Whitesnowy
New Kit
In memory of WHITESNOWY
За български натиснете тук.
DO NOT PUT DOWN THE RABBIT! Looking after a disabled bunny is 100% possible! We went through this and I would like to share the story. With our good care Whitesnowy lived two happy years even though he was disabled. One day we took him to the vet because he acted strange and ate less. After the examination (where I don’t know what exactly happened) the vet brought him back and the rabbit couldn't move. We were shocked. When this happened I had absolutely no idea how to look after a disabled rabbit. To be honest, I thought with this back injury - he wouldn't survive the night. But not only he did survive the night, he also kept fighting. Me and my girlfriend dedicated our life to him. We were with him 24/7. I checked the Internet for information about how to look after a disabled rabbit but I found very little. And this is the reason I want to share what I've learned. “Do we put disabled people down just because they can’t walk?”. This video /link/ gave me a great motivation. God forbid something like that would happen to anybody but if it does here are some ideas how to take care of the bunny.
At first we tried different methods to accommodate him. We let him lying, then we supported his body standing so there would be a change in the position. This is how everything looked like:
pic1 https://s20.postimg.cc/xnxrcr0rx/01.jpg
pic2 https://s20.postimg.cc/8jbcd2qp9/02.jpg
pic3 https://s20.postimg.cc/w037buca5/03.jpg
pic4 https://s20.postimg.cc/ix7kskm25/04.jpg
pic5 https://s20.postimg.cc/jo0aycofh/05.jpg
During the hot summer days I laid him on a tile and placed a bottle of frozen water near him.
pic6 https://s20.postimg.cc/3r1j1mw19/06.jpg
Later I installed an air conditioner in his room. If you do so, be careful - the cool air should not blast directly on the rabbit. The temperature I maintained during the summer was 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit). You might think it's a bit higher but this is because he often got cold and his nose got wet. So be extremely careful if air-conditioning a disabled rabbit.
After some time I managed to build a “house” for him. Then I surrounded the yard of the house with air mattresses in case he managed to jump (using only his front legs – he did that many times). I ensured he would land on soft matter.
pic7 https://s20.postimg.cc/g6y8vdpd9/07.jpg
pic8 https://s20.postimg.cc/oqhmt4xpp/08.jpg
Ideas for ACCOMODATION:
pic9 https://s20.postimg.cc/4x5j0fkbx/09.jpg
pic10 https://s20.postimg.cc/pvboyik6l/10.jpg
pic11 https://s20.postimg.cc/vkwiwkfql/11.jpg
pic12 https://s20.postimg.cc/jx2h20qlp/12.jpg
pic13 https://s20.postimg.cc/5f59u0zal/13.jpg
pic14 https://s20.postimg.cc/fdq8gi8q5/14.jpg
At first I used plastic bottles of water to support his body standing. I covered the bottles with a few layers of underpads. Later I decided that plastic bottles with underpads might be a bit rough to lie on so I changed the bottle with folded air mattress and cloths. Again, on the top I used underpads because when I picked him up, to move him to a feeding position for example, he sometimes urinated (this is uncontrollable reaction in disabled animals). So I recommend using softer materials just where the animal’s head lies and you can use water bottles (covered with layers of underpads) to support the body.
pic15 https://s20.postimg.cc/iluptjuzx/15.jpg
Sometimes he liked to jump out of his bed so I designed the house and the yard that he can walk back to his bed on his own. I made stuff like tunnels so he can stand up only on his front legs and support his body to the surrounding and walk forward.
pic16 https://s20.postimg.cc/6y0nz05v1/16.jpg
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G20B-wIdIG0
The best position for accommodation I found was this:
pic17 https://s20.postimg.cc/69rtg2759/17.jpg
pic17a https://s20.postimg.cc/qvktwk9t9/17a.jpg
If he decided to move, he fell right in the yard instead of on his back and stuck in the house. Under the yard there was a blanket – everything must be soft and there should be no sharp edges. On top, again there were underpads in case he urinated – they are easy to change. If you cut them to smaller squares – make sure no dust(cotton) come out of the unterpads. Use lint roller to collect any dust or crumbs where the bunny lives.
