Updated
Small mammal food safety
Can Small Mammals Eat Rhubarb?
Unsafe
No. Rhubarb is unsafe for small mammals. If stalks, leaves, garden trimmings, cooked rhubarb, or rhubarb-containing dessert was eaten or chewed, remove access and call an exotic-pet veterinarian or poison hotline.
RhubarbCall before guessing
If any small mammal ate or chewed rhubarb stalks, leaves, plant material, or rhubarb-containing food, call an exotic-pet veterinarian or poison hotline with the species, weight, plant part, amount, time, and symptoms.
Guinea pigs
Call if exposed
Do not feed rhubarb to guinea pigs. If rhubarb stalks, leaves, plant material, or rhubarb-containing food was eaten or chewed, remove access and call with the species, weight, plant part, amount, time, and symptoms.
Syrian and dwarf hamsters
Call if exposed
Do not feed rhubarb to Syrian and dwarf hamsters. If rhubarb stalks, leaves, plant material, or rhubarb-containing food was eaten or chewed, remove access and call with the species, weight, plant part, amount, time, and symptoms.
Rats
Call if exposed
Do not feed rhubarb to rats. If rhubarb stalks, leaves, plant material, or rhubarb-containing food was eaten or chewed, remove access and call with the species, weight, plant part, amount, time, and symptoms.
Mice
Call if exposed
Do not feed rhubarb to mice. If rhubarb stalks, leaves, plant material, or rhubarb-containing food was eaten or chewed, remove access and call with the species, weight, plant part, amount, time, and symptoms.
Gerbils
Call if exposed
Do not feed rhubarb to gerbils. If rhubarb stalks, leaves, plant material, or rhubarb-containing food was eaten or chewed, remove access and call with the species, weight, plant part, amount, time, and symptoms.
Chinchillas
Call if exposed
Do not feed rhubarb to chinchillas. If rhubarb stalks, leaves, plant material, or rhubarb-containing food was eaten or chewed, remove access and call with the species, weight, plant part, amount, time, and symptoms.
Ferrets
Call if exposed
Do not feed rhubarb to ferrets. If rhubarb stalks, leaves, plant material, or rhubarb-containing food was eaten or chewed, remove access and call with the species, weight, plant part, amount, time, and symptoms.
Plant part matters
Tell the veterinarian or hotline whether the animal reached leaves, stalks, garden trimmings, cooked rhubarb, or a dessert.
Desserts add risks
Rhubarb foods may also contain sugar, butter, pastry, jam, dairy, or sticky residue. Save the ingredient details.
If exposure happened
- Remove rhubarb stalks, leaves, trimmings, cooked rhubarb, desserts, sticky residue, and any contaminated food or bedding.
- Keep the animal contained and calm while you call an exotic-pet veterinarian or poison hotline.
- Save the plant part, package, recipe, or ingredient list, especially for pie, jam, sauce, crumble, or garden scraps.
Avoid
- Rhubarb stalks, rhubarb leaves, garden trimmings, cooked rhubarb, rhubarb pie, rhubarb sauce, rhubarb jam, rhubarb crumble, and compost scraps.
- Letting small mammals nibble garden leaves or stems during floor time.
- Assuming cooked rhubarb is safer because it was in a dessert.
Helpful food-safety supplies
Optional tools for measuring, storing, serving, and cleaning up small portions safely.
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