| Medical |
| Bunny Trail Farm |
Is My Bunny Sick?
I am not going to play vet here, nor do I intend on diagnosing your
rabbits illness, that's the vets job. But I do want to make you
aware of some common rabbit illnesses and the signs that can
help you spot a problem quickly.
Know Your Rabbit
This is essential. Rabbits often hide illness very well, the better
you know your bunny the more likely you will be to spot any
behavior that is out of the ordinary. Time is of the essence when
dealing with a sick rabbit, in some cases, by the time we realize
they're sick they've been hiding it for a while.
Be on the look out for:;
Common Illnesses:
G.I. Stasis: This is a big and something every bunny owner wants
to know about ahead of time. Stasis is a condition whereby the gut
is not passing food along properly and bunny often stops pooping
altogether or the size and frequency of poops is diminished. If you
haven't figured it out yet bunnies are big poopers! Stasis should
not be ignored, treatment needs to start immediately. Rabbits are
grazers, they eat allot and they eat often, if your bunny has
refused to eat for more than 12 hours you should contact your vet.
Runny Nose / Runny Eyes:
In most cases this will have to be diagnosed by a vet as there are
several causes, some which may require aggressive or long term
treatment with antibiotics. A runny nose can appear clear or white
colored. In some cases bunnies front paws may also be wet as a
result of cleaning a snotty face. Because this condition may be
contagious it is best to start treatment as soon as possible and
quarantine the rabbit until checked by the vet.
Sore Hocks :
Sores can develop on the bottom of the back feet. Thin fur,
genetic predisposition (ex: Rex rabbits) or standing in urine with
cages that have no wire separating th bottom . A sore hock can
look allot like a bald spot and get progressively worse turning red
and inflamed.
Cyst: Lumps beneath the skin:
There are many causes for cysts and abscesses. A lump could be
a fluid filled pocket (which requires draining or surgery), an
infected tooth/jaw or tumor. Again, a vet is needed to diagnose
the cause and treatment.
Head Tilt: (Wry Neck):
Head Tilt (wry neck) looks just like it sounds. Bunny begins
holding their head at a sideways tilt often accompanied by a loss
of balance and sometimes... Darting eyes. See the vet
immediately, the speed of your response may determine the
outcome. Though there are many causes the most common are
an ear infection and e. cuniculi.
Poopy Butt vs. Diarrhea:
Soft poops a.k.a. "Poopy butt" are soft mushy poops that cling to
the fur and are often caused by poor dietary habits (too many
veggies, too many pellets etc.) Actual diarrhea is quite different
and is very runny or liquid. Diarrhea is different. If you see runny
stools, take away the pellets and just feed hay. Give the bun a
pro biotic such as bene bac or plain yogurt. About a teaspoon of
yogurt will help add good bacteria to the system. Often weanlings
will experience poopy butt as they make the transition from their
mother (doe) cleaning them and have not yet learned to clean
themselves. This condition happens in furry rabbits more than
the shorter smooth hair rabbits and more often in does than
bucks. The result is a red swollen vagina. Baby diaper rash
ointment can be used or even safer is vasleline or even petra
malt which is used as a hair ball treatment to encourage the bun
to lick and keep clean. Trim the hair around the bottom with blunt
edge scissors &/or gentle bath the bottom ONLY with warn water.
Keep up on brushing and trimming to prevent future problems.
Basically the area needs air to circulate which is why trimming may
be necessary. Behavior stops as the weanling ages and learns to
clean itself.
Fur Mites:
Ear Mites: Mites that have gotten into the ears can cause bunny
to scratch their ears excessively, there will sometimes be a crusty
surface inside the ear. The vet can prescribe medication to kill the
mites.
Misaligned Teeth: Otherwise known as malocclusion. The front
teeth may grow very long and actually twist outwardly or hook.
Tooth trimming or extraction is necessary to ensure that bunny is
able to eat.
Red / Orange Urine:
This tends to get everyone excited but is rarely any indication of a
problem Bunny pee comes in many colors including clear, yellow,
orange and red (not blood). Certain vegetables will change the
color of their urine. When feeding kale I always see orange pee.
