Tooth Root Abscesses in Rabbits

A tooth root abscesses in rabbits is very strange. They are defined as pus-filled capsules or pockets in their tooth, or mouth. They are very painful for them and these tend to grow within inflamed areas of their gums. This is where the infection is more likely to grow.

Types and Symptoms:

Here is a list of the common symptoms:

• Oral cavity
• Loose teeth
• Abnormal teeth or bite alignment
• Overgrown incisor teeth
• Oral tissue Swelling
• Having a preference of eating softer foods when they can
• Loss of weight (can be very extreme)
• Obstruction on tear or nasal ducts
• Respiratory irritation
• Any signs which they are in pain or discomfort
• Lethargy
• depression, or hiding haunched posture

Causes:

There are many different reasons for why this can happen. It can happen when there is tooth or dental decay. They aren't like those which form in the mouths of cats and dogs, they tend to puncture the bone, which then requires surgical treatment.

The most common cause is tooth elongation. Its a chronic and common condition, as their teeth are growing constantly unlike ours. Every month, their teeth can grow half an inch.  Any tissue damage in the mouth can cause tooth root abscesses in rabbits.

Treatment:

Some may require long term pain therapy and management. Yet you will need to take a trip to your local vets to find out the exact cause of what has happened. Sometimes, surgery may even be required, yet this is to remove the affected teeth.

I hope this post helped you to have a better understanding of tooth root abscesses in rabbits.

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Pneumonia in Rabbits

Pneumonia in rabbits occurs when the lungs have severe inflammation, leading to dysfunction to the entire respiratory system. The inflammation could be due to a bacterial, viral, fungal or parasitic infection. They even could have inhale a foreign object, to their body, into the lungs.

Some environmental factors including smoke/chemicals, unable to swallow, coma or a dental disease could be what leads to the pneumonia in rabbits.

Types and Symptoms:

Here is a list of some common symptoms found in the four main types of it:

• Weight loss
• Anorexia
• Fever 
• Lethargy
• Sneezing
• Intolerance to exercise
• Excessive salivation
• Nose discharge
• Eye discharge
• Difficulty breathing
• Facial abscesses

The four main types are:

• Bacterial
• Fungal
• Parasitic 
• Viral

Treatment:

If you think your bunny has this horrible disease, make sure to go straight to the vets as they can tell you exactly what it is and what you can do. They will most likely be prescribed something which will help them, and therapy may be needed to clean their airway if it is blocked up.

I hope this post helps to give you a better understanding of pneumonia in rabbits.

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Muscle and Weight-loss in Rabbits

Muscle and weight-loss in rabbits can be a small occurrence, or can be a very dangerous one. I have heard it is fine for their weight to change very slightly, yet if they loose 10% or more of their normal body weight, you know you need to do something. As this is happening, if it is accompanied with muscle atrophy (also known as the wasting away of muscle mass),then you know something is VERY wrong. At this point they will need to immediately seek medical attention and another name it may be referred to as is cachexia.

Types and Symptoms:

Depending on what has caused it, they will have different symptoms. Some of the general signs to look out for are:

• Thinness
• Reduced size and appearance

Some other symptoms which are also quite common are:

• Producing less stools
• Teeth grinding
• A haunched posture
• Bad breath
• Drooling
• Unable to eat
• Aren't interested in their food
• Abnormal boating in their intestinal area around the stomach
• Abnormal breathing sounds
• Irregular heart rhythms

Causes:

There can be many different causes for muscle and weight-loss in rabbits. This can include increased metabolism. Their body may start using lean muscle for energy to carry out their daily functions. Some metabolic disorders such as organ failure associated with cancer can also cause this to happen. Here is a list of some other common causes:

• Dental diseases
• Dietary causes
• Gastrointestinal disorders
• Central nervous system disorders (can contribute to anorexia or other similar disorders)
• Neuromuscular diseases and pain
• Spinal problems

Treatment:

This is dependant upon what has caused it. So the treatment can't be certain due to the many different causes it has. They may be able to stabilize the animal by using pain relief. I would definitely recommend you visiting the vet for them to be diagnosed and treated properly.

After all of this, make sure to keep your bunny on a well-balanced diet involving lots of fresh greens for them to eat.

