Ailments and Health issues
This
section includes detailed information regarding ailments and health issues we
have had with our rabbits. It also includes trusted information we have
experienced or gathered from other breeders/rabbitries/vets/online sources etc.
We cover fur mites, snuffles, a broken leg, spinal injury, wool block and other
issues.symptomWryneck
Birth - Breeding | Birth issues | Cold Kits | Dead Kits | Feeding kits | Ketosis | Line
Breeding | Mastitis | Peanuts | Starving Kits | Stuck Kits |Vent Disease
General - Dehydration | Fly Control | Heat Stroke | Hiccups | Injections| Medicine (won't eat) | Not Eating | Odor Control | Oral Rehydration Therapy | Poison | Tattoo | Teeth
Trimming |
Habits - Chewing
plastic | Eye Scanning | Fur chewing | Pacing | Stomping | Wire chewing |
Rocking | Spraying |
Urinating
Infection - Abscess | Ear Infection | Eye Bulging | Eye Infection | Fly Strike | Fungus (skin) | Head Tilt | Hutch Burn | Mastitis | Mucoid Enteritis | RHD (Rabbit Hemorrhagic Viral) | Spirochetosis | Vent
Disease
Injury - Broken Leg | Eye Bulging | Fly Strike | Hutch Burn | Paralysis |Sore Hocks | Spinal/Back Injury | Wounds
Intestinal - Coccidia | Diarrhea | Gas | GI Stasis | Hiccups | Mucoid Enteritis | Red/Orange-Urine | Wasting/Fader | Wool
Block
Neurological - Epilepsy | Head
Tilt | Heat Stroke | Paralysis | Siezures| Wry
Neck
Parasites - Coccidia | Fly Control | Fly Strike | Fungus (skin) | Ear Mites| Fleas | Fur Mites | Lice | Pinworms | Wry
Neck
Respiratory - Allergies | Bordatella | Hiccups | Snuffles/Pasteurella
Acetaminophen | Advantage | Amoxycillin |Am-Tech | Asprin (Children's) | Baytril |BeneBac | Bi-odor | Carbaryl | Corid | Critical Care | Dawn | Dextrose | Frontline | GasX (children's) | Ivomectrin | Lactated Ringer |Listerine | Mineral Oil | Motrin (children's) |Oxytetracycline HCl | Neosporin | Nutri-Cal |Parastem | Pedialyte | Penicillin | Permethrin| Piperazine | Preparation H | ProBak |Program | Pyrethrins | Revolution | Sevindust| Simethecone | Sulfa Drugs | Sulphametha-zine | Sulfatrim | Superglue | Systemajuv |TerraCleanse | Terramycin | Tetracycline |Tums | Twin_Pen | Tylenol | Vanodine | VetRX| Wazine | Zap-It
medication calculator for
bunnies
Abscess
What
is it? - Puss filled wound caused by bacteria / staff/ and other
things like pasturella.
Symptoms - Hard lump
under the skin, may ooze puss.
How do they get
it? Previous wounds, receiving an injection which becomes
infected, pasturella, staff and other
things.
Treatment - The wound must be kept extremely
clean. Shave around the area. Lance it with something steralized. Squeeze it
firmly to get out the puss. It will likely be very thick and you may need to use
a lot of pressure. Once you are sure the abcess is empty clean with peroxide /
or terracleanse or / vanodine to steralize. Apply penicillin topically on the
area and into the wound. You can get it at feedstores -"TWin_Pen"Penicillin G
Benzathine and Penicillin G Procaine (labeled for cattle). IF you cannot keep
this clean it may need to be removed
surgically.
Abscess behind the eye /
Eye Bulging
What is it? - Click here for larger picture. The eye is bulging
far beyond it's regular location. Puss filled wound caused by bacteria / staff/
and other things like pasturella. In this case it develops specifically behind
the eye causing the eye to bulge far beyond it's normal
location.
Symptoms - Eye bulging way beyond what
it should.
How do they get it? Previous wounds
which become infected, pasturella, staff and other things, molars/teeth growing
incorrectly inward causing an infection behind the
eye.
Treatment - Antibiotics such as Baytril may be
used. A vet needs to look at this, dignose if the problem is actually an abscess
rather than cancer or some other problem and then prescribe what they think. If
this is caused by the molars it can be a lifelong reoccuring
problem.
Bordatella
What
is it? - A bacteria which can cause a rabbit 'cold'. Also
sometimes assumed to be 'snuffles'. Bordatella causes kennel cough in
dogs.
Symptoms - Uncontrollable sneezing,
a clear discharge around the nose (looks like water)
which can also be present on front paws from the rabbit wiping their
face.
How do they get it? Rabbits will not get
viral colds from humans, but can develop these symptoms due to bacteria already
existing in the rabbits system and other virus'. Stress to the rabbit is usually
the cause. This can be due to showing, extreme temperature/humidity changes,
travel, over-heating and many other things. It is highly contagious and is
transferred from one rabbit to another through particles sneezed or wiped onto
something which comes in contact with other
rabbits.
Treatment - As with any rabbit disease,
you should consult a vet as soon as possible. Rabbits have very delicate immune
systems and respiratory problems can progress very quickly. It is also important
that you know what is causing your rabbit 'cold'. A vet can perform a 'culture'
which will identify the cause and the proper antibiotic. If you give the wrong
antibiotic you can strengthen the cause and wear down your
rabbit.
Common treatments include Baytril or Sulfatrim which are
prescribed by a vet. We gave our infected rabbits .5cc 2 times daily for 2
weeks. The rabbits weighed from 2 lbs to 4 lbs. In our case the baytril did
nothing and the sulfatrim cleared it right up.
Isolate the rabbit from
all other rabbits to prevent spread of the infection. Move the rabbit into a
cool, quite, low stress place.
Disinfect anything the rabbit has
touched which is in contact with other rabbits. There are many different rabbit
safe sterilizers sold online such as vanodine. Or you can use
1/32 bleach/water (rinse off after it has
dried).
Broken Back
(see Spinal Injury /
Paralysis)
Broken
Leg
Our experience with a broken leg -
Rabbits will inevitably get into some type of injury where you have no idea how
they managed to hurt themselves. Ours was a broken leg. We went out to check the
rabbits in the morning and there was our doe with a broken tibia (bone between
the hip and knee). We took her to the vet who took some x-rays. She said if the
foot had been broken they could have simply wrapped it, given her some pain
medication and let it mend. But with this type of injury they would need to try
a splint or perform surgery. The splint would be unreliable and would need to be
changed and re x-rayed at least 4 times. They explained that a splint is not
helpful unless it is placed exactly right. If the rabbit dislodges it, the
splint could actually do more harm that good by putting pressure in the wrong
area, causing additional pain, or even holding the leg incorrectly and
preventing mending. A splint would be around $500. Overall they didn't know if a
splint would work and they recommended surgery. Surgery would place a plate or
pin inside the rabbits leg to hold it exactly where it needed to be. Depending
on how much medication they needed the price would be between $800 and $1000. As
always, with rabbits there is risk whenever they go into surgery that there will
be problems. They said it was also a significant risk to the babies (the doe was
1 week pregnant). We were at a completely loss. Although we completely
understand people who decide to pay for this type of surgery we just couldn't
bring ourselves to invest that much into this situation. We didn't want her to
be in pain and we asked the vet if there were any other solutions besides having
to put her to sleep. The vet said in this case it was possible to let her heal
on her own. According to the x-rays, the bone was right next to each other. It
was a clean break and was actually still touching. She was also able to observe
the rabbit the whole day and saw that the doe was eating and drinking as normal.
The doe was even moving around the cage quite a bit. She said that if it were
her rabbit, she would at least leave the rabbit for a week or so before making a
decision. If the rabbit continued to eat, drink and act normal she seemed to
feel that the rabbit wasn't in terrible pain. The doe probably wasn't
comfortable but we could give doses of Children's Motrin to help. You
can also useChildren's Aprin. Do not use anything
with Acetaminophen such as Children's Tylenol. She said the leg
would mend but it wouldn't be as straight as if we had performed surgery. We
were told to keep her in a small cage so that she wouldn't move around much. So
we took her home - as is. Over the next few days the doe continued to groom, eat
and drink as normal. Within 2 days she was moving around her cage so much that
we decided to take her off the Motrin, in hopes that she could give the leg a
little more rest. It seemed to have almost no affect - she continued to favor
the leg, but to act very normal. Within a week she started gently itching her
ear with the bad leg. Within 2 weeks she was itching like normal with her back
leg. She would even stand on her back legs to greet us when we came to feed her
in the morning. To be honest we were very happy that she seemed to feel so good
but we were very concerned that she was using the leg so much. 3 weeks later she
had her first litter. Instead of a nest box for her to hop in and out of, we
make a 'nest' out of straw in the corner of the cage. We were also concerned
that she wouldn't have enough control over the leg in order to keep the babies
safe. She did wonderful though and seemed to have no problems birthing, feeding
or taking care of the babies. After a month we moved her to a larger cage in
order for her to hopefully be less bored. Her leg is not entirely straight
(slightly out to the side) but she sits on it and uses it as normal. We are very
careful when we let her out and where we let her play. We make sure she is never
with other rabbits and that she doesn't get so excited that she starts to run
around or kick. We need to be extremely careful with the leg to make sure she
doesn't re-injure it. She seems completely happy and we look forward to future
litters from
her.
Coccidia (Coccidiosis)
http://www.rabbit.org/chapters/san-diego/health/vet-talk/coccidia.html
What
is it? - Coccidia is a protozoa which affects the rabbit digestive
system and or liver. This can be contagious to other rabbits depending on how
many of the parasite they ingest. This typically only affects very young (4-7
weeks) or injured rabbits.
Symptoms - Very
listless, limp rabbit. Mucus and blood in the rabbit's stool. (if the mucus does
not have blood and the rabbits stomach is bloated you may have Mucous Enteritis) Very foul smelling stool.
Excessive diarrhea. Mucus/blood/diarrhea everywhere - it's an explosive mess.
This is extremely serious and will kill a young rabbit typically with 24
hours.
How do they get it? - Rabbits regularly
have a small amount already in their systems. But if the rabbit is very young
and something is introduced which stresses their system (lots of new fruit),
their immune system may be overwhelmed. Typically however, rabbits come in
contact with the protozoa through infected feces. Then when they groom their
feet they will ingest the protozoa. A clean cage is essential for the health of
your rabbit. They may not even get sick, it depends on how many protozoa they
ingest.
Treatment -
You must keep the
rabbit hydrated while they are battling this. (see
dehydration below)
Corid is used as prevention and for
treatment. For prevention Corid recommends 5 mg/day for every 2.2 lbs of body
weight given for 21 days. For treatment of an effected animal the recommendation
is 10mg/day for every 2.2 lbs of body weight given for 5 days. http://www.corid.com/pdf/CORID20.pdf .
Or you can mix 1 teaspoon per gallon of water. Do not give less than 5 days. It
is also available athttp://www.kwcages.com
OR
The
use of 1% of sulphametha-zine (sulfa drugs) in a mash may be
effective, especially for the intestinal infection
Parastem (rabbitmedicinechest.com-available via FedX) fed
directly to them orally (as much as they will swallow as often as possible) will
also kill the protozoa. It is all natural and you can use on any age rabbit
without overdosing. It is somewhat expensive.
Your rabbit has
probably stopped eating. As your rabbit starts to gain its strength back, put
rabbit pellets in a small amount of hot pedialyte. This will cause the pellets
to expand and become soft. Then put the mush into an oral syringe and feed as
often as the rabbit will eat
it.
Dehydration
Symptoms -
If your rabbit has stopped drinking and peeing. If their skin
'stays' in one place when you pinch it together rather than it
immediately releasing back into place. If your rabbit has
diarrhea.
How do they get it? - If your rabbit has been
sick they are likely dehydrated because they don't feel like drinking or they
are in pain or their body simply can't keep in the
fluids.
Treatment -
Soak carrot tops in
water to entice them to eat and get the fluid. Offer them apples and bananas,
apple juice and pinneapple juice.
If they won't drink on their own you
will need to feed them with an oral syringe. (note NEVER oral syring
feed a rabbit on their back!! or they can easily breathe in the liquid). These
are available at your vet or any pharmacy (baby syringe feeder). Feed them
unflavored children's Pedialyte. This contains electrolytes and other
things needed for dehydration which are not contained in regular water. If you
can get it fast enough you can use Am-Tech rather than pedialyte (www.jefferslivestock.com), an amino acid formula
used to combat the dehydration and get them the nutrients they need during
severe illnesses. The important thing is that you need to quickly get your
rabbit hydrated by whichever method they will tolerate.
If you
don't have pedialyte you can make your own ORT (oral rehydration
therapy) 1 cup water, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda (since
their system can be acidic when they are sick, this will help reduce that), 3/16
teaspoon salt.
If they are too weak to drink, or extremely
hydrated and need immediate fluids, you'll need to getlactated ringer
solution from your vet. This is for sub-cutaneus application
(under the skin, not in the muscle or veins). It will come with a needle,
syringe tubing, etc. Your vet can show you how to administer. I usually do about
a golfball in size between the shoulderblades for an adult (small holland sized)
rabbit. There's not really a risk of overdosing, but it can be painful for the
rabbit if you 'overfill' an area. Once that goes down in size I administer again
in a couple hours if they are still dehydrated. Do not reuse your needles, they
dull after one use and can be very painful for the rabbit. They are also no
longer steralized after
use.
Diarrhea
What
is it? - Runny stool - usually smells much worse than usual rabbit
poop. Hair matted on the rabbits butt, poop caked in
fur.
Symptoms - Can be accompanied by a listless
rabbit, rabbit not eating or drinking, very foul smelling stool, blood or mucus
in stool.
How do they get it? - There are many many
different potential causes. Usually it is caused by a change in diet. This is
less extreme and is usually not accompanied by a lot of diarrhea. The stool may
just be a little looser than normal which will clear up in a few days. If the
rabbit is very young or old and the diarrhea is severe, a common cause is 'coccidia' and mucoid enteritis. It can also be caused if a
rabbit is on antibiotics. Antibiotics can kill the bad and the good bacteria in
a rabbits stomach. This causes an imbalance in the digestive system causing
diarrhea.
Treatment -
Isolate the rabbit in
case it is caused by sickness
Disinfect anything the rabbit has touched
including the cage
If you do not see any other signs of illness it may
just be an imbalance in stomach bacteria, you can wipe some yogurt on their
front paws. The rabbit will lick it off and hopefully 'rebalance'. Or you can
use benebac (or probac) powder in their food to rebalance.
If the
rabbit has blood or mucus in the stool see 'coccidia' and 'mucoid'
If the rabbit seems listless or
is not drinking they are very likely dehydrated. This is a common side effect of
diarrhea and you must help that immediately.
If the rabbit seems fine
and the diarrhea is not very severe then just keep an eye on them and make sure
they are drinking and eating. Typically this is caused by a change in diet, or
by fruit. You can give them probac rabbitmedicinechest.com or benebac jefferslivestock.com in
their water which will re-balance their intestinal 'good' bacteria. If your
rabbit is on antibiotics you should definitely be giving them one of those in
their water.
Thoroughly disinfect the animals cage. If bacteria is the
cause of their diarrhea you need to make sure that is no longer present in their
environment. (Vanodine is an
easy, cheap and very effective
disinfectant)
Ear Infection / Otitis
Media & interna
What is it? - Pressure inside the rabbits
ear due to a bacterial infection which causes disorientation, head tilt, rolling
in the cage etc.
Treatment -
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Neurology/otitis_interna_media.PDF
Eye
Infection
Symptoms - Swollen, red, pussy
area AROUND the eye. (if the eye itself is bulging out you may have anabscess
behind the eye) Eye crusted in goop, eye sealed shut. When the
eye is semi open you may be able to see a milky whitish spot on the eye - or the
whole eye may look milky white (blind).