Cecotropes / cecal pellets;.
Cecals are produced daily by bunny and are different from their
normal, hard, round marbles. They look like a cluster of grapes
Hiccups:
Bunnies can get the hiccups. I've only had one rabbit in 20 years
that ever had them, and their are infrequent. These are not
seizures though it is possible for sick rabbits to have seizures.
Molting:
At it's worst a molting rabbit can look terribly shaggy. Molting is an
annual occurrence and you can do your home and your bunny a
great service by brushing them regularly. Bunnies are incessant
groomers, their frequent licking means they are ingesting fur.
Unlike cats, rabbits can not vomit so the hair must pass through
their system. You can help the fur pass through by using Petra
Malt made for cats and small animals or Vaseline. Give your bun
a pea sized amount and place it on the bun's water bottle,
Should I Neuter / Spay My Pet Rabbit?
Rabbits become sexually mature quite young, between 4-6
months of age, and need to be spayed/neutered if you are hoping
for the best possible house rabbit.
Here are just a few reasons to spay/neuter your rabbit:
Neutering:
They will also court other rabbits by circling and mounting them
(male or female). At times this unwanted attention can result in
fights which generally start with some flying fur but can actually
end in injury. If the mounting rabbit jumps on the wrong way, the
party beneath him may choose to bite him...right in the luggage.
Not the neuter you had in mind.
Spraying:
While having a rabbit court you may be cute, spraying is not. This
can also begin during the "hormonal stage".Female rabbits who
are not spayed carry a high risk of developing uterine cancer.
Fur Mites :
My Holland has a patch of thin fur between the shoulder blades
with white flakes. I would treat my Hollands for fur mites if they
showed those conditions (plus twice per year as a prophylactic) .
I use Ivermectin 1% for goats (injectable). I give 0.08 ml for a 3
lbs. Rabbit or 0.1 ml for a 4 lb. Rabbit. It works out to just about 3
drops per rabbit, given orally. I repeat after 8 to 10 days. I have
seen many recommended doses that are too high. Please
consider that 1.0 ml is the appropriate dose for a 75 lb. Goat!
One a 3 ml syringe, 0.1 is just to the very first hash mark. On a
typical 5 ml syringe, it's halfway to the first hash mark.
Snuffles:
. My Holland Lop is sneezing a lot and has white mucous coming
from its nose. Its front paws are wet and matted from the
discharge. What should I do?First, separate the bunny from any
other rabbits you have. Your bunny may have snuffles, which is
like a human cold. But unlike a human cold, it is deadly. Read up
on snuffles on the web and give your vet a call. Snuffles cannot
be treated and only the symptoms can be treated. The rabbit will
probably die.
Heat Stroke:
If you come home and find your bunny laying stretched out with
his head back and breathing through his mouth, HE/She IS IN
TROUBLE! Cool the bunny quickly by putting him/her in a sink or
tub of room temperature (not too hot, not too cold) water. Pour
the water over his ears. Rabbits cannot pant or sweat and
exchange heat through their ears so cooling the ears is critical.
When normal breathing resumes, remove him from the water and
towel dry. Lay the rabbit in a shower stall or tub until normal
activity resumes and fur is dry. When a rabbit is found running
frantically around his cage in very hot weather, it is probably the
result of heatstroke. The brain swells causing irrational behavior.
Wrap him in a sheet or light weight cloth to calm him and immerse
in tepid water as described.
Pick A Good Vet For Your Rabbit:
Rabbits are not just like a cat or dog. Ask your prospective vet
how many rabbits they've neutered and what the mortality rate is.
If you don't know where to start try Exotic Animal Vets in your
yellow pages or on the Internet. Check to make sure your vet has
experience with lagomorphs/rabbits.
I am not going to play vet here, nor do I intend on diagnosing your
rabbits illness, that's the vets job. But I do want to make you
aware of some common rabbit illnesses and the signs that can
help you spot a problem quickly.
