Rabbit Care
 

Rabbit Health Care

Just like any pets, rabbits also need extra love and care to obtain the right lifespan they have and to avoid any health problems. The responsibility of a good pet owner doesn’t just end up in feeding them, playing with them, giving them vitamins supplements but also vet check-ups which is very important in pet rabbit care. Even if you’re feeding them the right kind of food, professional health advise is still needed to make sure they are in good shape and if sick, won’t get any worse.

 

Most rabbits feel more comfortable when they are being treated on the floor; they feel less stressed and pressured. Though other might cooperate with you and your vet, some will still try to escape your hands. This time it is much better if they are treated on the bed or better on your lap. If you will use tables please make sure that it is clean and free from any small objects that could harm your rabbit such as pins, clips and even bits of broken glass. Some pet owner put towel on their rabbit and carries them using it. This way, you could make sure that your rabbit is secure and safe.

 

Oral meds are sometimes a big problem because of most it has awful aftertaste. Though rabbits would take almost anything through their mouth, they still find meds disgusting and you could see their mouths forming funny forms after taking oral meds.

 

Some owners don’t favour with eye dropper though some did. When putting meds on your pet’s eye, make sure that you pull the lower and upper eye lid and hold them to avoid squirming. make sure that the eye meds really gets into their eyes or the effect of it will not work at all.

 

Rabbits do have a way of not blinking even when you put something in their eyes. Some pet rabbit owner finds the floor comfortable when treating their rabbits to make sure they hold still.

 

If the eye meds are in cream or gel form, make sure that the meds get in their eyelids not on the eyeballs. Once the cream or gel is inside the rabbit’s eye, you have to massage it so it could be absorbed quickly and prevent it from coming out.

 

Rabbits should also have their yearly vaccination against Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (VHD) and Myxomatosis. Frequent pregnancy to doe could end up to uterine cancer and could cause death eventually but this could be prevented if you make sure your rabbit is spayed when she reached the age of two months.

 

Here are some of the sickness and infection you should check about medical concerns for rabbit care from time to time:

 

1.    Red urine is only normal for any rabbits but if this is accompanied with fever and loss of appetite better see your vet.

2.    Amoxicillin is very dangerous to rabbits. It is a pink liquid with bubble gum smell. Never let your vet give your pet rabbit this kind of medicine. There are rabbit-safe medicines available such as Chloramphenicol, Tetracycline, sulpha-drugs based like Septra or TMS, or enrofloxins such as Baytril or Cipro.

3.    Cedar and Pine Shavings are also harmful for your pet rabbit. The aroma coming from softwood shavings could cause respiratory illnesses and could even damage the liver. Use shredded newspaper instead.

4.    Malocclusion is a condition in which your pet rabbit’s teeth are not growing properly. One indication of malocclusion is the wet chin caused by drooling. If this happened, you should seek advice from your vet to get teeth clipping.

5.    Hairballs is also harmful for your pet rabbit for unlike cats, they cannot vomit or digest their loose hair. You should also brush or comb their hair regularly.

6.    Bacterial infection called the Pasteurella. If you notice your pet rabbit experiencing high temperature, runny nose or eyes and sudden loss of appetite then you should talk to your vet to know what exactly is wrong with your pet rabbit. Though bacterial infections used to be a major health problem, there are now newer antibiotics that could cure these bacteria.

7.    Even rabbits experience digestive problems such as diarrhoea. Diarrhoea could be deadly to rabbits. If the droppings are smelly and runny then your rabbit is having digestive problems. See your vet about this because your rabbit may become dehydrated.

8.    If your pet rabbit is not eating or producing pellet like droppings, call your vet as soon as possible.

9.    Too much food intake could lead to obesity and could also cause conceiving problems for doe.

10. Reproductive disease such as uterine cancer happens to female rabbit. Repeated pregnancy could trigger this cancer to occur and spread out.

11. Whiteness on the eye also known as moon eye disease.

12. Inflammation of the mammary glands caused by Pasteurella bacteria.

13. Bacterial infections of the lungs also known as pneumonia.

14. Inflammation or infection of intestines also called as the Enteritis.

15. Pet rabbit could also have brain disease and this illness is caused by a parasite called Encephalitozoon.

16. Rabbit could also have Conjunctivitis, a condition in which the tissues around the eyes became inflamed.