Homed Sept 09

sammy | HOMED | July 23, 2009

PARSLEY is one of four brothers who arrived at our foster home recently. He was born in November 2008 and is a fluffy tan & white Lion Head cross male rabbit.

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Homed Aug 09

sammy | HOMED | July 21, 2009

Teddy, found with the rabbit below Jester, in a country lane. He has a lot of scabbing to the back end where something has been attacking him, though that seems to have started healing up. Quite a shy little man, but curious

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Flystrike disease hitting out at Sussex pet Rabbits – be ware!

sammy | PET NEWS, RABBIT | May 15, 2009

A FAMILY has appealed to pet owners to be vigilant after their beloved rabbit was struck down by a potentially fatal disease. Max, a five-year-old dwarf lop, was owned by Dominique Weller and her children Jessica and Jamie from Cuckfield.

He contracted flystrike where rabbits become infested with the maggots of green bottle flies that hatch in their wet fur. The maggots eat into the animal’s flesh, even reaching the abdominal cavity.

Dominique said: “We first noticed that he’d gone off his food and was moving about less. We then realised he was quite wet and matted around his bottom. “We groomed him and he seemed better but the very next day the maggots had hatched out. It was sickening.

“We took him straight to the vets and the treatment seemed to be working, but things took a turn for the worse and he died.”

Green bottles can attack any healthy animal but older, overweight or arthritic rabbits which are unable to groom themselves properly, long-haired breeds and rabbits with a tendency to ‘sticky’ bottoms, are more susceptible.

Mrs Weller said: “We’re devastated at losing Max and would hate any other rabbits to suffer as he did.”

Vet nurse Vicki Turner helped treat Max at Haywards Heath-based Oathall Veterinary Group in Oathall Road.

She said: “Flystrike is a dreadful condition and we’re so sorry that the Wellers lost Max. They acted very promptly in bringing him to us but unfortunately the disease progresses quickly and he could not be saved.”

Flystrike is seasonal and can be prevented and treated if caught early. Oathall Veterinary Group warned it was seeing around two cases a week and had to put another rabbit down recently.

Vicki said: “We advise owners to check their rabbits twice a day for signs of diarrhoea and fly eggs. It’s also best not to over indulge them with lush fruit and vegetables as these can encourage diarrhoea and attract flies.”

Vicki added: “We run nurse clinics on a weekly basis and are always happy to meet pet owners and help them with any welfare and general health issues.”

From the West Sussex Gazette

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Make Mine Chocolate!

sammy | PET NEWS, RABBIT | March 23, 2009

Spring has arrived and Easter is fast approaching. For some, it’s the most important religious feast in the Christian year. For others, it’s a modern celebration that brings the Easter Bunny and delicious chocolate treats for young and old alike. For almost everyone, it’s a time of renewal, of growth and a time to reflect on things to come. Since bunnies are a symbol of the Easter holiday, it’s a time when children want a real live bunny sooooo badly. It’s hard to resist their pleas and begging, but take a few moments and think again. In the months after Easter, animal rescue centers are inundated with bunnies suffering from ill-treatment or neglect. Others are just dumped in the wild to fend for themselves.

This year there is a new campaign in the U.K. called, “Make Mine Chocolate!™ “

This exciting campaign aims to raise awareness of the sad plight of the thousands of pet rabbits bought as presents at Easter and then abandoned months if not weeks later.

At Make Mine Chocolate!™ they are working hard to spread the message that ‘Chocolate is a Treat, Rabbits are a Commitment’. 2009 is the first year of their long-term campaign to end the sale of rabbits as Easter presents.

So why not join them? Buying one of their chocolate colored bunny badges will help raise money to highlight the plight of Easter bunnies everywhere, as well as looking good! Sadly the badges are not edible – but just like a real rabbit, the badge will still be with you in 10 years time! Why not buy a badge for a friend or check out some of the other ways in which you can support the campaign through purchases that raise awareness? Explore the website at, www.makeminechocolate.co.uk and find out some interesting facts and figures about the plight of pet rabbits in the U.K., and the history of the Make Mine Chocolate!â„¢ campaign both in the U.K. and in the U.S. where it all started. You can also read messages from key partners and supporters and hear why they decided to join this campaign.

Thinking About Acquiring A Rabbit Or Already Have One?

Visit The Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund at, www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk to decide if rabbits are right for you and your family, or to find out what you need to do to ensure your rabbits have a happy and healthy life.

