Bunny's Health:Cuts and Limping

I've never had to deal with a cut or with limping in Snowberry. With a cat yes.

The first thing you must remember is to stay calm!!!  Of course that is much easier said then done. When faced with a situation that is scary you need to breath deeply and focus on the issue. Your family should also be trained to know what to do. As should you bunny sitter.

REMEMBER:

To help bunny stay calm you must stay calm. Always have an First Aid Kit (more on that later).

Contact your vet ASAP!!! Only help bunny with her injury. Don't try to take a severe situation into your own hands.

BLEEDING:

A cut in bunny can be scary. It may be hard to keep infection away from bunny which is why you should see your vet afterward. Rabbit Proof your home to prevent it and don't let bunny near any sharp/heavy objects. Check bunny VERY CAREFULLY to see how deep the wound is and how much blood there is. In any cut always apply direct pressure. Use a damp cloth and hold against bunny. Call your vet and take bunny there depending on the severity of the cut. A cut from a torn nail (due to long nails) is VERY common. Keep bunnies cage floor and litter box clean. Bunny can lick her cut if she wants. 

LIMPING:

Limping can be from a cut foot or broken leg. Bunny should never be on high places that he may jump off of. If bunny is limping from a minor cut make sure that her cut is not infected. If it is a major cut then take bunny to the vet. If bunny cannot stand and/or has a funny lump sticking out (which could be a bone) then take her to the vet.

Zzzzzzzzzzz

Food 4 Thought

I'm sure that you've probably heard the "all bunnies eat are carrots and chocolate" myth.Well I'm here to tell you that that is not true. In fact its far from it.

Bunny can only eat certain foods and can have only certain amounts sugar. Bunnies need hay, veggies, and water. Shall take a look at what can and cannot eat? 

VEGGIES:(make sure that the food is unspoiled and not expired)

.Cilantro

.Red leaf lettuce

.Kale (small amount. 1-2x week only)

.Spinach (small amount. 1-2x week only)

.Romaine

.Green leaf lettuce

.Spring mix of greens

Good treats:(no more then 2x a week)

.Apple slices (no seeds. don't overload on a million slices!)

.Papaya  (no seeds)

.Carrot & Carrot tops 

Bad veggies:

.Iceberg lettuce 

.Celery stalks

.Broccoli

.Cabbage

.Cauliflower 

.Collard greens

Bad Treats:

.Nuts/seeds

.Chocolate

.Cookies/crackers

.Cereal/Granola

.Yogurt (and yogurt drops)

.Processed treats

."Rabbit Friendly" fiesta-style mixes

.Pasta/bread/rice

.Raisins/dried fruit (prunes etc.)

.Potatoes/tomatoes

.Apple seeds and papaya seeds

.Citrus fruits

.Honey bars

.Dog and cat food 

.Bird seeds

Food Reminders:

All bunnies need hay. Every time the hay rack goes empty refill it. Do not give a sick bunny (or a bunny with diarrhea) any spinach, or kale. Any food that is not listed you must check with a vet before you give it to bunny. Pellets are not essential to give to bunny. If bunny hasn't ever had pellets then don't give her them. Ask your vet if you should not (or stop) giving bunny pellets. If you stop giving bunny pellets then you must slowly wean her off them. Buy papaya FRESH at a supermarket. You can freeze cubes of papaya for later.

Food Amounts:

HAY~ Give an endless supply of hay.

PELLET~ Consult vet.

VEGGIES~ 2cups for every 5 pounds she weighs.

TREATS~ 2-3inch. long stick of apple, carrot, or papaya. 

Poop Issues

Yeah, I know it's rather gross. However, poop can tell how bunny's health is. So you know her poop health is you should daily check the litter box. I know you don't want to but it is your bunny. You need to take full responsibility.  Lets take a good look at some poop issues in bunny.

Small Poops:

My bunny because she is a dwarf rabbit has small poops anyway. However smaller then normal poop is bad. If this persists for more then 24 hr and/or that's all bunny is pooping then call your vet.

Diarrhea Poop:

Diarrhea is very serious. Bunny could have an issue in his stomach. This poop will be wet, and slimy. Give bunny more hay, no treats, and a little less veggies. Plenty of water and clean litter. If it continues for more then 24 hr and/or that's all bunny is pooping call your vet. 

Pearl Poops:
Pearl poops are poop strung together with fur. When bunny sheds the fur gets in her intestines and becomes entangled in her fur. This can cause a serious blockage and can make bunny stop pooping if left untreated . You can, however, treat this at home though! (If bunny is not pooping take her to the vet at once!) First, take bunny out and give her a good brushing (30min.). Then let her play for a good hour. If you have some papaya at home then good! If not not you can go to your local produce store and get one. Feed bunny one fresh cube of papaya two times a day until her poops get back to normal. NO SEEDS! THEY'RE TOXIC!!!!!
Its a good idea not to buy pet store papaya cubes because they sometimes have extra sugar added. Also the fresher the better and God made the fruit so its got just what bunny needs! ;) When you cut up the papaya you can put some in a plastic bag and freeze it for later use. (You can also give this to bunny when she has other poop troubles!

No Poops:
Obviously if you see no poop in bunny's litter box then you know somethings wrong. If bunny hasn't been pooping for more then 24 hours take her to the vet. 

The Perfect Bunny Home

All bunnies need a good secure cage to be in. This post will be about cage sizes, and safety.

CAGE SIZES:

A lot of people think that small bunnies need tiny cages. Wrong! All bunnies (no matter what size) need big cages. With at least 2 floor levels, and 3-5inch. of room above the head when bunny sits up. The cage needs to have plenty of room for bunny to move around in. This will help prevent sore hocks and chubbiness (more on health later). 

THINGS TO AVOID IN CAGES:

Bunny's cage must be safe for her to remain healthy and happy. Please avoid cages that are too small because bunny needs some good cage space. Wire flooring are bad for bunny because they can make bunny's feet bleed or very sore. Cages need to have a non-slippery floor and no sharp edges, mold, or broken wire.

Keeping bunny in a nice cage is a great thing! Bunny will enjoy life in a comfy, cozy, warm, dry cage.

My bunny LOVES her cage!

Exercise and Exercise Safety

Exercise is very important for bunny. She needs it to keep strong bones, and so she'll be less bored. Bunny needs a good 3 hours of exercise everyday. You can do 1 hour in the morning, another in the afternoon etc. If you don't have time to watch bunny every playtime, then have someone else watch her.

Don't let bunny:

.Hop up/down the stairs

.Dig/chew on the carpet (give bunny a digging box. Not a cat box or sand box.)

.Play in crowded or dangerous areas (hallway, kitchen etc.)
.Play in/on your cats kitty house (or in your dog's dog house/kennel)
.Play on your bedroom bed
.Play on cool tile
Safety:
.Buy bunny a cage with cool ramps in it! Bunny'll enjoy that.
.For a digging box give bunny a medium sized cardboard box with some of her cage litter.
.Let bunny play in an uncrowded room. Not to sunny, with no drafts, and no loud noise. The room should have no carpet in it. You can let bunny play in your room as long as she is not on the bed or your room has no carpet or unstable objects.
.If there is already tension between the rabbit and cat then your cat could claw at the rabbit. Also, kitty houses are meant for cats. Not bunnies. Even if bunny enjoys playing with it (or you bought one for bunny and have no cat) you should remove it and buy a special bunny play set.
.Your room may be very messy with lots of things for bunny to chew and choke on. The bed is for you only. Not for the lil' bunny. She can play in your room if it:
.Is clean
.Has no unstable objects that could fall
.Has no carpet
.No friends that are running around

Keeping bunny safe is important. Also see rabbit proofing the house. Thank you!

I guess streatching helps bunnies too!
(She is really begging for cilantro)

The Outdoor Rabbit

An outdoor rabbit (as you guessed) lives outside your home. Outdoor rabbits can live in a special bunny pen, or a rabbit hutch. To have an outdoor means that you need to have to pay close attention to these outdoor rabbit safety rules.

Make Sure That Your Yard Is Rabbit Proof:

The yard should have no sharp objects if you are going to let your rabbit have free range over the yard.

Be sure that if you have a garden you keep it in a fence. Remove deadly plants from rabbit. It would be a lot safer if you keep bunny in a pen/hutch. Make sure that your yard has NO CHEMICALS IN THE GRASS. If you have a fence then make sure that it has no holes,  and is firmly in. The fence should be 5ft. or higher. If you get bunny a cage in the yard remember this: Beware of wild rabbits, and other animals. And bugs. Gey bunny a SUPER SAFE CAGE WITH A HIDING SPOT.

Take bunny inside if the weather is over 80 degrees and if the weather is under 60 degrees.

Be sure to have an indoor space if storms are on the way!

Suger Bun

Bunnies (like people) like treats! Who doesn't? However, to much treats (as we know) aren't good. That goes for bunny too. Treats should be given to bunny 2x a week once a day only! 3 is the largest amount of treats in a week you should give bunny. Please do not give bunny store bought treats as they are not very healthy. If you're training bunny don't overload on the treat prizes! Bunny will be happy with some cilantro, or romaine lettuce. Also, don't make giving bunny treats a priority. Bunny doesn't need the treats. She just wants some treats.

When are the best times to give bunny a treat? See these ideas:

.Bunnies birthday

.Your birthday

.On a holiday

When you get home from a vacation and haven't seen her in a while

.When she goes to the vet (not after a surgery!)

Good Treats for Bunny (ones that are acceptable):

.Apple (not whole. No seeds)

.Carrot (not whole)

.Carrot tops

.Papaya (VERY healthy. No seeds)

Any treat that you do not see listed DON'T LET BUNNY EAT! And please no people treats like cookies, yogurt drops etc.