Posts Tagged ‘ elderbun ’

Indiana HRS has been rescuing rabbits since 2000. Many of our early rescues are considered senior rabbits or will become senior rabbits soon. Senior rabbits or “elderbuns” are 8 years of age or older. Rabbits are living longer lives these days, primarily due to advances in veterinary care and a better understanding of dietary and housing needs. Like the humans who love them, even house rabbits develop special needs as they age. They may require special food, bedding or extra-special care. Many of the special needs of the elderbun are easily managed.

Elderbuns can develop a variety of health issues, many of which are common in other small mammals.  Mobility problems are often caused by arthritis; early recognition of symptoms and subsequent treatment can make all the difference to your rabbit’s quality of life.

Changes in bone density can cause a once perfect set of teeth to become misaligned, or maloccluded, which can lead to difficulty eating and may require frequent tooth trims. Organs like the heart, kidneys kidneys and liver can also begin to fail as our rabbits age. Early detection of any of these health issues is key in treating them. Many vets recommend a twice-yearly schedule of well-bunny checkups for senior rabbits to help catch symptoms before they turn into real problems.

Dr. Gary Riggs DVM of Norton, Ohio, states that early symptoms of arthritis include reluctance to move, hock sores, muscle loss, excessive teeth grinding and resistance to being handled (ohiOHrs: harelines, vol.5 no.3). Your rabbit-savvy vet can help you decide if medication will relieve the symptoms; glucosamine and chondroitin are viable treatment options for less severe cases, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Meloxicam or Rimadyl can be beneficial for more severe cases. Alternative therapies can also be used to treat arthritis acupuncture and acupressure can be used alone or in conjunction with traditional therapies to provide relief from the discomfort of arthritis symptoms.

Maintaining good dental health requires rabbit guardians to provide a balanced diet: a good variety of high-quality, high-fiber grass hays, limited pellets, and a variety of dark leafy greens to exercise the full range of chewing motion and keep teeth worn properly. Your vet should also check jaw alignment at each checkup, and can advise you on the best way to treat any problems that arise.

The elderbun’s dietary needs may become different over time—it is important to observe your rabbit for signs of weight loss or weight gain. Senior rabbits that are less active may gain some additional weight, which can aggravate other health problems like arthritis or heart disease. A lower-calorie timothy-based pellet might be substituted for an alfalfa-based pellet to help maintain a healthy weight. On the other hand, senior rabbits may also lose weight as their digestive systems begin to slow down. Rather than increasing pellets, which may be too rich and could cause an increase in cecals, try adding veggies and different varieties of hay. Any diet changes should be made slowly to avoid gastrointestinal upsets.

During your rabbit’s well-bunny checkup, your vet may advise a full blood workup to help diagnose early stages of organ failure. Kidney function can be measured and should be monitored so that if early signs of renal failure are detected, a treatment plan can be implemented. Symptoms of renal disease include increased water intake, weight loss and diluted urine. Heart disease can also be diagnosed and treated, using some of the same medications that humans take. Symptoms of heart disease include decreased activity, increased respiration, and third eyelids that protrude all the time, especially during stress.

Your elderbun may need accommodations to his home environment. Decreased mobility may mean that your elderbun has some difficulty getting around. Hopping in and out of the litterbox can be difficult, but is easily fixed. Create a lower side entry to the litterbox by cutting one side down 1-2”. Also make sure your rabbit is able to maintain traction while hopping both in and out of the box by providing no-slip flooring around the litterbox. Provide a thick layer of hay in the litterbox to make it inviting. For elderbuns who have very limited mobility with urinary incontinence, be sure to provide thick padding in their environment topped with artificial sheepskin to help wick away moisture and keep your rabbit comfortable.

As so many rabbit caretakers have learned, we not only take care of our rabbits, they also take care of us. My precious Emma was no different. As soon as we met, Emma ran up to the front of her cage and put her paws on the door. She was a bright eyed, beautiful
Broken Rex and seemed so excited to see me. It was love at first sight, and I knew she was going home with me.

Emma was my gregarious rabbit – always running here and there to see what was going on. She’d let you get in one good stroke of love on her back and then she was off to parts unknown. If, however, I came home sad or upset, Emma always seemed to know. She’d come over and place her dear front paws on my leg, as if to say, “It’s going to be okay, Mom. You have me.”

