General Health and Care
Your rabbit deserves your attention. You must be willing to devote at least an hour a day to your rabbit for basic care needs. No pet should ever be left in a cage until it is convenient to you; you must be willing to make time to handle your rabbit daily.
Rabbits need time to run around and exercise. A large, rabbit safe area should be provided, and used, for at least one hour a day. This can be as simple as an X-Pen in your living room, while you watch tv, to as extensive as an entirely rabbit safe room or home. Without this time to play, your rabbit will become sullen and fat. A fat rabbit is not a healthy rabbit!
As well, your rabbit will need interaction with a human for their mental well being. Scratches while they are in the cage, talking to them, having them out to be handled are all excellent ways to interact with them, and allow you time to do a health check on your rabbit. If you don't have hands on your rabbit, you won't know if they have an injury or sore spot. You also need to be aware of your rabbit's personal behaviour, as any deviation from that behaviour can indicate an illness. If your normally outgoing rabbit has become an introvert, you have cause for concern.
Medical Care
Most rabbit related injuries can be treated in the home. There are no required vaccinations for rabbits, and most rabbit breeders take their rabbits on a "need to go" basis, rather than for an annual check up, like you would a dog or a cat. Most health related issues are hereditary, so it is important to know the health issues faced by rabbits in your rabbit's heritage. Any reputable breeder does select for health, though.
It is important, first, to know your rabbit. As with most prey species, rabbits are skilled at hiding illness or injury, and quite often will not show signs until it is too late to do much to help. A small change in your rabbit's behaviour or poop can be significant, and you are only likely to notice this if you are aware of your rabbit's litter habits and general temperament.
Rabbit First Aid Kit
It is important, in an emergency, to already have things on hand to treat your rabbit. This list is by no means complete, nor will you need every item. Many of the items may already be in your home First Aid kit, and you don't need to double up! As always, use common sense!
The Big Two
Snuffles (Pasteurellosis)
Snuffles is a serious condition for a rabbit. It is a respiratory disease that is highly contagious, which has no cure. Symptoms for this include sneezing, abscesses, white nasal discharge, mats on the inside of the front legs, crusty discharge from the eyes. A rabbit may also go off their feed and become lethargic. A rabbit can have their symptoms suppressed by medication from the vet, however an infected rabbit will always be a carrier, and can pass the infection to other rabbits. They may also have continued flare ups throughout their lives.
Wry Neck(E.CuniCuli)
Wry neck is a condition caused by parasites, and is transmitted mainly through urine and other bodily fluids. It affects a rabbit's brain, and causes the rabbit to have balance issues. Often, a rabbit with a head tilt is infected by E.Cuniculi. Wry neck can be successfully treated by a veterinarian, but it is an extensive and expensive process. Fluids are most important, and are often delivered via IV under the skin. A rabbit in the progressive stages of the disease will exhibit rolling as well as a severe head tilt. It is important to get a rabbit affected by the E.Cuniculi parasite to the vet as soon as possible, to have medications prescribed.
Your rabbit deserves your attention. You must be willing to devote at least an hour a day to your rabbit for basic care needs. No pet should ever be left in a cage until it is convenient to you; you must be willing to make time to handle your rabbit daily.
Rabbits need time to run around and exercise. A large, rabbit safe area should be provided, and used, for at least one hour a day. This can be as simple as an X-Pen in your living room, while you watch tv, to as extensive as an entirely rabbit safe room or home. Without this time to play, your rabbit will become sullen and fat. A fat rabbit is not a healthy rabbit!
As well, your rabbit will need interaction with a human for their mental well being. Scratches while they are in the cage, talking to them, having them out to be handled are all excellent ways to interact with them, and allow you time to do a health check on your rabbit. If you don't have hands on your rabbit, you won't know if they have an injury or sore spot. You also need to be aware of your rabbit's personal behaviour, as any deviation from that behaviour can indicate an illness. If your normally outgoing rabbit has become an introvert, you have cause for concern.
Medical Care
Most rabbit related injuries can be treated in the home. There are no required vaccinations for rabbits, and most rabbit breeders take their rabbits on a "need to go" basis, rather than for an annual check up, like you would a dog or a cat. Most health related issues are hereditary, so it is important to know the health issues faced by rabbits in your rabbit's heritage. Any reputable breeder does select for health, though.
It is important, first, to know your rabbit. As with most prey species, rabbits are skilled at hiding illness or injury, and quite often will not show signs until it is too late to do much to help. A small change in your rabbit's behaviour or poop can be significant, and you are only likely to notice this if you are aware of your rabbit's litter habits and general temperament.
Rabbit First Aid Kit
It is important, in an emergency, to already have things on hand to treat your rabbit. This list is by no means complete, nor will you need every item. Many of the items may already be in your home First Aid kit, and you don't need to double up! As always, use common sense!
- Sterile gauze/bandages
- Antibiotic ointment such as Polysporin
- Eye drops or an eye flush station - saline solution, or you can buy medicated eye drops by Polysporin
- Several sizes of syringe - small, medium and large, for feeding medications and liquids.
- Styptic Powder or corn starch
- Liquid bandage or superglue
- GasX strips or simethicone drops
- Electrolyte powder in case your rabbit stops eating
The Big Two
Snuffles (Pasteurellosis)
Snuffles is a serious condition for a rabbit. It is a respiratory disease that is highly contagious, which has no cure. Symptoms for this include sneezing, abscesses, white nasal discharge, mats on the inside of the front legs, crusty discharge from the eyes. A rabbit may also go off their feed and become lethargic. A rabbit can have their symptoms suppressed by medication from the vet, however an infected rabbit will always be a carrier, and can pass the infection to other rabbits. They may also have continued flare ups throughout their lives.
Wry Neck(E.CuniCuli)
Wry neck is a condition caused by parasites, and is transmitted mainly through urine and other bodily fluids. It affects a rabbit's brain, and causes the rabbit to have balance issues. Often, a rabbit with a head tilt is infected by E.Cuniculi. Wry neck can be successfully treated by a veterinarian, but it is an extensive and expensive process. Fluids are most important, and are often delivered via IV under the skin. A rabbit in the progressive stages of the disease will exhibit rolling as well as a severe head tilt. It is important to get a rabbit affected by the E.Cuniculi parasite to the vet as soon as possible, to have medications prescribed.