How do they get
it? - We haven't seen where they get it from. For us, it usually
shows up in small babies once they move out of the nest box. It can be caused by
an infection, crowded conditions or by something in they eye such as a piece of
hay.
Treatment -
Gently cleanse the eye with
warm water to remove the puss/crust and to allow the eye to open. Make sure you
don't see anything in the eye such as a piece of hay. Use terramycin eye gel 3-4
times a day until the eye no longer crusts over. This has been very successful
for eye infections for us and can be purchased online at (www.jefferslivestock.com) and other online feed
stores. Usually we see results within hours of application.
Disinfect
the cage and area around the rabbit. (Vanodine recommended)
Fleas
What
is It? Blood sucking parasite on extrernal body of the rabbit.
Visible if you look closely.
Symptoms - Itching,
scratching
Treatment -
Wash in
origional Dawn dish detergent (blue). I have heard
this will kill the fleas almost instantly. Safe for the bunnies at any
age.
Put a small drop of 'Advantage' flea/tick
medicine on their
ear. Revolution and Program are
also considered safe for rabbits although none are officially approved in the US
for rabbit use. Frontline should never be used on
rabbits.
OR give a dose of Ivomec. 1% cattle injectable, .01cc
(point zero one) per lb of rabbit. I wouldn't recommend using on younger than 8
weeks. If you don't want to use the liquid Ivomectrin you can use the paste for
horses. 1/2 pea size on the tounge.
Fly
Control
There are many home remedies such as vinegar in a gallon jug
with small holes poked in the side. The flies go into the holes but cannot get
out. There are also automatic fly sprayers which work quite well. They can be
used inside or out and cover about a 10x20 area. They spray a small natural fly
repellent at regular intervals. It uses natural pyrethrins. When used in
medication directly on the rabbit, pyrethrins have caused our rabbits problems.
But we have not had issues from the fly repellent used in the air. Many breeders
that we know also use this method. These systems are available at
www.kwcages.com. But the biggest control by far for our hutches, has been wood
pellets in the drop pans (or whatever you use to catch the droppings and pee).
There are special compressed wood pellets specifically for horse bedding, but
this is very expensive. You can use wood stove pellets - they are the same
thing. They expand when wet and keep the pans dry and odor
free.
Fly
Strike
What is it? - When flies lay their eggs
on rabbits. The maggots hatch and can eat into the rabbit. Here is a good
article on what to look for and how to treat.
http://www.tsukiyo.org/Health/Diseases/flystrike2.html
Fungus
(skin)
What is it? - There are many
different types with many different symptoms from different types of fungus'.
This can be spread from one rabbit to
another.
Symptoms - Very hard small 'bumps' on the
rabbits body. They will be very small, only about 1mm in diameter. They are so
hard they almost feel like bone. These are actually scabs and diseased skin. It
can also show up as abnormal looking growths on the ears. It can show up on the
rabbits bottom and back along the spine. It can show up in the rabbits ears and
on the rabbits feet.
How do they get it? - It is
usually caused from unclean conditions which are moist and promote fungus
growth. (or in our case was passed to us from someone else's nest box) Usually a
mother will have had traces of the fungus and will pass it to her babies within
the nest box. The babies are less able to fight it and within a few weeks will
have an outbreak on their skin.
Treatment
-
Isolate the rabbit
Disinfect anything the
rabbit has touched including the cage (this is to remove any fungus still in the
environment). Vanodine is great
for this (easy, effective and inexpensive)
You can use a topical
fungicide powder from any pharmacy. Just use the over the counter stuff. Easy
and usually works great.
Or you can soak the area in properly diluted
Terra Cleanse rabbitmedicinechest.com. Terra
Cleanse is oxygen rich and kills bacteria and fungus. It won't hurt your
rabbit and is easy to apply to fur. Just use it in a spray bottle and make sure
you soak down to the skin. NOTE: When working with any fungus wear plastic
gloves. The 'bumps' will start to fall off within a week or so. Keep soaking the
skin every other day until the rabbit is fully
recovered.
Gas
What
is it? - Gas could be caused by many many things. Gas is usually
a resultof something else - not the cause. It can be a
result of GI
Stasis , hiccups, wool block, change in diet, old age, intestinal
kink and many other intestinal problems. You will need to try and find the cause
if you are to avoid this in the future.
Symptoms
- rabbit in extreme pain, rabbit grinding teeth, listless rabbit,
rabbit not eating or drinking, rabbit no pooping, rabbit hiccuping, could have
been preceeded by anorexia or massive weight loss, distended stomach. (NOTE all
of these symptoms can also be a sign of other
things)
Treatment -
Get to your
bunny vet! You will likely need an x-ray to see if there is a gas ball, and if
there are other things such as a blockage, or kink of the intestine etc. ie if
there is a blockage you will need other treatments.
Give baby
gas-x (symethicone). You can find it at any grocery store. Give a full oral dose
for a child. Follow the directions as you would for a child on how often to
administer. Its very safe to give and they love the taste so it's not difficult
to administer.
Your rabbit is likely in extreme pain. If so- give
them a dose of children's asprin. NOT children's tylenol. This will help them
hang on longer until the gas ball is broken down and
passed.
GI
Stasis
What is it? - A slow down of the
digestive system resulting in gas and blockage preventing digestion.
http://fig.cox.miami.edu/Faculty/Dana/ileus.html
Heat
Stroke - REMEMBER HEAT KILLS! - Rabbits are very susceptible to
heat. Anything over 80° is dangerous. Over 85° is extremely dangerous. If
possible, you want to keep your rabbits in a cool place during the day. If they
must be outside in the heat, freeze a 2 liter water bottle and place it in the
cage next to the rabbit so they can lie against it. Rabbits cool through their
ears. A sign of overheating is your rabbit running around
frantically/uncoordinated in the cage. If you see this and know your rabbit is
in hot conditions, immediately move them into a cool area.
Put a few
inches of cool (not cold) water in a small tub or sink. Gently place your bunny
in the water. Cup the water in your hand and gently pour it over the rabbits
coat. Pour the water especially over the rabbits ears - this will help them cool
down the fastest.
Head
Tilt / Wry Neck / Encephalitozoon protozoa
What is it?
- This can be caused by something as simple as an inner ear
infection or it can be caused by wry neck. Wry neck can be spread from rabbit to
another.
Symptoms - The rabbits head is tilted parallel
to the ground or even on the ground. The rabbit is disoriented, may be walking
in circles, rolling in the cage or thrashing in the cage. If it is an ear
infection this is caused by pressure on the middle ear which causes loss of
balance (see
below). Wry neck does not seem to be painful to the rabbit - just
disorienting.
How do they get it? By coming in
contact with the bacteria which causes an ear infection or wry neck. Usually the
rabbit is very young/old, has been dehydrated or has been stressed due to
weather, showing, overcrowding or other stressful situation. Wry neck can be
caused by many things. Stress can cause a rabbit to sucumb to bacterial
infections or subcomb exposure to Encephalitozoon protozoa. This can be passed
through the urine or through dormant bateria on hay or other conditions where
other animals have been.
Treatment -
Get
to your vet immediately! Have them check for ear infection which is very
treatable. If they do not see an ear infection then it may be wry
neck.
If you suspect wry neck here is an excellent article on treatment from
Barbi Browns Bunnies
Disinfect all the rabbits things with Vanodine (easy,
inexepensive and complete) .
In the future - give your herd
preventative doses of Ivomec every 4 months or so. Ivomec 1% injectable for
cattle and swine - available at jefferslivestock.com. .03cc per lb of rabbit via
oral syringe. Or you can get the paste used for horses. 1/2 a pea size dot on
the rabbits tongue. Baytril is also sometimes precribed but is found to be less
effective is the original cause was not a bacterial
infection.
Hiccups -
What
is it? - Hiccups for an extended period of time (hours to days).
Rabbit hiccups are very fast and are often mistaken for seizures. Babies
frequently get hiccups. These are normal and happen often for babies that are 2
weeks and younger, especially after eating. Certain adults can also be prone to
these but it is rare. If the rabbit hiccups do not last for hours and hours,
usually they will go away on their own and are harmless. If your rabbit has them
for long periods of time it can be a sign of something else - or a result of
something else. A vet can do an x-ray to see if there are intestinal problems or
gas balls in the stomach (as a result of the prolonged hiccups). Rabbits which
were weaned improperly as babies can also be more prone to these as they get
older (as well as other digestive problems). Also if you have corn pieces in
your rabbit pellets this can cause gas and intestinal problems. The x-ray is a
picture of a rabbity taken in after 2 days of hiccups.
Symptoms
- Could be preceeded by not pooping, eating or
drinking.
If the rabbit shows pain (grinding teeth, listless) you
need to see a vet for an x-ray. See if there is a gas ball, if there is another blockage causing
the gas ball, or to see if everything is normal.
Give a dose of
children's baby gas-x (symethicone) to combat air which may be building up. A
regular baby dose (usually a full syringe). Follow the instructions on the
bottle for how often to administer. Also remove any corn peices from the rabbits
food. You can offer them more greens and less pellets to see if there is a
change in the next couple weeks and less of a problem. If so - make the change
to the diet permanent.
Hutch
Burn
What is it - Click here for a larger clearer picture. Often
confused with vent disease this is specific to the anal region. The vent is
still clear, correctly colored and generally unswollen and normal. Notice in the
picture that the vent is clear, pink and normal. The anal area is swollen,
purple and scabby. Hutch burn is irritation of the bottom and genitals from
urine.
Symptoms - Swollen, red, irritated, chapped, raw
bottom and genital area. Fur may fall out around area.
How do they
get it? Urine splashes back on the rabbits feet and bottom.
Usually caused by dirty cages/cage bottoms. Can also be caused by wet/unine
soaked conditions such as the corner of an outside rabbit run on the ground. The
urine comes in contact with the rabbit's skin and causes a burn. This becomes
raw and can become infected.
Treatment
-
Clean and disinfect the area (with something such
as Vanodine ) and treat
with neosporin. Clean and dissinfect the cage (again we recommend
Vanodine. We have been using it for years and it is an absolute must have for
every rabbit
breeder).
Injections
If
you need to give a your rabbit an injection here are some tips we've used and
have been given by other breeders. I always inject at the base of the neck, I
make a triangle where you lift the skin, and then inject in the triangle You
will notice sometimes it is a bit tight...and just push gently till it gives.
Pull back on the syringe to make sure you did not get a vessel. If no blood then
go ahead and inject the full amount. Use the needle only once because they dull
immediately. Use one needle to get the medicine out into the syringe. Then use a
totally new needle to inject it into the skin. This makes it soo much easier and
less painful for the animal. Some times you just have to see someone else do it
if you have never done it before. I use 1cc syringes. Normally they are $0.35 in
price at vetline. You can clean and reuse
them.
Mastitis
What
is it - An infection in the mammary gland and nipple usually on
lactating or pregnant does. This can be passed from mother to
babies.
Symptoms - Swollen, blue, hot to the
touch nipple or gland surrounding it. Sometimes accompanied by puss or colored,
bloody, smelly discharge from the nipple.
How do they get
it? http://www.provet.co.uk/Petfacts/healthtips/rabbitmastitis.htm
Treatment
-
See your vet for proper
treatment.
GENTLY squeeze out any puss from the area. Clean area
with terra cleanse (http://www.rabbitmedicinechest.com) or some other
topical NON TOXIC cleanser. Be VERY VERY careful to thoroughly remove the
cleanser so the babies will not ingest it (unless it's diluted Terra Cleanse,
which there is no danger to the babies). Do this every day.
Remove the
babies from the mother and foster them to another doe if
possible.
Mites (Ear) / Ear
Mange
What is It? Mites feed on the dead skin
and hair of a rabbit. Ear mites will show up as black or dark 'dust' looking
material in your rabbits ear causing tissue and skin damange. It can get quite
thick if left untreated. You can see the mite with a microscope. This can be
contagious to other rabbits.
Symptoms - Black
stuff in ears. Scabby ears. Loss of skin condition and weight in rabbit. Rabbit
constantly shaking its head and trying to rub ears with back
feet.
Treatment -
Baby oil
or mineral oil rubbed onto the ear 2 or 3 times a week for a couple
weeks. This will suffocate them. OR
You can make a soothing ear lotion
consisting of one part iodoform, ten parts of ether, and twenty-five parts of
olive oil, should be applied to the inflamed area, then repeated a week or so
later until the scabs have completely healed.
Ivermectrin .01cc
per LB of body weight given orally. 1 dose and then another dose 14 days later.
This will usually kill them completely with a day or
so.
Here is more information. Ear mite
control
Mites in Fur /
Wool / Mange / Lice
What is It? - Fur mites
are small mites which feed on the dead skin and hair of a rabbit. They are
sometimes called 'walking dandruff' because if you look closely on your rabbits
skin you can sometimes see tiny flakes of skin moving (which is being carried or
eaten by the mite). You can see the mite with a microscope. This is contagious
to other rabbits. They can also be passed to humans if they mites are not washed
off (always wash hands thoroughly when handling rabbits) and if the mites come
in contact with water (if you wash the rabbit) they may migrate to the hands and
arms of the human.
Symptoms - Constant scratching or
chewing by the rabbit, usually on the inside of the hind legs, the shoulders or
up by the neck (wherever the rabbit can reach). Loss of fur on the shoulders and
upper body. Visible white dandruff on the rabbits skin. Small 'scales', scabs or
dry flaky skin on the inside of the rabbits back legs. If a human contracts
these it will show up as an extremely itchy red flaky rash. According to
information we have read, this will go away quickly. Although the mites can
migrate to humans, they don't 'like the taste' and usually leave in a short
period of time.
How do they get it? - Mites can be
transferred from birds, bird droppings, other wild animals or another rabbit. We
have been told that rabbits come in regular contact with the mites. Rabbits that
are kept outside or allowed to run around in the dirt and grass are more likely
to get mites. This is kept under control by the regular grooming of the healthy
rabbit. If a rabbit becomes unable to groom himself due to an injury or being
overweight, the mite population can quickly become out of control. Usually it
starts at the top of the neck right at the base of the head since this is most
difficult for the rabbit to reach.
Treatment
-
Remove the rabbit from his cage or pen. Sterilize the
area and treat the entire area with a product
containing Carbaryl (carbon based products used on mites and parasites
for poultry and rabbitswww.jefferslivestock.com). If this is an outside
run, make sure you treat the dirt as well. The mite eggs can last for quite a
few days after the mites are dead. Carbaryl will also take care of the eggs.
Make sure you also treat any wood or hutch items as the eggs can live in the
wood. Treat surrounding runs and hutches. The mites easily move to surrounding
areas. DO NOT GET THE CARBARYL in any water sources.
There are several
ways you can treat the mites or lice on your rabbit. You can dust him lightly
with the Carbaryl powder, you can rub his fur and skin thoroughly
with Listerine mouth wash (can sting if he has open scabs but is
effective) and you can use 1 dose of Ivomectrin orally ( .03cc's per
lb of rabbit. We use cattle/swine Ivermectrin 1% www.jefferslivestock.com). We have used each of
these depending on the situation. They have all been effective. We also treat
the outside runs with carbaryl. We have had no further outbreaks of mites.
Although it does come as an injectable, we simply use an oral syringe and put
the dose on the rabbits tongue. You can inject directly into the skin of the
rabbit but this stings and is not necessary. You should see results by the next
day. You should repeat the dose again 14 days later in order to kill any more
mites that have hatched since the first dose.
For some temporary
relief while you are waiting the day or 2 for the Ivomec to work, you can soak
your rabbits fur/skin in Listerine mouthwash to give some immediate relief
(soak, leave for a minute or 2 and then wash off).