I hope this post helps you to have a better understanding.

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Fleas on Rabbits

When there are fleas on rabbits, you know you need to do something. By this I mean something to get rid of them. Here is a post all about fleas in rabbits and what you can do:

You may wander when these imbeciles are going to have an impact on your bunny, and currently this is all year round. How lovely...

What you will need to do is make sure you have something which you can use on your pet which will kill the fleas and not them. Well, what I would do is talk to the vets, or the pet shop workers about what is best for my bun to treat them without making them loose their fur.

No matter what, still be cautious about what your using on them as I have heard they are still looking for the most effective way to prevent these. So the cure is still out there!

The methods of prevention include:

Flea powders
Flea dips (baths)
Flea combs
Flea collars

Flea Powders:

From what I have heard, it sounds like a fairly effective way as long as your bunny doesn't constantly lick themselves after this. These are safe-ish, just don't assume they are completely 100% safe.

Flea Dips:

Personally, I WOULDN'T recommend the flea dips as they could cause your bunny to go into shock with the water getting down to their skin, and also they can be hard to completely dry them which could be bad if you miss a spot on them.

Flea Combs:

This method won't completely kill all of them, yet will get some of them which will help. I have heard this is something which you must do. When doing this you will need to check their ears and behind their legs.

Flea Collars:

I have heard this isn't a suitable method for bunnies as they are made for larger animals and can easily give your bunny an overdose which you don't want to do. Also having this around their neck isn't nice for them as they just generally don't like it.

There are other methods but I find it is suitable to talk to a vet about what to do with your flea issue. I hope this post helps, and for any further information, I would recommend you to talk to your local vet.

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rabbits and dogs

Some people may own more than one pet. I have rabbits, dogs, and cats yet the rabbits are in an outdoor hutch. Some people may be interested in if they can have a house rabbit and a dog living together in a calm environment.

The truth is you can. It's best if you introduce them at a younger age as then they will be not as scared as they will be more accepting and if they are brought up around each other they will be fine.

Like all animals, to have rabbits and dogs living happily together, you will have to bond them. Generally its best to have the rabbit first, then introduce a puppy to the rabbit, as most dog's instincts once they are older is to kill or hunt them. Although you can get them to be friends when they are older, its just more of a challenge.

The best place to introduce them to each other is in what is called a 'neutral' area. All this has to be is a place where both of them have never been before. You do this so neither of them can be the dominant one and be in charge (which normally leads to aggression and a fight which isn't nice).

You want to start with both of them on leads and possible introduce food which they can each snack on, which normally relax's the situation making it more comfortable for both of them. Mainly, you are trying to make your bunny trust the dog not to eat him, as dog's are generally not shy and are quite confident.

Another way is to have your bunny in their cage or run and your dog on the outside on a lead. Sometimes they feel more secure in a cage and will come up and sniff them. This would mean the rabbit will be in their familiar surroundings which can work out to be fine.

I have heard what you want to dog to do is associate the small fragile bunny with the word 'gentle' and you want to use words along this line when they meet each other, and when the he is being gentle, you want to praise him for this. The use of positive reinforcement is very effective so you need to try to do this.

If the dog becomes wound up, pull him away and let him calm down before taking him near again. Make sure you have taught your dogs some of the basic obedience words as this is good for keeping him under control.

I have heard of another method which is having you dog lying down, and having the rabbit freely run around him.

Make sure to repeat this everyday as this will help to bond them. You should be able to see the changes in them overtime and eventually you may be able to have them nose to nose. By the end of this you may be able to have them in the same room as each other, but probably not what you may call 'best friends' which would be how two dogs, or two bunnies would be.

I hope you found this post useful on rabbits and dogs.

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Games Rabbits Play

This species is very like human's, the games rabbits play are very similar to the ones which young children play. From my own experience and reading about it, in this post, I am going to tell you about the different activities which they do with each other and can do with you.

As you bond more with your bunny, spending lots of time with them, they will become much more friend;y and more fun to be around. Even bunnies which are generally aggressive have those activities they enjoy doing.

Hide n' Seek:

If you keep them as a house bunny, I have heard that they will run off and wait for you to go and find them and once you find them, sometimes they run off again. They could play this game for ages as it makes them happy. Even sometimes when you walk into the kitchen or go to the bathroom, they may be following you to 'find' you and then run off for you to follow.

