Bunny care: Ethel to the vet

This is another post about "Monitor your bunny's mood".

We give treats to our bunnies for a few reasons, like:
We love them.
Some treats are healthy.
Also, and perhaps most important, when the bunny is not enthusiastic about the treat, this may be an early indicator that something is wrong. As in: Get to the vet - fast.

Ethel was exhibiting several variations on her usual "happy treat" self. One time, she came out for the treat, but didn't eat it - she licked it across the floor until Bunya finished his treat and came over to see if she had any leftovers. He got it all. She was interested but just couldn't close the deal.

Another time she did not even come out for the treat. However, when we were cleaning their pen, she seemed fine, doing some little binkies and NASbunnies (aka Buntona 500s). So we were getting mixed signals.

If GI stasis is starting, the bunny may not eat. As an experiment, we tried breaking the treat into little pieces, to make it easier for her to eat. She scarfed them down.

Ethel eating her Probios treat
once it was in smaller pieces and easier to eat.

For the next test, we mixed some Critical Care. Ethel is particular. Well, so is Bunya. We have to give Bunya his in a syringe. Ethel likes it and will eat it, but only out of "her" spoon.

Ethel scoping out her spoon of Critical Care.

"Yum!"

As another test of interest in food/treats, we offered Ethel something soft, i.e., easy to eat. Of course, as alpha bunny, Bunya had to have a bite first... he was just making sure it was tasty enough for Ethel (Yeah, right). Ethel also enjoyed the soft banana.

(That one bite was a treat size portion - no more after what you saw in the video.)

Since Ethel (1) seemed relatively happy, versus in pain, (2) showed an interest in treats and food, and (3) actually ate when the treats and food were soft or in tiny pieces, we were thinking this might be tooth related. In any case, a trip to the vet was in order.

And yup, Ethel had "points" digging into her tongue, which made eating pellets and Probios very painful and difficult. A short procedure under anesthesia to remove the points and she was pretty much back to normal. 

Don't you love it when the dentist gets you all geared up
and then starts asking you
"So, how are things going? How have you been?"
"Ugh, A've 'een 'ine. 'ow ughou' oo?"

As usual, we took Bunya to the vet with Ethel; they spent the day together while the vet observed Ethel to make sure she recovered from the anesthesia and was eating. We take them together to help preserve their bond... don't want one coming home smelling strange, like the vet's office, and then start fighting when re-introduced.

Once there are teeth issues, have your rabbit-savvy vet check your bunny at least every six months or if you see the types of indicators described above. No teeth issues for Ethel for six years, but now that they started, her teeth have to be monitored regularly.

Just another adventure in bunny-dom.

(No cost to you) Bunny Rescue Fundraising Challenge

Rabbit Ramblings will donate funds to rescue rabbits based on the net increase in RR page "Likes" on its Facebook page by May 31, 2017. New Likes = $1 [Starting Likes count is 13,131.]


The Easter bunny rejects/releases started on Easter and GHRS rescued 6 bunnies - no holiday break for the volunteers. Yesterday, another four were saved, but not before injuries. --------------->

If you have already "Liked" RR (thank you), then tell your bunny friends to "Like" RR on Facebook, re-post the challenge or "share" it from the RR Facebook page. (Non-bunny people will “un-like” it and that gets us nowhere.)

P.S. On this page, there's a "Like Us on Facebook" button near the top of the right hand column, under the Pages list. The donation is for increased "page likes" (versus individual posts on the Facebook page - but you can "Like" those, too). FB comments are welcome, as are pictures of your bunnies being cute or mischievous, things that lend itself to a caption/meme.

If you would like to make a donation yourself, that would be generous and wonderful. No amount is too small - it all adds up and helps save bunnies.

Georgia House Rabbit Society

House Rabbit Society

Thank You!

Maximum Likes donation = $1,000.

Bunny care: Ethel shows us new bunny illnesses

Ethel is about 6-1/2 now. She had a bout of stasis years ago and been beautiful since.
Until now.

Recently, she was not behaving as her usual chipper morning self and so we rushed to our rabbit-savvy vet(s). She wasn't eating and my first fear is stasis or hairball or something like that.

Well, another reason bunnies might stop eating is their teeth. Bunny teeth grow continually and this is why they need to keep busy and chewing safe things. Hopefully, not your phone charger cords.

Ethel's never had teeth problems before but she did this time. So a brief procedure is done under anesthesia to fix them into the right shape so that they don't hurt the bunny anymore. She started eating again almost immediately.

