Hoppy Holidays from The Rabbit Advocate

My good friends Kelly and Eric adopted Bunnicula from the Boston MSPCA about two years ago. She is a prime example of the underestimated tenacious, comical and entertaining side of rabbits.
Hope you enjoy as much as I did, and hope you all have a hoppy New Years!

Health Special: Malocclusion in Rabbits

Malocclusion, referring to the misalignment of teeth, is a common ailment of the house rabbit. As with dogs bred to have “cute” smushed-in faces, certain breeds of rabbit, like the dwarf varieties, are especially prone to congenital deformities of the mouth. What makes malocclusion so serious for bunnies, however, is that rabbit teeth grow continuously. Normally, their teeth match up perfectly, so they’re kept ground down by the action of chewing. (Just one more reason giving your rabbit unlimited hay is so important!) Since maloccluded incisors don't match up, the teeth don’t file down and instead continue growing endlessly. As the incisors become overgrown, eating and drinking become harder and harder for the rabbit, all the while causing significant discomfort inside and outside the mouth as the teeth grow into the roof of the mouth and dig into the surrounding skin of the face. Untreated, this malformation can cause a slow and painful death.

Trimming teeth is not recommended because microfractures, a common sequelae, can lead to tooth root abscesses. Grinding down the teeth every two months or so is sometimes the only viable solution for the cheek teeth; but maloccluded incisors can also be extracted, fixing the problems permanently.

Recently, a rabbit with malocclusion and severely overgrown incisors arrived at the local shelter. Due to his complicated and chronic medical condition, he was slated for euthanasia. 

I, on the other hand, wasn’t ready to give up that easily. After consulting with some fellow rabbit experts at House Rabbit Network, I learned that extracting the rabbit's incisors could give him a chance at being healthy, and therefore, adoption. It seemed simple enough—the defective six front teeth would be removed, and after the mouth healed, he would learn to use his lips to pick up food and use the rest of his 22 teeth to grind his food. I spoke with a fantastic veterinarian at the VCA Wakefield Animal Hospital who explained that the surgery was relatively straightforward, the recovery was minimal, and, she said, the rabbit would be as good as new when it was over. In fact, he would even have a slight advantage over rabbits looking for homes—with no front teeth, rabbit-proofing would be a breeze!

I immediately brought the rabbit, who I had named Charley, home. He was severely underweight and malnourished from weeks of eating difficulties, so I spent a couple days feeding him a high-calorie, high-fiber, easy-to-chew diet, which included Critical Care, oatmeal, canned pumpkin, vegetable medley baby food, chopped strawberries, collard greens and cilantro, and even timothy hay broken into small, bite-sized bits. He chowed down for two days straight, and proved his will to live by bouncing all over my house and spending hours sleeping in my lap. Fortunately, House Rabbit Network had offered to foot the bill for the surgery, so after he had regained some strength, we were ready. On an early Wednesday morning, we drove up to Wakefield and Charley had his six front teeth pulled (he was also neutered at the same time). I picked him up that evening, and he was, though drugged, already acting a little feisty. By the next morning, he was eating Critical Care and pumpkin mush and three days later was eating entire bowls of pellets, chopped up greens, and even his hay.

He’s now a happy, rambunctious little guy, and might I add, perfectly adoptable. I hope this story inspires other owners and shelters with rabbits with dental problems to consider this alternative. As Charley sprints around my living room like a maniac, I can say with full confidence, that incisor extraction is a fantastically helpful surgery, a procedure we would both recommend to anyone.

Charley Before

Charley After

Question from the Audience: Paw Flicking

A question from Elsie C. in Manchester, UK:

Q: My one year old house rabbit keeps flicking his front paws, one at a time. It is a kind of flick/shake. Any idea why? He is also quieter than normal instead of running around.