You can
lightly dust your rabbits fur with Sevindust garden
powder.
Never use FrontLine (fipronil) flea and tick medicine! This can
kill your rabbit. Never use any type of dog prescription, many times these are
dangerous for your rabbit. We've seen many places recommend cat flea and mite
treatments (either in wipes or powders etc). DO NOT USE THESE. Although some may
be safe for your bunny, they are not tested for your rabbit and many
contain Pyrethrins. This can cause severe seizures/stiffening/shock and can
actually kill your rabbit if he has a reaction.
Our experience
with fur mites - We noticed the symptoms of mites on our injured
Holland (he had had limited use of his back legs since he was a baby) it was
recommended by a Petco vet and by several places online that we use cat flea and
tick wipes. We chose Zodiac 'Wipe Away' brand. We checked the ingredients for
anything unusual, we called the 800 ask-a-vet number on the box to inquire
specifically about rabbits. The vets there told us there should be no problems
and this should be safe for our 2.6lb rabbit. We used the wipes on his whole
body and face. We closely monitored the rabbit for several hours and then put
him back in the hutch. He seemed to stop itching almost immediately. We checked
him about 6 hours later and found him in a full seizure. He then went stiff as a
board - body fully extended, eyes fixed, and lay on the bottom of the cage. We
immediately put him into a small tub of warm water while I got on the phone to
the 800 hotline. We bathed him quickly in diluted 'dove' soap - paying special
attention to thoroughly bathe his ears and head. I described the symptoms to the
vet on call who immediately said 'oh- he must be having a reaction to the
Pyrethrins (bunnies can also have the same seizure reaction
to Permethrins). That is something which can cause reactions in rabbits to
varying degrees. I asked them why they had said the product was ok for rabbits
and they said that sometimes rabbits are fine, but sometimes they do have a
reaction. (The ingredient on the box was Pyrethrin 0.116%) They said to bathe
him and watch him. If he continued to have stiffness or any shortness of breath
we needed to take him to an emergency clinic where they could administer some
sort of counter drugs. We called an emergency clinic and they said the same
thing - Pyrethrins were the cause (present in most cat flea and tick treatments)
and to keep a close eye on him for the next few minutes. Miraculously, as soon
as we finished bathing him he immediately relaxed, started to breathe normal and
started to look around. After a few minutes more he started hopping around and
rested in the corner of his cage. After another 1/2 hour he began to eat and
drink and seemed to be himself. We keep him on a monthly dose of Ivomec and
haven't had any problems with him
since.
Mucoid
Enteritis Click here to see picture of mucoid
droppings
What is it? A mucus-like
inflammation of the intestinal tract caused by either viral or bacterial
infection, also called bloat, which affects young rabbits usually 3-10 weeks
old. It is not contagious.
Symptoms - Rabbit
hunched rigid in the cage sometimes with the head titled back. Loss of balance.
Bloated stomach - you can sometimes hear 'sloshing' and gurling in the stomach
when you pick the rabbit up. Constipation and/or small amounts of diarrhea. The
diarrhea will have gel globs in droppings and mucus covered soft droppings. Gel
on their bottom. No blood or green mucus in the droppings like withCoccidia.
Grinding their teeth (a sign of extreme pain).
How do they get
it? - here is a quote from
http://www.all-creatures.com/456013.html "This condition involves disruption of
the complex system responsible for fermentation of non-digestible fiber in the
diet. Factors involved in enteritis complex include changes in diet, effects of
antibiotics, stress, and genetic predisposition to gut dysfunction. Diets high
in sugars or protein or low in fiber may cause changes in the fermentation
process in the cecum, leading to changes in pH and motility, which in turn lead
to enteritis. Additionally, some antibiotics that affect the normal bacteria of
the hindgut (penicillin, cephalosporin, erythromycin, clindamycin, and
lincomycin) allow overgrowth of bacteria found in the intestinal tract, which
can cause enteritis." It can be from overcrowding or overstressing which causes
constipation and a distruption in the fermentation process of fiber in the gut.
Stress can also be caused by change in temperature, by bullying by other
rabbits, showing, traveling, change in food.
Treatment
-
For this disease there is as yet no recognized
control. It is painful and slow and they do not usually recover. You should
consider putting the baby 'down' if you have this. If you want to try and keep
them alive even though they are in pain...replace their water with pedialyte for
hydration and give them plenty of carrots, green leaf lettuce/spinach and
bananas/apples/papaya, pinneaple juice, yogurt. Basically anything they will
eat. They usually will decrease the amount of pellets during this
time.
To help prevent, it is recommended that you include a broad
spectrum antibiotic in the water of the mother and of the babies as they grow
older. We use Terramycin. Steralize the cage floor before the
babies leave the nest box, have the mother and babies on a normal low protein
and high fiber diet. Provide hay to the babies to nibble on. This will help the
digestive system keep moving. Avoid overcrowding and stresses to the babies
system such as extreme changes in temerature.
Make sure you completely
disinfect the rabbits cage and toys. If it is caused by a bacterial infection
you need to make sure it is not still present. We use Vanodine for all our disinfection
(cheap, easy and a 4oz bottle makes at least 8 gallons of disinfectant. Vanodine
kills bacteria, virsus and fungus but is still safe around the
animal)
Not Eating /
Wasting
What is it? - If your rabbit is
not eating it's food, getting thin
Symptoms - Can
feel the ribs and backbone quite a bit, not eating, not pooping, sitting huddled
in back fo the cage, diarrhea, not drinking.
How do they get
it? - This could be the results of many things. If the rabbit has
had recent surgery often the antibiotics will cause a loss of appetite. Diarrhea
and other ailments can also cause loss of appetite. Wool block, not drinking and
other things are also a
cause.
Treatment -
Make sure they are
drinking. If they get dehydrated they will stop eating as much. Carrot tops
soaked in water and pedialyte will help with that. Entice with treats such as
bananas and rolled oats or their other favorite treats. Most importantly
give nutri-cal (for dogs and cats) which will stimulate the appetite
and give much needed calories. This will help get the weight back on when
they're not eating their normal food. You can purchase as most pet stores and
vet stores or online for about $4 a tube atvetamerica.com. You can
also use critical care from oxbow hay http://www.oxbowhay.com/link.sp?page=critical-care
Odor
Control
What is it? - If you have a lot
of rabbits sometimes the order can be hard to control.
Symptoms
- your house smells like rabbits - your neighbors are complaining
:)
How do they get it? - Rabbits urine can have a heavy
ammonia smell which can get worse depending on what they
eat.
Treatment -
Clean their cages frequently.
Use disinfectant on their drop pans. Use vinegar and water dilution to get rid
of excess smell. Put compressed wood pellets in the drop pans. This makes a HUGE
difference to smell. They expand when they get wet and soak up the urine. It
keeps the pans dry and smelling nice. You can get bedding pellets or use wood
stove pellets.
Put bi-odor in their water. 1 dose is approx 5
pumps = about 1 tbsp. (so if you get a gallon of bi-odor that makes 256 gals)
Available at bunnyrabbit.com. This is
amazing stuff. It controls the ammonia smell from 'inside the rabbit' and keeps
it out of their pee and poo. Your bunnies and their 'messes' smell much
less.
We also have used Zap-It. You spay it
on the pans and cages or can use it on carpet etc. It uses enzyme producing
bateria to 'eat up' the odor. It works really well. This can be purchased many
places including www.kwcates.com
You can also use various air
fresheners made for inside and outside. They can be automatic or constant. Order
eaters and order coverers. There are many kinds available at
www.kwcages.com
Pinworms
What
is it? - Pinworms are tiny white (worm) parasites which can live
in the rabbit's digestive system. This is highly contagious to other rabbits.
These worms are specie specific and cannot be transferred to humans from a
rabbit. If you are unsure or whether your rabbit has them, check the dropping
and look for adult worms or put a piece of clear scotch tape on the rabbits
bottom, peel off the tape, and then look at the tape for signs of
pinworms.
Symptoms - Tiny (about 1/4inch), very thin,
white-almost transparent worms in the stool of the rabbit.
How
do they get it? - Rabbits come in contact with the parasite eggs
which are eaten and then mature within the rabbit. The white worms in the stool
are actually the adult pinworms. Rabbits can contact the eggs by touching
anything infected from another rabbit and sometimes can contract it 'in the
wild' by running around outside.
Treatment
-
Isolate the rabbit
Sterilize anything the
rabbit has touched including the cage (this is to remove any eggs still in the
environment)
Piperazine 17% (or Wazine is the same
thing) Liquid for 5 days (2 tbsps. per gal of waterwww.jefferslivestock.com) and again in 2 weeks.
Dose your whole herd 2 or 3 times a year. We have also used this with great
success and have used on rabbits as young as 4
weeks.
Poison
What
is it? - Rabbits are very sensitive to cleaners, pesticides,
fertilizers, improper medications and even some
plants.
Symptoms - Siezures (rabbit hiccups can
sometimes be mistaken for siezures), full rigid body, blood shot eyes, foaming
around the mouth, screaming. These can also be a sign of heat stroke. If you do not believe it is heat
stroke then get to a vet immediately. A full rigid body can also be caused by
certain types of bacterial infections.
How do they get
it? - House plants such as poinsettas, medications such as flea
and tick meds containing pyrethrins, eating fertilized grass in the yard,
cleaning their cage with bleach and not properly rinsing etc
etc.
Treatment -
Get them to a vet
immediately.
Red/Orange
Urine
What is it? - Often mistaken for blood,
the urine will look uniformly red / rust colored. This should not be confused
with obvious blood / ribbons of blood and bleeding in the
urine.
Symptoms - bright orange rust colored
urine
How do they get it? - It's caused by a pigment in
the urine from something the've eaten. It could be veggies (carrots), long flat
bladed grass, dandelions and other things. Nothing to worry
about.
Treatment -
There's nothing to worry
about. It's normal and will be like that every time they eat that certain food.
Totally
normal.
RHD (Rabbit
Hemorrhagic Viral Disease)
What is it? - A
highly contagious viral disease specific to rabbits. It is not contagious to
humans or other pets.
Symptoms - The disease
seems to appear in three ways; the first and most common is called PERACUTE and
is simply a dead rabbit in the cage from one visit to the next. The ACUTE form
is represented by a lethargic, depressed, off-feed animal that dies in the space
of 1-2 days, shows incoordination and signs of pain before death, and may show
clear or bloodstained nasal froth or discharge. A temperature of 105-106 degrees
F may be present upon initial examination. A small number (<5%) may survive
up to two weeks with symptoms including jaundice, diarrhea and mucous in the
stool, but this is much less commonly seen. The third form, called SUBACUTE or
transient, is much milder; the rabbit may show some signs of illness, then
recover and are immune. This is the most likely source of an asymptomatic
carrier animal, as infective material is shed in urine and feces for at least 30
days, and the animal itself may act as a carrier for far longer. This form is
most common in animals under 4 months of age, and less common in older
animals.
IMPORTANT NOTE - Not every rabbit death
is attributable to VHD. In fact, in the United States, if you have more than one
rabbit and only one dies, the chances are very, very slim that it would be a
VHD-related rabbit death. However, since VHD has been officially diagnosed in
the United States, it is now a disease that you should consider, especially if
you have multiple suspicious rabbit deaths or illnesses. Although this virus is
frighteningly contagious, there is no need to panic; rather, when analyzing a
suspect death, first eliminate the most common causes of which you may be
certain. Only if the profile fits should RHD/VHD be seriously
considered. Before truly considering that your herd may have the
virus, PLEASE read the FACTSHEET which gives very
detailed
information.
Siezures
What
is it? - The rabbit can be in violent siezures OR can be fully
stretched out and rigid. Head back, limbs extended. NOTE: this should not
be confused with 'rolling' in the cage. If your rabbit is rolling in the
cage or falling due to imbalance see wry neck or ear infection. Rabbit Hiccups are sometimes mistaken for
siezures.
Symptoms - Head back, rigid body (rigid
body is definitely NOT hiccups) , mouth usually open, eyes open and rolled
back.
How do they get it? - This can be many
things. Poison, Stroke, Heat Stroke, Genetic, Viral infection, Bacterial
infection and others.
Treatment -
If you
suspect heat stroke see heat stroke for treatment. If you believe it
is any of the other things you must get your rabbit to a vet immediately.
Genetic siezures are passed through certain lines of Lionheads. This was more
common in the 'imports' from other countries at the beginning of the US breeding
programs. Now that breeding programs in the US have progressed this has mainly
been eliminated. Bacterial infection requires immediate antibiotics. Viral
infection is usually incurable. Poison needs to be treated
immediately.
Disinfect the rabbits surroundings. If it has been
caused by bacteria you will need to eliminate the threat. We use Vanodine (cheap, kills bacteria, fungus and
viruses and is non-toxic)
Sore Hocks
(Ulcerative Pododermatitis)
What is it?
- Pressure to the skin from the wire floor or trauma to the skin
from foot stomping on the wire floor.
Symptoms
- Chapped, bloody, cracked irritated foot pads, tiptoeing when
walking.
How do they get it? - Excessive foot stomping,
heavy weight, underdeveloped foot pads, injury to the spine resulting in loss of
movement in hind legs, accumulation of urine soaked feces within the
cage.
Treatment -
You need to get the rabbit
off the wire. Give the rabbit a solid board or mat to sit on. If the foot pads
are infected then clean and sterilize. Treat with preparation H to
reduce swelling and irritation. You may even wrap the foot in bandages but
typically the rabit will pull these off. The main thing is to keep the wounds
and cage very clean.
Snuffles /
Pasteurella (a rabbit 'cold')
What is it?
- Snuffles is a general term for a rabbit cold or upper
respiratory infection. Usually it refers to a condition caused by the
Pasteurella, but this is not always the case. It may be caused by many different
types of bacteria, bordatella, allergies and sometimes even a virus. If
left unchecked it can progress to pneumonia. This is highly contagious to other
rabbits.
Symptoms - include sneezing, white or green
discharge from the eyes, white or
green opaque discharge from the nose, wet around the
nose and on the inside of the front paws (from wiping the nose and face). You
can sometimes hear wetness or congestion when the rabbit
breathes.
How do they get it? Rabbits will not get
viral colds from humans, but can develop these symptoms due to bacteria already
existing in the rabbits system. Stress to the rabbit is usually the cause. This
can be due to showing, extreme temperature/humidity changes, travel,
over-heating and many other things. Snuffles is also highly contagious and is
transferred from one rabbit to another through particles sneezed or wiped onto
something which comes in contact with other
rabbits.
Treatment - As with any rabbit disease,
you should consult a vet as soon as possible. Rabbits have very delicate immune
systems and respiratory problems can progress very quickly.
Isolate the
rabbit from all other rabbits to prevent spread of the infection. Move the
rabbit into a cool, quite, low stress place.
Disinfect anything the
rabbit has touched which is in contact with other rabbits. We use Vanodine(non-toxic, inexepensive and kills
viruses, bacteria and fungus with just a spray)
Watch you rabbit
carefully. If your rabbits mucus is clear, they seem to be eating and drinking
as normal, they seem to be as active as normal, they seem to be overall healthy
they may not have snuffles. It may be some other infection or even allergies.
Make sure they are out of extreme temperature changes. Do not put them on
antibiotics unless you are sure of the diagnosis and unless a rabbit vet
recommends it.
Never, never allow your vet to
prescribe amoxycillin (pink liquid that smells like bubble gum), this
can kill your rabbit!
