First-Aid for the Domestic Rabbit

By Jody Springborn

When somebunny you love is sick, do you know what to do?

 

As anyone with pet rabbits can attest, even minor health issues with rabbits can escalate quickly, and acting quickly can mean the difference between life or death. But do you know what to do? To the rescue is this comprehensive guide to rabbit first aid--from bunny basics such as normal temperatures, diet, housing, and grooming to how to treat specific injuries and illnesses.

 

Written by Jody Springborn--educator with the House Rabbit Society, an international rabbit advocacy group, and founder of The Educated Rabbit--this informative, easy-to-read guide includes:

• The must-have components of a rabbit first-aid kit
• When to take your rabbit to the vet
• How to take your bunny's temperature
• How to perform a wellness check
• How to give oral medication and liquid food
• How to treat minor wounds
• How to save a choking rabbit
• How to deal with GI stasis
• And more!

With helpful tips, illustrative photographs, and a plethora of information, the First Aid Guide for the Domestic Rabbit equips bunny lovers everywhere to handle any situation to ensure their pet rabbit stays healthy and happy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jody Springborn
• Release date: Aug 21, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201818654

Book preview

1. Introduction

Having spent over 8 years working in a shelter environment, I have gotten to know many rabbits of different ages, health and temperaments. There are two things every bunny owner should know. First, any health issue can quickly escalate into a serious situation. In many cases, time is of the essence. The longer you wait, the harder it will be for your bunny to recover, if at all. Second, sometimes it is up to you to help your rabbit. Maybe it’s the middle of the night or the nearest exotic vet is an hour or more away. Maybe it’s your vet’s day off. Do you know what to do?

This guide is meant to assist you in the right care of your sick or injured bunny in those times when you may not be able to see your veterinarian right away. As always, the content in this guide is not a substitute for a veterinary visit.

2. Bunny Basics

Temperature

Normal temperature for a rabbit is between 100.5°F - 102.5°F (38.1°C - 39.1°C). Take the temperature a few times when you know your rabbit is healthy to determine his average temperature. That way, when you need to take it when he is sick, you know if it truly is low or high.

Temperature readings between 102.6°F and 103.5°F (39.2°C - 39.7°C) may be due to stress of transporting, handling or even pain. If the issue is handling and/or transport, the temperature will usually lower a short time after the rabbit calms down. Any temperature above 104°F (40°C) indicates a fever and needs to be addressed immediately. Temperature readings below 100.5°F (38.1°C) also indicate a sick rabbit that needs immediate care.

Ideal Environmental Temperature

The best environmental temperature for rabbits is between 65°F - 70°F (15°C - 20°C). Heat stroke can occur at 85°F (29.4°C) and above.

Heart Rate

A normal rabbit heart rate is 160-240 beats per minute.

Respiration Rate

Normal respiration rate should be 30-60 breaths per minute. Rabbits breathe exclusively through their noses. If they start to open their mouths and/or tilt back their heads to breathe, this means they consciously need to think about breathing and cannot do it through the nose. Mouth-breathing is an emergency and requires immediate veterinary attention.

Diet

A proper diet is so important. It establishes health and longevity. The majority of the diet should be hay (timothy, oat, wheat, barley, rye, brome grass, meadow fescue grass, Bermuda grass, orchard grass or a mix of all of them), followed by vegetables (generally lettuces and herbs) and a sparing amount of pellets and treats (which includes fruits and carrots). For a more in-depth study, read the article, Rabbit Diet on The Educated Rabbit website.

Rabbit Urine and Rabbit Poop

The color of rabbit urine can vary a great deal. It ranges from very pale to dark yellow, orange, brown, red or burgundy. Orange, red and burgundy generally results from medications (usually antibiotics) and/or certain foods high in beta carotenes, such as carrots, beets and other vegetables. Bloody urine is not very common. If visible, it often appears as a drop of red within a puddle of urine. If you are concerned your rabbit might have bloody urine, add some hydrogen peroxide to the urine. The hydrogen peroxide will bubble due to the iron in the blood.

Rabbit poops are dry, odorless, hard, round pellets that range from light to dark brown in color. You should be able to see bits of hay in them and the pellets should crumble easily with some pressure from your fingers.

Rabbits also produce something called cecotropes. Technically, these are not feces as they are not a waste product. Cecotropes are flat, round and dark brown soft poops clustered together. They are smelly and squish rather than crumble. Cecotropes are produced in the cecum where billions of bacteria have fermented all the digestible plant material into a tidy bundle packed full of nutrients. The mucus coat allows rabbits to re-ingest these cecotropes straight from the anus. This enables rabbits to get all the nutrients possible from their diets. To learn more about what your rabbit’s poop tells you about his health, read the article, Rabbit Poop on The Educated Rabbit website.

Figure 1. Normal Rabbit Urine

Figure 2. Abnormal Urine. The urine pictured shows a great deal of precipitate as well as some blood.

Figure 3. Normal Rabbit Poop

Figure 4. Cecotropes

Housing

Rabbits generally live healthier and longer when indoors with their owners. The minimum enclosure space for a bunny up to 6 lb (2.72 kg) is a 4’x4’ exercise pen. Bunnies still require at least 4-5 hours of play time outside of their pens in a bunny-proofed area of the house. For more in-depth information, read the articles, Rabbit Cages and Other Terrible Ideas and Rabbit Health Basics on The Educated Rabbit website.

Grooming

Short-haired rabbits should be combed and have their nails trimmed every 8-10 weeks. Rabbits shed every 3 months, with every other shed being a major molt. During a major molt, bunnies may need to be combed weekly. For more information, read the articles, Grooming Rabbits and Trimming Nails on The Educated Rabbit website.

Long-haired rabbits, such as angoras, need to be regularly combed and brushed at least once a week. If you are unable to keep up with the frequent grooming, your bunny’s fur should be clipped short every 6-8 weeks to minimize knots and mats. For more information, read the article, Grooming Long-Haired Rabbits on The Educated Rabbit website.

3. First Aid Kit

Every bunny owner needs a first aid kit for their pet. It should contain