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Carolyn

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I strongly recommend that you often go through a checkup of thefollowing so that if your rabbit should develop a problem in thefuture, you know what s/he is normally like.

Runny nose?
Sneezing?
Coughing?
Pooping?
Peeing?
Eating?
Drinking?
Gums?
Teeth?
Watery Eyes?
Bumps?
Behavior?
Fly bites, cuts, ets?
Temperature of ears?
Drooling?
Heavy Breathing?
Get a feel of normal healthy heartbeat.
Nails?
Weight?

Additions to this list are most welcome.

-Carolyn
 
Great list Carolyn! I just have 1 thing I could think of to add:

check butt areafor soiled fur specially for buns that like tosit & sleep in their bathroom corners lol (it's a dirty job butsomeones gotta do it!):)

~pam
 
Great idea, Pamela227! :dude:

* * * * * *

Buck, you'll think of something.

* * * * * *

ADD TO LIST:
-Soiled bottom?




 
I checking in one more time before I hit the highway :)

Excellent list Carolyn! Being able to take the rectal temperature is also very important.



Pam N.
 
Have a safe trip, Pam! Still have Matthew in my prayers!

Was hoping to avoid the rectalthermometer!

-Carolyn
 
Well, in addition to being smelly, it can lead toflies laying eggs in the excreta. The resultant maggots maythen eat the feces and continue on to begin to eat the flesh of thelive rabbit. Once that sequence is initiated,oftenthe wound becomes so infected and toxemic itself, that deathusually occurs if not caught in time. If caught early enough,the maggots can be removed before any great or permanent damageoccurs.This condition is most frequently referred to as Fly Strike.

Another fly, at least here in the US, called the Bot Fly, willsometimes lay an egg anywhere on the rabbit, but more likely near anattractive, smelly bum. The larvae burrows beneath the skin,where it too releases a toxic substance of a detrimental nature to therabbit's health. The larvae is identified by appearing as alump, or a cyst beneath the rabbit's skin, with a small darkspot visible on its surface. This is the air holefor the larvae encased within. By "plugging" the air hole,one can often get the larvae to "back out" of the rabbit, or one canremove it, I believe, by cutting it out. I think the formerprocedure is the better of the two in terms of producing the leastdamage, but don't hold me to that premise. This situation isreferred to as Bot Fly Strike or Warbles.

I add 1/2- 1 tsp of vanilla flavoring to our buns' quart bottles ofdrinking water in order to stave off the flies that may cause FlyStrike and/or Warbles. It seems that the vanillaflavoring/scent within the buns poops/urine is unattractive to theinsects and they will have a tendency to not lay their eggs in thevicinity of the genitals. Nothing compares, however, tothorough and frequent visual and manual inspection of your buns.

Buck
 
Buck Jones,

I'm going to have to try the vanilla. I take my rabbits outside and I'malways worried about flies. So it is just 1/2- 1 tsp per quart?

Thanks,

Lissa, BlueBelle, and CupCake
 
Yes, and, believe me, this is not rocketscience. I "really" just tip the bottle until it "looks"right to me. The 1/2 -1 tsp just makes it look morescientific. :D

Artificial or genuine flavoring makes no difference. Whateveryou have on hand, or whatever you choose to spend. I noticeda decline in the number of flies around our hutches after I startedusing it.

Buck
 
Should I add vanilla to my bunny's water duringthe warmer weather when morebugs are outeven if shestays inside all the time? Is fly strike not really as much of a threatto indoor bunnies?

~pam
 

Hi Pamela227,

It's more prominent on outdoor rabbits. It's not necessary to add thevanilla if your rabbit's indoors; unless of course, you get a lot offlies in the house as a farmhouse would. I've had no problems withTucker, but if you're worried, you could put the vanilla in the wateras Buck says and it won't harm your little one at all.

Tucker doesn't enjoy flavored water, so I understand it whenMyBunnyLovesMe says hers is the only weird rabbit. (NOT!) Many rabbitslove the taste.

-Carolyn
 
Thanks Carolyn! I got kinda worried there. I livein the NYC metro area lol no farmhouses in sight for miles :pDuring the summer we get the occasional fly that follows us inside whenwe go in & out, that's about it. Was just wondering :D

~pam
 

You don't have to worry about it, Pam. You're off the hook.

I'm in the country, but I don't get many flies here fortunately.There's a lot of bats, so they keep the insects under control. When Ido see a fly come in though, I'm Fast. I kill 'em dead!
:X

-Carolyn
 
Carolyn's correct. There is less of aprobability of a house rabbit getting fly strike, especially if yourrabbit is kept clean and you visually inspect and physicallyhandle your rabbit a great deal. More prevalent when buns arein outdoor hutches and/or cages.

Just something to be aware of.

Buck
 
*Bump*

Going though some old posts, and thought this may of be of some use, with some old/new members worried about health.

Some more great advice from Carolyn and Buck :rose:
 
this is so interesting to read,i would have never known about this otherwise.

my bunnies are indoors,but have access to the backyard during theday,it is summer time here now,so this is good info to have onhand,thanks carolyn for bringing this up:)



ok,what would happen like if it happened to one of my buns and i didnt realize,would they show any signs?

once again thanks for bringing this up:)



cheryl....
 

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