Our experience with
snuffles - The first vet put the rabbit on Baytril for 2
weeks. Baytril is an antibiotic used for many upper respiratory
infections in cats and dogs. It is safe for rabbits but is highly stressful and
can actually suppress the rabbits immune system as it works. Although widely
distributed for 'snuffles' we found out later that it should not be used unless
1.the bacteria has been identified through a culture and 2. Baytril has been
identified as the best 'killer' of the bacteria your rabbit has. If you use any
antibiotic without proper disease identification, it can build your rabbits
resistance to the antibiotic in the future while not treating the actual
infection. Our dose was 1/4 of a pill, twice daily. You then continue the
treatments for at least another week in order to thoroughly kill the bacteria.
Quitting treatment early or skipping treatments will kill the weakest bacteria
but can then leave the most resistant bacteria to regain strength and come back
even worse. Baytril is supposed to clear up the symptoms within a week. Baytril
is also liver flavored (for dogs and cats) and therefore hated by rabbits. The
pill form is much cheaper than the liquid version but is flavored the same. Even
when we smashed the pills into powder and mixed it with yogurt/sugar
water/smashed carrots etc, the rabbits would actually hold it in their mouth and
spit it out when we put them back in their cage. In order to trick our rabbits
into eating the Baytril, we smashed the pills into a powder and sprinkled it on
papaya slices. Then we dried the papaya. All of the rabbits ate it with no
problem. Regardless, this treatment did nothing for our rabbits. Apparently they
did not have the Pasteurella bacteria. We returned to the vet and he put the
rabbits on another drug Sulfatrim which is regularly used for dog's
'kennel cough' or bordatella. This cleared it up within about 24 hours but it
came back about 2 weeks later. Sulfatrim wasn't working for some reason this
second time around. At this point we asked the vet not to put our rabbits on any
other antibiotics unless he was sure about what the disease was. He recommended
that we see another vet because the was at a loss. (lesson learned! always see a
vet who knows rabbits specifically). We were able to find a rabbit vet. She took
us off all antibiotics and advised us to keep the rabbit in a low stress
environment, feed him plenty of spinach and dark greens, add vitamins to his
water and otherwise just watch him carefully. She said he was very healthy and
should be able to recover from the 'cold' by himself just like a human. She said
that Baytril is usually a good diagnosis but that our rabbit probably had a
virus which no antibiotics would be able to help. She also said she only used
antibiotics as a last resort due to the side effects on the rabbits health. We
started putting vitamins in all of their water which seemed to speed the
recovery. The whole rest of the herd who had contracted the snuffles recovered
completely on their own with no additional problems and without the extra immune
suppressing drugs. (We started treating the water with VetRX but saw
no improvement with any of the rabbits. We were definitely not impressed.) The
original rabbit with the worse symptoms still had a slightly wet nose and
sneezing. Months later he still hadn't shaken it. So we started him
on Systemajuv which is a natural remedy we saw in the ARBA magazine
for snuffles provided by therabbitmedicinechest.com.
Systemjuv claims to boost the immune system. We were highly skeptical but at
this point had run out of ideas. We noticed marked improvement within 24 hours.
2 days later his nose was completely dry and the sneezing had stopped. He liked
the taste and seemed to be in better health overall. We've had no recurrence of
this condition.
Spinal Injury /
Paralysis
Symptoms - Loss of movement in the
hind legs, falling over (due to problems with the back legs), problems hopping
up on things or falling over when running around corners. Note: These symptoms
can also be caused by an enflamed/injured muscled in the back which puts
pressure on the spine and nerves (should go away within a few weeks). Some of
these symptoms can also be caused by "wry neck". Note: A spinal injury alone will not
immediately cause the death of your rabbit (except in very rare and extreme
cases)
How do they get it? - This is very common in
both domestic and commercial rabbits. If rabbits are held incorrectly they can
easily injury their spine when they kick with their hind legs. They can also get
injured by jumping off of something incorrectly or even by kicking at a weird
angle while they are playing. Sometimes if a young rabbit is put in with an
older rabbit, they can be kicked and injured.
Treatment
-
If the injury is muscular it should get better over
time. The only way to really tell what is causing the injury is to take them to
a vet for x-rays. The vet will also be able to tell you if the rabbit still has
feeling in their back legs and if the rabbit is in any pain.
If
the loss of leg use is caused by "wry neck", sometimes Baytril and Ivomec can be
prescribed to kill the protozoa.
If the loss of use is caused by
a spinal injury (very likely), there is little you can do. Usually the rabbit
will not be in any pain, the injury will have put pressure on the nerves causing
the loss of use. At that point you need to make a decision - they will need a
lot of care for the rest of their lives. In extreme cases the rabbit will have
lost complete use of their back legs. In most cases, the rabbit will lose more
motion in one leg than the other. They will adapt (especially if they are young)
to using one leg more than the other and will learn to hop that way. The rabbit
is capable of leading a painless almost normal life. BUT the rabbit can no
longer groom themselves properly and will need to be cleaned regularly
(especially in the beginning). You should trim the hair around their behind very
short and will need to wash them regularly to prevent urine burn. Remove
anything that the rabbit can hop up on. The up and down motion required for
stairs or hopping up on a box can further damage your rabbit. Put a rug or
something with 'traction' in your cage in order for them to have a firm grip.
Rabbits with spinal injuries have a very difficult time on slippery
surfaces.
Our experience with a spinal
injury -Our rabbit required a lot of care in the beginning but
within a few months had adapted quite well. He is in no pain, is almost as
mobile as before (although he falls a lot when he gets excited and starts to run
in circles), and leads a regular happy life. He has even learned to groom
himself by leaning against the side of the cage for support. We need to give him
a bath every 3 weeks or so and need to treat him regularly for fur
mites since he can no longer groom himself. When he sheds
(about 3 times a year) we need to brush him frequently in order to help him with
that.
Tattoo
What
is it? - A tattoo is required in order for the rabbit to show.
This is to prevent mix-ups on the show table. Tattoos are also used to simply
identify rabbits from a certain rabbitry, for breed tracking etc. It should be
in the rabbit's left ear. Usually the rabbits are tattooed right around when
they are weaned - 7 to 8 weeks. At this point the rabbits ear is still fairly
thin but is big enough to receive the letters from the tattoo. You can use any
letters or numbers you'd like. Sometimes they represent the rabbitry, or the
breeding pair. It's completely up to you. Typically you want to put the starting
letters/numbers of your tattoo towards the inside of ear with the numbers
running up towards the top of the ear to the end of the tattoo. If your tattoo
is read from 'tip to inside' of the ear it is considered
backwards.
How do you tattoo-
Secure
the rabbit thoroughly. We wrap ours firmly in a towel in order to hold them
better. You want to be very careful that they do not injure their backs (or
ears) by jumping or thrashing. We then support them by wrapping our arm and
hands around the rabbits side and back. You should have one person hold and one
person tattoo. Rabbit ears are very vascular so make sure you have extra towels
on hand if they bleed.
If you are using an electric tattoo pen
look at the ear in good light in order for you to identify the main veins
running through the ear. You want to avoid these so the rabbit doesn't bleed
unnecessarily. Sterilize and clean the ear with rubbing alcohol and cotton ball.
Rub thoroughly. For the Rabbitatt pen (the one we use) you need to make sure the
needle retracts fully into the pen at its lowest point and is only about 1cm out
of the pen at its longest point. Dip the pen in the ink and start tattooing.
Hold your finger directly under the rabbits ear behind where you are tattooing.
This will give you a solid surface to press against. Don't worry, it won't come
all the way through your ear to your finger. When finished, rub the tattoo with
the alcohol cotton ball again to clean off extra ink. Here is a link to a good
electric tattoo penwww.geocities.com/hend_rex/.
If
you are using a tattoo set with pins that you press into the ear (clamp tattoo,
bunny burrito), choose a place where it will avoid the large veins running
through the ear. Thoroughly clean the ear with rubbing alcohol. Make sure your
pins are nice and tight in the holder. We recommend using a piece of paper first
to make sure the tattoo is how you want it. You will use about the same amount
of pressure as you did on the paper. Do it quickly and release. It doesn't take
much for young rabbits since their ears are so thin. Sometimes for the first few
times you may even put the pins all the way through the ear. This is something
you want to try to avoid but it may take a few times to get the feel for it.
Just make sure you remove the pins from the ear immediately so the rabbit
doesn't thrash and tear it's ear! As soon as you are done smear the ink all over
the ear and into the tattoo. The rabbit doesn't usually mind this as all and is
very calm as soon as you get done with the 'stick'. After you have rubbed the
ink thoroughly into the ear just put the rabbit back in his cage. The extra ink
will come off over the next week or so. If you need it to come off immediately
you can use rubbing alcohol. It won't damage or lighten the
tattoo.
Teeth Problems / Teeth
Trimming
What is it? - 'Butted' teeth
and overgrown teeth can be a real problem if left alone. Butted teeth are when
the teeth 'butt' flush up against each other rather than the top teeth
overlapping the bottom like they should. Overgrown teeth is when either the
top or lower teeth are not worn down and grow out of control. Your rabbit may
also have spurs or spikes on their back teeth which cut into their
cheeks.
Symptoms - Teeth are mis aligned, teeth
are visibly sticking out of rabbits mouth. Teeth are curving outward from each
(on either top or on bottom) other rather than the 2 teeth being right next to
each other in a straight line) Eventually it will probably affect your rabbit's
eating habits. It can become painful and near impossible for the rabbit to
eat.
How do they get it? - Butted teeth can be caused
by many things including genetics or simply wire chewing by the rabbit.
Overgrown teeth are usually caused when the rabbit doesn't have anything to chew
on which will naturally wear down their teeth (such as a piece of wood). This
picture is an example of the bottom teeth growing faster than the upper teeth
causing misalignment. These needed to be trimmed down. Spurs on the back teeth
can develop over time and will need to be ground off.
Treatment
-
Your vet can trim your rabbit's teeth for you. If the
back teeth have spikes on them which are sticking into the cheek - you WILL need
to have a vet grind those off. That will require a sedative.
For
butted or overgrown front teeth, you can trim. It's not nearly as difficult as
it seems (for us it's much easier than trimming toenails on the rabbits). If you
are unsure have a rabbit breeder show you first. You don't want to crack
the rabbits teeth or hurt the rabbit. Make sure you hold the rabbit very
securely so that they will not struggle or hurt their back. We usually have the
rabbit facing up (on their back). Make sure the lips and flesh around the
inside of the mouth is not in the way. Get a very sharp, brand new set of
small/medium wire trimmers (like the picture to the left). You can also use dog
toenail trimmers (curved 2 bladed kind like in the picture to the right). If you
are trimming a baby or the teeth are pretty thin then you can use toenail
trimmers. Those work wel for many people I have talked too. Take off very small
amounts at a time until you are confident in what you are doing. The wire
trimmers should easily snip of pieces of the teeth. In the case of 'butted'
teeth I know some breeders cut the teeth very low (this does not cause the
rabbit pain unless you go very very low) in order that the teeth grow back
correctly. We don't do this or recommend that procedure. But we do trim the
teeth back to where they are just barely butted, or just barely beyond that so
the teeth can grow in their normal position without interference from the other
teeth. This should not hurt the rabbit's teeth and you will not be near the area
of the tooth which will cause the rabbit pain. Recheck the rabbit's teeth every
month to see how they are
progressing.
Vent Disease
(Spirochetosis)
What is it? - a form of
rabbit 'syphilis'.
Symptoms - red, swollen, scabby
genitals. Can show up in both bucks and does - especially in does after
birth.
How do they get it? - can be passed during
breeding and can be passed from mother to offspring during birth and in the next
box. It can be 'cured' via penicilin injections. Never breed during an
outbreak.
Treatment -
Have your vet
confirm diagnosis. These symptoms can also indicate a bacterial infection which
needs to be treated differently.
If it is vent disease it will
need to be treated with penicillin g (long lasting) injections. You
can get the injection and the needles at kwcages.com. Needles are
25 gauge 5/8" (as small as you can find). Doseage of 5/16 cc per lb of rabbit. 1
shot every week for 3 weeks. Should clear up within about 10 days.
If
it is a bacterial infection it can usually be treated with a topical creme. NOTE
- a topical creme can treat the LOOK of vent disease but vent disease is carried
in the bloodstream and will not be cured with just a creme. If you do have a
bacterial infection make sure you disinfect all of the rabbits surroundings and
food and water crocks. We use a non-toxic disinfectant called Vanodine.
Wool
Block
What is it? - A 'hairball' which is
usually actually composed of food held together in a mass by
hair
Symptoms - Listless rabbit, rabbit hunched in cage
unresponsive, rabbit isn't eating or drinking, rabbit isn't pooping, rabbit is
loudly grinding his teeth (a sign of extreme pain). This is extremely dangerous
for a rabbit and it must be dealt with immediately.
How do they
get it? - This can be caused by a large amount of hair which has
accumulated into a blockage of food and other particles. It can also be a result
of GI stasis (see below). If you fix the temporary problem but do not address
the underlying cause such as GI stasis or other injury then this condition can
easily return. If you do not feed your rabbit enough roughage this can be a
cause. There is a large risk for long haired or woolly rabbits especially around
the molting time when they groom their shedding hair.
Treatment
-
The ideal treatment is to get to your vet
immediately.
If you decide not to use the vet use Hairball Remedy
(rabbitmedicinechest.com-available via FedX). This
helps lubricate the blockage and helps the intestines move to expel the
blockage. Very successful if you catch the rabbit in time even though they
already have a blockage.
Keep the rabbit well hydrated with
Pedialyte (given through oral syringe). Put spinach or carrots into the cage to
entice the rabbit to eat. The rabbit is usually in a large amount of pain due to
gas. It is so painful that the rabbit may just give up. Get Children's
GasX (simethecone) and give them a dose in their Pedialyte in order to
reduce the pain. Also very light abdominal massage while slightly lifting the
hindquarters can help with the gas. But do not continue if the rabbit shows pain
when you massage.
Wounds
If
you have more than 1 rabbit, inevitably someone will get hurt at some point.
Either through fighting or some other mishap, rabbits get cuts and scratches
easily. Usually you won't see the scratch when it happens, you will just notice
something later.
If the scratch is fully scabbed and looks fine (no
redness or puffiness) then just keep and eye on it and let it heal.
If
rabbits fight they will probably have scratches on their face especially right
around the eyes and nose. If you notice a fresh scratch or one that looks
infected gently wash it with warm water. Then disinfect the semi open
wound.
If the rabbit has torn something small loose which needs
to be put back together- ie torn a piece of the nose which is still attached.
First - of course try to get stitches from your vet. If that is not possible or
if you decide to not go through surgery. MAKE SURE it is still partially
attached and is receiving a blood supply. Also, you must do this IMMEDIATELY
after the wound has happened. You cannot wait a few days after the wound has
started to close or has dried. Once it is established that the tear is still
attached and is receiving blood and needs to be held in place while it heals we
have had success using TINY amounts
of superglue after you THOROUGHLY disinfect the wound. We have tried
surgical tape and steri strips but usually because of the fur it is difficult to
hold the piece in proper place with these items. When using the superglue make
sure you only use TINY amounts to 'tack' some of the crucial edges to hold it in
place. You want to avoid getting any glue in the wound itself. Do not use glue
drops; make sure you use superglue that comes with a little brush. The pieces of
your wound must line up correctly and only need to be temporarily held in place.
This is not a solution for something large and should only be used as a last
resort.
General
Health
Terramycin soluble powder is used in water as a general
deterrent against disease and immune system problems. The dosage is 1 teaspoon
per gallon of water for 5-10 days. It can also be used as a general help against
Ecoli and othe things that the rabbit may have. Another name for terramycin is
Oxytetracycline HCl or tetracyclin. The terramycin ointment can be used to clean
eye infections. Triple Acid Pack is used in water when the rabbit is under
stress to boost the immune system and keep the rabbit in balance. These can be
purchased an most feed or online vet stores such as www.jefferslivestock.com.
