Bunny Base

August 6th, 2007 by you

GI Stasis, or Gastrointestinal Stasis, is a very common ailment in rabbits; however, it can also be very deadly. It happens when a mixture of food and hair ends up forming a hard mass in the stomach, and it cannot pass through to the intestines. 

Rabbits, unlike cats, cannot cough up hairballs. Instead, the mass grows as the rabbit eats, and becomes harder and more compact, causing great pain to the rabbit. It also traps gas inside, which, again, is very painful for your bunny. When this happens, if there is no treatment, the likelihood of a rabbit surviving this on its own is slim. 

Symptoms of GI Stasis include refusal to eat, very small or no droppings, and lethargy. Some bunnies try to eat, but can’t seem to chew their food. They also begin refusing water as well. 

If your rabbit is displaying these symptoms, it is essential to bring your bunny to a very experienced rabbit veterinarian IMMEDIATELY. If your normal vet will see rabbits but is inexperienced with this problem, do not waste any time, and find another vet that has experience. Find a rabbit-savvy vet before you experience this problem so you aren’t scrambling in an emergency situation. 

A vet will typically order x-rays of your rabbit at different angles to see how big the mass is, and if it is, in fact, GI Stasis. Once it is determined that GI Stasis is the problem, the vet will begin treating it right away. Treatment consists of a feeding of a food such as Oxbow Critical Care, a high fiber powdered food that is mixed with water and force fed through a syringe. Most rabbits, by the time they are showing symptoms, refuse to eat, and have to be force-fed. Water is also an essential part of treatment – they must have lots of water to assist with breaking up the blockage. Vets will give sub-q fluids to assure the rabbit is receiving the proper amount of hydration. Vets will also administer pain medications, along with any needed antibiotic, and other medicines designed to help break up the blockage. 

If your vet tries to have you give your rabbit Laxatone, DO NOT USE THIS. It will only make the problem worse. It’s a lubricant designed to help slide things through the intestine, however, it only ends up coating the blockage with a petroleum gel, which actually makes it harder to break up the blockage. The intestine cannot pass a large mass through – it must be broken with up water and high fiber foods so it can pass through in smaller bits. 

Some vets will also recommend feeding yogurt to your bunny. While this will help them receive some nourishment, it is mostly sugar, which can contribute to the problem. It also does not have the necessary fiber which is needed to break up the blockage. 

If you notice any of the previously mentioned symptoms, immediately take your rabbit to a vet that is experienced with dealing with GI Stasis. This is to be considered an emergency, and quick actions must be taken to save your rabbit. 

If you’re looking for a rabbit vet in your area, check out http://www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html. It has a list of vets around the country that are experienced in treating rabbits. Another resource I’ve used in Utah is the Bird & Exotic Pet Hospital. Dr. Orr is highly experienced with rabbits, and has treated many cases of GI Stasis. 

July 2nd, 2007 by you

Bunnies and Heat 

Because the weather is heating up, we need to remember that bunnies do not do well in the heat. They cannot cool down through sweating like people can, so they are constantly at risk of overheating. Even if they have water nearby, bunnies can still die from overheating.

Many people have what they call “outdoor” bunnies, but they have to remember that even in the shade, the temperature can be too hot for a rabbit. Anything over about 75-80 degrees is too hot for a bunny. If you have to have your rabbit outdoors, you need to have a way to help them cool off. One trick that always worked well for my bunnies is to take an empty 2 liter soda bottle, fill it with water, and freeze it. This allows the bunny to snuggle right next to it, and it can help cool most of their body down. It will only last an hour or two, so make sure to have several on hand to keep your bunny cool.

Also, make sure that your bunny has constant access to water. It’s better to have a bowl of water because they can put their ears and feet it in, which is another way they can cool down. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of having a bowl of fresh clean water available at all times to your bunny.

Remember that bunnies, while some people think they are low maintenance, require a great deal of care, and they do not make the best pets for children. They are extremely fragile and susceptible to the environment. They can die of a heart attack simply by being frightened, so keep all dogs and other creatures such as that away. Simply seeing a cat, or hearing a dog barking at them can put them into shock, which can lead to death.

Unfortunately, I just heard a tragic story of some neighbors who had a young bunny. They found him passed away in the backyard, and didn’t know how he died. They thought he could have been frightened by a passing fox, however, I don’t think they took the heat into consideration. (It has been around 100 degrees here.) Please keep your pets safe, away from possible predators, and with a means of cooling down.

Please keep your bunnies safe and out of the heat during the summer. And remember – never, ever leave a pet in your car. On an 80 degree day, temperatures inside the car can reach over 120 degrees in just minutes. Keep your pet safe and happy!

June 17th, 2007 by smash girl

I sent this picture to my sister and she loved it and I bet you will, too!

February 22nd, 2007 by smash girl

Fluffy was a six-month old bunny, who was unfortunately killed by a cat. Here’s the story.

Fluffy was with Honey Bunny durring a late evening, outside, relaxing when a cat came into the yard. The cat creeped up on Fluffy and swiped a paw at Fluffy. Fluffy let out a cry, like most bunnies would if they were in danger, and my brother jumped up from inside and ran outside and started chasing the cat. He grabbed the cat by it’s tail and picked it up and was going to turn in the cat to the pound, but the evil cat started to scratch him really hard, and he let go and the cat got away.

I ran over to Fluffy who ran over to me and i picked him up and held him so close to me. He had a little cut around his eye. Not much damage. He seemed fine. Until two days later. He died of whiplash, brain damage, starvation, and deydration. I could not stop crying. I cried for weeks and weeks. I could not get over it. A few days after he died, the same devil cat came into our yard. My mom and sister grabbed the cat and shoved in into a cage and took it to the pound.

I rejoiced when I got home from school that day, but I was sad because I couldn’t see the cat get punished for it’s sin. Another few days later, the owner of the cat calls us and is outraged with us for putting his cat in the pound. My sister and mom told him to come to our house and have a chat. They chatted for a while and agreed that the cat become an indoor cat. I never saw that evil cat again (thankfully). I will never forget Fluffy. He could do dog tricks. Sit, stay, beg, come and lay down. He was such a good bunny. Fluffy Snowball. Never forget him.

February 22nd, 2007 by smash girl

Honey bunny is my sister’s bunny. She is a Holland Lop and kind of a honey color. She also can do a very cool trick. She can walk on her hind legs!! Well only if you have a treat for her. My bunny can’t do that. I wish my bunny would do that. (If you want to learn more about my bunny, look under bunnies in catagories and you’ll see My Bunny.)

If you want to see a picture of Honey Bunny, go here. You’ll see here towards the bottom of your screen. She is adorable! She is so curious, too! She loves to eat cardboard a lot. She has this cardboard condo at my sister’s house, that she loves to eat more than play in!! It’s so funny!! She loves to be around people more than she likes to be around other bunnies! Honey always comes into my room and checks out whatever’s going on. I was playing a game with my sister and she hopped in and wanted to be apart of the game with my sister and I. She always hangs out wherever the action is. Honey Bunny is very sweet. Just like real Honey.

January 3rd, 2007 by smash girl

This is a follow up to Care for Rabbits: Part One. 

Once you have chosen your rabbit and have brought it home, you need to make it feel comfortable. It’ll take some time for your rabbit to come out of his cage and explore the house and/or yard because they have never been to the place before and don’t know if it’s safe to go out, so you want to coax it to come out, sweet talk to it, and if it doesn’t want to, leave the cage door open and leave it alone, but keep a close eye on it and stay near just incase something happens.

When your rabbit has gotten used to being around the place and has been hopping around, you need to give it attention and play with it. You must be carful with your rabbit because rabbits are extremely delicate creatures. If your caring it around and you drop it, it might break it’s spine and it will be the end of it. You must play gently and try to stay close to the ground because you are large to a rabbit and your size can scare it. You don’t want to scare your rabbit.

Everyday, you must change the food,(both timothy hay and pellets)and litter box. Put fresh food in the dishes and fresh litter in the box. Put them in the exact same spot or if you notice in the tray that you rabbit is going to the bathroom a lot in a certain spot.

January 2nd, 2007 by smash girl

The first step into getting a pet rabbit, is to get a medium sized cage, rabbit pellets, timothy hay,two food dishes, one for the food pellets and the other for the hay, a litter box, soft litter for them to go in, depending on what kind of rabbit, 1or 2 water bottles and if you want to, some rabbit treats.

The second step is to set up all the things that you have recently bought in a corner of your house or outside in a covered area for a shelter or to escape the blazine heat or cold or if frightened, some place to hide. Put the cage down and set it up if you need to. Then put the litter in the litter box and stick it in any corner of the cage. After, put a certain amount of food,(depending on what kind of rabbit that you have) in one dish and a handful of timothy hay in the other. Set in the cage. Next, fill up the water bottle(s) with fresh water and stick on the cage. Make sure that they’re not above the foods. They can drip into the food dishes and make the food all soggy - your new rabbit would not like that at all.

When you are all done, you must go and choose out a rabbit. I suggest that you go to the shelter first to save a rabbit, but if there isn’t a rabbit there that you like, then go to the pet store. But i highly recomend that you go to a shelter first. It could just make difference to a rabbit’s life!

Care for Rabbits:Part Two:Everyday Life for Your Rabbit coming very soon!!

December 26th, 2006 by smash girl

My bunny is probably the kindest bunny in the world. He only bites you if you be mean to him or if you scare him. He always wants to cuddle with some one when ever he can. He is a Dutch bunny. Dutch bunnies are very sweet and gentle, but bunnies even better are Holland Lops. They have the kindest attitude that you could ever get from a bunny. Anyways, my bunny loves to explore and snuggle with me and my family. He is 9 years old. Bunnies can live up to 13 years! Bunnies are very delicate creatures and get scared very easily. But if you take good care of them, they will live a long, happy life filled with joy!