# Is aloe vera juice safe for rabbits?



## Jenk (Jun 9, 2010)

Does anyoneknow if aloe vera juice is safe to give to rabbits? (I've e-mailed this question to my vet, but would like to hear from those who may have used it for their bun charges.)

I know thataloe vera juice is very helpful for a variety of digestive-tract woes. Since my one girl has Cow-pile Syndrome symptoms--which include cyclical bouts of dry fecals/gut slowdown--I suspect that aloe vera juice might help her, since it's said to help soften stools.

Thank you,

Jenk


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## elrohwen (Jun 9, 2010)

I have never heard of it being given to rabbits, so I would guess it's not, but I could be wrong. See what your vet says.


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## Jenk (Jun 9, 2010)

*elrohwen wrote: *


> I have never heard of it being given to rabbits, so I would guess it's not, but I could be wrong. See what your vet says.



I'm guessing that my vet will need to ask another expert (e.g., a holistic vet), which is fine, as long as I get the correct information.

I will say this much: perone member of another rabbit-related forum, aloe vera juice--the the skin of the plant--is safe to use internally and externally for rabbits. She's also stated that there is an aloe vera juice product marketed in the U.K. for use in rabbits. (Who knew?)

Still, I will await my vet's findings. (I'm guessing that the juice is safe and that the entire plant--especially the skin--is not.)


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## JimD (Jun 10, 2010)

I wouldn't give any part of the aloe vera plant to rabbits.

I found this:

_"The juice inside thealoe vera plant can cause a range of problems for rabbits including stomach upset to even death. The severity of the reaction can depend upon how much was consumed, the size and age of your rabbit compared to how much was consumed and on the actual type of aloe vera plant that was eaten."
_
http://www.helium.com/items/1210259-plants-that-are-toxic-to-rabbits-poisonous-plants-for-rabbits

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



I've also found aloe vera to be on several toxic plant lists...including HRS sites.


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## Jenk (Jun 10, 2010)

*JimD wrote: *


> I've also found aloe vera to be on several toxic plant lists...including HRS sites.



Oh, man... This news rather bums me; I'd hoped that aloe vera juice might prove helpful in terms of my Zoe's constipation/gut-slowdown symptoms.


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## missyscove (Jun 10, 2010)

In my nutritional toxicology I remember learning that aloe was toxic, but I can't remember why though, but I do remember discussing that it is strange that they market aloe vera juice for ingestion because of the toxic effects associated with ingestion.


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## Hazel-Mom (Jun 11, 2010)

According to intensive testing done by the National Toxicology Program (http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/?objectid=03DA71AE-C566-28C0-D126DFE3E2ADF759) only the outer skin of Aloe vera is mildly toxic. It contains aloin, which is a laxative.
The gel was giving oraly in varying doses to rats and dogs. Rats ate up to 2,000 mg/kg/day for 6 months, dogs up to 1,500 mg/kg/day for 90 days, with no effect.

This was in 1998, but I have so far not found any more recent studies.


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## Hazel-Mom (Jun 11, 2010)

Here is the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) for pure aloe vera gel: http://www.libertynatural.com/msd/311.htm

It is not considered toxic or carcinogenic, though it does warn that excessive amounts can cause diarrhea.

Again, this is for the pure gel, NOT "whole leaf" aloe vera. Do not let your rabbit eat the leaf. The outer skin contains much more of the laxative compound than the pure gel.


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## Jenk (Jun 11, 2010)

*Hazel-Mom wrote: *


> Here is the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) for pure aloe vera gel: http://www.libertynatural.com/msd/311.htm
> 
> It is not considered toxic or carcinogenic, though it does warn that excessive amounts can cause diarrhea.
> 
> Again, this is for the pure gel, NOT "whole leaf" aloe vera. Do not let your rabbit eat the leaf. The outer skin contains much more of the laxative compound than the pure gel.



Please keep in mind that I'm talking about aloe vera _juice_, not gel. (I'm guessing that the juice is somehow extracted from the gel. So, either way, it would seem that the juice _should_ be safe for four-legged animals--at the proper dosage--as it is for human animals. )

I've not yetheard back from my vet (e-mail questions take a bit longer for a response); I'm holding off on buying aloe vera juice--although I could stand to take it myself. :biggrin:


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## Hazel-Mom (Jun 11, 2010)

If you want a product that is "safe", make sure you get a product that uses only the "inner leaf" or pure gel, not one that is "whole leaf", which also contains the bitter "latex" or "mucous" of the outer rind, the part that contains most of the laxative compounds.

Do you know what the juice you are thinking of, is made of?

Btw, sometimes "juice" is the name for the "whole leaf" product, and "gel" is used for the "inner leaf" product. But I suspect there may be some confusion between juice and gel in products you can buy.


