Pam Nock

Rabbits Online Forum

Help Support Rabbits Online Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Carolyn

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 4, 2004
Messages
13,123
Reaction score
4
Location
, ,

Hi Pam,


You said in one of your posts, "Most rabbits have fur mites to somedegree and never show symptoms." Is that something I should be treatingfrom time to time with Tucker, and if so, what would you recommend oneuse? I see no signs of mites, but sometimes when he's scratching orcleaning his ears, I question it.

Many thanks,
-Carolyn
 
Hi Carolyn,

I recommend consulting with your vet about routine treatment withIvomec primarily because of another common parasite, E.cuniculi. The Ivomec will also kill mites and other internalparasites. I recommend this primarily in the 3+ age groupbecause due to aging, the rabbits are more susceptible to infestation.

The mites can actually be hard to diagnose, because they may not get picked up in a skin scraping.

Because *any* medication can have serious side effects, I alwaysrecommend consulting with the vet for advice on proper administrationand dosage.

Pam
 

Thanks Pam. Since Tucker's coming up on his third birthday this June,would you recommend me being on the lookout for any other such thingsthat aging rabbits seem vulnerable to?

I'll follow your advice about the routine treatments. It does seem hardto diagnose other than the dandruff and residue in their ears as asign. Being a house rabbit and the only animal in the house, I'm hopingthat he'll be able to escape getting mites, but that would be luck, I'dimagine.

Are there any rabbit books or authors that stand out in your mind that seems to get it right more than not?

Thanks again. Sun's shining in this part of the world. Hope it is where you are too.

-Carolyn
 
One of the "must haves" is a book by Kathy Smithcalled "Rabbit Health 101". It's under a new title now, butyou can purchase a copy from the House Rabbit Societywebsite. This book covers all aspects of caring for theconvalescing rabbit and the common diseases that affect the geriatricsect.

The 8th Edition of Rabbit Production is the most widely recommendedbook for rabbit owners and breeders. Don't let the title foolyou -- pet owners will find it one of their most used references also(although be advised that some of the text is of sensitive nature topet owners).

Pam


 
Wow I didn't know bunny's could even getsick...goes to show what I know. I just feed mine and play with it,that's all I was told to do. She seems happy though! But like I said, Iknow nothing about rabbits. I came home one day and found her in thelaundry room, and she was so small and fluffy :) The best present EVER!
 

Thanks a lot, Pam.

I have the 8th Edition of the Rabbit Production book, but willdefinitely order the Rabbit Health 101 by K. Smith. Thanks for tellingme where to get it.

Last night, I was watching the Animal Planet and they had a special onthat were 50 most amazing facts about animals. Fact number 13 or 14,I'd heard before and was curious to see if you had too. They claim thatmammals hearts beat one billion times, after that, the muscle willstop. Humans, however, get 3 billion heart beats before ours stop.


* * * * * * * * * *

Hi Michelle,

Rabbits hide their illnesses instinctively so that predators don't pickup on a weakness and attack. I don't want to alarm you, but the truthis that by the time an illness/cold/trouble shows up in a rabbit, it'svery hard to treat successfully, considering side effects of theirtreatment.

Because they haven't been studied as much as cats, dogs, and horses,etc., I try to learn, read, and talk to other rabbit people as much asI can to keep Tucker healthy.

They're very sensitive; they can literally get scared to death. I neverrealized how much knowledge they required until I lost my first oneafter 2 weeks of purchasing him from a petstore that neglected to giveme the information and material I needed to keep the rabbit healthy andalive. That's one of the reasons why I was so angry at that petstorethat told you that you didn't need to feed your rabbit hay for thefirst 6 months of her life. Rabbits need hay from the time they stopnursing, if I'm not mistaken.

* * * * * * * * * * *

-Carolyn
 
I never heard that about the heartbeats -- that's notably interesting!

Here's info on a rabbit being "scared to death" . . .Shock, as inducedby trauma, is an example of an acute exhaustion of the body’s attemptto resist an injury. The "flight or fight" stress reaction allows ashift in the body’s resources to escape a real or perceived danger.Hormones begin flowing, a hyper-alert state results, blood pressureincreases, and proteins and carbohydrates began breaking down inunnecessary tissues. In prolonged casesthis can lead to afailure of body systems resulting in death because the body cannotmaintain this response for a long period of time without failure.