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section includes detailed information regarding ailments and health issues we
have had with our rabbits. It also includes trusted information we have
experienced or gathered from other breeders/rabbitries/vets/online sources etc.
We cover fur mites, snuffles, a broken leg, spinal injury, wool block and other
issues.symptomWryneck
Birth - Breeding | Birth issues | Cold Kits | Dead Kits | Feeding kits | Ketosis | Line
Breeding | Mastitis | Peanuts | Starving Kits | Stuck Kits |Vent Disease
General - Dehydration | Fly Control | Heat Stroke | Hiccups | Injections| Medicine (won't eat) | Not Eating | Odor Control | Oral Rehydration Therapy | Poison | Tattoo | Teeth
Trimming |
Habits - Chewing
plastic | Eye Scanning | Fur chewing | Pacing | Stomping | Wire chewing |
Rocking | Spraying |
Urinating
Infection - Abscess | Ear Infection | Eye Bulging | Eye Infection | Fly Strike | Fungus (skin) | Head Tilt | Hutch Burn | Mastitis | Mucoid Enteritis | RHD (Rabbit Hemorrhagic Viral) | Spirochetosis | Vent
Disease
Injury - Broken Leg | Eye Bulging | Fly Strike | Hutch Burn | Paralysis |Sore Hocks | Spinal/Back Injury | Wounds
Intestinal - Coccidia | Diarrhea | Gas | GI Stasis | Hiccups | Mucoid Enteritis | Red/Orange-Urine | Wasting/Fader | Wool
Block
Neurological - Epilepsy | Head
Tilt | Heat Stroke | Paralysis | Siezures| Wry
Neck
Parasites - Coccidia | Fly Control | Fly Strike | Fungus (skin) | Ear Mites| Fleas | Fur Mites | Lice | Pinworms | Wry
Neck
Respiratory - Allergies | Bordatella | Hiccups | Snuffles/Pasteurella
Acetaminophen | Advantage | Amoxycillin |Am-Tech | Asprin (Children's) | Baytril |BeneBac | Bi-odor | Carbaryl | Corid | Critical Care | Dawn | Dextrose | Frontline | GasX (children's) | Ivomectrin | Lactated Ringer |Listerine | Mineral Oil | Motrin (children's) |Oxytetracycline HCl | Neosporin | Nutri-Cal |Parastem | Pedialyte | Penicillin | Permethrin| Piperazine | Preparation H | ProBak |Program | Pyrethrins | Revolution | Sevindust| Simethecone | Sulfa Drugs | Sulphametha-zine | Sulfatrim | Superglue | Systemajuv |TerraCleanse | Terramycin | Tetracycline |Tums | Twin_Pen | Tylenol | Vanodine | VetRX| Wazine | Zap-It
medication calculator for
bunnies
Abscess
What
is it? - Puss filled wound caused by bacteria / staff/ and other
things like pasturella.
Symptoms - Hard lump
under the skin, may ooze puss.
How do they get
it? Previous wounds, receiving an injection which becomes
infected, pasturella, staff and other
things.
Treatment - The wound must be kept extremely
clean. Shave around the area. Lance it with something steralized. Squeeze it
firmly to get out the puss. It will likely be very thick and you may need to use
a lot of pressure. Once you are sure the abcess is empty clean with peroxide /
or terracleanse or / vanodine to steralize. Apply penicillin topically on the
area and into the wound. You can get it at feedstores -"TWin_Pen"Penicillin G
Benzathine and Penicillin G Procaine (labeled for cattle). IF you cannot keep
this clean it may need to be removed
surgically.
Abscess behind the eye /
Eye Bulging
What is it? - Click here for larger picture. The eye is bulging
far beyond it's regular location. Puss filled wound caused by bacteria / staff/
and other things like pasturella. In this case it develops specifically behind
the eye causing the eye to bulge far beyond it's normal
location.
Symptoms - Eye bulging way beyond what
it should.
How do they get it? Previous wounds
which become infected, pasturella, staff and other things, molars/teeth growing
incorrectly inward causing an infection behind the
eye.
Treatment - Antibiotics such as Baytril may be
used. A vet needs to look at this, dignose if the problem is actually an abscess
rather than cancer or some other problem and then prescribe what they think. If
this is caused by the molars it can be a lifelong reoccuring
problem.
Bordatella
What
is it? - A bacteria which can cause a rabbit 'cold'. Also
sometimes assumed to be 'snuffles'. Bordatella causes kennel cough in
dogs.
Symptoms - Uncontrollable sneezing,
a clear discharge around the nose (looks like water)
which can also be present on front paws from the rabbit wiping their
face.
How do they get it? Rabbits will not get
viral colds from humans, but can develop these symptoms due to bacteria already
existing in the rabbits system and other virus'. Stress to the rabbit is usually
the cause. This can be due to showing, extreme temperature/humidity changes,
travel, over-heating and many other things. It is highly contagious and is
transferred from one rabbit to another through particles sneezed or wiped onto
something which comes in contact with other
rabbits.
Treatment - As with any rabbit disease,
you should consult a vet as soon as possible. Rabbits have very delicate immune
systems and respiratory problems can progress very quickly. It is also important
that you know what is causing your rabbit 'cold'. A vet can perform a 'culture'
which will identify the cause and the proper antibiotic. If you give the wrong
antibiotic you can strengthen the cause and wear down your
rabbit.
Common treatments include Baytril or Sulfatrim which are
prescribed by a vet. We gave our infected rabbits .5cc 2 times daily for 2
weeks. The rabbits weighed from 2 lbs to 4 lbs. In our case the baytril did
nothing and the sulfatrim cleared it right up.
Isolate the rabbit from
all other rabbits to prevent spread of the infection. Move the rabbit into a
cool, quite, low stress place.
Disinfect anything the rabbit has
touched which is in contact with other rabbits. There are many different rabbit
safe sterilizers sold online such as vanodine. Or you can use
1/32 bleach/water (rinse off after it has
dried).
Broken Back
(see Spinal Injury /
Paralysis)
Broken
Leg
Our experience with a broken leg -
Rabbits will inevitably get into some type of injury where you have no idea how
they managed to hurt themselves. Ours was a broken leg. We went out to check the
rabbits in the morning and there was our doe with a broken tibia (bone between
the hip and knee). We took her to the vet who took some x-rays. She said if the
foot had been broken they could have simply wrapped it, given her some pain
medication and let it mend. But with this type of injury they would need to try
a splint or perform surgery. The splint would be unreliable and would need to be
changed and re x-rayed at least 4 times. They explained that a splint is not
helpful unless it is placed exactly right. If the rabbit dislodges it, the
splint could actually do more harm that good by putting pressure in the wrong
area, causing additional pain, or even holding the leg incorrectly and
preventing mending. A splint would be around $500. Overall they didn't know if a
splint would work and they recommended surgery. Surgery would place a plate or
pin inside the rabbits leg to hold it exactly where it needed to be. Depending
on how much medication they needed the price would be between $800 and $1000. As
always, with rabbits there is risk whenever they go into surgery that there will
be problems. They said it was also a significant risk to the babies (the doe was
1 week pregnant). We were at a completely loss. Although we completely
understand people who decide to pay for this type of surgery we just couldn't
bring ourselves to invest that much into this situation. We didn't want her to
be in pain and we asked the vet if there were any other solutions besides having
to put her to sleep. The vet said in this case it was possible to let her heal
on her own. According to the x-rays, the bone was right next to each other. It
was a clean break and was actually still touching. She was also able to observe
the rabbit the whole day and saw that the doe was eating and drinking as normal.
The doe was even moving around the cage quite a bit. She said that if it were
her rabbit, she would at least leave the rabbit for a week or so before making a
decision. If the rabbit continued to eat, drink and act normal she seemed to
feel that the rabbit wasn't in terrible pain. The doe probably wasn't
comfortable but we could give doses of Children's Motrin to help. You
can also useChildren's Aprin. Do not use anything
with Acetaminophen such as Children's Tylenol. She said the leg
would mend but it wouldn't be as straight as if we had performed surgery. We
were told to keep her in a small cage so that she wouldn't move around much. So
we took her home - as is. Over the next few days the doe continued to groom, eat
and drink as normal. Within 2 days she was moving around her cage so much that
we decided to take her off the Motrin, in hopes that she could give the leg a
little more rest. It seemed to have almost no affect - she continued to favor
the leg, but to act very normal. Within a week she started gently itching her
ear with the bad leg. Within 2 weeks she was itching like normal with her back
leg. She would even stand on her back legs to greet us when we came to feed her
in the morning. To be honest we were very happy that she seemed to feel so good
but we were very concerned that she was using the leg so much. 3 weeks later she
had her first litter. Instead of a nest box for her to hop in and out of, we
make a 'nest' out of straw in the corner of the cage. We were also concerned
that she wouldn't have enough control over the leg in order to keep the babies
safe. She did wonderful though and seemed to have no problems birthing, feeding
or taking care of the babies. After a month we moved her to a larger cage in
order for her to hopefully be less bored. Her leg is not entirely straight
(slightly out to the side) but she sits on it and uses it as normal. We are very
careful when we let her out and where we let her play. We make sure she is never
with other rabbits and that she doesn't get so excited that she starts to run
around or kick. We need to be extremely careful with the leg to make sure she
doesn't re-injure it. She seems completely happy and we look forward to future
litters from
her.
Coccidia (Coccidiosis)
http://www.rabbit.org/chapters/san-diego/health/vet-talk/coccidia.html
What
is it? - Coccidia is a protozoa which affects the rabbit digestive
system and or liver. This can be contagious to other rabbits depending on how
many of the parasite they ingest. This typically only affects very young (4-7
weeks) or injured rabbits.
Symptoms - Very
listless, limp rabbit. Mucus and blood in the rabbit's stool. (if the mucus does
not have blood and the rabbits stomach is bloated you may have Mucous Enteritis) Very foul smelling stool.
Excessive diarrhea. Mucus/blood/diarrhea everywhere - it's an explosive mess.
This is extremely serious and will kill a young rabbit typically with 24
hours.
How do they get it? - Rabbits regularly
have a small amount already in their systems. But if the rabbit is very young
and something is introduced which stresses their system (lots of new fruit),
their immune system may be overwhelmed. Typically however, rabbits come in
contact with the protozoa through infected feces. Then when they groom their
feet they will ingest the protozoa. A clean cage is essential for the health of
your rabbit. They may not even get sick, it depends on how many protozoa they
ingest.
Treatment -
You must keep the
rabbit hydrated while they are battling this. (see
dehydration below)
Corid is used as prevention and for
treatment. For prevention Corid recommends 5 mg/day for every 2.2 lbs of body
weight given for 21 days. For treatment of an effected animal the recommendation
is 10mg/day for every 2.2 lbs of body weight given for 5 days. http://www.corid.com/pdf/CORID20.pdf .
Or you can mix 1 teaspoon per gallon of water. Do not give less than 5 days. It
is also available athttp://www.kwcages.com
OR
The
use of 1% of sulphametha-zine (sulfa drugs) in a mash may be
effective, especially for the intestinal infection
Parastem (rabbitmedicinechest.com-available via FedX) fed
directly to them orally (as much as they will swallow as often as possible) will
also kill the protozoa. It is all natural and you can use on any age rabbit
without overdosing. It is somewhat expensive.
Your rabbit has
probably stopped eating. As your rabbit starts to gain its strength back, put
rabbit pellets in a small amount of hot pedialyte. This will cause the pellets
to expand and become soft. Then put the mush into an oral syringe and feed as
often as the rabbit will eat
it.
Dehydration
Symptoms -
If your rabbit has stopped drinking and peeing. If their skin
'stays' in one place when you pinch it together rather than it
immediately releasing back into place. If your rabbit has
diarrhea.
How do they get it? - If your rabbit has been
sick they are likely dehydrated because they don't feel like drinking or they
are in pain or their body simply can't keep in the
fluids.
Treatment -
Soak carrot tops in
water to entice them to eat and get the fluid. Offer them apples and bananas,
apple juice and pinneapple juice.
If they won't drink on their own you
will need to feed them with an oral syringe. (note NEVER oral syring
feed a rabbit on their back!! or they can easily breathe in the liquid). These
are available at your vet or any pharmacy (baby syringe feeder). Feed them
unflavored children's Pedialyte. This contains electrolytes and other
things needed for dehydration which are not contained in regular water. If you
can get it fast enough you can use Am-Tech rather than pedialyte (www.jefferslivestock.com), an amino acid formula
used to combat the dehydration and get them the nutrients they need during
severe illnesses. The important thing is that you need to quickly get your
rabbit hydrated by whichever method they will tolerate.
If you
don't have pedialyte you can make your own ORT (oral rehydration
therapy) 1 cup water, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda (since
their system can be acidic when they are sick, this will help reduce that), 3/16
teaspoon salt.
If they are too weak to drink, or extremely
hydrated and need immediate fluids, you'll need to getlactated ringer
solution from your vet. This is for sub-cutaneus application
(under the skin, not in the muscle or veins). It will come with a needle,
syringe tubing, etc. Your vet can show you how to administer. I usually do about
a golfball in size between the shoulderblades for an adult (small holland sized)
rabbit. There's not really a risk of overdosing, but it can be painful for the
rabbit if you 'overfill' an area. Once that goes down in size I administer again
in a couple hours if they are still dehydrated. Do not reuse your needles, they
dull after one use and can be very painful for the rabbit. They are also no
longer steralized after
use.
Diarrhea
What
is it? - Runny stool - usually smells much worse than usual rabbit
poop. Hair matted on the rabbits butt, poop caked in
fur.
Symptoms - Can be accompanied by a listless
rabbit, rabbit not eating or drinking, very foul smelling stool, blood or mucus
in stool.
How do they get it? - There are many many
different potential causes. Usually it is caused by a change in diet. This is
less extreme and is usually not accompanied by a lot of diarrhea. The stool may
just be a little looser than normal which will clear up in a few days. If the
rabbit is very young or old and the diarrhea is severe, a common cause is 'coccidia' and mucoid enteritis. It can also be caused if a
rabbit is on antibiotics. Antibiotics can kill the bad and the good bacteria in
a rabbits stomach. This causes an imbalance in the digestive system causing
diarrhea.
Treatment -
Isolate the rabbit in
case it is caused by sickness
Disinfect anything the rabbit has touched
including the cage
If you do not see any other signs of illness it may
just be an imbalance in stomach bacteria, you can wipe some yogurt on their
front paws. The rabbit will lick it off and hopefully 'rebalance'. Or you can
use benebac (or probac) powder in their food to rebalance.
If the
rabbit has blood or mucus in the stool see 'coccidia' and 'mucoid'
If the rabbit seems listless or
is not drinking they are very likely dehydrated. This is a common side effect of
diarrhea and you must help that immediately.
If the rabbit seems fine
and the diarrhea is not very severe then just keep an eye on them and make sure
they are drinking and eating. Typically this is caused by a change in diet, or
by fruit. You can give them probac rabbitmedicinechest.com or benebac jefferslivestock.com in
their water which will re-balance their intestinal 'good' bacteria. If your
rabbit is on antibiotics you should definitely be giving them one of those in
their water.
Thoroughly disinfect the animals cage. If bacteria is the
cause of their diarrhea you need to make sure that is no longer present in their
environment. (Vanodine is an
easy, cheap and very effective
disinfectant)
Ear Infection / Otitis
Media & interna
What is it? - Pressure inside the rabbits
ear due to a bacterial infection which causes disorientation, head tilt, rolling
in the cage etc.
Treatment -
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Neurology/otitis_interna_media.PDF
Eye
Infection
Symptoms - Swollen, red, pussy
area AROUND the eye. (if the eye itself is bulging out you may have anabscess
behind the eye) Eye crusted in goop, eye sealed shut. When the
eye is semi open you may be able to see a milky whitish spot on the eye - or the
whole eye may look milky white (blind).
