Willow Sticks

[JumpinJax]

I purchased some willow sticks for my bunny from Petco and he has been really good eating them. Tonight I noticed that they seem to splinter a bit. Now I’m worried that the splinters will get in his little belly and cause damage. Does anyone know how safe willow sticks are and how well they break down. I’m wondering if the bunny just grinds it down. I was thinking that bunnies in the wild surely gnaw on wood and sticks. Any thoughts?

[BinkyBunny]

I can’t speak on willow sticks that come from other suppliers, but willow is generally a safe chew toy.   There have been some discussions about air-dried vs kiln dried.The willow sticks in the Binky Store are all air-dried. Kiln dried can make for harder more brittle sticks.  But unless your bunny has a tooth issue or health problem, willow and other bunny safe woods are safe and enriching.   Their wild cousins chew wood, brush, hay, straw etc. It’s part of their natural behavior.   However, no matter what, if you have concerns with any toy — wood, plastic, cardboard, cloth, whatever it may be, you have to use your best judgement and decide. I always say, if you feel worried, it’s not worth it.  Just get something else. You can also always contact your rabbit-savvy vet and get their take on what you are concerned about.

My bunnies have loved willow sticks, Willow wreaths, Willow chunks, Willow Baskets and a variety of Willow toys for over a decade. If it’s willow, it’s like a bunny chew project that they really enjoy. And never has it caused any issues. A while back,  I checked with rabbit-savvy vets about the safety of wood toys, plastic toys, etc and they all concurred that while nothing is 100% safe,  (Not even hay! as it can poke an eye, and first cut can be as tough as a twig), rabbit’s generally chew things up.  That’s what they do!   Rabbits chew — they are like birds in that way — always finding something to chew on– if it’s not something like Willow or apple sticks or whatever, it could be your furniture!  So it’s a good idea to offer safer enriching toys.

[Noodles]

Cinnabun eats apple sticks everyday. And I mean, she EATS them, and she has always been quite fine with it! She grinds the whole thing up with her teeth and it’s never been a problem. But I would agree with BB that nothing is 100% safe. I am also kind of weary of toys from places like Petco or Petsmart. I got Cinnabun a willow ball from there and she ate most of it, and it hurt her tummy and I had to take her to the vet to the next day.

[BinkyBunny]

I think it’s also important to keep in mind how much of a wood toy your bunny actually eats at once. Most of mine have been nibblers. And it will take them about a week to get through a Willow ball, basket or whatever. They will nibble it, eat some, leave pieces and it slowly becomes a little wood pile or basket bottom only. I have had some bunnies who will try to down the whole thing in one day or in one sitting. In that case I just give it for shorter periods or get creative with it and stick hay inside otherwise they may then fill up with wood and they ignore their hay. And hay is essential for healthy digestion. And while Willow has fiber, nothing beats hay. (First cut hay being the highest fiber so I mix that with other hays.) So anytime a bunny fills up on anything that prevents him/her from consuming his hay for a little while would be something to watch.

I get similar questions about cardboard. If their bunny is actually eating a lot of it not just chewing on it. Cardboard is generally digestible (if no wax or ink coatings). Cardboard is digestible but if a bunny fills up on that and forgoes hay and other needed nutrition then that may cause potential issue. Toys, tunnels and hideouts are all wonderful enrichments for your bunny. But since bunnies are chewers (and diggers by nature…which is why these toys are good), they can also be something you have to watch to make sure they don’t over do it. Lol. I don’t know if it is hay consumption related or not. My bunny now is a huge hay consumer. It’s like her hay is a treat! She also loves to dig and chew. She would chew our couch if I let her which is why her willow toys, apple sticks, grass mats, yucca toy, cardboard and willow hideouts keep her busy….but she is into demolishing more than eating. She will eat the wood toys, but it takes her a week.

Right now I can hear her ripping the walls of her cardboard cottage. Lol

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