# on the subject of yucca. . .



## katt (Jan 13, 2007)

i was shopping today for bunny veggies, and sawthat a store near me now has whole yucca root for sale, i have searchedonline and while i know yucca is safe for rabbits, i can't findanything about if it needs to be given in small amounts, and if thereare any warnings on it. . .anyone have any information on it? i didn'tpick one up, but if they can have it, i would love to introduce it tothem as a new veggie. . .


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## katt (Jan 18, 2007)

anychance anyone has any information on this????


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## Haley (Jan 19, 2007)

I tried doing a search as well and couldnt comeup with anything. I know its used in alot of rabbit foods,but Im not sure about the amount. 

Im always prone to be'better safe than sorry', but its yourcall. Maybe introducing a little to see how it goes would be fine?

Not really sure on this one...Anyone else?


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## Greta (Jan 19, 2007)

I couldn't find any information whatsoever aboutwhether it's safe for rabbits. Personally, I would lean towards beingon the safe side since it seems to be an foodstuff of unknown safety,but, as Haley said, it's up to you.


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## katt (Jan 19, 2007)

hey, thanks for looking. i am going to call myvet and ask them what they think (if she doesn't know, then she willmost likly call the head of MSU vet program, they deal with rabbits. ..and seem to know everything.

i might try a few bites, worth a shot . . .i know it is used to helpwith urine smell, and am wondering if i give it as a treat that i willbe lucky to have buns without any smelly litter!

katie


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## kimmeh_121 (Jan 21, 2007)

umm im not sure but i found a site of toxic plants...

its got a list of things that arnt safe for bunnies...

it only says yucca tho......

http://www.mnhouserabbit.org/care/toxic.html#y

its prob not help ful but i tried tho 

kim


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## katt (Jan 21, 2007)

kimmeh- thanks, that is helpful, this is the first list that even says anything about yucca on it. . .

but that still doesn't explain why if they list it as a toxic food it is used in rabbit feed. . .


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## Haley (Jan 21, 2007)

Wow! Good work, Kim!

Thats the first list Ive seen it on as well. Good point though, Katie, this doesnt make sense...

I dont know anything about the actual plant, but maybe it has something to do with roots v leaves/plant or something?


Maybe play it safe and use some vanilla in their water instead?


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## MyBabyBunnies (Jan 21, 2007)

This is the OHS Rabbit Advocatessite...

http://www.adoptarabbit.com/articles/toxic.html

It's on the toxic list.


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## MyBabyBunnies (Jan 21, 2007)

After searching a few more pages I have notfound a single one that says yucca is safe! They all say it ispoisonous but a lot of rabbit feeds contain yucca shidigera/sarsaponinwhich is a yucca extract. Keep in mind that a lot of time feedcompanies use things that are not entirely safe (for example, Kayteeuses a preservative that is a known carcinogen and Oxbow has aningredientthat cancause kidney problems).


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## NZminilops (Jan 21, 2007)

I've always known yucca to be on the 'not safe'list, my mother in laws rabbit ate some one day and was very ill for aweek afterwards. Having said that though he returned to eating yuccaagain and again after that and suffered no further ill effects.


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## katt (Jan 21, 2007)

hmm. . .i might pass this question on to my vet,she could then ask the rabbit experts at MSU what they think. i amdigging deep into this as now i am super curious. . .

i know that yucca extract is used in feeds, and that there are 2 otherforms of it- the plant and flower, and theroot. what i havefound is the root. . .

in further digging, i have learned (ifi read the factsright,and if there is any truth to the websites i lookedat)that the yucca plant is a member of the agave family,according to the san diego chapter of HRS, the only part of the agavethat is toxic is the leaves.

in google i typed in simply "toxic rabbit yucca plant" and came up withlots of finds. . .one is from i-eat-plants lab. which is part of theoklahoma state university vet studies. it is very interesting, but ican find no information about what the study is for (dogs, cats,rabbits, ect) i think i am going to e-mail them for futher informationon the site, because if it was for rabbits or such, it could be a greattool to use(as it is all about common house plants). here is the url: 

http://www.library.okstate.edu/vetmed/about/ieatplants/plants.htm

here is what it had to say about the yucca plant:

Common Name: Spineless Yucca, Soapweed, Spanish Bayonet
Scientific Name: Yucca sp.
Family Name: Agavaceae 
Toxic Principle: Spines, Furostanols, Leaves, Saponins [steroidal], Spirostanols  sarsasapogenin
Clinical Signs: Vomiting, Bloat, Diarrhea, Nausea, Mechanical damage

but once again, i find no information about the root (unless saponinsor spirostanols-sarsasapogenin are scientific terms for root). also,this is for SPINELESS yucca, there are many different kinds of yuccaplant and from what i have gained some are toxic to humans, whileothers aren't (i have no idea if they is relevent to the rabbit world)

some questions that i am yet to find the answer to isweredoes the yucca extract come from? (the plant, or the root) and how muchin rabbit food is safe? (obviously i want to know this to start lookingat feeds. . .)

part of the problem i am having is that without the knowledge of somebasic vet terminology (orbiology terminology) some ofthisstuff i am ready simply doesn't make sense. i am going tocall my vet tomorrow, as her if she has anything in her knowledge, orbooks, that will lead me to the correct answers, and if shedoesn't,see if she knows of anyone that does. . .

i am going to keep looking around. . . it makes sense that it is toxic,as it is also a member of the lily family and (correct me if i amwrong) but lilies are toxic to rabbits. . .

hopefully i will find the truth to this one. . .


