Rabbit Poison Control and Emergency Numbers: Who to Call Right Away

Keep these numbers in your phone before an emergency happens:

• Your vet: your rabbit's primary daytime contact
• Nearest emergency veterinary hospital: best option if your rabbit is unstable or after hours
• ASPCA Poison Control: (888) 426-4435, available 24/7; consultation fee may apply
• Pet Poison Helpline: (800) 213-6680, available 24/7; consultation fee may apply

If you call a poison service first, ask for the case number and bring it to your vet. That can help your veterinary team coordinate care faster.

Move your rabbit away from the toxin and remove any remaining material from the area. If there is powder, liquid, or residue on the fur or feet, prevent grooming and call your vet for instructions before bathing. Some chemicals can be absorbed through the skin, while others become more dangerous if spread around.

Gather the product name, active ingredients, strength, and estimated amount involved. If your rabbit chewed a plant, bring a sample or clear photo. If your rabbit ate medication, count how many tablets or capsules may be missing. Then call your vet or poison control while someone prepares a carrier and towels for transport.

Go to your vet or emergency hospital right away if your rabbit has any of these signs:

• Trouble breathing or open-mouth breathing
• Collapse, severe weakness, or inability to stand
• Tremors, twitching, or seizures
• Pale gums, bruising, or bleeding
• Repeated diarrhea or sudden bloating
• Marked drooling, choking, or inability to swallow
• Extreme lethargy, unresponsiveness, or sudden body temperature changes

Some toxins, including certain rodenticides, may cause delayed signs. A rabbit can look normal at first and still need urgent treatment.

Rabbits often get into toxins by chewing, grazing, or grooming contaminated fur. Common concerns include rat and mouse poisons, insecticides, human pain relievers and prescription medications, lead paint or metal, toxic houseplants and outdoor plants, and cleaning products. Even small amounts can matter because rabbits have a fast metabolism and a sensitive digestive system.

If you are not sure whether something is toxic, treat it like a possible emergency until your vet or poison expert says otherwise. It is safer to call early than to wait for symptoms.

Treatment depends on the toxin, the amount, the timing, and your rabbit's condition. Your vet may recommend decontamination, bloodwork, oxygen support, IV or subcutaneous fluids, pain control, seizure control, medications that act as antidotes for certain toxins, or hospitalization for monitoring. In bleeding poison cases, clotting tests and transfusion support may be needed.

There is no single right plan for every rabbit. Some exposures can be managed with prompt outpatient care and close monitoring, while others need emergency hospitalization. Your vet can help match care to the situation, your rabbit's stability, and your family's goals.

A poison hotline consultation often falls around $85 to $100 per case, depending on the service used. An emergency exam for a rabbit commonly ranges from $120 to $250. Basic outpatient treatment and monitoring may land around $250 to $600, while bloodwork, imaging, oxygen support, or hospitalization can raise the total to $800 to $2,500+. Severe toxin cases needing transfusion or intensive care may cost more.

Ask your vet for options. In many cases, there may be a conservative plan, a standard plan, and a more advanced plan depending on what toxin is involved and how sick your rabbit is.

Do not try to make your rabbit vomit. Rabbits do not vomit normally, and home attempts can delay proper care or cause aspiration. Do not give milk, oil, activated charcoal, hydrogen peroxide, or human medications unless your vet specifically instructs you to do so.

Do not wait for your rabbit to stop eating before acting. Rabbits can become critically ill when appetite slows, and toxin exposure can trigger gut slowdown, dehydration, neurologic signs, or internal bleeding.

Save your vet's number, your nearest emergency hospital, ASPCA Poison Control, and Pet Poison Helpline in your phone now. Keep medications, pesticides, cleaners, and rodenticides locked away. Check houseplants and bouquets before bringing them into rabbit areas, and inspect older homes for peeling paint or accessible metal hazards.

A small emergency folder can help: your rabbit's weight, current medications, medical history, and a list of nearby clinics that see rabbits. In a poisoning emergency, that preparation can save valuable time.