Question
Chewed Pet Carrier
Hi Dr. Krempels,
We removed the door and handle of our rabbit's (Franklin) pet carrier and put it in his enclosure (xpen on linoleum) thinking it would help him get used to the carrier and be less scared of going in (we put treats inside too once in awhile).
Today, I noticed that he has chewed the plastic from the front of the carrier (the door stop). I just did a complete pen clean on Sunday, so I know it must have been yesterday or today. I removed the carrier immediately.
He seems fine right now, but I didn't see any plastic in his poop. I've given him extra hay and plan to keep a close eye on him. Is there anything else I should do? Should he be x-rayed? I don't want to overreact and stress him out for no reason (he really freaks out at car rides and the vet), but I don't want to not act if I should.
What do you think? Thank you so much for any information, Carrie
PS. I attached a picture so you can see how much plastic. There are two pet carriers stacked in the picture. The bottom one is an unchewed carrier for comparison. The top one is the one he chewed. The chewed part is the door stop in the bottom front of the carrier.
AnswerDear Carrie,
I would not worry too much. Hard plastic is generally chewed into very small bits if the bunny swallows it, and these should pass uneventfully as long as bun has plenty of long fiber grass hay to push things through. You could add a bit of mineral oil as a lubricant if you're concerned, but hydration and nice, wet greens are possibly better for that.
The only concern might be leaching of petrochemicals from the plastic, but the amount he ate is small, and this would be a long-term effect, rather than short term. So even that isn't a major cause for concern, in my opinion.
Just keep an eye on him, provide plenty of hay and wet greens, and All Things Shall Pass. :)
Hope this helps.
Dana
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