When our bunnies have to stay at the vet,
we visit them every day.
Ethel hates to be in a car or away from home.
Here, Ethel snuggles under Dr. Mrsbunnymom's
arm/elbow and calms down for a while.
Ethel will sit on her lap like this,
with her head tucked under and
getting her tushy scratched
while Dr. Mrsbunnymom is at the home computer
(Ethel stays for a half hour or so).

Here it is from the other side.
You can see that one hand scratches the tushy and
leaves the other hand free for the computer mouse.

Fortunately, that resolved itself reasonably quickly. She never had teeth problems before but now that she has, protocol is to have her checked at least every 6 months. Or, of course, if she is not behaving as her usual perky self.

So then Ethel decided to show us what a messed up bunny eye can look like.
*sigh*

Ethel's sore eye

Soooo... back to the vet.

Some fluid and wash was put in her eye and
examined under black light.
Fortunately, Ethel's cornea was not scratched.
(Only thought to get a picture when it was almost over,
so not the best shot here, but you get the idea.)

Now we are putting medicine in her eye twice a day. After I saw the doctor do it, I said that I wished I had filmed it so that I would know exactly what to do. She reenacted the application of the medicine for me, in this video (so no more medicine was actually re-applied here).

Wish I had videoed it the first time so you could see the actual medicine. The vet laid a line on the top of the white of Ethel's eye perfectly and made it look so much easier than it is. At least, compared to when I did it. Maybe it has something to do with girls learning to apply make-up or something. Then again, could be, I am just that uncoordinated.

If you are a RRRR (Regular Rabbit Ramblings Reader), you know that we take all bonded bunnies to the vet, even if only one needs care. This is to maintain the bond and so one doesn't come home smelling funny (like a "stranger", like the vet's office). So while Ethel is getting her first dose of eye medicine, Bunya starts sneezing.

Take a look at Bunya and he's got a runny nose. So they both needed to be there anyway and Bunya has his own (different) meds.

But they love each other and we love them, so we want everyone healthy. If you are somebunny's human, it's a cost of doing business. You might want to consider health insurance for your bunnies; we enrolled Bunya and Ethel a short while ago (and probably should have done it years sooner).

Thanks to Drs. Mike & Karolyn Akins and Dr. Julia Hill of All Creatures Animal Hospital for helping us take care of our bunnies. We are lucky to have a practice close by with 3 exotics vets and a very caring staff, who tolerate a crazy bunny person (but the doctor said I was the "good crazy", I swear).

Bunny sneezes

In 8-1/2 years of life with Bunya (and bunnies), I have never heard him sneeze. At first, I thought he might be choking, but he was very casual about it, seeming maybe a little annoyed and not stressed at all. (But just in case, read about the Bunny Heimlich here). 

Since he has been under the weather with a hairball blockage, anything out of the ordinary shaves years off my life expectancy. So here's about 35 seconds of a bunny sneezing. Yes, we will watch for repeat episodes to see if there is something else to worry about (and help the vet pay off any college loans). *sigh*

Bunya update

Bunya's current bout of GI stasis has been mostly chronicled on the Rabbit Ramblings Facebook page. This actually started last month. After a stint at the vet, Bunya came home. He seemed to be improving for a while but poop volume (a serious measure for bunny humans) never seemed to ratchet up to full production. Then we noticed that they seem to be declining.

Of course, as soon as Dr. Mrs. Bunnymom leaves town,
Bunya's behavior exhibits tummy problems.

Tried baby simethicone, metoclopramide, Bene-Bac and pushing fluids (not all at once). I stayed home and watched him. He was not improving so I took him to the vet. Have but did not want to push Critical Care right after the rest of it. Also, his favorite treat is a Probios (probiotic he gets daily); when he does not eat it, we know he's sick.

See the post - Bunny Care: Monitor your bunny's mood (from an episode 2 years ago)

Tuesday evening, stopped on the way home from the office
to love on Mr. Bunya for 20-25 minutes or so.
Just to give him a little comfort
and let him know we missed him.
Skritched all the favorites: forehead, ears and cheeks/jawline.
He'd just received sub-q fluids so he had moobs
and was a little sloshy.
When the tech came to take Mr. B back, he said that Mr. B's one chill bun.

Last night, stopped again on the way home and Bunya's behavior seems to be improving. The prior evening, he sat still and let me love on him while he rested on the counter (see above). This time, he was more interested in exploring the vet's countertop, scale, computer mouse wire...

So I put him on the floor where he had a little more room to run around. The vet tech brought Bunya into the room in a tray of hay because he was eating when I stopped by; put the hay on the floor with him, along with a towel for traction.

He wandered around the exam room.

He came over to stare at me,
in case I had a treat.

Checking out the hay.

Gave me "the butt" pose,
just to make sure I understood
how he felt about having to be at the vet.