How do they get
it? - We haven't seen where they get it from. For us, it usually
shows up in small babies once they move out of the nest box. It can be caused by
an infection, crowded conditions or by something in they eye such as a piece of
hay.
Treatment -
Gently cleanse the eye with
warm water to remove the puss/crust and to allow the eye to open. Make sure you
don't see anything in the eye such as a piece of hay. Use terramycin eye gel 3-4
times a day until the eye no longer crusts over. This has been very successful
for eye infections for us and can be purchased online at (www.jefferslivestock.com) and other online feed
stores. Usually we see results within hours of application.
Disinfect
the cage and area around the rabbit. (Vanodine recommended)
Fleas
What
is It? Blood sucking parasite on extrernal body of the rabbit.
Visible if you look closely.
Symptoms - Itching,
scratching
Treatment -
Wash in
origional Dawn dish detergent (blue). I have heard
this will kill the fleas almost instantly. Safe for the bunnies at any
age.
Put a small drop of 'Advantage' flea/tick
medicine on their
ear. Revolution and Program are
also considered safe for rabbits although none are officially approved in the US
for rabbit use. Frontline should never be used on
rabbits.
OR give a dose of Ivomec. 1% cattle injectable, .01cc
(point zero one) per lb of rabbit. I wouldn't recommend using on younger than 8
weeks. If you don't want to use the liquid Ivomectrin you can use the paste for
horses. 1/2 pea size on the tounge.
Fly
Control
There are many home remedies such as vinegar in a gallon jug
with small holes poked in the side. The flies go into the holes but cannot get
out. There are also automatic fly sprayers which work quite well. They can be
used inside or out and cover about a 10x20 area. They spray a small natural fly
repellent at regular intervals. It uses natural pyrethrins. When used in
medication directly on the rabbit, pyrethrins have caused our rabbits problems.
But we have not had issues from the fly repellent used in the air. Many breeders
that we know also use this method. These systems are available at
www.kwcages.com. But the biggest control by far for our hutches, has been wood
pellets in the drop pans (or whatever you use to catch the droppings and pee).
There are special compressed wood pellets specifically for horse bedding, but
this is very expensive. You can use wood stove pellets - they are the same
thing. They expand when wet and keep the pans dry and odor
free.
Fly
Strike
What is it? - When flies lay their eggs
on rabbits. The maggots hatch and can eat into the rabbit. Here is a good
article on what to look for and how to treat.
http://www.tsukiyo.org/Health/Diseases/flystrike2.html
Fungus
(skin)
What is it? - There are many
different types with many different symptoms from different types of fungus'.
This can be spread from one rabbit to
another.
Symptoms - Very hard small 'bumps' on the
rabbits body. They will be very small, only about 1mm in diameter. They are so
hard they almost feel like bone. These are actually scabs and diseased skin. It
can also show up as abnormal looking growths on the ears. It can show up on the
rabbits bottom and back along the spine. It can show up in the rabbits ears and
on the rabbits feet.
How do they get it? - It is
usually caused from unclean conditions which are moist and promote fungus
growth. (or in our case was passed to us from someone else's nest box) Usually a
mother will have had traces of the fungus and will pass it to her babies within
the nest box. The babies are less able to fight it and within a few weeks will
have an outbreak on their skin.
Treatment
-
Isolate the rabbit
Disinfect anything the
rabbit has touched including the cage (this is to remove any fungus still in the
environment). Vanodine is great
for this (easy, effective and inexpensive)
You can use a topical
fungicide powder from any pharmacy. Just use the over the counter stuff. Easy
and usually works great.
Or you can soak the area in properly diluted
Terra Cleanse rabbitmedicinechest.com. Terra
Cleanse is oxygen rich and kills bacteria and fungus. It won't hurt your
rabbit and is easy to apply to fur. Just use it in a spray bottle and make sure
you soak down to the skin. NOTE: When working with any fungus wear plastic
gloves. The 'bumps' will start to fall off within a week or so. Keep soaking the
skin every other day until the rabbit is fully
recovered.
Gas
What
is it? - Gas could be caused by many many things. Gas is usually
a resultof something else - not the cause. It can be a
result of GI
Stasis , hiccups, wool block, change in diet, old age, intestinal
kink and many other intestinal problems. You will need to try and find the cause
if you are to avoid this in the future.
Symptoms
- rabbit in extreme pain, rabbit grinding teeth, listless rabbit,
rabbit not eating or drinking, rabbit no pooping, rabbit hiccuping, could have
been preceeded by anorexia or massive weight loss, distended stomach. (NOTE all
of these symptoms can also be a sign of other
things)
Treatment -
Get to your
bunny vet! You will likely need an x-ray to see if there is a gas ball, and if
there are other things such as a blockage, or kink of the intestine etc. ie if
there is a blockage you will need other treatments.
Give baby
gas-x (symethicone). You can find it at any grocery store. Give a full oral dose
for a child. Follow the directions as you would for a child on how often to
administer. Its very safe to give and they love the taste so it's not difficult
to administer.
Your rabbit is likely in extreme pain. If so- give
them a dose of children's asprin. NOT children's tylenol. This will help them
hang on longer until the gas ball is broken down and
passed.
GI
Stasis
What is it? - A slow down of the
digestive system resulting in gas and blockage preventing digestion.
http://fig.cox.miami.edu/Faculty/Dana/ileus.html
Heat
Stroke - REMEMBER HEAT KILLS! - Rabbits are very susceptible to
heat. Anything over 80° is dangerous. Over 85° is extremely dangerous. If
possible, you want to keep your rabbits in a cool place during the day. If they
must be outside in the heat, freeze a 2 liter water bottle and place it in the
cage next to the rabbit so they can lie against it. Rabbits cool through their
ears. A sign of overheating is your rabbit running around
frantically/uncoordinated in the cage. If you see this and know your rabbit is
in hot conditions, immediately move them into a cool area.
Put a few
inches of cool (not cold) water in a small tub or sink. Gently place your bunny
in the water. Cup the water in your hand and gently pour it over the rabbits
coat. Pour the water especially over the rabbits ears - this will help them cool
down the fastest.
Head
Tilt / Wry Neck / Encephalitozoon protozoa
What is it?
- This can be caused by something as simple as an inner ear
infection or it can be caused by wry neck. Wry neck can be spread from rabbit to
another.
Symptoms - The rabbits head is tilted parallel
to the ground or even on the ground. The rabbit is disoriented, may be walking
in circles, rolling in the cage or thrashing in the cage. If it is an ear
infection this is caused by pressure on the middle ear which causes loss of
balance (see
below). Wry neck does not seem to be painful to the rabbit - just
disorienting.
How do they get it? By coming in
contact with the bacteria which causes an ear infection or wry neck. Usually the
rabbit is very young/old, has been dehydrated or has been stressed due to
weather, showing, overcrowding or other stressful situation. Wry neck can be
caused by many things. Stress can cause a rabbit to sucumb to bacterial
infections or subcomb exposure to Encephalitozoon protozoa. This can be passed
through the urine or through dormant bateria on hay or other conditions where
other animals have been.
Treatment -
Get
to your vet immediately! Have them check for ear infection which is very
treatable. If they do not see an ear infection then it may be wry
neck.
If you suspect wry neck here is an excellent article on treatment from
Barbi Browns Bunnies
Disinfect all the rabbits things with Vanodine (easy,
inexepensive and complete) .
In the future - give your herd
preventative doses of Ivomec every 4 months or so. Ivomec 1% injectable for
cattle and swine - available at jefferslivestock.com. .03cc per lb of rabbit via
oral syringe. Or you can get the paste used for horses. 1/2 a pea size dot on
the rabbits tongue. Baytril is also sometimes precribed but is found to be less
effective is the original cause was not a bacterial
infection.
Hiccups -
What
is it? - Hiccups for an extended period of time (hours to days).
Rabbit hiccups are very fast and are often mistaken for seizures. Babies
frequently get hiccups. These are normal and happen often for babies that are 2
weeks and younger, especially after eating. Certain adults can also be prone to
these but it is rare. If the rabbit hiccups do not last for hours and hours,
usually they will go away on their own and are harmless. If your rabbit has them
for long periods of time it can be a sign of something else - or a result of
something else. A vet can do an x-ray to see if there are intestinal problems or
gas balls in the stomach (as a result of the prolonged hiccups). Rabbits which
were weaned improperly as babies can also be more prone to these as they get
older (as well as other digestive problems). Also if you have corn pieces in
your rabbit pellets this can cause gas and intestinal problems. The x-ray is a
picture of a rabbity taken in after 2 days of hiccups.
Symptoms
- Could be preceeded by not pooping, eating or
drinking.
If the rabbit shows pain (grinding teeth, listless) you
need to see a vet for an x-ray. See if there is a gas ball, if there is another blockage causing
the gas ball, or to see if everything is normal.
Give a dose of
children's baby gas-x (symethicone) to combat air which may be building up. A
regular baby dose (usually a full syringe). Follow the instructions on the
bottle for how often to administer. Also remove any corn peices from the rabbits
food. You can offer them more greens and less pellets to see if there is a
change in the next couple weeks and less of a problem. If so - make the change
to the diet permanent.
Hutch
Burn
What is it - Click here for a larger clearer picture. Often
confused with vent disease this is specific to the anal region. The vent is
still clear, correctly colored and generally unswollen and normal. Notice in the
picture that the vent is clear, pink and normal. The anal area is swollen,
purple and scabby. Hutch burn is irritation of the bottom and genitals from
urine.
Symptoms - Swollen, red, irritated, chapped, raw
bottom and genital area. Fur may fall out around area.
How do they
get it? Urine splashes back on the rabbits feet and bottom.
Usually caused by dirty cages/cage bottoms. Can also be caused by wet/unine
soaked conditions such as the corner of an outside rabbit run on the ground. The
urine comes in contact with the rabbit's skin and causes a burn. This becomes
raw and can become infected.
Treatment
-
Clean and disinfect the area (with something such
as Vanodine ) and treat
with neosporin. Clean and dissinfect the cage (again we recommend
Vanodine. We have been using it for years and it is an absolute must have for
every rabbit
breeder).
Injections
If
you need to give a your rabbit an injection here are some tips we've used and
have been given by other breeders. I always inject at the base of the neck, I
make a triangle where you lift the skin, and then inject in the triangle You
will notice sometimes it is a bit tight...and just push gently till it gives.
Pull back on the syringe to make sure you did not get a vessel. If no blood then
go ahead and inject the full amount. Use the needle only once because they dull
immediately. Use one needle to get the medicine out into the syringe. Then use a
totally new needle to inject it into the skin. This makes it soo much easier and
less painful for the animal. Some times you just have to see someone else do it
if you have never done it before. I use 1cc syringes. Normally they are $0.35 in
price at vetline. You can clean and reuse
them.
Mastitis
What
is it - An infection in the mammary gland and nipple usually on
lactating or pregnant does. This can be passed from mother to
babies.
Symptoms - Swollen, blue, hot to the
touch nipple or gland surrounding it. Sometimes accompanied by puss or colored,
bloody, smelly discharge from the nipple.
How do they get
it? http://www.provet.co.uk/Petfacts/healthtips/rabbitmastitis.htm
Treatment
-
See your vet for proper
treatment.
GENTLY squeeze out any puss from the area. Clean area
with terra cleanse (http://www.rabbitmedicinechest.com) or some other
topical NON TOXIC cleanser. Be VERY VERY careful to thoroughly remove the
cleanser so the babies will not ingest it (unless it's diluted Terra Cleanse,
which there is no danger to the babies). Do this every day.
Remove the
babies from the mother and foster them to another doe if
possible.
Mites (Ear) / Ear
Mange
What is It? Mites feed on the dead skin
and hair of a rabbit. Ear mites will show up as black or dark 'dust' looking
material in your rabbits ear causing tissue and skin damange. It can get quite
thick if left untreated. You can see the mite with a microscope. This can be
contagious to other rabbits.
Symptoms - Black
stuff in ears. Scabby ears. Loss of skin condition and weight in rabbit. Rabbit
constantly shaking its head and trying to rub ears with back
feet.
Treatment -
Baby oil
or mineral oil rubbed onto the ear 2 or 3 times a week for a couple
weeks. This will suffocate them. OR
You can make a soothing ear lotion
consisting of one part iodoform, ten parts of ether, and twenty-five parts of
olive oil, should be applied to the inflamed area, then repeated a week or so
later until the scabs have completely healed.
Ivermectrin .01cc
per LB of body weight given orally. 1 dose and then another dose 14 days later.
This will usually kill them completely with a day or
so.
Here is more information. Ear mite
control
Mites in Fur /
Wool / Mange / Lice
What is It? - Fur mites
are small mites which feed on the dead skin and hair of a rabbit. They are
sometimes called 'walking dandruff' because if you look closely on your rabbits
skin you can sometimes see tiny flakes of skin moving (which is being carried or
eaten by the mite). You can see the mite with a microscope. This is contagious
to other rabbits. They can also be passed to humans if they mites are not washed
off (always wash hands thoroughly when handling rabbits) and if the mites come
in contact with water (if you wash the rabbit) they may migrate to the hands and
arms of the human.
Symptoms - Constant scratching or
chewing by the rabbit, usually on the inside of the hind legs, the shoulders or
up by the neck (wherever the rabbit can reach). Loss of fur on the shoulders and
upper body. Visible white dandruff on the rabbits skin. Small 'scales', scabs or
dry flaky skin on the inside of the rabbits back legs. If a human contracts
these it will show up as an extremely itchy red flaky rash. According to
information we have read, this will go away quickly. Although the mites can
migrate to humans, they don't 'like the taste' and usually leave in a short
period of time.
How do they get it? - Mites can be
transferred from birds, bird droppings, other wild animals or another rabbit. We
have been told that rabbits come in regular contact with the mites. Rabbits that
are kept outside or allowed to run around in the dirt and grass are more likely
to get mites. This is kept under control by the regular grooming of the healthy
rabbit. If a rabbit becomes unable to groom himself due to an injury or being
overweight, the mite population can quickly become out of control. Usually it
starts at the top of the neck right at the base of the head since this is most
difficult for the rabbit to reach.
Treatment
-
Remove the rabbit from his cage or pen. Sterilize the
area and treat the entire area with a product
containing Carbaryl (carbon based products used on mites and parasites
for poultry and rabbitswww.jefferslivestock.com). If this is an outside
run, make sure you treat the dirt as well. The mite eggs can last for quite a
few days after the mites are dead. Carbaryl will also take care of the eggs.
Make sure you also treat any wood or hutch items as the eggs can live in the
wood. Treat surrounding runs and hutches. The mites easily move to surrounding
areas. DO NOT GET THE CARBARYL in any water sources.
There are several
ways you can treat the mites or lice on your rabbit. You can dust him lightly
with the Carbaryl powder, you can rub his fur and skin thoroughly
with Listerine mouth wash (can sting if he has open scabs but is
effective) and you can use 1 dose of Ivomectrin orally ( .03cc's per
lb of rabbit. We use cattle/swine Ivermectrin 1% www.jefferslivestock.com). We have used each of
these depending on the situation. They have all been effective. We also treat
the outside runs with carbaryl. We have had no further outbreaks of mites.
Although it does come as an injectable, we simply use an oral syringe and put
the dose on the rabbits tongue. You can inject directly into the skin of the
rabbit but this stings and is not necessary. You should see results by the next
day. You should repeat the dose again 14 days later in order to kill any more
mites that have hatched since the first dose.
For some temporary
relief while you are waiting the day or 2 for the Ivomec to work, you can soak
your rabbits fur/skin in Listerine mouthwash to give some immediate relief
(soak, leave for a minute or 2 and then wash off).
