Hes eating my christmas tree. Um... is that ok? ;)

[Jameson]

I used search on the forums and it LOOKS like its ok, but I'll ask straight out...

My flemish giant is nom'ing away on out fraiser fir christmas tree. That ok for him to eat? I dont mind, as long as he doesnt get sick!

 

[TinysMom]

I would not let him eat the Christmas tree because you don't know if its been treated with any chemicals or anything.

 

[TinysMom]

Here are some links for you:

Holiday Hazards

Your Bunny and the Holidays

Plants that are toxic to rabbits


I didn't have time to read the links - just quickly scanned them to see if they might help.

 

[Hazel-Mom]

It's only ok if the tree has not been treated with fire retardants or flocking, or other chemicals. Also, if you put "plant food" in the water, make sure your rabbit cannot get to that.

 

[elrohwen]

I have heard that the sap in pine treats is very toxic to buns and for this reason they should not be allowed access to the tree. I'm sure a few nibbles here and there won't hurt them, but they shouldn't be allowed to feast on it or anything.

Pine that has been kiln dried, such as wood stove pellets or lumber, is fine because the sap is gone.

 

[Hazel-Mom]

Actually it's not so much the sap that's toxic, it's the phenols in the wood. Those are the compounds that are driven off by kiln drying. They can cause problems when an animal is breathing them in constantly, or is exposed to pine dust that gets into the lungs. It won't hurt a rabbit to nibble the needles, which is mainly what they eat on the trees anyway. Also, the softwood trees shown to be most toxic in most studies were cedar and white pine. So if you have different christmas trees, like firs and spruces, you should be ok.
Of course, it is always better to keep animals away from the sap, but mainly because it's very sticky, and a bother to clean up