A couple of minutes later,
he sat next to me
and let me love on him some.

This morning, I dropped off some of his first cut Timothy Hay

(for high fiber) and a few toys to connect him to home.

Also included a small carpet square that he and Ethel

snuggle on together, so he could remember her and home.

Poop, Bunya, poop!

[From the movie, Bunya Gump]

When we get the word that he can come home, we will take Ethel there to spend the day with him and bring him home in the afternoon. That way, they have a neutral space to get reacquainted and will both smell like the vet's office. This procedure is a more gentle re-bonding, instead of just bringing Bunya home and he smells strange to Ethel.

Waiting for that time.

(From a RR FB page reader)

Bunny care: Build your bunnies a warren

One way to fight bunny boredom is to construct things for your bunnies to chew on and play in; if you don't, they will find things themselves. Cardboard boxes are great hidey places for your buns. You can make them more interesting by grouping them.

Having bunnies has changed my Costco shopping habits. In addition to buying mass quantities of vinegar (for cleaning their litter boxes), it has changed the way I select boxes to pack up purchases. The best boxes are "plain" brown cardboard, with no waxy surfaces and as little ink as possible. Then you start prepping them...

Remove all the tape.
(Keep boxes closed by the classic flap fold in sequence,
with the last (#4) folding under the first flap.)

Note: The bunnies' interest may
be piqued before you are finished.

Continuing with box prep:
Remove all labels.
There were no staples in these,
but if there are, get rid of those, too.

After label removal.
(The little stragglers were removed, too.)

For really stubborn labels,
well - here's a window!
(Used the cut-out as a template for sizing other doors)

Bunya has not lost interest yet.

Cut out a door in the side of one box and another door in the side of another box.
Leave the flaps attached. Fold the door flap of one box
into the other box and vice versa.
This will provide a loose connection and
allow the bunnies to run from one box to another.

Even if a door is not use as a connector, leave the flap on.
It gives the bunnies something else to chew.

Attach a series of boxes.
(Could also do this in different arrangements, e.g., an "L" shape.)

Lucy inspects the finished product. Bunya is already inside
and he is chewing away - very loudly.

Miss Ethel always loves the high ground.

As noted above, the bunnies like to chew the door/window flaps.

So be on the lookout for good bunny boxes. Do not construct anything higher than a height from which they can safely jump to the floor. In the case of one large relatively flat box we had, we used a smaller box in the middle as a pillar/support for the top of the box so they wouldn't fall in between the top flaps if they walked on the top. Which they did (walk, not fall). The "inside" box also had doors and they would hop inside it to chew. So it was a bun in a box in a box.

Here's another post about Battling Bunny Boredom.

Bunny care: Teeth

"I am bunny - hear me ROAR!"

You need to be on the alert as to when your bunny may not be feeling well. Part of this is knowing your bunny's personality, so you can tell when something is not quite right. Bunnies can get deathly ill very quickly. It's been posted before but is worth repeating: Bunnies are prey animals. They instinctively know that predators seek the weakest. Therefore, a sick bunny will expend all his energy trying to keep up the appearance of being a healthy rabbit. When they finally give in, they can go downhill rapidly. Here is a post with more about how to "Monitor your bunny's mood".

Some basic "healthy" signs include if they are:
1. Eating - remember that hay is the largest part of a bunny's diet, over 80%.
2. Drinking - a heavy crock type bowl that they can't tip over may encourage the bunny to drink more than a drip bottle. Plus, it's easier to keep the water fresh (fresh water at least daily). Here's a picture of this bowl.
3. Pooping and peeing normally, i.e., the usual round pellets (not runny or pinpoint small) and pee (e.g., you don't want to see white pee that may indicate the bunny is not getting enough to drink).

One reason a bunny may not be eating normally or eating slowly is pain in their teeth. Bunny teeth grow constantly and they have to wear them down by eating healthy and chewing your wood furniture and baseboards. There can be several misalignment problems with teeth; the cause might be congenital or it may be from an injury or infection.

When teeth do not line up correctly and are not treated, they may grow into the bunny's cheeks or gums. Even with the right diet and chew toys, it can happen. Some bunnies will need to have their teeth trimmed (or, in extreme cases, some may be removed). Checking your bunnies teeth should be part of a regular rabbit-savvy ("exotics") vet examination. Take your bunnies to the vet for at least an annual check-up and right away if you suspect any problem due to changes in their behavior or mood.

For more information, read this article from HRS: Oral Health in Rabbits

(No cost to you) Bunny Rescue Fundraising Challenge

Rabbit Ramblings will donate funds to the The House Rabbit Society and the Georgia House Rabbit Society based on the net increase in RR page "Likes" on its Facebook page by September 30, 2014. [Starting Likes count is 6,060.]