You can
lightly dust your rabbits fur with Sevindust garden
powder.
Never use FrontLine (fipronil) flea and tick medicine! This can
kill your rabbit. Never use any type of dog prescription, many times these are
dangerous for your rabbit. We've seen many places recommend cat flea and mite
treatments (either in wipes or powders etc). DO NOT USE THESE. Although some may
be safe for your bunny, they are not tested for your rabbit and many
contain Pyrethrins. This can cause severe seizures/stiffening/shock and can
actually kill your rabbit if he has a reaction.
Our experience
with fur mites - We noticed the symptoms of mites on our injured
Holland (he had had limited use of his back legs since he was a baby) it was
recommended by a Petco vet and by several places online that we use cat flea and
tick wipes. We chose Zodiac 'Wipe Away' brand. We checked the ingredients for
anything unusual, we called the 800 ask-a-vet number on the box to inquire
specifically about rabbits. The vets there told us there should be no problems
and this should be safe for our 2.6lb rabbit. We used the wipes on his whole
body and face. We closely monitored the rabbit for several hours and then put
him back in the hutch. He seemed to stop itching almost immediately. We checked
him about 6 hours later and found him in a full seizure. He then went stiff as a
board - body fully extended, eyes fixed, and lay on the bottom of the cage. We
immediately put him into a small tub of warm water while I got on the phone to
the 800 hotline. We bathed him quickly in diluted 'dove' soap - paying special
attention to thoroughly bathe his ears and head. I described the symptoms to the
vet on call who immediately said 'oh- he must be having a reaction to the
Pyrethrins (bunnies can also have the same seizure reaction
to Permethrins). That is something which can cause reactions in rabbits to
varying degrees. I asked them why they had said the product was ok for rabbits
and they said that sometimes rabbits are fine, but sometimes they do have a
reaction. (The ingredient on the box was Pyrethrin 0.116%) They said to bathe
him and watch him. If he continued to have stiffness or any shortness of breath
we needed to take him to an emergency clinic where they could administer some
sort of counter drugs. We called an emergency clinic and they said the same
thing - Pyrethrins were the cause (present in most cat flea and tick treatments)
and to keep a close eye on him for the next few minutes. Miraculously, as soon
as we finished bathing him he immediately relaxed, started to breathe normal and
started to look around. After a few minutes more he started hopping around and
rested in the corner of his cage. After another 1/2 hour he began to eat and
drink and seemed to be himself. We keep him on a monthly dose of Ivomec and
haven't had any problems with him
since.
Mucoid
Enteritis Click here to see picture of mucoid
droppings
What is it? A mucus-like
inflammation of the intestinal tract caused by either viral or bacterial
infection, also called bloat, which affects young rabbits usually 3-10 weeks
old. It is not contagious.
Symptoms - Rabbit
hunched rigid in the cage sometimes with the head titled back. Loss of balance.
Bloated stomach - you can sometimes hear 'sloshing' and gurling in the stomach
when you pick the rabbit up. Constipation and/or small amounts of diarrhea. The
diarrhea will have gel globs in droppings and mucus covered soft droppings. Gel
on their bottom. No blood or green mucus in the droppings like withCoccidia.
Grinding their teeth (a sign of extreme pain).
How do they get
it? - here is a quote from
http://www.all-creatures.com/456013.html "This condition involves disruption of
the complex system responsible for fermentation of non-digestible fiber in the
diet. Factors involved in enteritis complex include changes in diet, effects of
antibiotics, stress, and genetic predisposition to gut dysfunction. Diets high
in sugars or protein or low in fiber may cause changes in the fermentation
process in the cecum, leading to changes in pH and motility, which in turn lead
to enteritis. Additionally, some antibiotics that affect the normal bacteria of
the hindgut (penicillin, cephalosporin, erythromycin, clindamycin, and
lincomycin) allow overgrowth of bacteria found in the intestinal tract, which
can cause enteritis." It can be from overcrowding or overstressing which causes
constipation and a distruption in the fermentation process of fiber in the gut.
Stress can also be caused by change in temperature, by bullying by other
rabbits, showing, traveling, change in food.
Treatment
-
For this disease there is as yet no recognized
control. It is painful and slow and they do not usually recover. You should
consider putting the baby 'down' if you have this. If you want to try and keep
them alive even though they are in pain...replace their water with pedialyte for
hydration and give them plenty of carrots, green leaf lettuce/spinach and
bananas/apples/papaya, pinneaple juice, yogurt. Basically anything they will
eat. They usually will decrease the amount of pellets during this
time.
To help prevent, it is recommended that you include a broad
spectrum antibiotic in the water of the mother and of the babies as they grow
older. We use Terramycin. Steralize the cage floor before the
babies leave the nest box, have the mother and babies on a normal low protein
and high fiber diet. Provide hay to the babies to nibble on. This will help the
digestive system keep moving. Avoid overcrowding and stresses to the babies
system such as extreme changes in temerature.
Make sure you completely
disinfect the rabbits cage and toys. If it is caused by a bacterial infection
you need to make sure it is not still present. We use Vanodine for all our disinfection
(cheap, easy and a 4oz bottle makes at least 8 gallons of disinfectant. Vanodine
kills bacteria, virsus and fungus but is still safe around the
animal)
Not Eating /
Wasting
What is it? - If your rabbit is
not eating it's food, getting thin
Symptoms - Can
feel the ribs and backbone quite a bit, not eating, not pooping, sitting huddled
in back fo the cage, diarrhea, not drinking.
How do they get
it? - This could be the results of many things. If the rabbit has
had recent surgery often the antibiotics will cause a loss of appetite. Diarrhea
and other ailments can also cause loss of appetite. Wool block, not drinking and
other things are also a
cause.
Treatment -
Make sure they are
drinking. If they get dehydrated they will stop eating as much. Carrot tops
soaked in water and pedialyte will help with that. Entice with treats such as
bananas and rolled oats or their other favorite treats. Most importantly
give nutri-cal (for dogs and cats) which will stimulate the appetite
and give much needed calories. This will help get the weight back on when
they're not eating their normal food. You can purchase as most pet stores and
vet stores or online for about $4 a tube atvetamerica.com. You can
also use critical care from oxbow hay http://www.oxbowhay.com/link.sp?page=critical-care
Odor
Control
What is it? - If you have a lot
of rabbits sometimes the order can be hard to control.
Symptoms
- your house smells like rabbits - your neighbors are complaining
:)
How do they get it? - Rabbits urine can have a heavy
ammonia smell which can get worse depending on what they
eat.
Treatment -
Clean their cages frequently.
Use disinfectant on their drop pans. Use vinegar and water dilution to get rid
of excess smell. Put compressed wood pellets in the drop pans. This makes a HUGE
difference to smell. They expand when they get wet and soak up the urine. It
keeps the pans dry and smelling nice. You can get bedding pellets or use wood
stove pellets.
Put bi-odor in their water. 1 dose is approx 5
pumps = about 1 tbsp. (so if you get a gallon of bi-odor that makes 256 gals)
Available at bunnyrabbit.com. This is
amazing stuff. It controls the ammonia smell from 'inside the rabbit' and keeps
it out of their pee and poo. Your bunnies and their 'messes' smell much
less.
We also have used Zap-It. You spay it
on the pans and cages or can use it on carpet etc. It uses enzyme producing
bateria to 'eat up' the odor. It works really well. This can be purchased many
places including www.kwcates.com
You can also use various air
fresheners made for inside and outside. They can be automatic or constant. Order
eaters and order coverers. There are many kinds available at
www.kwcages.com
Pinworms
What
is it? - Pinworms are tiny white (worm) parasites which can live
in the rabbit's digestive system. This is highly contagious to other rabbits.
These worms are specie specific and cannot be transferred to humans from a
rabbit. If you are unsure or whether your rabbit has them, check the dropping
and look for adult worms or put a piece of clear scotch tape on the rabbits
bottom, peel off the tape, and then look at the tape for signs of
pinworms.
Symptoms - Tiny (about 1/4inch), very thin,
white-almost transparent worms in the stool of the rabbit.
How
do they get it? - Rabbits come in contact with the parasite eggs
which are eaten and then mature within the rabbit. The white worms in the stool
are actually the adult pinworms. Rabbits can contact the eggs by touching
anything infected from another rabbit and sometimes can contract it 'in the
wild' by running around outside.
Treatment
-
Isolate the rabbit
Sterilize anything the
rabbit has touched including the cage (this is to remove any eggs still in the
environment)
Piperazine 17% (or Wazine is the same
thing) Liquid for 5 days (2 tbsps. per gal of waterwww.jefferslivestock.com) and again in 2 weeks.
Dose your whole herd 2 or 3 times a year. We have also used this with great
success and have used on rabbits as young as 4
weeks.
Poison
What
is it? - Rabbits are very sensitive to cleaners, pesticides,
fertilizers, improper medications and even some
plants.
Symptoms - Siezures (rabbit hiccups can
sometimes be mistaken for siezures), full rigid body, blood shot eyes, foaming
around the mouth, screaming. These can also be a sign of heat stroke. If you do not believe it is heat
stroke then get to a vet immediately. A full rigid body can also be caused by
certain types of bacterial infections.
How do they get
it? - House plants such as poinsettas, medications such as flea
and tick meds containing pyrethrins, eating fertilized grass in the yard,
cleaning their cage with bleach and not properly rinsing etc
etc.
Treatment -
Get them to a vet
immediately.
Red/Orange
Urine
What is it? - Often mistaken for blood,
the urine will look uniformly red / rust colored. This should not be confused
with obvious blood / ribbons of blood and bleeding in the
urine.
Symptoms - bright orange rust colored
urine
How do they get it? - It's caused by a pigment in
the urine from something the've eaten. It could be veggies (carrots), long flat
bladed grass, dandelions and other things. Nothing to worry
about.
Treatment -
There's nothing to worry
about. It's normal and will be like that every time they eat that certain food.
Totally
normal.
RHD (Rabbit
Hemorrhagic Viral Disease)
What is it? - A
highly contagious viral disease specific to rabbits. It is not contagious to
humans or other pets.
Symptoms - The disease
seems to appear in three ways; the first and most common is called PERACUTE and
is simply a dead rabbit in the cage from one visit to the next. The ACUTE form
is represented by a lethargic, depressed, off-feed animal that dies in the space
of 1-2 days, shows incoordination and signs of pain before death, and may show
clear or bloodstained nasal froth or discharge. A temperature of 105-106 degrees
F may be present upon initial examination. A small number (<5%) may survive
up to two weeks with symptoms including jaundice, diarrhea and mucous in the
stool, but this is much less commonly seen. The third form, called SUBACUTE or
transient, is much milder; the rabbit may show some signs of illness, then
recover and are immune. This is the most likely source of an asymptomatic
carrier animal, as infective material is shed in urine and feces for at least 30
days, and the animal itself may act as a carrier for far longer. This form is
most common in animals under 4 months of age, and less common in older
animals.
IMPORTANT NOTE - Not every rabbit death
is attributable to VHD. In fact, in the United States, if you have more than one
rabbit and only one dies, the chances are very, very slim that it would be a
VHD-related rabbit death. However, since VHD has been officially diagnosed in
the United States, it is now a disease that you should consider, especially if
you have multiple suspicious rabbit deaths or illnesses. Although this virus is
frighteningly contagious, there is no need to panic; rather, when analyzing a
suspect death, first eliminate the most common causes of which you may be
certain. Only if the profile fits should RHD/VHD be seriously
considered. Before truly considering that your herd may have the
virus, PLEASE read the FACTSHEET which gives very
detailed
information.
Siezures
What
is it? - The rabbit can be in violent siezures OR can be fully
stretched out and rigid. Head back, limbs extended. NOTE: this should not
be confused with 'rolling' in the cage. If your rabbit is rolling in the
cage or falling due to imbalance see wry neck or ear infection. Rabbit Hiccups are sometimes mistaken for
siezures.
Symptoms - Head back, rigid body (rigid
body is definitely NOT hiccups) , mouth usually open, eyes open and rolled
back.
How do they get it? - This can be many
things. Poison, Stroke, Heat Stroke, Genetic, Viral infection, Bacterial
infection and others.
Treatment -
If you
suspect heat stroke see heat stroke for treatment. If you believe it
is any of the other things you must get your rabbit to a vet immediately.
Genetic siezures are passed through certain lines of Lionheads. This was more
common in the 'imports' from other countries at the beginning of the US breeding
programs. Now that breeding programs in the US have progressed this has mainly
been eliminated. Bacterial infection requires immediate antibiotics. Viral
infection is usually incurable. Poison needs to be treated
immediately.
Disinfect the rabbits surroundings. If it has been
caused by bacteria you will need to eliminate the threat. We use Vanodine (cheap, kills bacteria, fungus and
viruses and is non-toxic)
Sore Hocks
(Ulcerative Pododermatitis)
What is it?
- Pressure to the skin from the wire floor or trauma to the skin
from foot stomping on the wire floor.
Symptoms
- Chapped, bloody, cracked irritated foot pads, tiptoeing when
walking.
How do they get it? - Excessive foot stomping,
heavy weight, underdeveloped foot pads, injury to the spine resulting in loss of
movement in hind legs, accumulation of urine soaked feces within the
cage.
Treatment -
You need to get the rabbit
off the wire. Give the rabbit a solid board or mat to sit on. If the foot pads
are infected then clean and sterilize. Treat with preparation H to
reduce swelling and irritation. You may even wrap the foot in bandages but
typically the rabit will pull these off. The main thing is to keep the wounds
and cage very clean.
Snuffles /
Pasteurella (a rabbit 'cold')
What is it?
- Snuffles is a general term for a rabbit cold or upper
respiratory infection. Usually it refers to a condition caused by the
Pasteurella, but this is not always the case. It may be caused by many different
types of bacteria, bordatella, allergies and sometimes even a virus. If
left unchecked it can progress to pneumonia. This is highly contagious to other
rabbits.
Symptoms - include sneezing, white or green
discharge from the eyes, white or
green opaque discharge from the nose, wet around the
nose and on the inside of the front paws (from wiping the nose and face). You
can sometimes hear wetness or congestion when the rabbit
breathes.
How do they get it? Rabbits will not get
viral colds from humans, but can develop these symptoms due to bacteria already
existing in the rabbits system. Stress to the rabbit is usually the cause. This
can be due to showing, extreme temperature/humidity changes, travel,
over-heating and many other things. Snuffles is also highly contagious and is
transferred from one rabbit to another through particles sneezed or wiped onto
something which comes in contact with other
rabbits.
Treatment - As with any rabbit disease,
you should consult a vet as soon as possible. Rabbits have very delicate immune
systems and respiratory problems can progress very quickly.
Isolate the
rabbit from all other rabbits to prevent spread of the infection. Move the
rabbit into a cool, quite, low stress place.
Disinfect anything the
rabbit has touched which is in contact with other rabbits. We use Vanodine(non-toxic, inexepensive and kills
viruses, bacteria and fungus with just a spray)
Watch you rabbit
carefully. If your rabbits mucus is clear, they seem to be eating and drinking
as normal, they seem to be as active as normal, they seem to be overall healthy
they may not have snuffles. It may be some other infection or even allergies.
Make sure they are out of extreme temperature changes. Do not put them on
antibiotics unless you are sure of the diagnosis and unless a rabbit vet
recommends it.
Never, never allow your vet to
prescribe amoxycillin (pink liquid that smells like bubble gum), this
can kill your rabbit!