During the night a small light bulb was on. I found the rabbit felt safer that way. I also bought a baby camera to monitor Whitesnowy remotely when I’m in the room next to him. It was of a great help especially during the nights because I didn't have to stand from my bed every time I woke up to check him if he is our or stuck or anything.
pic18 https://s20.postimg.cc/ak6hbnc8d/18.jpg
pic19 https://s20.postimg.cc/nculbknu5/19.jpg
And this is a bunny in a sleep mode:
pic20 https://s20.postimg.cc/734f8od65/20.jpg
HYGIENE:
In case the rabbit peed on his own, to maintain good hygiene under him I found that I could use pads for pregnant women (like sanitary napkin but much thicker).
pic21 https://s20.postimg.cc/xoc01clv1/21.jpg
pic22 https://s20.postimg.cc/rbwuriist/22.jpg
To prevent his rear legs from getting wet I made socks from face masks:
pic23 https://s20.postimg.cc/uwsqaqncd/23.jpg
pic24 https://s20.postimg.cc/yholtyrvx/24.jpg
pic25 https://s20.postimg.cc/crsi2dy6jx/25.jpg
FOOD and WATER:
Keep feeding the rabbit what he’s used to eat. One VERY IMPORTANT thing though – cecotropes must be collected and given to the rabbit to eat. No commercial pellets are enriched with the elements that cecotropes provide. Whitesnowy usually extracted them once or twice a day but we had cases when it happened three even in very rear occasions forth times for 24 hours. In most cases the first ones came out at 5 a.m.
We fed our rabbit four times for 24 hours. First I gave hay, then pellets. I limited veggies and fruits because of upset stomach – I used them only as a treat. After the end of the feeding I waited 45 minutes before giving water. Then 30 to 60 minutes before the next meal I gave him water again. If he refused to drink by himself I used syringe. If he refused again I put the tip of the syringe in a cucumber so it started to smell of something he liked. In some cases I sucked very little juice (two drops - just in the very tip of the syringe). For the juice I used watermelon or tomato. This trick for giving extra water worked every time. It’s very important to give water at least TWICE after feeding – this prevents sludge in the urine. The scheme was as follows:
- 6:00 FOOD (hay then pellets). He ate for about 15 minutes and rested 45 and then at:
- 7:00 WATER. And then 30 to 60 minutes before the next meal I gave water again as follows:
- 11:00 second time WATER (trick with cucumber or some juice if needed).
- 11:45 FOOD.
- 12:45 WATER.
- 16:15 second time WATER.
- 17:00 FOOD.
- 18:00 WATER.
- 21:15 second time WATER.
- 22:00 FOOD.
- 23:00 WATER.
- between 03:00 and 05:00 - second time WATER. (depended on my wake up instinct during the night).
I've noticed that the bunny drinks more water when the water is at room temperature (instead of cold water). So, keep bottles of water in the room.
Some pictures of eating position (the same way I held him to drink water from his bowl):
pic26 https://s20.postimg.cc/4fk0vfqgd/26.jpg
pic27 https://s20.postimg.cc/ahrnlxewd/27.jpg
pic28 https://s20.postimg.cc/cauka9031/28.jpg
pic29 https://s20.postimg.cc/rxltnmdv1/29.jpg
pic30 https://s20.postimg.cc/4kns53xrh/30.jpg
pic31 https://s20.postimg.cc/cesz48uy5/31.jpg
pic32 https://s20.postimg.cc/6rwm6rsfh/32.jpg
pic33 https://s20.postimg.cc/tun55xtwt/33.jpg
pic34 https://s20.postimg.cc/l0w8ou6y5/34.jpg
pic35 https://s20.postimg.cc/po2aqlub1/35.jpg
Apart from feeding, giving water and maintaining hygiene we spent a good time on stroking Whitesnowy. He also liked to be massaged. And for 10 years old rabbit, he liked to sleep a lot as well.
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