help me please

Question
Thank you for your help and insight.  I have found a vet a little ways away, and have scheduled a visit.  A couple days ago, Pebbles got into our atrium, and ate 3 of our little aloe vera plants.  I didn't know until looking at poisonous plants tonight, that aloe is one of them.  She hasn't showed any signs of being sick.  Her stools are regular, her activity level is the same, and her mouth looks clear.  Should I be worried?  Is there maybe a time frame that it takes for them to show signs of poisoning?  Our vet appointment isn't until next Friday which is the soonest they could get us in.
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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
I bought a 7 week old rabbit over a month ago from a pet store.  It is a dwarf/angora cross and was hand raised.  I was told it was a female, but I am having my doubts.  I have started noticing it mounting stuffed animals, and marking a lot.  I have seen no aggression at all with her/him.  It is very lovable and social.  Basically like a cat that doesn't meow.  I have read in a couple of books that if it is a buck, it will begin to show signs of dominance and aggression before too long.  Is it necessary to spay/neuter?  I would like to know how to sex it as well.  Both books say to apply gentle pressure to the lower abdomen.  I have tried this and nothing has "popped out".  I don't know if I am doing it wrong, or if it really is a female.  I live in a very small town and the vet clinic here doesn't deal with anything but cats and dogs.

I also would like to know, "Pebbles" likes to nip me quite frequently.  She loves to sit in my lap quite a bit and is constantly nipping me.  Is this a sign of grooming, or that she wants more attention?  I followed the advice of one of the books that said to give a squeal when it happens, but all that did was to scare her which I don't want to do.

I would really appreciate any help you can offer.  I have done so much research on these subjects, and have only come up with broad generalized satisfactory results.  Thank you for your time.
-----Answer-----
Hi Amber,

three months old is kind of early for a female to hit sexual maturity.  It's just on the edge of when males do - normally at 3 1/2 months or more.  If he's a boy, you should see testicles at some point (they can bring them up into their body) - but at some point you'd see a little 'package' back there when he's hopping away, or if you have him upside down in your lap.

Your rabbit by its behavior has hit sexual maturity.  The way to eliminate this behavior is to have your rabbit fixed.  You will get the bunny back that you had before hitting sexual maturity.

One thing you can do is go to the House Rabbit Society web page here:

www.rabbit.org/care/vets.html

and see where the closest House Rabbit Society-recommended vet is around you.  You are right, that it is important to have a vet that is good with rabbits and regularly sees them, to do this kind of procedure.  If there are none close enough, the other thing you can do is ask any rabbit rescue groups or shelters around you where they would go with a rabbit that needed surgery.  Usually they have someone they would recommend.

The nipping issue:  it may be out of grooming, and it may be attention, probably a mix of both.  Does the nipping go up or get worse say, if you stop petting her?  If she tends to nip you around buttons or seams of clothing, it is more likely grooming because rabbits may believe this is a matted area that requires some real work to correct.

To sex your rabbit, I recommend this web site, as it has good descriptions and photos.

http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/sexing.shtml

Feel free to write back anytime.

Lee

Answer
Hi Amber,

aloe vera is on the toxic list for rabbits.  However, what happens depends on the plant itself, how much was eaten, and how your rabbit appears to handle it.  Reactions can range from stomach upset to death.

The juices of the aloe vera plant are toxic, so depending on how much juice was in the pats she ate, this will also affect how she reacts.  Personally I would probably get in to my vet as soon as possible, just to be sure.  It would be something I wouldn't want to bet my pet's life on even if she appeared to be okay, I wouldn't want to risk her all of a sudden getting worse.

Lee

Hi Amber, wanted to add one thing to my reply to you.  If you ever have an emergency case, you call your vet and tell them you are coming in with a (ex. poisoned rabbit case) and to expect you shortly.  There is a difference between routine scheduled exams and emergency cases.  They should take an emergency case over a non life-threatening regular exam that they can see a little later or re-schedule.