Should rabbits eat tomato greens?
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Not a good idea... All parts of the tomato plant except the fruits are toxic. Not drop-down-dead toxic, but still not good for them. Tomatoes, potatoes and eggplants are all members of the nightshade family.
Pickles
Well-known member
Steer clear of Tomatos, Tom stems & Tom leaves.
Devon's Mom Lauren
Well-known member
DanaYares":2738hc8h said:
How long have your rabbits been eating the tomato plants? Was it just one time or was it more long term? How did your rabbits do after they ate them? I am very interested to know! I have had people tell me certain items "cause diarrhea" that I have been feeding forever and not had a single case of diarrhea yet.. Now granted my particular tomato plants are a very sorry looking bunch and seem to have some sort of disease so I wouldn't feed them just because of that, but healthy green plants...
OneAcreFarm
Well-known member
Lauren,
There is a lady on the MeatRabbits Yahoo group that feeds her rabbits tomato greens all the time. She has done this for years and they have no issues. I seem to remember it may have something to do with the variety of tomato but I am not sure.
What I do know is that she has very healthy, large rabbits that have big litters and typically raise them all to weaning. So, it must not be doing them any harm....but, she starts them with small amounts very young and works up to feeding larger amounts.
There is a lady on the MeatRabbits Yahoo group that feeds her rabbits tomato greens all the time. She has done this for years and they have no issues. I seem to remember it may have something to do with the variety of tomato but I am not sure.
What I do know is that she has very healthy, large rabbits that have big litters and typically raise them all to weaning. So, it must not be doing them any harm....but, she starts them with small amounts very young and works up to feeding larger amounts.
Devon's Mom Lauren":2npdcz2j said:
It could be that the tomato plant toxicity thing is yet another of those annoying myths or it could be that rabbits can tolerate a certain amount in their diets without harm. I hope those who continue to feed tomato leaves to their rabbits will be observing closely to see if there are any ill-effects and that they will post their findings.
SterlingSatin
Well-known member
oops, i feed my rabbits tomato stems and leaves. they haven't had a problem.
Devon's Mom Lauren
Well-known member
Thanks for the input guys, its good to know! I did find a lot about tomato plants being toxic to dogs but not why or what would happen..could be its just one of those things that just keeps getting passed by word of mouth and no really questions or tests it scientifically. After all the human race once believed that tomatos were poisonous to eat at all!!
i've found if they get a bit of tomato it won't kill them. I've lots other things to feed though so I just tend not to bother. The tomato itself is just fine to feed them as I've done that numerous times.
I asked a veterinarian friend about the tomato toxicity problem, and here's what she had to say.
Question: Are tomato leaves toxic to rabbits?
Answer #1: Possibly. Tomato plants contain tomatine, an alkaloid glycoside, that yields tomatidine when hydrolyzed. These are similar to solanine, which can be a gastrointestinal irritant and cholinesterase inhibitor. However, the tomatidine is poorly absorbed and appears to be of low toxicity. On the other hand, there have been reports of deaths in pigs and cattle grazing on tomato plants. So best to avoid tomato leaves in any animal.
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Answer #2:The Solanacea or nightshade/potato family is of considerable economic importance as it includes potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, cayenne peppers, tobacco and belladonna.
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> The cultivated tomato contains alpha-tomatine. It is found throughout the plant, but especially in flowers and leaves. Concentrations are also high in young, green fruit, but decline markedly during ripening. Tomatine can be weakly cardiotoxic, but is poorly absorbed.
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> The highest clinical concern for tomato plants is herbivores eating large amounts of leaves, and dogs eating large amounts of green fruit, although I suspect you would have a dog with severe GI upset before any other signs developed.
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> I truthfully don't know where the "thin the blood" thought came from, and would not be too concerned if a dog was getting a small amount of ripe tomato.
Question: Are tomato leaves toxic to rabbits?
Answer #1: Possibly. Tomato plants contain tomatine, an alkaloid glycoside, that yields tomatidine when hydrolyzed. These are similar to solanine, which can be a gastrointestinal irritant and cholinesterase inhibitor. However, the tomatidine is poorly absorbed and appears to be of low toxicity. On the other hand, there have been reports of deaths in pigs and cattle grazing on tomato plants. So best to avoid tomato leaves in any animal.
>
Answer #2:The Solanacea or nightshade/potato family is of considerable economic importance as it includes potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, cayenne peppers, tobacco and belladonna.
>
> The cultivated tomato contains alpha-tomatine. It is found throughout the plant, but especially in flowers and leaves. Concentrations are also high in young, green fruit, but decline markedly during ripening. Tomatine can be weakly cardiotoxic, but is poorly absorbed.
>
> The highest clinical concern for tomato plants is herbivores eating large amounts of leaves, and dogs eating large amounts of green fruit, although I suspect you would have a dog with severe GI upset before any other signs developed.
>
> I truthfully don't know where the "thin the blood" thought came from, and would not be too concerned if a dog was getting a small amount of ripe tomato.
