If your rabbit has eaten something harmful, or stops eating or passing droppings, contact a veterinarian who treats rabbits right away, even if your rabbit seems fine. Rabbits cannot vomit, so do not try to make your rabbit throw up.
Why
The Merck Veterinary Manual lists rhubarb leaves among plants that are toxic to rabbits and should not be fed. The RSPCA and Pasadena Humane list rhubarb on their rabbit avoid lists without separating leaves and stalks, and the poisonous plant list republished by Rabbit.org includes the rhubarb leaf blade.
Rhubarb contains soluble calcium oxalates. The ASPCA plant database names these as the toxic principle and lists rhubarb as toxic to dogs, cats and horses, with signs including kidney failure, tremors and drooling in those species.
Signs to watch for
- Rhubarb leaves, which are the most toxic part
- Raw or cooked rhubarb stalks
- Rhubarb plants in gardens and allotments
- Rhubarb crumble, pie, jam and compote
- Drooling, trembling, weakness or a drop in appetite after possible exposure
What to do if your rabbit eats it
- Remove any remaining rhubarb from your rabbit's reach.
- Call a vet promptly, especially if leaves were eaten.
- Note which part of the plant was eaten, roughly how much and when.
- Do not try to make your rabbit vomit. Rabbits cannot vomit.
Rhubarb in the garden
Rhubarb is a garden plant first, and that is where most rabbits meet it. The large leaves sit low and are easy for a grazing rabbit to reach, and the leaves are the part the Merck Veterinary Manual lists as toxic.
Fence rhubarb beds off from any area where a rabbit roams. The RSPCA warns that many plants are poisonous to rabbits and advises leaving out anything you are not sure about.
Rhubarb crumble, pie and jam
Cooked rhubarb desserts are still rhubarb, and they add sugar, butter and flour as well. The RSPCA lists sugary human foods and processed foods among foods rabbits should not eat.
A rabbit that licks a spoonful of rhubarb jam should be watched for changes in appetite and droppings, and a vet should be called if anything seems wrong.
Oxalates in rhubarb and in leafy greens
Rhubarb is not the only plant with oxalates. The House Rabbit Society marks some everyday greens, such as spinach, parsley and Swiss chard, as high in oxalic acid and suggests rotating them, so that only one of a rabbit's three daily greens comes from that group.
Leafy greens and rhubarb differ in scale and purpose. Those greens are nutritious foods that are safe in rotation, while rhubarb leaves are listed as toxic and have no place in a rabbit's diet.
Common questions
Is rhubarb good for rabbits?
No. The Merck Veterinary Manual lists rhubarb leaves among plants that are toxic to rabbits and should not be fed.
Is rhubarb bad for rabbits?
Yes. Signs of poisoning to watch for: rhubarb leaves, which are the most toxic part; raw or cooked rhubarb stalks; rhubarb plants in gardens and allotments.
Are rabbits allowed to have rhubarb?
No, keep it away from your rabbit. If your rabbit eats some anyway: remove any remaining rhubarb from your rabbit's reach.
Are rhubarb stalks safe for rabbits?
Rhubarb stalks are not recommended. The Merck Veterinary Manual lists the leaves as the toxic part, but the RSPCA and Pasadena Humane list rhubarb as a whole among foods rabbits should not eat.
My rabbit nibbled a rhubarb leaf. What should I do?
Call a vet promptly and explain how much was eaten and when. Rabbits cannot vomit, so there is no safe way to empty the stomach at home.
Sources
- Merck Veterinary Manual. Diet for Rabbits (Laurie Hess, DVM, DABVP).
- RSPCA. What Do Rabbits Eat? Rabbit Diet Advice.
- Pasadena Humane. Rabbit Safe Vegetable and Fruit List.
- Rabbit.org. Poisonous Plants (compiled by the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences).
- ASPCA. Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List: Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarium).
- House Rabbit Society. Healthy Rabbit Diet.
- House Rabbit Society. Healthy Rabbit Diet.
- Merck Veterinary Manual. Disorders and Diseases of Rabbits.