Rabbit ingested part of a ziplock plastic bag..HELP!

Question
Hi,

My rabbit got a hold of a part of a ziplock plastic bag and ingested a portion of it. She is eating, pooping, and behaving normally. However, I have not noticed her passing any plastic in her poop. I am worried about this...does anyone know if this will eventually pass through her system? Would I need to take her to a vet? Would appreciate any advice. Thank you.  

Answer
Dear Ada,

If it was a small piece, it will probably pass uneventfully, and you probably won't be able to see it in her fecal pellets.  Most rabbits really chew the heck out of anything they ingest before swallowing it, so most likely she gave it a good grinding before it went down.

How long ago did she eat the bag?  How big a piece?  If she's acting normal at this point, just provide her with plenty of hay, and if you're really concerned you could give her a cc or so of laxative grade mineral oil via syringe (be sure to squirt it in *sideways* and *slowly* so she doesn't aspirate any!) to help slide things through.

If she ate a really big piece and you have reason to believe she didn't chew it up (not likely), then you can find a good rabbit vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

to advise you.  Keep an eye on her and hope for the best.  The only way I'd take any drastic measures is if she showed a sign of blockage, which would be accompanied by quick bloating of the abdomen.  There's not much you can do in advance to prevent that, except plenty of hay to push the bits through, and perhaps the laxative lubricant to make it slippery and easy to pass.

I'm betting she'll be fine, though.

I hope this helps.

Dana