Frosted Rabbits
Well-known member
Well, two of my rabbits got a good bellyfull of Morning Glory a few weeks ago-- no issues-- So, maybe--- old wives tales, etc-- and cows and pigs wil seek out and overindulge at times-- but their digestive systems are also a bit different than the rabbits is... and that can preclude toxicity in some species..
It is true that a lot of the toxicity information we have about plants is for larger livestock. I think it is wise to avoid feeding questionable plants but on the other hand there are very few plants we are likely to encounter while foraging or from our vegetable gardens that are "drop dead" poisonous.
Among the ornamental and medicinal plants, you will find some that should definitely NEVER be fed: lily-of-the-valley and monkshood (aconite) come to mind.
Among the ornamental and medicinal plants, you will find some that should definitely NEVER be fed: lily-of-the-valley and monkshood (aconite) come to mind.
Monkshood is a very scary plant. It does have medicinal qualities, but is also extremely dangerous. Not recommended in a garden with children, pets or free-range poultry. I've seen it growing at old homesteads maybe a hundred miles north of here and wondered if they used to grow it for its medicinal properties or just as an ornamental.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aconitum
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aconitum
hoodat
Well-known member
Wild rabbits will often eat small amounts of otherwise toxic plants as a medicine. Their instincts tell them when they need it. Wild rabbits that have a wide choice of both food and toxic plants however are a far cry from those who have to depend on what we bring them. I always follow the better safe than sorry rule.
hoodat":z9o7ew5m said:
Domestic rabbits seem to retain some of their instincts regarding the plants they need. I had a doe who once had just a touch of poopy butt. I took her a mixed bundle of greens, but was careful to include some shepherd's purse, even though it was a plant she normally did not care for. She snatched that shepherd's purse from my hand before I could even set it down and proceeded to devour it.
Good old Patches! :bunnyhop: She knew what she needed.
All the same, we cannot rely on their instincts to prevent poisoning. The onus, as Hoodat rightly says, is on us to give safe foods only.
farmgirlforever
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I have a domestic pet rabbit and my little brother fed him the stem of a little tomato and he seems very ill, hes not himself at all he hasn't been eating or drinking very much and hes been spending most of his time lying down, has anyone else ever experienced problems with your rabbits eating it??? If so any ideas on what you should do?? Hes been seeming sick for a couple days now 
I don't mean to be an alarmist but,his is a very bad thing. You need to get the rabbit to a vet and tell them what and how much tomato greens your rabbit ate. Tomato leave are highly toxic to your bunny!farmgirlforever":ro2j6ptv said:I have a domestic pet rabbit and my little brother fed him the stem of a little tomato and he seems very ill, hes not himself at all he hasn't been eating or drinking very much and hes been spending most of his time lying down, has anyone else ever experienced problems with your rabbits eating it??? If so any ideas on what you should do?? Hes been seeming sick for a couple days now
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It really seems to depend on the tomato plant and on the rabbit. As seen earlier in this thread, there are some who can feed tomato plants to their rabbits.Homer":hdcm0ppi said:I don't mean to be an alarmist but,his is a very bad thing. You need to get the rabbit to a vet and tell them what and how much tomato greens your rabbit ate. Tomato leave are highly toxic to your bunny!farmgirlforever":hdcm0ppi said:I have a domestic pet rabbit and my little brother fed him the stem of a little tomato and he seems very ill, hes not himself at all he hasn't been eating or drinking very much and hes been spending most of his time lying down, has anyone else ever experienced problems with your rabbits eating it??? If so any ideas on what you should do?? Hes been seeming sick for a couple days now
However, not all rabbits can tolerate the same things.
Farmgirlforever, do you have a vet you take your rabbit to? Many members on here don't ever take their rabbits to a vet; they treat them at home or they put them down. If you want to take your rabbit to a vet, make sure the vet is familiar with treating rabbits. Most vets are not.
If you don't have a vet to take him to, then just keep him as comfortable as you can and try to tempt him to eat and drink. It's already been a couple of days, so I'd think the most dangerous part is probably over. If you can just keep him eating and drinking, he may pull through.
For food, you can give him regular kitchen oatmeal (old fashioned, not quick oats) and hay. To tempt him a little more, you can coat the oatmeal with a little molasses (blackstrap, if you can get it... it's more nutritious).
For drink, you can give him diluted tea (add a touch of molasses if necessary), Pedialyte, Gatorade, water with a little molasses, etc.
If you have a probiotic, you can give him some of that.
You could also call the ASPCA Poison Control Centre. they may be able to give you some advice on how to handle this situation.
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control
Please keep in mind that the illness could be caused by something other than the tomato greens. Watch for other symptoms. It is very important to get the rabbit eating and drinking again. Something like dandelion greens, the lawn weed plantain or other safe greens may tempt him. If he is not used to greens, just give him a bit at a time. Good luck! :clover:
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control
Please keep in mind that the illness could be caused by something other than the tomato greens. Watch for other symptoms. It is very important to get the rabbit eating and drinking again. Something like dandelion greens, the lawn weed plantain or other safe greens may tempt him. If he is not used to greens, just give him a bit at a time. Good luck! :clover:
