Rabbit Language Feedback

We are not veterinarians, we are just rabbit fanciers. If you have an emergency or medical need, the first thing is to call a good rabbit vet asap. See rabbit.org for a list of vets in your area.

It used to seem necessary to have health info on our site since some veterinarians were not familiar with rabbits. However, rabbit medicine is now so advanced that your best option is always to see a good veterinarian. We are providing this info in an effort to answer our many emailed questions.

medical info

Here's a link to the Merck Veterinary manual for rabbits.

emergencies

Rabbits should not be off their feed or water more than 24 hours (and they must be eating the proper rabbit diet). Keep an eye on your pet every day to see if they are eating, drinking and eliminating. If not, call a vet.

Our vet said that brown or reddish urine by itself isn't that bad, but definitely a symptom of diet being off. So is loose stool. You could try another brand of pellets (though switching can itself cause problems). Cut out all vegetables, fruits, and treats for a while and see if that makes a difference. Watch for straining to eliminate in the kitty box. Make sure bunny is not eating something you don't know he or she is eating -- inspect their area for chew marks.

Rabbits eat some of their pellets. Make sure they can get to their pellets and are not impacted around the anus. If so, a sponge bath or trimming may help.

not eating / force feeding

You can force feed your animal but it's not a substitute for the vet.

The vet can inject some water under the skin on his neck to give him valuable liquids if he hasn't been eating.

Mix up some rabbit pellets and a lot of clean, fresh, room-temperature water in a blender until it's liquified. Put some in an eyedropper-shaped item or a turkey baster. You can get large plastic hypos from the vets. Wrap bunny up like a burrito in a towel so he can't squirm. Gently but firmly turn him upside down so he is in your arms like a baby. Insert the eyedropper or hypo into his mouth slightly to the side of his two big front teeth. Squeeze gently.

If he doesn't swallow, talk gently and maybe walk around a bit. I've found that a tiny bit can make a huge difference when he is not eating. You don't have to feed him a lot...a little twice a day should help.

My vet gave me something called "Critical Care" which is basically timothy hay in a powder form perhaps with other things in it. Saves the step with the blender and has more vitamins in it.

I also got Metaclopram (the vet called it Regulon) which speeded up the bowels or digestive system. I was supposed to give it to him til he started eating again but I think it made him nauseous. He didn't eat again til I stopped it.

My Rabbit Health in the 21st Century book advises having a can of pumpkin in the house (no additives, just plain pumpkin). My vet recommended baby foods such as squash.

Really the only thing that seems to work for me when my rabbits are not eating, other than forcefeeding a thin slurry, is to find some really good and fresh organic veggies—such as cilantro, carrot tops, dandelions, parsley, watercress—when rabbits are very ill you can't tell which will appeal to them but the freshness has a way of convincing them to start eating again.

In the past the vet has given me some enzymes to put on their food which also speed up the digestion.

for a sick rabbit

At the first sign of illness, I usually give some Laxotone, Petromalt or a dab of Vasoline for hairballs on their paw. Sometimes you can see them straining in the litter box, or spending a long time in there. Sometimes they may be lethargic.

Check also to see that the anus area is not impacted with dirt.

One of my rabbits, after eating too much of something (always my fault) or something wrong (also my fault for not supervising), will stretch out on the floor and sort of roll around. This is the only time that he does stretch out when I am around. I usually bring the water dish over and that seems to help. Once the vet gave me some orange stuff to make him eat which worked like charcoal to absorb toxins. It worked right away.

pain

They say that very loud grinding of teeth indicates pain. Like what rabbits do when you are petting them but louder and without petting. After a surgery, my vet proscribed Metacam for pain and swelling. (I stopped it after several days because he wasn't eating.) A pen pal said that sometimes the dosage of Metacam can be wrong. Her vet was experimenting with it.

more illness info at bottom of page

diet

Feed your bunnies lots of Timothy Hay. It can't be too fresh -- keep it wrapped up and give a handful daily. They eat the best bits. Eating hay should help with hairballs. note: we just found a place that sells really good timothy hay that they are sure to love, direct from the farm. You order by email or 800 number: American Pet Diner.

Often, those that won't eat regular timothy, will eat the Oxbow-Orchard Grass hay readily.

I feed my buns their entire pellet ration over 3 meals in the day. This is so I can immediately tell which rabbit is off-feed. It's been a big help since time's of the essence.

Rabbits should eat in percentages: 1/3 pellets, 1/3 timothy hay (alfalfa has too much calcium and too much protein), and 1/3 green and yellow vegetables.

Rabbits digest their food twice. They eat the gooey, smelly pellets right out of the anus. If you see them with their head stuck in their belly they are fishing around for a pellet. Then they straighten out and chew it up wth a strange look on their face and their ears back. Umm good. Those pellets must taste really good to a bunny.

vegetables

Check rabbit.org for the recommended list. They need the vegetables because they have fresh vitamins in them.Best vegetables are dandelion greens (pick and wash or get them from health food store) and plain old parsley.

Common sense: in the wild, baby rabbits and hares drink mothers milk until a certain age and then eat a variety of greens including an occasional grain or fruit.

treats and poisons

Healthy vegetables can still be treats. Rabbits have 18,000 tastebuds on their tongue (we only have 9000) so variety and freshness is good, so are organics. Sweets including fruit to a minimum. For training, my vet said it's ok to give up to 6 raisins a day OR a small piece of banana OR a piece of apple OR a piece of carrot. (Our bunnies love bananas but the House Rabbit Society says "no bananas". I am not sure but it may be because the sugar rots their teeth. Bananas are good to hide pills in.) Give no more than inch-long piece a day. One of my animals liked the inside rind of grapefruits...not sure if that is ok. All vegetables cause a certain amount of diarhea, i.e, wet loose stool.

Bunnies like to eat flowers. Some flowers are bad for them so make sure you check the HRS list of poisonous plants . Rose hips are good for them (no thorns) and nothing is cuter than a bunny who runs up to you smelling like a gardenia. I feed my bunnies lavendar heads occasionally. Herbs are powerful, so be careful. Many houseplants are poisonous.

Rabbits often will take a small bite of an unknown food and wait a few hours to see if it makes them sick. If not they will eat more. This still doesn't prove that it is safe.

Human processed food is bad for bunnies. They will eat lots of things...hard bread, oats, peanut butter, but it's not actually rabbit food and it will mess up their delicate systems. Chocolate is poison.

Also, don't take something out of your mouth to give to bunny. We have bacteria in our mouths that is not good for them.

age in rabbits

You can tell a lot by how long their nails are, their general condition, their teeth, and for males: balls drop at about 6 months. You can tell it an adolescent if it’s ripping up everything in your house, and trying to mount stuffed animals. Females mature about 6 months too, so if they’re displaying sexual behavior... Have a veterinarian tell you.

old age

Rabbits can easily live til ten years or more if they are healthy and happy.

Older rabbits can be a great pleasure as they stop ripping up everything and want a lot of petting. They still need regular exercise to stay in good condition.

Don't let them overeat. And check their anus area to make sure they are impacted with dirt. If so, they may need the area trimmed or a sponge bath to remove the dirt (see 'bathing' below). Watch out for changes in diet, and heavy breathing. Go the vet if you see any of these signs.

snuffles / pasturella

One of our bunnies had Pasturella. Check this info with rabbit.org. This disease has to be caught early. You can keep the disease under control with lifelong antibiotics. And sometimes it does go into remission. It seems to come and go.

I heard that Snuffles is the only rabbit disease that humans can get, but my doctor told me we can't get it.

antibiotics

The vet can put them in a 'nebulizer' which is like an aquarium filled with airborne antibiotics instead of air and they breathe them in for 30 minutes daily for a week. They can get a lot heavier dose through their lungs than through their stomach. Ingesting antibiotics makes them sick and kills all that good bacteria. We tried various antibiotics and then very heavy doses of antibiotics.

Bunnies on antibiotics also need to have live yogurt or acidofolus. My vet says the bunnies like it but I have never had one who would eat it voluntarily. Soak a bit of granola in it and let it dry or wipe some on their paw. Once I mixed it with the pellets slurry and forcefed it. {see also "pasturella" and 'tooth absess"}

They can also be given a pellet from a healthy bunny. It has to be the eating pellet rather than the spent pellet...so you may have to interrupt a bunny in the litter box to get it.

medicine

Liquid

Wrap him up like a burrito in a towel, and tip him upside down twice a day, and inject the heart medicine into the side of his mouth. You can hide pills in raisins or prunes. Sometimes they will eat them. Sometimes they had to be crushed and ground into a slurry and then injected into their mouths. The worst part can be just catching your rabbit twice a day at medicine time! It's a good reason to get your rabbit used to being handled.

Sometimes the vet will give an injection of fluid in bunnies shoulder to stop dehydration.

Pills

Hide them inside a banana, a raisin, grind them up and put them in something they like. Sometimes rabbits will voluntarily eat their pill but make sure they don't spit it out.

lop ear

Check the ears regularly for mites and scaliness you should be able to see in the ears. You will see them shaking their head or stratching their ears. The vet can give you a cleaner and medicine. My vet said many lop ears have fungus infections in their ears. It will cause major problems with balance and hopping if left untreated. Having to treat ears regularly may cause your bunny to hide from you.

matted fur

I got a dog clipper. The worst mats were on his stomach where it's real sensitive and around his balls. You need to groom your rabbits regularly. I've never had a rabbit enjoy this! You will have mats on the feet if you don't trim the nails.

fleas

They come in the house on our clothes. One vet gave us Advantage which was rubbed on the back of the neck. We got the kitten formula and the 4 pound bunny only got a half dose, the larger bunny got a full dose. It worked after 2 applications (2 months).

mites

Bunnies have mites always on their skin. They shouldn't cause you any problem, but it probably wouldn't hurt to wash your hands after petting. When bunnies become ill or stressed, the mites will rise up. Mites will annoy humans too. One vet gave me Advantage for that but a week into it my bunny stopped eating.

cutting nails

Someone has to cut the nails. Take him to the vet and have her show you how to do it. Some vets sell nail clippers which look more like sissors and are sharper than the kind the pet stores sell.

I used to use the burrito method but now put the bunny on the counter where there is good light and let him sit on a towel. Let him express his anger by ripping at the towel. Wear gloves and sleeves if necessary.

If you clip the nails frequently, bunny will get used to it. Give him a treat after.

tooth absess

It's hard to believe this but my bunny had an hour of dental surgery with full on anesthesia. He had an absess. His face was swollen on one side and I think he was in a lot of pain. The vet put him out, opened the gums from inside and scraped out pus and diseased bone. He had stiches on the inside only but face was shaved. The bacteria was tested and turned out to be pasturella. He was given antibiotics (PenG Benz and PenG PR) for a month, Metacam (inflamation), Metoclopram (digestion) and yogurt. He barely ate for 5 days. The vet ran a culture to see which antibiotic killed the Pasturella bacteria.

teeth growing too long

A healthy bunny grinds their teeth down by chewing hay and such. One Vet said every bun is different—sometimes tiny points on the teeth will bother one bun enough to make them stop eating all together or certain things. Others it won't. Others can have significant points and still eat, others not. Some bunnies need to have their teeth ground down every 6 months.

lumps

Could be cancer or could be something else. Take to the vet. Female rabbits unspayed have a tendency to get cancer. Female rabbits have a natural lump, the dewlap, under their chin. Check your female bunny's belly every now and then to screen for lumps.

bathing

Bathing your bunny is problematic. It dries out their skin. The hair dryer dries out the skin also. If you must wash your bunny, towel dry real well. Stand them in just a little water. I think bunnies should be able to swim, but don't give them a bath. Bathing rabbits is dangerous as it's hard to get the temperature right, and whatever temperature you choose, they can faint.

Yet for a rabbit who is not cleaning himself, it is important to keep him clean and remove any impacted pellets from around the anus. Again, it's a good reason for getting your buns used to being handled.

One of my bunnies needs to have a sponge bath every couple of weeks so that I can loosen the clumped stool around his anus. Neither of us enjoy it but he is getting used to it.

a word about dying

I noticed one rabbit seemed to revert to a more wild behavior toward the end. He wanted to spend all his time outdoors on the deck. He also liked to lie in dirt.

It is advised that you should let the bunny see and sniff the dead body of a companion rabbit. So that they can understand "death". I had to do this recently... my surviving bunny acted like I had something to do with the 'problem' of the deceased. He definitely knew that something happened. He came over a few times, and nudged the body, and scampered away each time, and then stopped coming over. If it's not possible to do let your bunny see the deceased, spend a lot of time with him. In my town it is illegal to bury a pet outdoors, but the local 'pound' will dispose of the remains for a small donation.

Putting to sleep

I have never put an animal to sleep, yet. If possible it's better to be alive and not feeling well than dead. Many people put pets to sleep way too early in my opinion. If the rabbit doesn't seem to be in pain (see grinding teeth) and just can't walk, it is not such a horrible thing to help the animal in and out of the litter box.