Organic vs Non-Organic Produce

Question
Hi Dr. Krempels,

I've always fed my lionhead rabbit, Boo (3 1/2 years old), organic kale, but recently found some lovely, fresh and much cheaper kale at another market.  Do you think it's OK to feed him this kale, even though it's not organic?  I'm concerned about how non-organic produce might affect him because of his size and the delicacy of his system.  He certainly seems to love it.  I just wonder about pesticides building up in his system or something.  Your advice would be most appreciated.

Best,

Betsy

Answer
Dear Betsy,

While we like to feed our bunnies organic produce whenever possible, it's sometimes just too expensive, and we balance out with conventional produce.  Bunnies and humans have been eating this for many decades, and while we probably do have some pesticide residues in our fatty tissues and even our nervous systems (if we had this stuff while very young), it's likely not enough to kill us.

No one really knows the long-term effects of such exposure, and the adverse effects can depend on what type of pesticide you've got.  Many are hormone mimics that can increase the risk of certain types of cancers, cause infertility, etc.  Others can be carcinogens in and of themselves.  The question is one of probability and risk.

Personally, I would not worry too much about conventional produce, as long as you wash it well.  You're not going to get all the pesticides off.  But organic produce has its own risks (bacterial), so nothing is ever 100% safe.  You just do the best you can.

If it's nice kale and he loves it, I would buy it for him.

Hope this helps.

Dana