We were very fortunate to have six wonderful years together. In the 7th year, Emma developed a urinary track infection, which we treated successfully. Things seemed good again. Emma was back to ‘Emma things.’ Looking back, I realize now that she gave me warning of things to come, while making sure that I would have ‘someone’ to watch over me.

On Sunday, I was driving through the neighborhood and saw something under a truck parked alongside the road. As I passed the truck, I looked in my rear view mirror. I saw a rabbit. Thinking it was a wild rabbit, I stopped the car to chase it back into the yard (out of harms way). Well – to my surprise it was not a wild rabbit! It was a beautiful Chocolate Rex Rabbit.

With the help of two neighbors, we finally caught her. I brought her home and Monday I called  the vet for a check up. I took the new rabbit in on Tuesday. She had fleas and ear mites, so she had to stay for treatment.

I came home from work Tuesday night to find my stained glass bunny plaque on the floor. It was  cracked. I thought it was odd that particular plaque fell. I have French doors and the plaque that fell was on the stationary door. It was also odd the way it cracked – right through the bunny, almost in half.

Later that evening, Emma entered her cage as usual. I noticed that it was warm in the house, and
since Emma was panting a little, I upped the air conditioning.

Wednesday morning I came downstairs with Emma’s breakfast. There she lay in her cage – not moving. She was gone – over the rainbow. I was heart broken!! The vet said her kidneys failed.

I am grateful that her passing was quick. I pray that it was as painless as kidney failure can be. Looking back, I truly feel that Emma knew she was going to be leaving me. I  feel she sent me Ginger, the Chocolate Rex, to watch over me and love me. And I really feel that she tried to warn me with a sign – the cracked plaque.

We miss her very much. Misty, her rabbit companion, as well as Tara, her companion cat, miss her too.

The cracked plaque still hangs on my stationary French door – as a reminder of my beautiful, wonderful Emma.

Until we meet again, my sweet Emma.
Love Susan, Paul, Misty and Tara

(This story was submitted by one of our members, Susan Moran.)

Help Indiana HRS Save Lives By Adopting A Mature Rabbit!

Dear Adopters: The ASPCA and Petfinder.com invite you to join Indiana House Rabbit Society (HRS) in declaring November the first annual Adopt-a-Senior-Pet Month. Contrary to common wisdom, many rabbits live long and happy lives! When housed indoors, receiving appropriate veterinary care, and fed an appropriate diet, rabbits often live into their second decade. With better owner education, improved diets and husbandry, and better medical care, more rabbits are living into their senior years. Indiana House Rabbit Society has several wonderful older rabbits available for adoption. Under the care and guidance of our hard-working HRS foster care providers, these rabbits have lived as a family member, they are socialized, litter-trained, and understand what behaviors are acceptable for a house rabbit.

There are several advantages of obtaining a rabbit through HRS:

1. Adopt a Rabbit Who Has Been Examined by a Rabbit-Savvy Vet – All Indiana HRS rabbits have been spayed or neutered, have had a comprehensive physical examination by a veterinarian who specializes in rabbit care, and have been treated for any illness. HRS shares all veterinary information with prospective adopters.
2. Adopt a Rabbit That Matches Your Family Situation -  The best possible match to your family and lifestyle will help your adoption be a lifelong, rewarding one. We require all prospective adopters to complete an adoption questionnaire. Indiana HRS volunteers speak with prospective adopters by telephone to understand expectations. Our Volunteers then contact foster homes where the rabbits live as family members, to help us make the best match.
3. Visit Rabbits in Foster Home Settings – Adopting is a relationship that should last the lifetime of the pet. There’s no substitute for meeting the rabbit in person in his/her foster home to see if the match is right for you … and the rabbit! After completing the questionnaire and speaking with an HRS volunteer, we welcome prospective adopters to come and meet rabbits in their foster homes.
4. Post-Adoption Support – House Rabbit Society volunteers provide post-adoption support for the lifetime of the rabbit. We maintain a list of rabbit-savvy veterinarians and provide guidance for any issues that develop. If our volunteers cannot find the answer to a question, we network with other House Rabbit Society experts located around the country. Indiana HRS realizes that even though prospective adopters have done their homework, sometimes an adoption may not work out. Indiana HRS will accept adopted rabbits back at any time.