 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Diet
Housing
Training
Litter Training
Rabbit Proofing
Rabbit Toys
Rabbit Behavior
Rabbit Grooming
Rabbit Health
Rabbit Health Checkup
Miscellaneous
Rabbit
pre owning hamster
hamster care
hamster care2
Links
card
Rabbit First Aid
|
|
| RABBIT HEALTH |
| ||||||
| Red urine Rabbits urine varies in color from clear to yellow to brown to bright red. This is usually not a cause for alarm unless there are additional signs such as sitting and straining to urinate, loss of appetite or a temperature. When you see red urine, don't panic; just keep your eyes open for other signs that may indicate a problem. The red color will usually be gone in a day or two but can last for a much longer time. Actual blood in the urine would look like urine with red specks. If you're in doubt, don't risk your bunny's health -- have your vet test for blood in the urine. Hairballs Rabbits shed their hair every three months alternating heavy and light. Because rabbits are very clean and are constantly grooming themselves and/or their companions, they ingest a great deal of hair. Over time, this hair may build up and block the stomach exit causing the rabbit to starve to death while its stomach appears fat. Unlike cats, rabbits cannot throw up a hairball when it threatens their health; this is the largest cause of problems and deaths in rabbits! The first sign of a hairball or blockage of any kind (such as carpet) is a loss of appetite. Their droppings will also get smaller and will often be strung together or will contain hairs or pieces of carpet fiber. The rabbit's stomach will then become bloated as it loses weight on its way to starving to death. To prevent blockages, regular brushing and combing is a must. Also, free feed of the loose timothy hay every day (do not give the small compressed hay blocks as the fiber is too small and therefore ineffective); plenty of exercise (in order to help the hair that they do ingest to pass through their system); and a daily serving of either papaya, dried papaya, 1 or 2 papaya enzyme tablets, pineapple, or dried pineapple (these all contain papain/bromelain which help break down the hair) are all very important in preventing hairballs. Petromalt, Femalt, or Laxatone (all available in most pet stores) may also be used as hairball preventative, especially during heavy molting, but should be used carefully as they may cause diarrhea. Also include a daily serving of green veggies for roughage. Treating the first signs of a blockage is controversial, but the first thing to do is to get them to eat as much roughage (hay, tree branches, etc.) as they will. Make sure to be offering the rabbit plenty of greens (esp. broccoli) and other foods that you may usually consider "treats." This is critical in order to have the bunny maintain digestive flora. As you treat the condition, stay in constant contact with your rabbit vet as they may need to give you subcutaneous fluids spiked with electrolytes so that the rabbit does not become dehydrated. Spay/Neuter Why spay/neuter? 80 to 95% of unspayed female rabbits will get uterine or ovarian cancer between two and five years of age, and a very high rate of males will get testicular cancer. Spaying or neutering your rabbit will give him/her the potential life span of eight to twelve (or more) years of age. Also, upon reaching sexual maturity, rabbits will often display such undesirable behavior as spraying, chewing, nipping, fighting with other rabbits, etc. In most cases, neutering totally eliminates this behavior. When the time comes to have your rabbit neutered, it is extremely important to make sure that your vet is knowledgeable and experienced with the procedure and with rabbits in general. A rabbit neuter or spay can be dangerous or even life threatening if improper technique or general anesthesia is used. If the rabbit is older, tests may need to be done to assess liver and kidney function prior to surgery. Teeth Rabbits' teeth are constantly growing. This is why they are always chewing - to help keep their teeth the proper size. Some rabbits, however, have misaligned or "maloccluded" teeth which means that their teeth do not wear down properly and continue to grow. A rabbit with this condition needs to have his/her teeth clipped periodically so that the they can eat. Your vet can do this for you or can show you how to do it yourself. The misalignment of the front teeth can be easily seen, but the back teeth may need to be checked by your vet. One indication that the back teeth may be a problem, is a wet chin that is caused by drooling. Teeth should be checked at each grooming session. Cedar and Pine Shavings Contrary to popular belief, these are very bad for rabbits and other animals. "Aromatic hydrocarbons from cedar and pine bedding materials can induce biosynthesis and heptic microsomal enzymes" which are known to cause liver disease (quoted from the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services guide for the care of laboratory animals). Use timothy hay (on top of newspaper) or organic kitty litter for your rabbit's litter box and timothy hay for other small animals' cages. Do not use corn cob- if rabbits eat it, it can get lodged in their stomach and create a serious blockage. Sneezing Sneezing may or may not be a sign of trouble. If sneezing is accompanied by a runny nose and/or runny eyes, a vet should be seen immediately, especially if there is also a loss of appetite. If the rabbit is sneezing but has no other symptoms and is eating well, it may be allergies or even nothing at all, but keep a close eye out for the development of any other symptoms and keep in touch with your rabbit vet. Parasites Rabbits can get the common dog or cat flea, but be very careful about the products you use to treat the home and yard as well as the products you use on your rabbit. If the yard is treated, do not allow your rabbit on it for at least a week and then water it thoroughly to wash off any residual chemicals. If use of chemicals is absolutely necessary, the one currently considered safe on rabbits is called Carbarryl which must be purchased through your vet. A mite that lives on the skin dander of rabbits, will cause your rabbit to scratch, and if left untreated, will eventually cause thick crusts to develop on the rabbit's body. Your vet can administer a drug called ivermectin to eliminate this problem. Earmites cause rabbits to shake their heads frequently and scratch their ears. If left untreated, a middle ear infection could develop which may cause a problem with their balance. Ivermictin is also recommended for earmites. An internal parasite called coccidia can infect the small intestines. Symptoms can be a loss of appetite to chronic diarrhea and occasionally death. Testing for coccidia is as easy as taking a fecal sample to your vet during the rabbit's annual check-up. If your rabbit is free of any of these parasites, it is unlikely that they will get them as long as they are kept inside, their home is clean and they are not exposed to other animals who may carry these parasites. Amoxicillin Danger Never let a vet give your rabbit amoxicillin (an antibiotic that is pink in color and smells like bubble gum). Amoxicillin and other forms of penicillin kill the "good" bacteria in the rabbit's intestines and can cause other organs to malfunction. There are other antibiotics that can safely be given to rabbits such as Albon, Bactrin, and Baytril.. Occasionally a rabbit cannot tolerate an antibiotic (signs are a loss of appetite, diarrhea, and others) and another may have to be tried instead. If your vet says that just this once will be okay or that they have no other antibiotic to dispense --find another vet! Surgeries Food and water should not be removed from a rabbit the evening before surgery! Ignore this direction if given by the front office staff and discuss with your vet if the instructions come from him/her. Not only do you want to do the right thing for your rabbit but you need to educate for future rabbits this vet may see! Rabbits cannot throw up. The rabbit should also be tempted to eat as soon as it awakes from surgery to assist with the recovery process. After surgery, offer them loads of treats. |
 s5low@mbox2.singnet.com.sg |
 Sign Guestbook |
 View Guestbook |
|
. |
| Visitors: 10268 |