Our experience with
snuffles - The first vet put the rabbit on Baytril for 2
weeks. Baytril is an antibiotic used for many upper respiratory
infections in cats and dogs. It is safe for rabbits but is highly stressful and
can actually suppress the rabbits immune system as it works. Although widely
distributed for 'snuffles' we found out later that it should not be used unless
1.the bacteria has been identified through a culture and 2. Baytril has been
identified as the best 'killer' of the bacteria your rabbit has. If you use any
antibiotic without proper disease identification, it can build your rabbits
resistance to the antibiotic in the future while not treating the actual
infection. Our dose was 1/4 of a pill, twice daily. You then continue the
treatments for at least another week in order to thoroughly kill the bacteria.
Quitting treatment early or skipping treatments will kill the weakest bacteria
but can then leave the most resistant bacteria to regain strength and come back
even worse. Baytril is supposed to clear up the symptoms within a week. Baytril
is also liver flavored (for dogs and cats) and therefore hated by rabbits. The
pill form is much cheaper than the liquid version but is flavored the same. Even
when we smashed the pills into powder and mixed it with yogurt/sugar
water/smashed carrots etc, the rabbits would actually hold it in their mouth and
spit it out when we put them back in their cage. In order to trick our rabbits
into eating the Baytril, we smashed the pills into a powder and sprinkled it on
papaya slices. Then we dried the papaya. All of the rabbits ate it with no
problem. Regardless, this treatment did nothing for our rabbits. Apparently they
did not have the Pasteurella bacteria. We returned to the vet and he put the
rabbits on another drug Sulfatrim which is regularly used for dog's
'kennel cough' or bordatella. This cleared it up within about 24 hours but it
came back about 2 weeks later. Sulfatrim wasn't working for some reason this
second time around. At this point we asked the vet not to put our rabbits on any
other antibiotics unless he was sure about what the disease was. He recommended
that we see another vet because the was at a loss. (lesson learned! always see a
vet who knows rabbits specifically). We were able to find a rabbit vet. She took
us off all antibiotics and advised us to keep the rabbit in a low stress
environment, feed him plenty of spinach and dark greens, add vitamins to his
water and otherwise just watch him carefully. She said he was very healthy and
should be able to recover from the 'cold' by himself just like a human. She said
that Baytril is usually a good diagnosis but that our rabbit probably had a
virus which no antibiotics would be able to help. She also said she only used
antibiotics as a last resort due to the side effects on the rabbits health. We
started putting vitamins in all of their water which seemed to speed the
recovery. The whole rest of the herd who had contracted the snuffles recovered
completely on their own with no additional problems and without the extra immune
suppressing drugs. (We started treating the water with VetRX but saw
no improvement with any of the rabbits. We were definitely not impressed.) The
original rabbit with the worse symptoms still had a slightly wet nose and
sneezing. Months later he still hadn't shaken it. So we started him
on Systemajuv which is a natural remedy we saw in the ARBA magazine
for snuffles provided by therabbitmedicinechest.com.
Systemjuv claims to boost the immune system. We were highly skeptical but at
this point had run out of ideas. We noticed marked improvement within 24 hours.
2 days later his nose was completely dry and the sneezing had stopped. He liked
the taste and seemed to be in better health overall. We've had no recurrence of
this condition.
Spinal Injury /
Paralysis
Symptoms - Loss of movement in the
hind legs, falling over (due to problems with the back legs), problems hopping
up on things or falling over when running around corners. Note: These symptoms
can also be caused by an enflamed/injured muscled in the back which puts
pressure on the spine and nerves (should go away within a few weeks). Some of
these symptoms can also be caused by "wry neck". Note: A spinal injury alone will not
immediately cause the death of your rabbit (except in very rare and extreme
cases)
How do they get it? - This is very common in
both domestic and commercial rabbits. If rabbits are held incorrectly they can
easily injury their spine when they kick with their hind legs. They can also get
injured by jumping off of something incorrectly or even by kicking at a weird
angle while they are playing. Sometimes if a young rabbit is put in with an
older rabbit, they can be kicked and injured.
Treatment
-
If the injury is muscular it should get better over
time. The only way to really tell what is causing the injury is to take them to
a vet for x-rays. The vet will also be able to tell you if the rabbit still has
feeling in their back legs and if the rabbit is in any pain.
If
the loss of leg use is caused by "wry neck", sometimes Baytril and Ivomec can be
prescribed to kill the protozoa.
If the loss of use is caused by
a spinal injury (very likely), there is little you can do. Usually the rabbit
will not be in any pain, the injury will have put pressure on the nerves causing
the loss of use. At that point you need to make a decision - they will need a
lot of care for the rest of their lives. In extreme cases the rabbit will have
lost complete use of their back legs. In most cases, the rabbit will lose more
motion in one leg than the other. They will adapt (especially if they are young)
to using one leg more than the other and will learn to hop that way. The rabbit
is capable of leading a painless almost normal life. BUT the rabbit can no
longer groom themselves properly and will need to be cleaned regularly
(especially in the beginning). You should trim the hair around their behind very
short and will need to wash them regularly to prevent urine burn. Remove
anything that the rabbit can hop up on. The up and down motion required for
stairs or hopping up on a box can further damage your rabbit. Put a rug or
something with 'traction' in your cage in order for them to have a firm grip.
Rabbits with spinal injuries have a very difficult time on slippery
surfaces.
Our experience with a spinal
injury -Our rabbit required a lot of care in the beginning but
within a few months had adapted quite well. He is in no pain, is almost as
mobile as before (although he falls a lot when he gets excited and starts to run
in circles), and leads a regular happy life. He has even learned to groom
himself by leaning against the side of the cage for support. We need to give him
a bath every 3 weeks or so and need to treat him regularly for fur
mites since he can no longer groom himself. When he sheds
(about 3 times a year) we need to brush him frequently in order to help him with
that.
Tattoo
What
is it? - A tattoo is required in order for the rabbit to show.
This is to prevent mix-ups on the show table. Tattoos are also used to simply
identify rabbits from a certain rabbitry, for breed tracking etc. It should be
in the rabbit's left ear. Usually the rabbits are tattooed right around when
they are weaned - 7 to 8 weeks. At this point the rabbits ear is still fairly
thin but is big enough to receive the letters from the tattoo. You can use any
letters or numbers you'd like. Sometimes they represent the rabbitry, or the
breeding pair. It's completely up to you. Typically you want to put the starting
letters/numbers of your tattoo towards the inside of ear with the numbers
running up towards the top of the ear to the end of the tattoo. If your tattoo
is read from 'tip to inside' of the ear it is considered
backwards.
How do you tattoo-
Secure
the rabbit thoroughly. We wrap ours firmly in a towel in order to hold them
better. You want to be very careful that they do not injure their backs (or
ears) by jumping or thrashing. We then support them by wrapping our arm and
hands around the rabbits side and back. You should have one person hold and one
person tattoo. Rabbit ears are very vascular so make sure you have extra towels
on hand if they bleed.
If you are using an electric tattoo pen
look at the ear in good light in order for you to identify the main veins
running through the ear. You want to avoid these so the rabbit doesn't bleed
unnecessarily. Sterilize and clean the ear with rubbing alcohol and cotton ball.
Rub thoroughly. For the Rabbitatt pen (the one we use) you need to make sure the
needle retracts fully into the pen at its lowest point and is only about 1cm out
of the pen at its longest point. Dip the pen in the ink and start tattooing.
Hold your finger directly under the rabbits ear behind where you are tattooing.
This will give you a solid surface to press against. Don't worry, it won't come
all the way through your ear to your finger. When finished, rub the tattoo with
the alcohol cotton ball again to clean off extra ink. Here is a link to a good
electric tattoo penwww.geocities.com/hend_rex/.
If
you are using a tattoo set with pins that you press into the ear (clamp tattoo,
bunny burrito), choose a place where it will avoid the large veins running
through the ear. Thoroughly clean the ear with rubbing alcohol. Make sure your
pins are nice and tight in the holder. We recommend using a piece of paper first
to make sure the tattoo is how you want it. You will use about the same amount
of pressure as you did on the paper. Do it quickly and release. It doesn't take
much for young rabbits since their ears are so thin. Sometimes for the first few
times you may even put the pins all the way through the ear. This is something
you want to try to avoid but it may take a few times to get the feel for it.
Just make sure you remove the pins from the ear immediately so the rabbit
doesn't thrash and tear it's ear! As soon as you are done smear the ink all over
the ear and into the tattoo. The rabbit doesn't usually mind this as all and is
very calm as soon as you get done with the 'stick'. After you have rubbed the
ink thoroughly into the ear just put the rabbit back in his cage. The extra ink
will come off over the next week or so. If you need it to come off immediately
you can use rubbing alcohol. It won't damage or lighten the
tattoo.
Teeth Problems / Teeth
Trimming
What is it? - 'Butted' teeth
and overgrown teeth can be a real problem if left alone. Butted teeth are when
the teeth 'butt' flush up against each other rather than the top teeth
overlapping the bottom like they should. Overgrown teeth is when either the
top or lower teeth are not worn down and grow out of control. Your rabbit may
also have spurs or spikes on their back teeth which cut into their
cheeks.
Symptoms - Teeth are mis aligned, teeth
are visibly sticking out of rabbits mouth. Teeth are curving outward from each
(on either top or on bottom) other rather than the 2 teeth being right next to
each other in a straight line) Eventually it will probably affect your rabbit's
eating habits. It can become painful and near impossible for the rabbit to
eat.
How do they get it? - Butted teeth can be caused
by many things including genetics or simply wire chewing by the rabbit.
Overgrown teeth are usually caused when the rabbit doesn't have anything to chew
on which will naturally wear down their teeth (such as a piece of wood). This
picture is an example of the bottom teeth growing faster than the upper teeth
causing misalignment. These needed to be trimmed down. Spurs on the back teeth
can develop over time and will need to be ground off.
Treatment
-
Your vet can trim your rabbit's teeth for you. If the
back teeth have spikes on them which are sticking into the cheek - you WILL need
to have a vet grind those off. That will require a sedative.
For
butted or overgrown front teeth, you can trim. It's not nearly as difficult as
it seems (for us it's much easier than trimming toenails on the rabbits). If you
are unsure have a rabbit breeder show you first. You don't want to crack
the rabbits teeth or hurt the rabbit. Make sure you hold the rabbit very
securely so that they will not struggle or hurt their back. We usually have the
rabbit facing up (on their back). Make sure the lips and flesh around the
inside of the mouth is not in the way. Get a very sharp, brand new set of
small/medium wire trimmers (like the picture to the left). You can also use dog
toenail trimmers (curved 2 bladed kind like in the picture to the right). If you
are trimming a baby or the teeth are pretty thin then you can use toenail
trimmers. Those work wel for many people I have talked too. Take off very small
amounts at a time until you are confident in what you are doing. The wire
trimmers should easily snip of pieces of the teeth. In the case of 'butted'
teeth I know some breeders cut the teeth very low (this does not cause the
rabbit pain unless you go very very low) in order that the teeth grow back
correctly. We don't do this or recommend that procedure. But we do trim the
teeth back to where they are just barely butted, or just barely beyond that so
the teeth can grow in their normal position without interference from the other
teeth. This should not hurt the rabbit's teeth and you will not be near the area
of the tooth which will cause the rabbit pain. Recheck the rabbit's teeth every
month to see how they are
progressing.
Vent Disease
(Spirochetosis)
What is it? - a form of
rabbit 'syphilis'.
Symptoms - red, swollen, scabby
genitals. Can show up in both bucks and does - especially in does after
birth.
How do they get it? - can be passed during
breeding and can be passed from mother to offspring during birth and in the next
box. It can be 'cured' via penicilin injections. Never breed during an
outbreak.
Treatment -
Have your vet
confirm diagnosis. These symptoms can also indicate a bacterial infection which
needs to be treated differently.
If it is vent disease it will
need to be treated with penicillin g (long lasting) injections. You
can get the injection and the needles at kwcages.com. Needles are
25 gauge 5/8" (as small as you can find). Doseage of 5/16 cc per lb of rabbit. 1
shot every week for 3 weeks. Should clear up within about 10 days.
If
it is a bacterial infection it can usually be treated with a topical creme. NOTE
- a topical creme can treat the LOOK of vent disease but vent disease is carried
in the bloodstream and will not be cured with just a creme. If you do have a
bacterial infection make sure you disinfect all of the rabbits surroundings and
food and water crocks. We use a non-toxic disinfectant called Vanodine.
Wool
Block
What is it? - A 'hairball' which is
usually actually composed of food held together in a mass by
hair
Symptoms - Listless rabbit, rabbit hunched in cage
unresponsive, rabbit isn't eating or drinking, rabbit isn't pooping, rabbit is
loudly grinding his teeth (a sign of extreme pain). This is extremely dangerous
for a rabbit and it must be dealt with immediately.
How do they
get it? - This can be caused by a large amount of hair which has
accumulated into a blockage of food and other particles. It can also be a result
of GI stasis (see below). If you fix the temporary problem but do not address
the underlying cause such as GI stasis or other injury then this condition can
easily return. If you do not feed your rabbit enough roughage this can be a
cause. There is a large risk for long haired or woolly rabbits especially around
the molting time when they groom their shedding hair.
Treatment
-
The ideal treatment is to get to your vet
immediately.
If you decide not to use the vet use Hairball Remedy
(rabbitmedicinechest.com-available via FedX). This
helps lubricate the blockage and helps the intestines move to expel the
blockage. Very successful if you catch the rabbit in time even though they
already have a blockage.
Keep the rabbit well hydrated with
Pedialyte (given through oral syringe). Put spinach or carrots into the cage to
entice the rabbit to eat. The rabbit is usually in a large amount of pain due to
gas. It is so painful that the rabbit may just give up. Get Children's
GasX (simethecone) and give them a dose in their Pedialyte in order to
reduce the pain. Also very light abdominal massage while slightly lifting the
hindquarters can help with the gas. But do not continue if the rabbit shows pain
when you massage.
Wounds
If
you have more than 1 rabbit, inevitably someone will get hurt at some point.
Either through fighting or some other mishap, rabbits get cuts and scratches
easily. Usually you won't see the scratch when it happens, you will just notice
something later.
If the scratch is fully scabbed and looks fine (no
redness or puffiness) then just keep and eye on it and let it heal.
If
rabbits fight they will probably have scratches on their face especially right
around the eyes and nose. If you notice a fresh scratch or one that looks
infected gently wash it with warm water. Then disinfect the semi open
wound.
If the rabbit has torn something small loose which needs
to be put back together- ie torn a piece of the nose which is still attached.
First - of course try to get stitches from your vet. If that is not possible or
if you decide to not go through surgery. MAKE SURE it is still partially
attached and is receiving a blood supply. Also, you must do this IMMEDIATELY
after the wound has happened. You cannot wait a few days after the wound has
started to close or has dried. Once it is established that the tear is still
attached and is receiving blood and needs to be held in place while it heals we
have had success using TINY amounts
of superglue after you THOROUGHLY disinfect the wound. We have tried
surgical tape and steri strips but usually because of the fur it is difficult to
hold the piece in proper place with these items. When using the superglue make
sure you only use TINY amounts to 'tack' some of the crucial edges to hold it in
place. You want to avoid getting any glue in the wound itself. Do not use glue
drops; make sure you use superglue that comes with a little brush. The pieces of
your wound must line up correctly and only need to be temporarily held in place.
This is not a solution for something large and should only be used as a last
resort.
General
Health
Terramycin soluble powder is used in water as a general
deterrent against disease and immune system problems. The dosage is 1 teaspoon
per gallon of water for 5-10 days. It can also be used as a general help against
Ecoli and othe things that the rabbit may have. Another name for terramycin is
Oxytetracycline HCl or tetracyclin. The terramycin ointment can be used to clean
eye infections. Triple Acid Pack is used in water when the rabbit is under
stress to boost the immune system and keep the rabbit in balance. These can be
purchased an most feed or online vet stores such as www.jefferslivestock.com.
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