Which Plants Are Toxic to Rabbits?

There are quite a few!   If your rabbit has access to a run, (the larger the better so he can get plenty of exercise!), its easier to control the type of food/plants he has access too.   But when they are roaming free in your garden it can be more difficult.  

Plants to avoid

Rabbits love to gnaw, its natural for them.   They also love fruit tree branches and strip the bark off them, but before you do this check!   For example plum trees should be avoided.

For a list longer list of poisonous plants, you can refer to the Rabbit Awareness Week Website, click here. Its never easy to produce a complete list, but this will give you a good idea.

Click here for a guide to good and bad plants for rabbits.

What to do if your rabbit eats plants which are poisonous?

There are a number of signs which present when a rabbit eats a poisonous plant.  It can make them very ill.  It may not always be obvious that they have eaten a poisonous plant but signs such as fitting, a change in faeces consistency, a reduction in exercise and fatiguing, a change to their body temperature and even a reduction in their food intake.   This is the time to see the vet, it should be treated as an emergency if you suspect or know they have eaten one of these plants.   Like a lot of illnesses the sooner treatment can be started, the better the outcome.

Roaming free in a secure garden is great, what rabbit wouldn't want to have the freedom to live their life as close to their wild relatives as they can be.   Remember that rabbits are not designed to live in hutches all their life and careful consideration should be given to giving them as much space as possible. Choose a large hutch and give them a good sized run/space.   Rabbits as a minimum requirement, should be able to stand up on their hind legs and not touch the ceiling with their ears.   They also should be able to hop two full hops in the length of the hutch. 

For more information and become a supporter of more freedom for pet rabbits, visiting the Rabbit Welfare Associations page 'A hutch is not enough' giving lots of useful information.