure it is nothing but the white stuff (remove the left over kernal bits on the ‘bottom/inside’ of the puff.

Mine loves Ritz crackers and Sun Chips and, although they aren’t good for a bunny, she’d receive about half a cracker or chip occasionally (once a week) and she’s been just fine. Just remember that their systems are hyper sensitive compared to our digestive tracts.

They can be so hard to resist with their cute lil whiskers…

[Scarlet_Rose]

I would not recommend feeding a rabbit corn in any form.  Pet stores sell things to make money and the manufacturers of those products the same and unfortunately the "old" idea of what is O.K. for a rabbit conflicts with what is really O.K. for them by today’s standards.

The thing with corn is that it is high in starch (carbs) and sugar of which the starch can cause an impaction and the sugar imbalances the GI tract and of course sugar is a treat no-one can resist and a rabbit may refuse anything else. Too many carbs can also cause your rabbit not to consume enough fiber and have a fatty liver. You might want to consult with your vet on this if you wish to proceed  with the popcorn treat and see what they have to say.  Rabbits are hyper sensitive like Mark mentioned so personally I error on the side of caution and opt for something a little more in the safe comfort zone like a piece of banana or apple.

An interesting read here:

FAQ: Treat Foods

[Erbear]

Thanks for the info… she usually gets only the healthiest of treats… and a few raisins… right now she’s taking a nap on a feather boa and probably dreaming of how to get more of that fluffy white stuff she got chased away from.

I didn’t understand until I had her why so many of the shelter buns were overweight… now I understand. If I were that cute when I begged for treats, I’d be rolling places just like the blueberry girl from willy wonka.

[Gravehearted]

I would steer clear of popcorn too.  My concern is how difficult it is to digest corn as Mark mentioned, in addition to the problems that carbs can cause.

Most shelter bunnies are overweight from being fed unlimited alfalfa pellets and getting little to no exercise time. Rabbits in shelters are often overlooked and not given the care and attention that cats and dogs are.  It’s really very sad.   The shelter I worked at didn’t give them veggies, unless one of the volunteers brought them and the only treats they got were also from the volunteers.

Our volunteer group, The Rabbit Haven does a holiday bag program for all the local shelter bunnies and the fosters in our system.http://www.therabbithaven.org/HolidayBags_120207.html

[starshinepunk]

I was just going to ask this question. I was visiting our buns (still not ready to bring home. And one of the shelter helpers was giving a few of the babies a puff ( she broke off the kernel pieces) of popcorn. Shadow loved the stuff and kept climbing on her for more. She wouldn’t give them more than one a piece (despite shadow “kickin up dirt”) when she wouldnt give him/her more. A few babies didnt even want it. Was curious if this is an ok treat every now n then as well. Got some good info here tho thanks.

[LBJ10]

One of the forum rules is to not drag up old threads unless you are providing an update on your own thread. This particular thread is almost 7 years old.

To answer your question though, corn really isn’t a good food for bunnies. Plus the hulls are considered dangerous because there is a risk of impaction/blockage. I wouldn’t recommend feeding anything with corn in it to a rabbit. The white puffed part only may not kill them, but it isn’t healthy.

I imagine a forum leader will lock this thread so if you have further questions then make sure to start a new thread.

[LongEaredLions]

Corn is a seed. Seeds are a no-no for bunnies. While popcorn will likely not hurt your bun, it is not very healthy and could cause them to choke. Same reason you don’t give popcorn to little kids!

[starshinepunk]

Oh im sorry I didnt know….but thanks for the info

[LBJ10]

It’s okay, I just didn’t want you to panic if the thread got locked by a forum leader.

[starshinepunk]

I appreciate the heads up I’ve now read the rules and am up to date lol thank you

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