My thoughts on feeding hay : ) Rabbits don't *have* to havehay for a healthy life. Fiber is the key nutrient and is inrabbit pellets and many other foods that rabbits may be given such asapples, carrots, etc.

However, I certainly recommend hay because the bunnies love it and itprovides a longer fiber than is in the pellets. Babies willbegin to munch on the hay in the nest box. Our little babiesget hay daily pre-weaning. Post weaning and all other rabbitsget hay once a week. Since we have about 150 rabbits, dailyhay would create too much of a mess in the barn and would be too timeconsuming.

To order "Rabbit Health in the 21st Century" (formerly Rabbit Health 101) visit this website:
http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/rh21.shtml
 
Well the bag says to give her 2 handfuls of hay aday, so that's what I've been doing. She seems to like it. I reallydidn't know rabbits were so...fragile... How do they get sick? I didn'tthink there'd me much for her to get since she's inside and stuff.
 
Rabbits are no more prone to illness than you or I,and can actually be tough little creatures. Theyget sick from viral and bacterial pathogens just as you or I would, ormay suffer from congenital abnormalities. As they age, theyare more prone to illness as the immune system becomes less effective.
 
Well, I hope she's like me, cuz I only get sicklike once every 5 or 6 years. Do bunnies sneeze? I thought I heard hersneeze once lol And today the poor lil thing didn't chew her foodenough I guess cuz she was like trying to gag it back up out of herthroat, then she started chewing it again, and back down itwent...kinda icky...lol. She tries to eat too fast:?poor bunny.
 
Hi Pam,

Thanks for the explanation as to what happens in the scared to deathreaction. I thought it was a heart attack that would do it, but thestress of fear on the body over a prolonged period of time is a lotmore comforting.

Also thought hay was absolutely necessary. Very interesting. Thanks fortaking the time to explain both. Check me on what I say below toMyBunnyLovesMe.

Regarding the allowance of the heart to beat a billion times in mammalslives and 3 billion in ours, they had scientists talking about thestudies done and how fast the heartbeats are for a mouse compared to anelephant - and then how it varies for humans. I had heard this factbefore a while ago, but was glad to see it reappear yesterday on alegitimate and educationally-driven documentary.

(Homeschooled children PLUS 150 rabbits? You must sleep well at night.)


-Carolyn

P.S. Yup, MyBunnyLovesMe, rabbits sneeze. You may look into investingin a rabbit cage with a drop pan in the future. Some breeders in yourarea or a shelter might have one for sale or know someone that does.The poop and urine drops right through the wire and into the pan underit and that makes it healthier for her because she'll remain dry, andit's easier to clean. I'll eat my new hat I bought today if Pamnockdoesn't agree.
 
Whew! No need to eat your hat CarolynLOL I am however, very open and supportive of solid bottoms,as in many foreign countries, keeping rabbits on wire isillegal. Larger breeds will also fare better on a solidfloor, as they are prone to sore hocks on wire.

I love the plastic resting boards for rabbits on wire -- it gives quite a bit of relief to the feet.

Rabbits can sneeze due to irritants. They may also bolt theirfeed and choke. One of the most terrible scenes to witness isa rabbit choking to death : ( Bunnies are especially prone tochoking on the larger pellets meant for adult rabbits.

I remember one of the kids in my old 4-H club did a project on theheart rates of different creatures. It was veryinteresting. We'll have to get out the stethoscope and listento the dog, hamster, chinchilla and bunny heartbeats and comparethem. My 5 year old will love that -- he'ssocaptivated withevery aspect of general science.He's loves to weigh his little dwarf hamster on a tiny dieteticscale-- yep -- she's still a solid 1.5 oz. LOL

Homeschooling the kids is a very intense undertaking. Myaforementioned just-turned 5 year old spent the entire day trying toprove that he can read well enough to take the American Rabbit BreedersAssociation Registrar's exam :) It's so exciting to see achild so passionate about learning!

Pam
 


Boy, Pam!

I'm feeling like Col. Schultz, "I know Nuttthinngg!!"

You're an excellent teacher. You make learning fun, and it's alwaysexciting to learn no matter how old you are. It must've taken you yearsto get to where you are with your knowledge of rabbits. What a creditto you that your child wishes to walk in your footsteps. Hats off toya! (since you spared me from having to eat it!)