This donation will be for much needed emergency rescue medical care and vet expenses. An influx of mistreated bunnies recently has depleted medical funds.

If you have already "Liked" RR (thank you from RR & G/HRS), then tell your bunny friends to "Like" RR on Facebook, re-post the challenge or "share" it from the RR Facebook page. (Non-bunny people will “un-like” it and that gets us nowhere.)

P.S. On this page, there's a "Like Us on Facebook" button near the top of the right hand column, under the Pages list. The donation is for increased "page likes" (versus individual posts on the Facebook page - but you can "Like" those, too. Comments welcome).

If you would like to make a donation yourself:

House Rabbit Society

Georgia House Rabbit Society

And Thank You!

So many bunnies need help...

[08-19-2014] Bubba and Willa were dumped on a loading dock. GHRS took them in and gave them the best medical attention and care. They were doing great and almost ready for adoption. Then they started rapidly losing weight. After several trips to the vet, x-rays, lab tests and blood work, it appears that they have some form of poisoning or an extremely rare genetic disorder. GHRS has been giving them injections, sub q fluids and a mixture of oral medications twice a day. Recently started weaning them off of some of the meds and reducing the dosage on others. They were holding steady but the next several days will be a deciding factor. Please keep these babies (7 months old) in your thoughts. Believed to be a Lionhead-Flemish mix, they are going to be gentle giants if GHRS can get them through this. They will be going back to the vet this week for a repeat of x-rays, blood work and other labs.

[08-10-2014] Rio was very underweight on arrival, but is slowly gaining back some of that weight now that he is at the center. He seems like a very sweet bunny, and will hopefully continue to improve as time goes by. The hardest part of his rehab is not giving him all of the food that he can eat. We have to be very careful not to feed him too much too fast; he is on medications to help his body get used to absorbing nutrients. He is steadily gaining weight and beginning to trust humans.

Bunny Monday Meme*day

Bunnies need exercise - hours every day, morning and late afternoon, to run around. Bunnies are crepuscular, active at dawn and dusk.

Bunya update

Bunya came home from the vet late Saturday afternoon. Early that morning, Lucy & Ethel had been dropped off to room with Bunya for the day. Without this step, there could  be some re-bonding issues because (1) Bunya had been gone for almost a week and (2) Bunya would smell like the vet's office and not himself. This way, the girls got a little shake-up on the ride over, Bunya spends the day asserting his alpha status (the way bunnies do - even fixed ones) and they rode home in the carrier together.

Have not seen any big tufts of hair on the floor, which is a good thing.

The first thing Bunya did was chin everything.
"If I chin it, it's mine."
Lucy watched this from under the castle
on their "funhouse" (you can see her above).

Poor little Ethel watched from atop
the cinder bock behind the funhouse,
You can actually see her in the first picture
but here she is more clearly.

After a while, they seemed to be getting a little closer.

Bunya also settled into the premier flop spot,
just inside their pen by the gate.

Bunya checking out the hay cube box,
under Lucy's intense scrutiny.

Ethel, always the sweetest, snuggles close to Bunya.

They still seem a little cool towards each other, though,
and we are looking for more signs they are really re-bonding.
Bunya still feels the need to chase the girls around some
to make sure the first treat is his.

While he has made progress in breaking down the hairball obstruction in his stomach, Bunya still has to take medicine (Metoclopramide syrup and the rest of a tube of Bene-Bac Plus he started at the vet). Unfortunately, unlike the last time we had to go through this with him, he has decided that he does not like them and fights mightily to have you squirt yourself with the sticky liquid and wear the pasty goop.

Thank you to all the wonderful RRRR (Regular Rabbit Ramblings Readers) who sent Bunya healing thoughts and wishes and inquired as to his status. We're hoping for a full recovery,,, it just takes time.

HRS Educator Conference

House Rabbit Society’s first ever Educator Conference, "Taking Rabbit Knowledge to a Higher Level", will be held September 26-28, 2014 (to coincide with International Rabbit Day), hosted by the Humane Society of Missouri.

Information about the conference is here.

Special Bunny Monday Meme*day

A larger version of this is on the RR Bunny Advocacy page.

Learn before ADOPTING a rabbit. Unfortunately, pet stores that sell rabbits are usually NOT reliable information sources and sell products that are HARMFUL to rabbits; this meme explains several reasons why. Here's a post about one pet store experience:

Pet store bunnies ... make me very sad

Here's a great resource for some rabbit care articles.

Recent Easter Bunny caution posts are here and here.

Here's a blow-up of just the examples: