Is This a Bunny Emergency?
by Dr. Sari Kanfer
People who have bunnies as family members understand that, like us, rabbits can get sick and it's usually going to happen at the most inconvenient time- probably one minute after your regular veterinarian has closed for the evening or possibly on a Sunday or holiday.
Familiarizing yourself with situations that are truly medical emergencies is key to knowing if you should seek immediate medical attention. One of the most important things to prepare for emergencies is to know your veterinarian's office hours, and if after hours care is provided. If not, find an experienced exotics veterinarian you can trust before a crisis happens. If your rabbit is bonded make sure its friend tags along to offer moral support and keep the stress level down. As long as your rabbit is conscious and ambulatory both can travel in the same carrier.
Symptom: Not eating combined with swollen abdomen
A rabbit who is not eating, and has a belly that appears swollen or feels like a balloon, is having a medical crisis and needs veterinary care immediately. "Bloat" is fairly common and is a life threatening emergency. Sometimes emergency surgery is needed.
Symptom: Not eating
Check your rabbit's temperature with a flexible-tipped rectal thermometer. The normal temperature is between 100 and 104*F. If the temperature is below 99* warm your bunny up! Wrap your bunny in a towel and place it on a heating pad that is set to low. Recheck the temperature every 10 to 15 minutes. Once your rabbits temperature is back up to 100*, there should be a noticeable difference in attitude. If your rabbit has perked up then offer some favorite foods. If it eats, then you can probably wait until normal office hours to have your pet checked out by a veterinarian. If your rabbit's temperature will not get above 99*F and shows no sign of improvement after 30 minutes, an immediate trip to the veterinarian is warranted.
Symptom: Labored and fast breathing, bunny may be lying on its side and feels hot to the touch
Bunnies overheat quickly and are prone to heat stroke. This usually happens when your rabbit is outside, but can happen on a hot day in a hot house. Body temperatures higher than 107* can cause brain damage and organ failure. If your rabbit's temperature is elevated, you can place ice packs next to it, wet it with cool, not cold, water, or apply rubbing alcohol to its ears to help bring the body temperature down. Seek medical treatment immediately.
Symptom: Blood present in habitat
Try to find the source of the bleeding. Most of the time a torn toenail is the culprit and styptic powder will stop it. Flour or cornstarch will also do the job. If the blood is coming from somewhere else, especially if a bite wound from another animal is present, a veterinary visit is in order. In the meantime, apply pressure for 5 minutes with a washcloth or even a paper towel to try to staunch the blood flow.
A bite wound from other animals may cause shock, dehydration and be painful. The bacteria present in mouths can cause nasty infections, abscesses and sepsis. Dogs can cause additional trauma such as internal injuries and fractures. This is a serious situation and requires immediate attention from your veterinarian.
Symptom: Decreased appetite, refusal of hay, drooling, wet chin
More than likely the cause of these symptoms is a jaw abscess or painful teeth. This is not a true medical emergency but does require a vet visit within a day or two. In the meantime, increase the amount of greens you feed and administer any pain meds you may have at home. Remember, a rabbit who completely stops eating needs to see a veterinarian immediately.
Symptom: Abnormal feces
Diarrhea in rabbits less than 6 months old is life threatening and veterinary attention is needed immediately. True diarrhea in older bunnies is rare and usually is accompanied by lethargy and weakness. This situation requires immediate medical attention as well.
If soft stool is present but your rabbit is eating and acting normally, and is also producing normal stool as well, schedule a visit with your veterinarian. Diet is probably the most likely culprit.
Symptom: Sneezing, nasal discharge, coughing, increased respiratory effort
Coughing is usually associated with choking caused by pellets. Most of the time your rabbit will dislodge the food by coughing or gagging while running around frantically. Sometimes brown saliva will drip from both the nose and mouth. A check from the vet needs to happen within a day or so of these episodes to ensure an aspiration pneumonia is not brewing.
If your rabbit collapses it is not getting enough oxygen and may die. This is an emergency situation. Try holding your rabbit with its head down and pat its chest to see if the food will dislodge and allow air flow or try a bulb syringe to remove any debris. This is truly an emergency situation and requires an immediate trip to the vet.
If your bunny is not coughing but has a nasal discharge and is sneezing, but is still active and eating normally, call your veterinarian and schedule an appointment for the next day or two. If the nasal discharge is really thick, affects both nostrils, and is accompanied by decreased appetite, then an immediate appointment with your vet is needed.
Symptom: Non-weight bearing on one or more legs, or inability to use back legs
If only one leg is affected place your rabbit in a carrier or small cage to keep it confined. Be sure to place a towel on the bottom of the carrier/cage to create secure footing. Also remember to place food and water in the cage. As long as the bunny continues to eat and is alert, call your vet and schedule an appointment for the next day. If your bunny is not alert or not eating then it should be seen immediately.
A bunny that cannot use its back legs at all needs to be seen immediately by your veterinarian. Some conditions that may cause this include a fractured back or a bulging disc somewhere on the spinal cord.
Symptoms: Head tilted to one side, unable to balance
Usually this is caused by an inflammation of nerves responsible for balance, a parasite or a bacterial infection or inflammation of the inner ear. Call your veterinarian and have your rabbit seen within 24 hours. In the meantime, keep your bunny confined in a small cage or carrier and keep it upright with rolled up towels placed on the sides of its body. Most of these rabbits will eat but may need to be hand fed.
Symptoms: Abnormal colored urine, inability to urinate
Plant pigments can change the color of urine to a rusty or orange tint. Red urine usually indicates a medical emergency. In an unspayed female, the cause could be a bleeding tumor or burst blood vessel, and your bunny needs immediate medical attention, and probably an emergency spay to save her life.
If the bloody urine is present in a male or spayed female, a urinary infection or bladder stone may be the cause. If it is a male rabbit with bloody urine, as long as your rabbit is still urinating a vet visit can wait 24 hours. If your rabbit is straining and unable to urinate at all it should be seen by a veterinary immediately.
Symptoms: Swollen, bulging eye
A bulging eye can be a symptom of an abscess, usually originating from a tooth root that has formed behind the eye. Schedule a visit with your veterinarian within the next couple of days. If the bulging eye is preventing the eye from completely closing the cornea can be damaged. In this situation, an immediate vet visit is necessary.
Emergency visits to a veterinarian can be quite costly. Always being prepared to handle the financial end will allow at least one part of having a sick bunny to be a little less stressful. Almost all clinics now accept Care Credit and most will help you with your pet insurance claims.
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