A message from getsetpet:

Please think long and hard before buying a rabbit this Easter. In fact, don’t. It’s that simple. Buy chocolate instead…

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Use of Homeopathy for All Pets?

sammy | NATURAL REMEDY, PET.... | April 5, 2008

A pet who is given steroids to suppress symptoms such as inflammation or itching, but the symptoms often return when the drugs are discontinued. However, with homeopathy, the symptoms completely subside because homeopathic remedies act to have a curative action from deep in the life force.

In our opinion Homeopathy is effective for all pets, whose patients include dogs, cats, birds, ferrets, cows and horses. You can even treat fish by dropping homeopathic remedies into their tanks. If an animal is young and has a good vital force, results are particularly successful, effects may not be as obvious in older pets who have more health issues, but homeopathic remedies can help them feel better for the time they have left.

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Indoor Rabbits

sammy | RABBIT | April 4, 2008

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p class=”MsoNormal” style=”text-align: center;”> Keeping an Indoor Rabbit

Most rabbit lovers feel the only way to properly house a rabbit is indoors because the outdoors, though not impossible, keeping your rabbit outside creates a certain amount of hazards for you to consider first.

Rabbits are very social animals, and like humans, they can become depressed if they don’t get enough attention. Having an indoor rabbit is the most popular and safest way to care for a rabbit and it’s the best way to make your rabbit a real part of your family.

If you’re going to keep your rabbit indoors, then you need to think about rabbit proofing your home. Rabbits love to chew, and they’re particularly keen of phone cords, computer wires and Internet cables, they are also a little partial to the odd remote control and mobile phones! As I am sure you will realise it is dangerous for your rabbit to chew live wires.

There’s a simple fix to protect your rabbit and the wires in your house, you can either buy plastic tubing from somewhere like B&Q or homebase etc which houses all the wires in one tube or you can get spiral cable wrap that wraps around all the wires to protect them, Or, you can simply make sure all your wires are out of rabbit reach.

Rabbits also love to chew the baseboard and the edges of doorways. You can try spraying an anti chew repellent which you can buy at most pet stores on the enticing areas, but most rabbits aren’t really bothered by the taste, so this may not work for your rabbit.

Ivory Soap is usually more effective. Simply take a bar and rub it along the areas your rabbit likes to chew. Only Ivory Soap though is safe enough for your rabbit – others have dangerous chemicals which will irritate your rabbit’s digestive system. Reapply every a few weeks. You can also buy plastic protectors that cover baseboard and corners. Rabbits just love to chew wood, so you might find they want to gnaw at your table legs, chairs and bookshelves. You can use Ivory soap on these as well.

Many rabbits will also love chewing on your rugs. If your rabbit is going to have free run of the house, you really don’t have many options to avoid this. The key to preventing rabbit destruction is to make sure your rabbit has plenty of toys and entertainment. The more they have to do, the less destructive they will be. You can also supervise them around the rugs and make a loud noise when they go to chew them.

Just like with children, you’ll need to cover all of your unused electrical outlets. And rabbits love to hide under beds and couches, then dig their way into the underside of that furniture, curl up and go to sleep. At first, you might think its cute and a nice little hideaway for rabbit. But, the bad news is that when rabbits snuggle away in the underside; they also tend to wee and poop.

Finally, you need to keep your plants out of reach of the rabbits since the vast majority of them are poisonous to rabbits if eaten. And be careful if you hang your plants from the ceiling. If the leaves fall, you’ll need to make sure they are well out-of-reach of the rabbit.

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What is my rabbit saying?

sammy | RABBIT | March 24, 2008

Rabbits are generally quiet animals, but they are not completely silent. They make plenty of noises from growling to screaming, to communicate how they feel. Here’s how to tell what your rabbits is saying…

Growling

If your rabbit growls or grunts at you, he’s not happy about something. Maybe he is angry that you’re poking your hand into her cage, and he doesn’t want you in his territory. Growling can be a sign of anger, fear, uncertainty and stress. The better you get to know your rabbit, the more you’ll discover what his different growls actually mean.

Crying

Sometimes a rabbit will let out a little cry or whimper and thump their back feet. This is interpreted much as you would understand the same noise in puppies or people.

Licking

If your rabbit licks your face or your hands, be happy. He is saying you “I love you”

Screaming

You never want to hear your rabbit scream. A rabbit scream is usually shrill. It’s a heart-breaking sound, and it generally signifies your rabbit is either hurting or dying. You will need to get help for him immediately.

Flopping

Your rabbit is on top of the world. She is so happy, she can think of no better way to show her happiness than flopping over, eyes closed, taking some time to relax.

Thumping

Your rabbit will thump her back legs for a number of reasons including fear, anger and warning you to danger lurking.

Chinning

Your rabbit is rubbing his chin all over the furniture, the book your reading and you. This is just his way of marking his territory. He is saying, this is mine.

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