Know Your Rabbit
This is essential. Rabbits often hide illness very well, the better
you know your bunny the more likely you will be to spot any
behavior that is out of the ordinary. Time is of the essence when
dealing with a sick rabbit, in some cases, by the time we realize
they're sick they've been hiding it for a while.
Be on the look out for:;
- A change in personality (mopey, lethargic)
- A change in litter box habits (smaller poops, no poops,
runny poops) - A change in eating or drinking habits (excessive drinking,
not eating) - Tooth grinding (not the chattering often heard when bunny
is being petted) - Runny eyes or nose, sneezing, wheezing
- Limping
- Tilting of the head (that stays that way)
- Excessive scratching of the ears
- Lumps
- Listlessness
- Loss of Balance
Common Illnesses:
G.I. Stasis: This is a big and something every bunny owner wants
to know about ahead of time. Stasis is a condition whereby the gut
is not passing food along properly and bunny often stops pooping
altogether or the size and frequency of poops is diminished. If you
haven't figured it out yet bunnies are big poopers! Stasis should
not be ignored, treatment needs to start immediately. Rabbits are
grazers, they eat allot and they eat often, if your bunny has
refused to eat for more than 12 hours you should contact your vet.
Runny Nose / Runny Eyes:
In most cases this will have to be diagnosed by a vet as there are
several causes, some which may require aggressive or long term
treatment with antibiotics. A runny nose can appear clear or white
colored. In some cases bunnies front paws may also be wet as a
result of cleaning a snotty face. Because this condition may be
contagious it is best to start treatment as soon as possible and
quarantine the rabbit until checked by the vet.
Sore Hocks :
Sores can develop on the bottom of the back feet. Thin fur,
genetic predisposition (ex: Rex rabbits) or standing in urine with
cages that have no wire separating th bottom . A sore hock can
look allot like a bald spot and get progressively worse turning red
and inflamed.
Cyst: Lumps beneath the skin:
There are many causes for cysts and abscesses. A lump could be
a fluid filled pocket (which requires draining or surgery), an
infected tooth/jaw or tumor. Again, a vet is needed to diagnose
the cause and treatment.
Head Tilt: (Wry Neck):
Head Tilt (wry neck) looks just like it sounds. Bunny begins
holding their head at a sideways tilt often accompanied by a loss
of balance and sometimes... Darting eyes. See the vet
immediately, the speed of your response may determine the
outcome. Though there are many causes the most common are
an ear infection and e. cuniculi.
Poopy Butt vs. Diarrhea:
Soft poops a.k.a. "Poopy butt" are soft mushy poops that cling to
the fur and are often caused by poor dietary habits (too many
veggies, too many pellets etc.) Actual diarrhea is quite different
and is very runny or liquid. Diarrhea is different. If you see runny
stools, take away the pellets and just feed hay. Give the bun a
pro biotic such as bene bac or plain yogurt. About a teaspoon of
yogurt will help add good bacteria to the system. Often weanlings
will experience poopy butt as they make the transition from their
mother (doe) cleaning them and have not yet learned to clean
themselves. This condition happens in furry rabbits more than
the shorter smooth hair rabbits and more often in does than
bucks. The result is a red swollen vagina. Baby diaper rash
ointment can be used or even safer is vasleline or even petra
malt which is used as a hair ball treatment to encourage the bun
to lick and keep clean. Trim the hair around the bottom with blunt
edge scissors &/or gentle bath the bottom ONLY with warn water.
Keep up on brushing and trimming to prevent future problems.
Basically the area needs air to circulate which is why trimming may
be necessary. Behavior stops as the weanling ages and learns to
clean itself.
Fur Mites:
Ear Mites: Mites that have gotten into the ears can cause bunny
to scratch their ears excessively, there will sometimes be a crusty
surface inside the ear. The vet can prescribe medication to kill the
mites.
Misaligned Teeth: Otherwise known as malocclusion. The front
teeth may grow very long and actually twist outwardly or hook.
Tooth trimming or extraction is necessary to ensure that bunny is
able to eat.