Do let us know how things go at the lab once you've had a chance tocheck the heartbeats of your critters. On the show, they compared thesounds of a mouse's heartbeat to an elephant's.

I've always been curious to find out how trancing a rabbit effects theheartbeat. Before, during, and after the trancing. That may be anotherinteresting study, you think?

-Carolyn
 
As a former teacher, I originally was contrary tohome schooling, however, the older and more experienced I became, Igrew to understand some of the myriad of reasons one might want to homeschool their children.

Done effectively, and comprehensively, I don't think one could get abetter education anywhere. From what you espouse on theInternet in various sites, and how you do it, plus the credentials youearned in ARBA, I'm sure your efforts to home school yourchildrenfit into the above category and they willbenefit immeasurably for it.

Seems to me, that I could probably tip my hat off to you, as oneprofessional teacher to another, whether you have the credentials onpaper, or not.

Buck :)

 
Homeschooling is certainly not for everyone, and I have seen many failures and disasters.

I had reservations about even attempting it -- who would ever thinkyour children could learn more at home??? I couldgo on forever about the benefits that it has had for our family, notonly educationally, but emotionally and spiritually. It iscertainly an amazing lifestyle.

What is amazing is that there are no boundaries or limits. Mydaughter is taking everything from French to Bible History and isexcelling in math and grammar. Every homeschooling program isdifferent. I believe in a strong emphasis on math and grammarskills while building a spiritual foundation on studies of the Bible asit applies to character and ethics in todays world. My kidswill be able to graduate from homeschool with diplomas and will beprovided with college transcripts from Abeka Academy, where I purchasetheir books and video tapes.

Socialization? If you saw my 5 year old -- you'd neverquestion that homeschoolers lack social skills LOL He has noqualms about getting up in front of an entire group of people to talkabout his beloved rabbits. He's the etiquette expert and canflawlessly pledge his allegiance to our great flag.

Sports? Not a problem there either. My daughter hasparticipated in JV volley ball and basket ball and we also go up to therec center to "shoot some hoops".

The kids volunteer, earn money, are active in church and are well rounded citizens.

Our local public school has been impressed with my efforts and has been very supportive.

I apologize for drifting off topic -- I'm sure you can tell I ampassionate about education :) If anyone is interested inobtaining further information, they can contact me privately [email protected]



Pam

 
"Our local public school has been impressed with my efforts and has been very supportive."

No doubt, I can fully understand that. You are reaping thatwhich you have sown, with your dedication and effort. Not everyone isas willing to apply themselves so diligently to such a prolongedendeavor.

Your children will do you honor the rest of your life,Isuspect, especially as they get older and recognize what it is that youhave accomplished so selflessly.

You do Him honor,as well, but I'm sure you didn't need me to tell youthat. Your Christianity is evidenced in the way you deal withpeople on the Internet.

He is blessing you! :D

Buck

 
Thank you Buck for your kinds words. It means so much coming from someone I hold in such high regard.

I always look forward to reading your posts and wise words on our common interest, our beloved rabbits :)

We certainly need to steer the conversation away from "Pam Nock" and get back to something of *real* interest LOL



Pam
 
Here's another website that I found interesting.? Icouldn't pick up the full 'machine' on the site you had pointed out,Pam.? Bummer, but it got me looking further.?? It seems that the mouse,the human, and the elephant are 'the one's' to compare.?http://www.thaifocus.com/elephant/heartbeat.htm

I tried taking Tucks' heartbeat once, but found it impossible to countout,? Gabby, a poster that used to frequent the R.O. board, told meonce to get a stethoscope and just listen to his heart and his internalsounds so that I'm familiar with what's normal for him.? I haven't hadmuch luck really hearing anything but that little heartbeat and it's sofaint that I really have to focus when I'm trying to find it.

You guys should definitely check out this site.?http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi1834.htm

-Carolyn
 
I heard that bunny's hearts can beat so fast thatthe "hum" is that true? I told my brother to be more careful with herafter that whole "scaring them to death" thing. We used to chase heraround and jump out in front of her, then she'd actually do the same tous, but if that's gonna kill her...like... I'm learning so much things,I feel like I'm doing everything wrong :( Thanks for helping me again,Pam, Carolyn and Buck you've all be super helpful. I hope to have mybun long enough to walk down the aisle at my wedding as the ring bearer:)
 

Latest posts

Back
Top