Diet/medical

Medical Concerns for Pet Rabbits
by Sandi Ackerman
Red Urine
So please, do not fast your rabbit before Rabbits’ urine varies in color from clear surgery! After surgery, make sure the rabbit’s to yellow to brown to bright red. This is condition is known as malocclusion, which cage is clean, and check her incision site daily usually not a cause for alarm unless there means that a rabbit’s constantly-growing for swelling or discharge. Do everything you teeth are not wearing down properly. If the can to get your rabbit to eat again as soon as straining to urinate, loss of appetite or tem- misalignment is bad, the teeth will need to possible after returning home. To coax him perature. When you see red urine, don’t be clipped periodically so that the rabbit can to eat again, you may have to offer a variety panic. Just keep your eyes open for other eat. Your veterinarian can do this for you, or of treats, including his regular pellets and signs that might indicate a problem. If in can show you how to do it at home. Usually hay. If your rabbit has not eaten for 48 hours doubt, you can have your veterinarian test malocclusion just strikes the front teeth, bu after surgery, consult your veterinarian.
to see whether there is blood in the urine.
occasionally, the back teeth can also be mis-aligned. One indication of this is a wet chin Bacterial Infections
Amoxicillin Danger
that is caused by drooling. If this is the case, Never let a veterinarian give your rabbit your rabbit will need his molars trimmed by amoxicillin. It is a pink liquid antibiotic that smells like bubble gum. Amoxicillin is very dangerous for rabbits, and has killed Hairballs
sound. It is important to see your veterinari- cillin-based drug can be dangerous for your months. Every second shedding is light, fol- infection appear, as they are more easily rabbit, so try to find a veterinarian who is lowed three months later by a heavy shed- cured when caught in the early stages. The knowledgeable about rabbit-safe antibiotics, ding. This is an important factor in rabbit called Pasteurella. This used to be a major rabbit to get the hair off of them when they problem, but with the newer antibiotics, this start to shed. Rabbits groom themselves like bacteria can often be eliminated. And, if not enrofloxins such as Baytril or Cipro.
cats and will ingest all of the loose hair, totally eliminated, it can be controlled with the use of long term antibiotics. Most of the Cedar and Pine Shavings
this reason, besides regular grooming, they must have constant access to fresh hay every many types of bacteria, so it is important to other pets. The aromatic hydrocarbons pro- day, as the fiber helps the hair pass through have your veterinarian do a culture to deter- the digestive system. You can also give your both respiratory and liver damage in rabbits and other small animals. Use organic litter Digestive Problems
in the litter box and put newspaper in the not shedding and daily during their molt.
Finally, daily exercise is another important you see your veterinarian immediately.
factor in the prevention of hairballs.
Diarrhea—as in human children, diarrhea Spay/Neuter
in rabbits can be fatal. Rabbits have various Surgeries
kinds of diarrhea, if it’s runny, messy and smelly it’s easy to identify. A more subtle approximately .1% mortality due to anesthe- prior to elective surgeries. Food and water sia. On the other hand, the risk of reproduc- the urgency of runny diarrhea) is when the tive cancer (which is fatal) for an unspayed evening before surgery! Any change in diet female rabbit stands at approximately 85%, can upset a rabbit’s sensitive digestive tract “squash” when you touch or sweep them which makes spaying a necessity. For male and cause problems in post- operative recov- up. You may also see “clumpy” diarrhea.
rabbits, the benefits are primarily behavioral ery. One of the reasons some veterinarians This will be the consistency of silly putty, (eliminating spraying and hormone-related recommend removing animals’ food before with normal round droppings mixed in.
aggression), but are just as important. A Diarrhea usually requires antibiotics from knowledgeable rabbit veterinarian can spay vomit. Rabbits cannot throw up, thus this is your veterinarian. Other signs to watch for or neuter your rabbit with very little risk to a not a concern. Additionally, some veterinari- ans are concerned about spaying rabbits with all. See your veterinarian if any of these would take 3-4 days of fasting to empty out, symptoms appear. (Veterinarians often mis- and by that time, the rabbit would be dead.
diagnose this problem as being a hairball.)

Source: http://www.allearssac.org/pdf/med.pdf