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## MyBabyBunnies (Jan 21, 2007)

I haven't found any particular part that ispoisonous and normally the lists say if only part is poisonous. Oh andMojave Yucca extract is the yucca shidigera extract, andasfar as I can tell, both yucca shidigera and sarsaponinare thesame thing, just different names.


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## katt (Jan 21, 2007)

another note is that while i am having problemslocating any information on the term 'yucca root' for feeding rabbits,i tried cassava (which is another name for yucca root) and have come upwith a lot of information on the use of cassava as a food for rabbits


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## MyBabyBunnies (Jan 21, 2007)

Well I didn't know that but if it is the same thing, the skin contains a very large amount of hydrogen cyanide.


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## katt (Jan 21, 2007)

okay, forget what i just said about cassava. ..it seems that it is rather another name for the yuca plant that isnative to africa(and is also spelt yuka), and is in fact a member of adifferent group of plants

hmm. . .i wonder what kind of confussion comes from the differencebetween yuca vs. yucca vs. cassave. and if what is for sale at my storeis yuca or yucca?

this is all very interesting. . .

edit- added other spelling of yuka


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## katt (Jan 22, 2007)

another find. . .

from carrotcafe (http://www.carrotcafe.com/f/veggies.html) scroll down

Dangerous, contain compounds that destroy nutrients: do not feed 

Sweet potato 
*Cassava *
Bamboo shoots 
Maize 
Lima beans 
Millet 
Bracken fern 
Tea leaves 
Coffee plants


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## katt (Jan 22, 2007)

and even one more to add to the pile from the ASPCA page of toxic plants to animals

Yucca 

*Common Name:* Yucca 
*Scientific Name: *_Yucca sp _
*Family:* Agavaceae 
*Toxic Principle:* Not available 
*Clinical signs: *vomiting, depression, diarrhea, drooling, seizures.

okay, i am personally at this point putting it on my not safe list(seems how i really don't want to try it and find herman havingseizures. . .), but i still contacted the owners of the i-eat-lab sitequestioning if the root is safe, and what their website was directedtwards (i have a feeling it was for 'all animals' since under thecatnip they put the effects it would have on cats. . .and i know thatit doesn't have the same effect on dogs). i also plan on calling my vettomorrow and asking if yuca (or yuka) is safe, if cassava is safe, andif yucca is safe (even though, all my info leads to it being toxic. ..and it is in rabbit food). . .

who knew this would be so hard to find the answer too? 

i need to go to bed. . .you know that you are a bunny slave when youare on the internet for 2+ hours attempting to find information on if acertain food is safe for them. . .


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## Boudicca (Jan 22, 2007)

Just to add to the mix:

Lots of bunny toys have yucca pieces in them, such as this one from Bunny Bytes:







-Julia


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## katt (Jan 22, 2007)

well, i called my vet, and she is going to get back to me later this afternoon. . .

here is were my problem is:

yuccaextract is what is in rabbit feed, i *assume* that it issafe for rabbits to eat, but all lists have said yucca is toxic, yucaroot (a totally different plant found in a different part of theworld)ison no safe/unsafe listsforrabbits(from what i have found), and is often called cassava root (alsonot found on any lists)and is used in cooking. i have foundlots of information about cassava meal used in rabbit feeds (along withmany different livstock feeds, this is mostly in countries that don'thave usa and europe's access to other forms of food).

but, here is the hard part i am having trouble with. . .yucca and yucaseem to get mixed up. the roots in the store by me (the ones iquestioned getting) were labled as yucca root_and_cassava root. . .but that doesn't really make any sense at all sincecassava root is related to the yuca plant not the yucca plant. ..:faint:

so, my vet is going to look into yucca plant, cassava root, and yuca (also spelt yuka) plant. . .

i also got a email back from the i-eat-lab and they were sadly no help,but told me to contact the ASPCA with further questions. i am waitingto hear back from my vet before i email ASPCA


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## katt (Jan 22, 2007)

talked with the vet, yucca is toxic to rabbitscausing all sorts of problems, the reason why it is safe in the food isthe the processes that they add it to it removes the stuff that makesbuns sick

so, it is okay in the food, but don't feed them any part of the plant.

my vet also could no located ANY information on yuca(yuka) aka cassava.. .i am going to email aspca and see if they have any information on itlater tonight. . .


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