Red / Orange Urine:
This tends to get everyone excited but is rarely any indication of a
problem Bunny pee comes in many colors including clear, yellow,
orange and red (not blood). Certain vegetables will change the
color of their urine. When feeding kale I always see orange pee.
Cecotropes / cecal pellets;.
Cecals are produced daily by bunny and are different from their
normal, hard, round marbles. They look like a cluster of grapes
Hiccups:
Bunnies can get the hiccups. I've only had one rabbit in 20 years
that ever had them, and their are infrequent. These are not
seizures though it is possible for sick rabbits to have seizures.
Molting:
At it's worst a molting rabbit can look terribly shaggy. Molting is an
annual occurrence and you can do your home and your bunny a
great service by brushing them regularly. Bunnies are incessant
groomers, their frequent licking means they are ingesting fur.
Unlike cats, rabbits can not vomit so the hair must pass through
their system. You can help the fur pass through by using Petra
Malt made for cats and small animals or Vaseline. Give your bun
a pea sized amount and place it on the bun's water bottle,
Should I Neuter / Spay My Pet Rabbit?
Rabbits become sexually mature quite young, between 4-6
months of age, and need to be spayed/neutered if you are hoping
for the best possible house rabbit.
Here are just a few reasons to spay/neuter your rabbit:
Neutering:
They will also court other rabbits by circling and mounting them
(male or female). At times this unwanted attention can result in
fights which generally start with some flying fur but can actually
end in injury. If the mounting rabbit jumps on the wrong way, the
party beneath him may choose to bite him...right in the luggage.
Not the neuter you had in mind.
Spraying:
While having a rabbit court you may be cute, spraying is not. This
can also begin during the "hormonal stage".Female rabbits who
are not spayed carry a high risk of developing uterine cancer.
Fur Mites :
My Holland has a patch of thin fur between the shoulder blades
with white flakes. I would treat my Hollands for fur mites if they
showed those conditions (plus twice per year as a prophylactic) .
I use Ivermectin 1% for goats (injectable). I give 0.08 ml for a 3
lbs. Rabbit or 0.1 ml for a 4 lb. Rabbit. It works out to just about 3
drops per rabbit, given orally. I repeat after 8 to 10 days. I have
seen many recommended doses that are too high. Please
consider that 1.0 ml is the appropriate dose for a 75 lb. Goat!
One a 3 ml syringe, 0.1 is just to the very first hash mark. On a
typical 5 ml syringe, it's halfway to the first hash mark.
Snuffles:
. My Holland Lop is sneezing a lot and has white mucous coming
from its nose. Its front paws are wet and matted from the
discharge. What should I do?First, separate the bunny from any
other rabbits you have. Your bunny may have snuffles, which is
like a human cold. But unlike a human cold, it is deadly. Read up
on snuffles on the web and give your vet a call. Snuffles cannot
be treated and only the symptoms can be treated. The rabbit will
probably die.
Heat Stroke:
If you come home and find your bunny laying stretched out with
his head back and breathing through his mouth, HE/She IS IN
TROUBLE! Cool the bunny quickly by putting him/her in a sink or
tub of room temperature (not too hot, not too cold) water. Pour
the water over his ears. Rabbits cannot pant or sweat and
exchange heat through their ears so cooling the ears is critical.
When normal breathing resumes, remove him from the water and
towel dry. Lay the rabbit in a shower stall or tub until normal
activity resumes and fur is dry. When a rabbit is found running
frantically around his cage in very hot weather, it is probably the
result of heatstroke. The brain swells causing irrational behavior.
Wrap him in a sheet or light weight cloth to calm him and immerse
in tepid water as described.
Pick A Good Vet For Your Rabbit:
Rabbits are not just like a cat or dog. Ask your prospective vet
how many rabbits they've neutered and what the mortality rate is.
If you don't know where to start try Exotic Animal Vets in your
yellow pages or on the Internet. Check to make sure your vet has
experience with lagomorphs/rabbits.
© 2006-2011 Bunny Trail Farm.
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