Doctoring for your Rabbit

If you've never had a rabbit before, you might not know quite what to expect in terms of how to properly care for your rabbit's health. One of the first things you should learn in terms of rabbit health is how to tell when your rabbit is sick. Unlike your dog, you simply cannot feel your rabbit's nose to determine when he or she is sick. Generally, speaking it can be somewhat difficult to determine when your rabbit is sick because rabbits tend to show few external symptoms when they are sick. There are a few tips that can help you determine when your bunny's health is not quite up to par; however. You should know that you will need to be quite attentive in order to pick up on these rabbit health signs; however.

One of the most common signs that your rabbit may not be feeling well is refusal of a treat or snack that your rabbit usually enjoys. Like most other animals, and even humans, rabbits may not feel like eating much when they are feeling poorly. Other common symptoms of poor rabbit health include sitting in a hunched position for longer than usual periods of time and hiding away in places that are not usual.

In some cases, you may find that the reason your rabbit is not feeling well is due to stomach problems. Rabbits can be prone to digestive problems and gas in particular. This can be painful for your rabbit and it is important to get the problem under control. In the event that your rabbit does have gas, you can help the situation by administering simple pediatric medication that can be purchased at most pharmacies. Use one to three cc's of medication; depending on the size of your rabbit.

Another situation you should be on the lookout for, particularly in baby rabbits, is diarrhea. Usually this is not much of a problem in adult rabbits but can be very serious, and even fatal in young rabbits. In the event that you discover your young rabbit has diarrhea you need to get him or her to an experienced veterinarian as soon as possible. If it happens to be the weekend, you should consider this an emergency and go ahead and contact the vet on call. It is extremely important that diarrhea in your rabbit should not be allowed to go unattended for more than 12 hours. Actually, you shouldn't even let it go on that long, but in order to preserve the life of your rabbit this type of rabbit health problem should be addressed within that time frame. In addition, keep in mind that if your rabbit has stopped eating, this can also indicate a serious digestive system problem that could also lead to fatality. The same rule of thumb should apply to your rabbit's eating habits. If your rabbit has not eaten for 12 hours you need to take emergency action immediately.

You should also be aware that in some cases, your rabbit may develop a problem with fur loss. Now, it's quite common and even healthy for rabbits to shed their fur once or twice per year. This is a normal part of the molting process. Generally, a healthy rabbit will begin to grow fur back within just a few days. If that doesn't happen; however, you could have a serious problem. Such a problem could be due to a variety of problems such as fur mites, ringworm or some other parasitic problem. It is extremely important that you contact your veterinarian for treatment and not try to self-treat this type of rabbit health problem. Also, make sure you seek treatment immediately if your rabbit's fur does not begin to grow back within a few days because if allowed to go on too long, it can become quite serious and painful for your rabbit.

If you are thinking of bringing one or more pet rabbits, there are a few things you should know first. Each year, far too many pet rabbits are abandoned because their former owners decided they could not handle the responsibility and/or lost interest in their furry friends. This can be particularly dangerous for the rabbit because they may not have the ability to function in an environment other than a domestic one. So, it's important to make sure you are up to the responsibility for caring for a pet rabbit before you take on one.

One of the most important things you should know about rabbits is that they are not easily won over. Many people bring home pet rabbits thinking that because they are furry and cuddly looking that they will just naturally want to be cuddled and loved. This isn't always necessarily the case. It's important to understand that rabbits have naturally survived in the wild by remaining alert and avoiding larger, predatory appearing creatures. This means that they are naturally wary of humans. As a result, they may not be naturally inclined to be cuddled by humans. This doesn't mean they can't be won over but you must understand that it's going to take some time and patience. You need to be dedicated to this effort up front before making the decision to share your home with a pet rabbit.

You should also understand that rabbits are like most other animals; each rabbit has its own distinct personality. If you've owned dogs or cats before you probably know that some tend to be quite friendly, while others are shy and there are always some that just seem to be mean. The same is true of rabbits. Each rabbit is going to have his or her own individual personality.

One fact that many potential rabbit 'parents' might not be aware of is that pet rabbits are quite intelligent. This means that they can also be full of mischief and at times they can also have a tendency toward willfulness, destruction and even vengeance. This, of course, doesn't mean that pet rabbits are bad pets to have; but you need to be prepared for this fact before bringing one home.

If you have children, you especially need to think long and hard about whether a pet rabbit is a good idea for your home and situation. Unfortunately, children are commonly the very reason why many people make the decision to make a pet rabbit part of their family. The problem with this idea is that children are naturally boisterous and their first instincts are to chase a rabbit and hold it when this is the last thing the rabbit wants. This is definitely not the way to go about earning the trust of a pet rabbit and the only thing it will accomplish is a rabbit that fears you. If you plan to bring pet rabbits into your home and you have children you need to take the time to explain to your children what is necessary in order to earn the rabbit's trust. Explain to them that this may take some time, but that the effort is truly worth it.

Finally, the most important thing to remember when considering whether you want to make a pet rabbit part of your family is that his or her care is a long term responsibility. Although far too many pet rabbits die a young death due to improper care and abandonment, when cared for properly, a pet rabbit can live a long life. It's quite possible for pet rabbits to live up to ten years. Some have even lived longer. If you are not prepared to make this kind of commitment, you should consider a different kind of pet, or none at all.