Medical Care

Medical Care

Lops do not always show you when they are ill and sometimes, they have diseases well in the advanced stages before they show any symptoms, thus it is important to pay careful attention to subtle clues that your bunny may be giving you.

First Aid Kit: Basically, there are a few items that I keep in a first aid box in my rabbity, the items should be accessible at all times. I recommend that you keep a kit with the follwoing items:

�Antibiotic eye salve/Eyewash ( you can use eyewash made for humans, the active ingredient is the same and harmless to rabbits)  �Ointment  �Cotton Swaps and Cotton Tip Applicators   �6 or 12 cc syringe without a needle  �Your veterinarian's phone number � Trimmers  � Disposable Plastic Gloves �Ear Mite Otic Solution  �rubbing alcohol for disinfecting �worming medications- piperazine/ivomec �electrolyte/vitamin powder

RABBIT DRUG DOSAGE CALCULATOR

Very useful items for the well being of your bunny:

Simethicone Drops  Anti-gas treatment intended for human infants give immediate relief to your bunny when he is suffering from gas buildup or diarrhea caused by change in diet. One dropper full 2 or 3 times a day will have your bunny bouncing and back to the dinner table in no time.

Tea  For reducing excess bacteria in bladder and gut. Any kind of tea, herb, Black or Orange Pekoe or green teas are fine. Make tea as you would for yourself to drink iced tea and put in your rabbits drinking water once a week. Also makes a wonderful eye wash and treatment for a wet dewlap. A tea soak is also very helpful for hutch burn (urine scald).

Vitamin E  It is a good idea to keep Vitamin E on hand at all times. It is the quickest and safest way to get toxins out of your rabbit's system. Just snip the tip off a gel cap and squirt into your bunny's mouth. They love the taste and it works. Any time you suspect your bunny has gotten into something and don't know what, try Vitamin E. 

Natural Remedies from your home and garden:

Blackberry leaves or Tea  Another remedy for diarrhea and upset tummies.

Weeping Willow leaves, bark and branches are an excellent source of roughage, iron, a natural form of analgesic and a big help in the treatment of diarrhea. We feed Willow from Spring until the trees loose their leaves in fall. Then we cut back the trees and cut up the branches in 8 to 10 inch long sticks and feed the sticks all winter until the leaves return in the spring.  Bunnies love it and regular trimming keeps the trees healthy. 

  Medical Problems:

	Symptons:	Cause:	treatment:	Prevention:
INTERNAL PARASITES
Coccidia: most common parasites of bunny(s) and can make bunnys kill.	None, diarrhea, poor growth, anorexia	coccidia passed from the stool of infected bunny(s)	Medication such as trimethoprim-sulfa drugs to kill the coccidia	Good hygiene; remove infected feces
Intestinal Worms: Bunnys can carry worms in their intestines.	Usually none	Ingestion of parasitic eggs	Dewormers Such as fenbendazole and ivermectin.	Clean environment; no exposure to wet greasses
EXTERNAL PARASITES
Ear Mites: cause by a contagious, microscopic, spiderlike bug.	Flaky discharge in the ears, scratching at the ears	Psoroptes cuniculi mite from another infected rabbit	Mineral oil applied to the ear	Keep infested rabbits away from other rabbits
Fur Mites: Mites are tiny spiderlike bugs.	Dandruff, dry skin, hair loss, scaly skin, itching	Cheyletiella parasitovorax mite	Malaseb spray; or Flea power/spray	Keep infected animals away from all oth animals
NON INFECTIOUS CONDITIONS
Fur chewing/ Hair Loss:	The chewing of fur, thinning hair, patches of lost hair.	Behavioral reasons, mites, ringworm, woulds.	Increase the fiber in the diet by feeding hay and/or straw.  Magnesium oxide.	Good husbandry and health care.
Hairballs: The hair then groups together in the stomach to form a clupm or ball.	May have no symptoms or anorexia, progressive weith loss, increased water consumption, fewer feces	Excessively eating hair, lack of fiber, boredom, stress, obesity	Medical treatment with fiber and pineapple juice along with medications; surgical removal of the hairball	High-fiber diet; an enriching environment to promote activity. brushing your bunny during his shed.
Heat Prostration:	High temperatures and is usually associated with the high humidity levels as well.	An increased respiratory rate. Wetness around the mouth which may be a bloody ting.	Remove animal at once to a cool piace.	Keep a good flow of air moving at all times around the rabbits.
Diarrhea: Is a symptom of an intestinal disorder.	Loose or more frequent stoolds	Anything that irritates the intestines	Treat the specific cause of the diarrhea; provide supportive care	good husbandry, proper diet, gradual diet changes
Red Urine: Red urine is not actually a disease, but it is a common concern of bunny owners.	Red-colored Urine	Usually harmless plant pigments; in rare cases, blood in the urine	None, unless there is blood present	for actual blood in the urine: reduce the risk of trauma; spay and neuter rabbits
BACTERIAL DISEASES
Sore Eyes:	Areas beneath the eye lids are filled with pus	found in the nest box where many types of bacterial conjunctivitis are usually contacted	gently opened and clean of all pus. A Neomycin ophthalmic applied 2 to 3 times daily and for 3 to 5 days.	Strict sanitation of the nest box.
Weepy Eye: (conjunctivitis)	Tissue around the eye often will appear red and irritated	an inflammation of the conjunctiva.	Neomycin ophthalmic ointment 2 to 4 times a day for 3 to 4 days	Maintain strict control of respiratory disease in the rabbitry.
Dermatophytosis: (Ringworm)	A loss of hair in a circular fashion which will show a sore in the middle.	Fungus, usually Trichophyton	Malaseb Shampoo; Malaseb Spray	Keep rabbits away from any other animal carrying ringworm