Holiday Travel with Bunny

The Christmas season is a time when there is lot of traveling. Unfortunately for rabbit owners, bunnies do not handle traveling well. They are not like a cat where you can hire somebody to come over once a day to feed and scoop the cat box, or a dog which is more easy to bring (or can easily have a dog sitter). Rabbits require special care, need to be able to hop around for exercise, and grooming. Because careful bunny sitters can be rather hard to find many people may need to opt to bring bun with them. Again, rabbits can die very easily from stress, so travel is not really a good option.

CAR TRAVEL:
Bunny could handle this if it's not a very long car ride (meaning under 2 hours). But too long of a car ride can be quite traumatic for such a small animal! Things like bad air circulation, bumps, loud traffic, and/or inside care noise can contribute to bunny becoming sick or very stressed. If you have no choice but to travel with bunny in a car:

1. Bunny needs to be in a secure animal crate with fresh water (in a bunny water bottle). (And some hay).
2. Familiar things inside the crate like a few toys and comfy towel may help ease some of her anxiety. 
3. Prepare to make frequent rest stops to give her a break from car sickness and road bumps (beware of taking her out to hop around even on a leash. Wild critters that have gone #1 and #2 on the grass can make bunny fatally sick if she eats it, or she can get ticks. So basically, do not take bunny out for a walk in a rest area! Open the trunk and let her sit there so she can get a breeze).
4. Keep the air circulation good. Close windows if there is bad car exhaustion, loud noise, etc. If it is cold outside make the care warm but not too warm. Keep it on the more cool side of warm).

AIR TRAVEL:

To be frank, air travel is never a very good idea for bunny. Only use air travel if you have absolutely no choice but to fly her. And I mean that you have gone from Plan A all the way to Plan Z with no other option. Air travel can be quite an ordeal. The noise from other animals, extreme changes in temperature, rough handling, and having to be in a cargo plane since most airlines will not let you fly with bunny, can be extremely terrifying. If the airline will allow you to fly with bunny then do so. If simply must fly with bunny:

1. Keep her crate safe and secure. With some water, hay, and familiar things in it.
2. Take two pieces of paper and laminate them and then tape them to the inside and outside of the crate (with good strong Duct Tape). That way if for whatever reason bunny ends up in San Francisco when she was supposed to be in New York it will have the necessary  info to find you and return her. (The info should have: bunny's name, basic health info, your name, cell number, email address)
3. Try to keep the flight a short one. (Try to avoid those half-way around the world trips).

BUNNY BOARDING:Bunny boarding is good if you will be gone for an extended period of time with no way to keep care of bunny. Bunny will stay in special "animal hotel" and be cared for there. Some bunny boarding places are very good, while others are sketchy. Make sure that look for some good reviews. If you decide to bunny board: 

1. Make sure that the place knows how to properly care for bunnies.
2. Leave bunnies medical information and medicine she takes (if she takes it). Make suer they know how to care for special needs bunnies.

HOME BUNNY SITTERS:

This is the best idea. Have someone you trust, is responsible, and is a stickler for rules to bunny sit. This person will have to come over to your house and feed bunny, clean her cage, and take her out of her cage to play. If you are having a bunny sitter;

1. Give them your vet info and a list of emergency health issues.
2. Medicine instructions and care for a special needs/elderly bunny
3. Teach them how to pick up, groom, feed, and play with bunny.

Merry Christmas to you and your bunny!

~MERRY CHRISTMAS~

&

~A HAPPY NEW YEAR~

Wishing you and bunny a safe holiday season. 

Hope that the coming year will be filled with lots of

happy times for you and bunny to share together.

Enjoy every moment with bunny and be "hoppy"!

"Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room 

in  your heart." --Winnie-the-Pooh

*H A P P Y    H O L I D A Y S*

F r o m   y o u r   f r i e n d s @ R a b b i t C a r e C o r n e r 

First Aid for Heatstrokes

Heatstrokes unfortunately happen all too often in bunnies. In fact, heatstrokes kill more rabbits than illness does! A heatstroke is when bunny's internal body temperature gets extremely high. A fever is also an elevated internal body temperature, but a heatstroke is much higher and far more severe. It is very important that you are able to identify this so that you can help treat bunny in this emergency.

Preventing Heatstroke:
It is not very wise to let bunny play outside on a very hot day. 80+ degrees (or even lower) with high humidity is a recipe for a heatstroke. Bunny should also not be playing in direct sunlight. Not that bunny can't play in the sun, but she should have a nice place of shade to rest in.
But hot outdoor weather isn't just where bunny can get heatstroke. A bunny cage in direct sunlight, no air conditioning on a hot day, or her cage sitting to close to a heater in the winter can all make bunny get overheated. Always give bunny plenty of water (with ice cubes if it's hot), a nice cool, shady place to be in, or a small, simple fan can help keep him cool. (Bunny can also get heatstroke from sitting in a hot car. Bunnies are far more sensitive to heat then we are).

Recognizing Heatstroke:
.Rapid/labored breathing
.Panting/gasping/raspy sounds
.Limping
.Unresponsive
.Laying flat (This does not always mean bunny has heatstroke. Sometimes bunny will do this to cool  off)
.Slow/no heartbeat OR fast heartbeat (again, does not always mean heatstroke. Rabbits do have a      naturally higher heart rate than people)
.Elevated body temperature (bunnies do, however, have a higher body temperature than people as  well)

First Aid for Bunny:
Get bunny indoors to air conditioning, or shade ASAP. Keep a small fan by her blowing cool air on a low, delicate setting. If she is conscious give her some cool water. Take a small hand towel, dampen it (not soak it wet!) with cold water, and wrap the towel around the tips of her ears. If bunny is not conscious or does not seem to be responding to your first aid within 15 minutes take bunny to the vet immediately.

Do not ever dump water on bunny as if it were the Ice Bucket Challenge, spray her with a hose, put her in a pool, or wrap her whole body in a wet towel. This will not work in cooling her down and may shock her body.