Having a bunny is one of the great pleasures of life. Although many people don’t know it, a rabbit can be as great a companion as a dog or cat. They adore human interaction and attention, and with the right care and love will come to trust their owner with their life. They’re cuddly and cute, and actually very hardy animals, so they aren’t as hard to care for as other pocket pets or exotic animals. Not only that, but they’re easier to look after than a dog, and smaller than a cat. Bunnies can be liter box trained so they’re extremely clean little pets as well.
However, bringing a bunny into your home also means caring for it. You have to interact with your bunny to encourage its affection, trust, and love; and you have to teach it all the little tricks like using a liter box and coming when you call it. You have to provide him with a safe home where he feels secure and stress free; and lastly, the area I’ll discuss here, you have to be aware of and maintain the health of your furry friend.
Like other animals, bunnies can and do get sick. Sometimes it is due to negligence on the part of the owner (poor little critters!), sometimes due to misinformation or un-education in the area of rabbit health, and sometimes it is due to our loving indulgence in our little bunny baby’s every whim. In any case, the best way to prevent illnesses is to be educated about them, and while this guide isn’t all inclusive, it will give you an idea of symptoms to look for when dealing with parasites. As for negligent behavior on the part of the pet owner, please call animal services if you witness such an incident. Every animal deserves a loving, safe environment.
The first type of illness to be discussed are rabbit parasites. These are common enough and generally easy to get rid of. Your veterinarian can give you topical solutions or medication to fix the problem, but you have to catch it first. Among possible parasites your bunny might get are mites. Mites can appear on the body or on the ears, possibly even on both. Ear mites inflame the ears causing scabbing and ear discharge. Even if one of these symptoms is missing you should get your rabbit checked out, mites may be case. Mites on the body can cause hair loss and crusty or scaly looking skin.
Fleas can also affect rabbits and have similar symptoms as in dogs and cats: irritation and scratching. You can also look for small “black coal like droppings” on the skin. (Taylor, 1999). These are flea droppings and a sure sign of fleas on your pet. This is also a good way to tell the difference between fleas and their counterparts, lice. Lice also cause itching and irritation, however, they leave little white eggs instead of little black droppings. Look for these little eggs in the ears or clinging to your pet’s fur. If any of these little problematic parasites are spotted, take your pet into the vet for a check up and professional advice on ridding your pet of the problem. Your veterinarian will generally provide you with a spray to take care of them. Sometimes washes or oral medication can also be prescribed. Always ask your veterinarian before doing anything, even if you just call and ask. Lots of people like to pick ticks off of their pets, but this can be harmful. Generally oily substances will smoother ticks and they’ll die. After that it is safe to pull them off. However, your veterinarian will probably be able to give you a better solution or do the work for you. This isn’t to say you have to run to the vet to do everything, but small animals can be sensitive, so you want to make sure you know what you’re doing. Perhaps even seeing it done once will help you be better equipped to do it yourself if it ever arises again.
Speaking of reoccurrences, you’ll obviously want to prevent those. For things like parasites, the best prevention method is keeping your pet’s environment clean. Clean your bunny hutch often and use a special spray to kill any larvae that may be resting there. Remember to disinfect it too, but use something that is safe around animals. Most pet shops carry a good pet safe brand of disinfectant.
Another type of parasite is an internal parasite, and is a little harder to spot. Tapeworms and other internal parasites cause diarrhea and weight loss, but can go without symptoms. Again, regular check ups are good to catch these sorts of things, and should be undertaken every couple months. Of the symptoms internal parasites cause diarrhea can be a very serious one. If this is the case, be sure your bunny is getting plenty of water and seek veterinary care immediately. Diarrhea can signify significant problems, especially in small pets, so don’t over look it.
When evaluating your pet for parasites, give them a good look over. Not just on their backs and faces, but everywhere including their feet, chin, and under their tails. Sometimes parasites give no indication of their presence through symptoms, so yet again regular veterinary check ups are also recommended. I cannot stress enough the importance of finding a good and reliable vet in your area, and by that I mean close to your home providing relatively easy access. Once you find one it’s good to maintain a relationship with one or two veterinarians there. Getting to know you and your pet can really help your veterinarian figure out what is ailing your pet and how to fix it. The faster problems are diagnosed, the faster they can be remedied, and this is of paramount importance when dealing with any health problem. It’s also good to find out as much information as possible on other rabbit illnesses so you’re aware of what else you should be looking for and how you and your veterinarian can help.