Even in the garden, they may hop under a bush or behind a tree and when you make eye contact they may come out and hop towards you. When bunnies do activities like this, I find it gives them a character and personality making you have a stronger bond with them.

Follow the Leader:

Sometimes they do this when you have more then one bunny, yet they may follow you around instead. When they are either in their run, or in your house roaming around, they may have the 'leader' of their group going around, with the other ones copying them exactly by going through toys, hoping onto furniture or hopping around madly. This is another reason why its better to own more than one bunny as then they can communicate with each other having a companion which they do everything with.

Sometimes the games rabbits play are completely different, it may be their own game, or one of the more common ones which I may have mentioned above. Don't be worried if your bunny doesn't do any of this, this is just something which some enjoy doing more than others.

I hope you enjoyed this post!

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How to Litter Train Your Rabbit

For all those people reading this blog who own a house bunny, you may have the issue of them going to the toilet in inappropriate places like on your carpet, or somewhere they aren't supposed to go. By learning how to litter train your rabbit, you will be able to prevent this from happening, meaning a much nicer, cleaner environment for your bunny! Have a look at the information below if you are interested!

The first thing which you should do is check that your bunny is able to easily enter and exit the box without any stress, the best shape for one of these is a small dog one. The one i mean is an open one which has a part lower down for easier access. Here is a picture and a link for it:



There are many variations and this is only one example. A hooded one is much better as they keep the smell of it out of your house, but as you should be scooping it out everyday, it shouldn't be too bad anyways.

If you know they are capable of entering and exiting it, then you need something to encourage them to go in there. Sometimes what makes them go in there is by adding a bit of hay. This helps to keep their teeth at a reasonable length as well. Even if you put one of their  toys in there, that is fine too.

If your bunny has chosen a corner which is where they always seem to 'go' then put their litter box there.

Sometimes, if they pee where they aren't meant to and are going regularly in their litter-box already, then you need to clean it up really well so no scent of it is left behind, and you need to put down a few drops of vinegar (only a few!) and as they don't like the smell, they will avoid it completely not even going near this area.

Another method which you could try, is to scoop up some of their waste and to place it in their litter box and anytime they do anything other than where they are meant to, you place it into the litter box showing good behaviour.

You could also reward them with a treat after they go in the correct place as positive reinforcement is very effective on bunnies I have noticed.

I hope this post helps you to learn how to litter train your rabbit!

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Rabbit Hutch

When you buy a bunny and are keeping it outside you may think: What do I need to put him in? The answer is a rabbit hutch!

If you are keeping your bunny outdoors like me, you will need to make sure they have the correct amount of space so when they are in their hutch at night, they can freely move around and play when they feel like it.

You have to make sure you make it at least at the minimal the standard size as then you know they will be fine. Also, you can't keep them in their hutch all day, you have to have a run which also has a recommended size which I will talk about below.

Hutch Size:

When owning a bunny, you have to make sure they have enough space to move. From what I have heard, your hutch needs to be a minimum of 6 feet long (180cm) which is quite large. Also you have to have it at least 2 feet (60cm) in depth. Concluding, to make sure your bunny is able to stand up on its back feet without hitting his head, it needs to be 2-3 feet (60-90cm) depending on your bunnies height. All you need to remember for this is the larger it is, the better.

Having a hutch this size will allow your bunny to have large toys in his hutch which he can play with, and it will mean he can run around madly. I found when I bought my bunny a larger hutch he was a lot neater for where he would discrete, making his hutch much easier to clean out daily.

Run Size:

Your rabbit should be spending lots of time in their run, seeing as the new recommended time to keep them in there daily, is 4 hours. I have heard they should be in a run of at the smallest size, 6 feet (180cm) by 4 feet (120cm). If you want, you could make it larger than this, which would benefit your bunny more, especially if they like going on mad run-arounds.

I find that its nicer for them to have you there when they are out in their run as you will bond with them and keep them company. As they feel more comfortable around you, they will come up to you and jump over you and onto your lap if your sitting on the grass.

Caution: Make sure not to have their hutch or run with mesh on the ground with them walking on it as this will wreck their feet giving them bumble foot which is very painful for them.

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