Spay/Neuter, gi stasis, ears & teeth, loss of appetite, cbd & More

One of the most important things you can do for your rabbit's health is having him or her neutered or spayed. Rabbits who are desexed can live almost twice as long! 

Unaltered Rabbits:

• Exhibit aggressive behavior which may include spraying, humping, biting - all symptoms of hormonal or sexually frustrated behavior.

• Could lead to serious health issues and/or death at a young age (average 4-7 years); the chances of reproductive cancer for unaltered rabbits (especially females) are more than double.

• Are very difficult to litter train.

• May not be able to have a peaceful relationship with another rabbit because of aggression and hormones.

Altered Rabbits:

• Are calmer, gentler and make better pets than unaltered rabbits.

• Are much easier to litter train. In fact, after a neuter or spay rabbits become less territorial, and therefore, more tidy!

• Are much more likely to live twice as long as unaltered rabbits: 10-13 years!

• Help keep the rabbit population down.

Does your bun need fixed? Here are a couple FAQs to help if you're still unsure:

How old should a rabbit be to get spayed or neutered?
Males can be fixed once the testicles descend - at about 3 1/2 months.
Females can be fixed at 5-6 months old. 

Is it safe for my rabbit to have surgery?
Absolutely. You just need a rabbit savvy vet to perform the surgery. The younger the rabbit, the less risk in surgery, but healthy rabbits under the age of 5 can be safely put under anesthesia. A good vet will advise that your rabbit over the age of 2 undergo a health check before undergoing surgery. If your rabbit is older, your bunny vet will be able to provide guidance on whether or not spaying/neutering is wise for your bun. 

GI Stasis

GI Stasis can be fatal to a rabbit, but it doesn’t have to be! GI Stasis is when your rabbit's gastro intestinal system is no longer 'flowing' correctly and becomes blocked. A rabbit's system is meant to be constantly flowing with food. GI Stasis means that bad bacteria has backed up in their intestines and releases gas into the rabbit's system. Because rabbits cannot pass gas, this condition becomes extremely painful and potentially fatal. GI Stasis must be dealt with right away. 

Signs of GI Stasis include: 

• Lack of appetite; your rabbit is not interested in food or water

• Severe bloating (this may or may not be obvious)

• A large amount of mucus-like substance coming out instead of regular waste

• Runny bowels

• Lethargy and laying down on her belly a lot, may appear uncomfortable

What to do if you suspect GI Stasis:

If your rabbit exhibits signs of GI Stasis, we recommend you call your vet immediately to get you bun in that day (even if you have to drop off your bun so they can see him/her between appointments).

To help make your bun more comfortable until you get to the vet, or if you suspect GI Stasis but aren’t sure, you can do the following:

1. Make sure your bun is in a quiet, calm environment.

2. Keep fresh hay right by your bun and offer it to her from time to time.

3. You can try to very gently massage your rabbit's abdomen area; do not press hard at all - your rabbit is not only a fragile creature, but she is also in pain. If a gentle massage does not result in a bowel movement within 3-4 hours, then get her to a vet as soon as possible!

4. If your bun hasn’t eaten in more than 8-10 hours, consider syringe feeding (see recommended syringes and Critical Care in the right column of this page as well as a how-to video!).

Avoid GI Stasis in your rabbit by making sure she is eating the proper diet, has an unending supply of hay and gets plenty of exercise. Regular exercise helps your rabbit's system to keep things 'moving'. 

Have more rabbit health questions? Contact us for specific rabbit health subjects, and we will add them here! Please note that we are not veterinarians; we are here to share what we have learned and will recommend you see a rabbit-savvy vet for medical help.

Ears & Teeth

Your bunny savvy vet should check your rabbit's teeth and ears at least once a year, twice a year is ideal. Your vet will check to make sure the ears are clear and that the teeth are wearing down like they should be.

You can also ask your vet to show you how to check your bun’s ears for signs of infection; we recommend checking with an otoscope once a month.

Rabbit teeth are always growing, so they need to be ground down by hay and appropriate toys they can chew on. 

If your rabbit starts to exhibit a head tilt, he needs to be treated by a vet for a possible ear infection. If ear infections go left untreated, the infection can spread to other parts of your bunny. 

If your bun has a head tilt, we cover how you can help your bun recover from it in this blog post!

Appetite

Rabbits should be eating/munching on hay constantly. Rabbit systems are made to be constantly digesting and pooping. If your rabbit exhibits a lack of appetite, keep an eye on him; if he does not eat at all within 24 hours, something is wrong. Get him to a vet immediately.

is cbd oil safe for my rabbit?

CBD oil is safe for any pet - if it’s the right kind! You want to make sure you get a certified organic version that is tested for absorbability. Most CBD oils are only 3-6% absorbable - NOT a great value for your money.

We know of one full-spectrum CBD oil - Zilis UltraCell - that is certified organic and has been tested by the Mayo Clinic for absorbability (85-94%!), so your pet can get maximum benefit. (UltraCell is great for humans as well! With 0.0% THC, you won’t have any drugs in your system). If you have questions about this particular brand, please feel free to email us.

Why would i give my rabbit cbd oil?

There are so many things a full spectrum CBD oil can help heal, not just for rabbits, but for any creature that has a spine! Here are a few benefits:

• Brings balance to ALL systems of the body in any vertebrate

• Arthritis relief

• Anxiety/Fearfulness

• Depression

• Insomnia

• Fibromyalgia

• Chronic Pain

• Cancer-related symptoms

• Hormone imbalance

• Diabetes/insulin levels

• High/low blood pressure

To learn about a real-life case with CBD, check out our blog to see how Oliver the rabbit is doing on CBD oil since 2018!

How much cbd should I give to my rabbit?

The general rule is 1 drop for every 10 pounds. For a rabbit that is 6 lbs/3 kgs, 1 drop is just fine. A little more than that won’t hurt your rabbit either. We recommend putting a drop or two on their fresh veggies each day. Like cats, rabbits metabolize anything they ingest very quickly, so you could give your rabbit a drop every 2 hours if you wanted to. For animals that will let you, it’s even better to rub the oil on their gums (though we realize that’s difficult with certain pets!).

You can get more info about UltraCell CBD oil here.

Still have questions about CBD or anything else rabbit-related? Contact Us!