My rabbit ate what?

[Aaron]

Here it all goes: I have these natural cloth things hanging down from the wall by the bunny cage to get rid of any smells that may come from them (usually just pee). These things are made of charcoal. It turns out that one of the buns decided it would be a good idea to jump up, grab one and chew a hole in it. I was wondering if this charcoal would be harmful to them. I know, it was a stupid thing of me. Please do not judge. 

[Mikey]

It can cause poisoning in rabbits depending on the type of charcoal and how it was processed. Youre best to pack up your rabbits and head to the nearest rabbit certified 24 hour vets office. If you cant, you should watch for signs of poisoning in rabbits, and any signs of discomfort; head to a vet asap.

To fix the pee smell, clean the litter box(s) once a day, and wipe down the litter box with lemon juice before adding fresh litter to it.

[Q8bunny]

A few drops of apple cider vinegar in their water dish can also make their pee less fragrant.

Charcoal itself is not poisonous. It is actually used in rabbits (and humans) to counteract poisons/toxins. But I’m guessing that your cloth had other things in it too, and not just activated charcoal. So I’d play it safe and take your bun (and the cloth/packaging, if you can) to the vet.

[Bam]

Charcoal isn’t poisonous, as Q8 says it’s often given when someone (rabbit, dog, human) has ingested something toxic. It can cause constipation though, so your bunny must drink lots of water and preferably also eat a lot of hay to counteract that effect. I’d call a vet and ask – if the piece your bun ate was very small, I doubt they’d want you to come in. Hydration is key here, and you must keep a very close eye on his poop. If he stopps pooping, it’d be an emergency because it could mean the charcoal cloth has caused an intestinal blockage. But a vet will tell you this if you call them and ask.

We’d be very happy for updates.

[Aaron]

I do not think that they ate the cloth, it looks like there are tiny holes in it, not a big one. The thing I am worried about is that if they ate a little piece of the charcoal from it. The pieces are very small, maybe the size of a grain of salt just twice the size. They are very small, I am just worried if they ingested ant of this. So far, they are eating fine.

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By Aaron on 9/16/2017 7:11 AM

I do not think that they ate the cloth, it looks like there are tiny holes in it, not a big one. The thing I am worried about is that if they ate a little piece of the charcoal from it. The pieces are very small, maybe the size of a grain of salt just twice the size. They are very small, I am just worried if they ingested ant of this. So far, they are eating fine.

By the sounds of it they possibly just nibbled rather than actually ingesting it? In which case, chances are they’ll be absolutely fine. Keep an eye on them obviously but I shouldn’t think you have anything to worry about. 

[Q8bunny]

If it’s just grains of charcoal, then no worries. Charcoal absorbs toxins and helps the body eliminate them. Bunny detox?

[Aaron]

Ok, thank you all for your advice. I appreciate it greatly. Yeah, the grains aren’t that big.

[Author]

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