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## Jenk (Jun 12, 2010)

*Hazel-Mom wrote: *


> If you want a product that is "safe", make sure you get a product that uses only the "inner leaf" or pure gel, not one that is "whole leaf", which also contains the bitter "latex" or "mucous" of the outer rind, the part that contains most of the laxative compounds.
> 
> Do you know what the juice you are thinking of, is made of?
> 
> Btw, sometimes "juice" is the name for the "whole leaf" product, and "gel" is used for the "inner leaf" product. But I suspect there may be some confusion between juice and gel in products you can buy.



The first product/brand that comes to mind is Lily of the Desert's aloe vera juice, which states "inner fillet" on the bottle. I'm guessing that means it's _not_ made from the whole leaf. 

http://www.amazon.com/Lily-Desert-100-Organic-Juice/dp/B000IRN7NM


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## Hazel-Mom (Jun 12, 2010)

The "inner fillet" is indeed the inner part of the leaf. Their product description is quite confusing though...

"Product Description
This product is 100% Aloe Vera Juice - absolutely NO PRESERVATIVES! In the centre of the leaf is the fillet which is the water storage area of the plant. This contains 99.5% water and 0.5% solids. Around the fillet is the mucilage and the outer rind, this contains 12.4% solids. Therefore the largest percentage of the active ingredients in Aloe lies between the rind and the fillet of the leaf."

So, does that mean they include the portion between the "inner fillet" and the outer rind? In that case, it's not pure gel, and may contain too much of the laxative aloins.

Indeed, one of the answers to FAQ on Lily of the Desert's website states: "Does your product contain Aloin, aloe latex, etc.

Yes, one of the benefits of Aloe is the regularity effect it has on body elimination. However, we maintain a low amount of Aloin (5 ppms) which keeps one regular without have a more cathartic effect. Other brands use higher concentration and can lead to diarrhea."

If it is for you, that's probably fine. If it's for your rabbit, I would look for something with no aloins.

BTW, here's another site that sells the same product cheaper than Amazon: http://www.vitacost.com/Lily-of-the-Desert-Aloe-Vera-Juice-Inner-Fillet


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## Jenk (Jun 12, 2010)

*Hazel-Mom wrote: *


> Yes, one of the benefits of Aloe is the regularity effect it has on body elimination. However, we maintain a low amount of Aloin (5 ppms) which keeps one regular without have a more cathartic effect. Other brands use higher concentration and can lead to diarrhea."
> 
> If it is for you, that's probably fine. If it's for your rabbit, I would look for something with no aloins.
> 
> BTW, here's another site that sells the same product cheaper than Amazon: http://www.vitacost.com/Lily-of-the-Desert-Aloe-Vera-Juice-Inner-Fillet



Thank you for all of the information. I really appreciate it.

I intend to start taking aloe vera juice for my own digestive woes, so at least knowing a possible brand option for myself is a good thing. 

I'm lucky tohave a good (independently owned) health food store not too far from my home, whichoffers several different aloe juice brands. So I at least have more options to review.


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## JadeIcing (Jun 12, 2010)

I may also take it for myself. If you do try it please let me know how it works.


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## Jenk (Jun 14, 2010)

*JadeIcing wrote: *


> I may also take it for myself. If you do try it please let me know how it works.


You mean you'd also want to be warned if I have adverse (_ahem!_) side effects?:biggrin2: I hope to visit my local health food store sometime this week. (If you don't hear from me for a spell, it means that I've either: 1) changed my mind about using aloe vera juice for myself, or 2) I just forgot to buy some. _LOL_


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## JadeIcing (Jun 14, 2010)

*Jenk wrote: *


> *JadeIcing wrote: *
> 
> 
> > I may also take it for myself. If you do try it please let me know how it works.
> ...


LOL Pretty much.


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## HuttonBill (Sep 7, 2012)

Aloevera juice has many confirmed anti-bacterial and anti-fungal attributes. It's used in medications implemented to stop ringworm or tinea inducing fungus. Typically the complete concentrations of active substances like C-glycosides as well as other lectins enables aloe-vera. It's a widely used anti inflammatory, free radical cleansing and overall health restoring agent. Specific products are currently on the market to cure injuries, stings and lacerations, burn, eczema and acne breakouts. The sap or even gel from the herb is usually taken in for stopping acid reflux disorder, vaginal yeast infections, Crohns disease, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, bronchial asthma, hay fever as well as shield our body from toxins.



The health benefits of natural aloe vera are well known at this time and we can can't help but recommend its ingestion, but always speak with your doctor first. In some instances a number of people will react differently to aloevera.

To read the full article, visit this link : thevitaminmag.com


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