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Caring for Your New Pet Rabbit (continued...)
If you ever have any questions about taking care of your rabbit there are many books on the subject including tons of articles online. I learned most of this information through books such as House Rabbit Handbook by Marinell Harriman and an online message board that I highly recommend you pay a visit to. There are many very nice people including breeders who can answer your questions. http://www.voy.com/125949/.
Veterinary Care for Your New Pet Rabbit
1) Your rabbit, if not used for showing or breeding (and you should never breed unpedigreed rabbits!), needs to be spayed or nuetered. If they aren't there is a high chance that they will get testicular/uterine cancer! Males should be nuetered between 3* and 5 months of age, preferably at 5 months. Females should be spayed between 4 and 6 months of age, preferably at 6 months. (These ages are best because there is lower risk that the rabbit will have no ill-effects from the anestesia.)
2) Too much sugar (extras in pelleted feed, yogurt drops, etc.) is harmful to your rabbit. The abundance of sugar will make your rabbit*s digestive tract stop working properly letting deadly toxins (called enterotoxemia) take over. These toxins will kill your rabbit.
3) Another illness is called Gastrointestinal Stasis (GI Stasis). This occurs when something is blocking the gastrointestinal tract such as a hairball. Without plenty of fiber (ingested through lots of Timothy Hay), swallowed hair or synthetic materials from your home*s furnishings can block your rabbit*s digestive flow. If you notice your rabbit*s stomach feeling bloated, I recommend buying Petromalt and/or Papaya Tablets. They will cause no harm to your rabbit if it isn*t a hairball. If your rabbit is over the age of 6 months, you can also offer small portions of fresh pineapple. To prevent hairballs, brush your rabbit regularly, especially during a molt (molts usually occur twice a year - winter and summer and provide lots of Timothy Hay.
4) A common misconception is that your rabbit can catch a cold. This, however, is NOT true! If you see any signs of a runny nose and/or runny eyes bring your rabbit to the vet immediately! Have your vet do a deep nasal culture. This illness, often referred to as *snuffles,* is actually a highly contagious, incurable disease among rabbits called Pasteurella. There is no cure for this disease. Many breeders will tell you that if your rabbit has Pasteurella that it needs to be put to sleep. However, if it is a pet rabbit and you decide to keep it alive, you are taking sole responsibility upon yourself to keep your rabbit away from any other rabbits and to warn anyone you come in contact with who has rabbits that they have just been infected with Pasteurella and are now carrying it on their clothing. It is THAT contagious! No risks can be taken! Pasteurella can wipe out a whole breeder*s stock by ONE rabbit!
5) Bloody Urine: may indicate infection, urinary stones, or cancer. If you notice prolonged red urine, bring your rabbit to the vet for further testing and be sure to let your vet know about any recent dietary changes that may have caused a reddening of the urine color.
6) Cuts and Lacerations: Bacteria pass quickly through small animals. If you notice any cuts on your rabbits, have a wound disinfectant (polyhydroxydine solution) on hand. Keep any wound clean and check it for several days. Deep cuts or large open, bleeding, or puncture wounds require veterinary assistance.
7) Ear Mites: Symptoms include head/ear shaking and dark scabby material inside the ear. Treat with mineral oil or baby oil. Serious conditions should be looked at by a vet who should prescribe Ivermectin.
8) Fleas/Fur Mites: Do not use a flea dip or flea collar to fix this situation as both can be fatal to your rabbit. Your best bet is to work with powders and a flea comb and an iron supplement to the diet.
9) Heat Stress: Bunnies are very susceptible to overheating; they are wearing a year round winter coat after all! Rabbits regulate their body temperatures through their ears. If you notice that your rabbit's ears are overly warm, you can slightly mist them with a spray bottle to help your rabbit cool off. Do not ever get your rabbit*s skin wet. Their fur will retain water, making their body temperatures drop and could send them into shock.
10) Sore hocks: Caused by poor breeding. Give your rabbit a place to rest its feet such as a resting board. If sore hocks are noticed and swelling occurs, take your bunny to the vet; antibiotics, bandages, and long-term treatment may be necessary.
11) Wry Neck/Head Tilt: Symptoms are Tilted head, Walking in circles, Nystygmus (darting eye), Rolling (in later stages), and Paralysis of the hind quarters. Causes include: *Middle/inner ear infection (otitis media /interna), *Stroke (cerebrovascular accidents), *Trauma, *Cancer (neoplasia), *Cervical muscle contraction, *Encephalitozoonosis, *Cerebral larva migraines, and *Intoxication. Take your bunny to the vet immediately. If caught early, your rabbit does not always need to be put to sleep!
I hope this information is helpful. Please consider saving this pamphlet in a safe place in case anything happens to your bunny and you don't know what to do. Some helpful online information sites are:
The House Rabbit Society
Language of Lagomorphs
Rabbit References
Bunny Butz Rabbit Board
online to get helpful tricks in creating a successfully bonded pair. A helpful site online is http://www.mybunnies.com/bonding.htm
Finding a rabbit-savvy veterinarian is often hard to do. Luckily, in this area there are some. To find a complete list, please visit www.rabbit.org/rabbit-center/resources/vets.html. I have my two bunnies registered at Adobe Animal Hospital in Los Altos because it's open 24 hours. Please get your rabbit registered with a vet before an emergency occurs!
*Because rabbits are such small animals and have very sensitive systems, there are many rabbit ailments. I*m going to try to provide a short summary of each within the next few paragraphs. Please bear with me because this is important information about your pet:
http://www.rabbit.org
http://www.paperglyphs.com/rabbits/rabbittalk.html
http://www.morfz.com/rabrefs.html
http://www.voy.com/125949/
See the OUTSIDE OF THE PAMPHLET
Back to the GRAPHICAL PAMPHLET
Finished (but continually being added to) Sites: Gizmo - my Netherland Dwarf! and Trinity - my Holland Lop!
Currently in progress:
Breeds of Rabbits
Where to Find Your Perfect Pet
Finding a Rabit-Savvy Vet
Great, Helpful Articles About Rabbits
This page was last updated March 20th, 2003. Thank you for visiting! Come again!
