Dangerous for our bunnies

[Jhand]

Hello all, I haven't made my introduction yet but I wanted to bring up a pressing matter I've encountered. There is a mold called Alternaria that can cause anorexia in rabbits plus a lot of related illnesses. It grows on the carrot tops we buy and bring into our homes. My little Bugs wasn't eating like his usual self and I had noticed black areas growing on the green carrot tops he loved to eat. After some research I found the mold responsible. Alternaria (plus some other scientific names).
I was told it's in the soil of most farmland so we have to watch out for it.
I hope this helps others to keep an eye out for their Bunnies. Our Bugsy got better, thank goodness.
Thank you for the opportunity to let others know.

 

[Blue eyes]

Mold -- of any type -- can be harmful to rabbits. Mold likes damp/moist places...including manure on farmland. It is important that any greens or hay or even food pellets are free from any mold before feeding it to rabbits.

Not all carrot tops will have Alternaria (or any other mold) on them. It depends on where they came from and how they've been stored. It is a good caution, however, to be diligent in checking greens thoroughly for any signs of mold before offering them to a rabbit.

Here is some further info regarding mold poisoning:

Mycotoxin or mold poisoning, unfortunately, is detected pretty late and by that time it’s done its damage. To make things even more difficult, rabbits are good at hiding their symptoms so you might not know that they’re sick, to begin with. Nevertheless, if you keep a close eye on your rabbit then you may be able to identify certain symptoms that come with mold poisoning.

• Your rabbit will lose their appetite and that will result in drastic weight loss. Some rabbits might accept food initially and then reject it and some might simply refuse the food outright.
• Your rabbits will be in clear abdominal pain.
• They will suffer from sudden upset tummies which will include loose stool.
• Sores around the mouth and face.
• Discharge coming out from the eyes.
• Fever. A low body temperature lower than 101F is too low and is a cause of concern.
• Changes in their reproductive cycle especially in unspayed female rabbits.
• There will also be blood present in their poop. This is the most serious symptom that indicates that it is too late.

These are just the visible signs; you can also determine moldy toxicity through testing. For that, you will need to visit your vet who will run the kidney, liver, and blood function tests.

If you do manage to detect mold poisoning in its early stages, your rabbit may still have a chance to survive. You will need to rush them to a vet who will probably use intravenous fluid to the toxins out of their system. They may also give drugs and sucralfate to treat internal bleeding and ulcers. (taken from link below)
https://petschoolclassroom.com/can-rabbits-die-from-mold/

 

[Jhand]

Mold -- of any type -- can be harmful to rabbits. Mold likes damp/moist places...including manure on farmland. It is important that any greens or hay or even food pellets are free from any mold before feeding it to rabbits.

Not all carrot tops will have Alternaria (or any other mold) on them. It depends on where they came from and how they've been stored. It is a good caution, however, to be diligent in checking greens thoroughly for any signs of mold before offering them to a rabbit.

Here is some further info regarding mold poisoning:

Mycotoxin or mold poisoning, unfortunately, is detected pretty late and by that time it’s done its damage. To make things even more difficult, rabbits are good at hiding their symptoms so you might not know that they’re sick, to begin with. Nevertheless, if you keep a close eye on your rabbit then you may be able to identify certain symptoms that come with mold poisoning.

• Your rabbit will lose their appetite and that will result in drastic weight loss. Some rabbits might accept food initially and then reject it and some might simply refuse the food outright.
• Your rabbits will be in clear abdominal pain.
• They will suffer from sudden upset tummies which will include loose stool.
• Sores around the mouth and face.
• Discharge coming out from the eyes.
• Fever. A low body temperature lower than 101F is too low and is a cause of concern.
• Changes in their reproductive cycle especially in unspayed female rabbits.
• There will also be blood present in their poop. This is the most serious symptom that indicates that it is too late.

These are just the visible signs; you can also determine moldy toxicity through testing. For that, you will need to visit your vet who will run the kidney, liver, and blood function tests.

If you do manage to detect mold poisoning in its early stages, your rabbit may still have a chance to survive. You will need to rush them to a vet who will probably use intravenous fluid to the toxins out of their system. They may also give drugs and sucralfate to treat internal bleeding and ulcers. (taken from link below)
https://petschoolclassroom.com/can-rabbits-die-from-mold/

I'm so grateful if wasn't worse for Bugsy. It could have been devastating.

 

[Jhand]

I'm very grateful Bugsy didn't require medical care from his exposure to the mold. He seemed to bounce right back after a day of not wanting to eat.
I thought the anesthesia from his surgery affected his appetite but it could very well have been effects from the toxin still. His surgery was within a few days of the mold event.
We called him Lucky Bunny after escaping being lunch for a hawk so his luck is still holding.

 

[nicolekline97]

I am glad he is doing better.

 

[Jhand]

I am glad he is doing better.

Thank you

 

[Jhand]

I'm very grateful Bugsy didn't require medical care from his exposure to the mold. He seemed to bounce right back after a day of not wanting to eat.
I thought the anesthesia from his surgery affected his appetite but it could very well have been effects from the toxin still. His surgery was within a few days of the mold event.
We called him Lucky Bunny after escaping being lunch for a hawk so his luck is still holding.

Update on Alternaria mold: I should have known to look for the mold on other vegetables in the supermarket but didn't catch it till a few days ago. The parsley and cilantro plus the original carrot tops. In the picture of the cilantro attached it's very slight but in a day or two it really takes off growing. I hope this helps.

 

[JBun]

Thanks for sharing all this! The state of the greens and veggies we give to our rabbits is sometimes overlooked, but is just as important as when we ensure their hay and pellets don't contain mold.

 

[Plumpedbunny]

I made this mistake myself. I had notice some mold in the outdoor enclosure where the rain had seeped down the wall and wet some old hay but I didn't think too much of it until I read that mold can make bunnies very ill. I've cleaned it up since. My bunny is completely fine. His enclosure is well sheltered but sometime when there is wind and heavy rain some can drip down the wall.