A: Rabbits usually flick their paws right before they plan to groom their faces or ears. Is he flicking his paws for a few seconds and then grooming himself? Is so, that is absolutely fine. If he is just flicking his paws repeatedly, then it would be worth it to have a closer look at his paws (is there something stuck to them? does he have a splinter or something of the sort? are they hurting? are they numb? do his nails need to be trimmed/getting caught in the carpet?). If you can't determine anything off about his paws, it might be a good idea to have a vet take a closer look at them.

I'd actually be more worried about him being "quieter than normal." Rabbits, being prey animals, really work to hide their symptoms. Once a rabbit is exhibiting unusual behaviors, you really want to pay close attention. Is he eating the same amount? Bathroom behaviors changed/droppings look the same? Acting depressed? Listless? If you said yes to any of these four questions, then don't wait to make an appointment with a rabbit-savvy veterinarian. These are surefire signs something is not right with your bunny, and when it's reached a stage with any of these symptoms, things can go very fast.

A Free and Easy Way to Help a Shelter Bunny

One thing that always arrives with summer is the appearance of farmer's markets. And one thing that always comes with farmer's markets are leftovers! Ask a vegetable stand at your farmer's market about donating their unsold veggies, scraps, or even unusable parts (carrot, radish, beet tops) to your local shelter's rabbits. All you have to do is transport the goods to the shelter, as often as you like. It's an easy way to give a shelter bunny a healthy meal for free. Make sure to relay which veggies are okay, and which to avoid (ie tomatoes, beans, potatoes, rhubarb; and use carrots, bananas, (anything with high sugar) sparingly).

Atlas Farms has been donating their delicious organic vegetables to the Boston MSPCA for a few weeks, and it's turning out great for everyone involved. See pictures below for proof! (All of these bunnies are available for adoption through the Boston MSPCA; click on their names for additional information.)











Miss Bunny











Oreo











Dottie











Eddie











Neil











Sneezy








Chris











Barney











Wabbit











Cheesey








Piper & Widget (Guinea pigs need greens too!)



Another idea: If you're baking/cooking with strawberries and have a ton of strawberry tops, save them in an airtight container and take them to your shelter. Strawberry tops make for a delicious treat!

Thanks for thinking of helping out a shelter or rescue in your area!

Are You Rabbit-Ready?

So you're thinking about getting a rabbit... Great! Rabbits make terrific pets, but they do require some specialized care and attention. As with any pet, you're going to want to do some preliminary research to figure out beforehand exactly what you're getting yourself into. Rabbits can live 8-10 years and are not low-maintenance pets, so it's especially important to know the specifics of their care before bringing one into your home.

Some facts about house rabbits:

1. Rabbits eat a highly varied diet. While they can eat a small amount of pellets daily, they must have unlimited access to a fresh grass hay and an assortment of fresh vegetables. Feeding a rabbit is definitely not as simple as throwing some dog or cat food in a bowl every morning.

2. Rabbits need to be seen by a rabbit-experienced vet, which is usually termed as an "exotics" vet. Exotics vets can charge more than regular dog or cat vets, so rabbit health bills can add up. While rabbits do not need vaccinations, they should be seen at least once a year by a rabbit-savvy vet.

3. Rabbits should be housed indoors, and this creates the need for rabbit-proofing. You will need to purchase a large dog cage or x-pen in which to house the rabbit while you are away or sleeping. While you're around, you can let the bunny out to explore--but certain dangers, such as poisonous plants or materials, electrical wires, and expensive furniture, must be moved, covered up, or protected.

4. It's strongly recommended that your rabbit be spayed or neutered. This makes a huge difference in litter-training and in curbing various behavioral and health issues.

5. As aforementioned, and now should be evident, rabbits are not low-maintenance pets. They require specialized care, daily attention, and a considerable amount of supervision. Rabbits also do not make good "starter" pets for children, as they are highly sensitive physically and mentally.

Before acquiring a rabbit, strongly consider all the factors. And if you do decide to get one, always adopt from a shelter or rescue--never buy from a petstore!

The Easter Bunny's Important Message

Every year, around June and July, animal shelters around the country are seemingly instantly flooded with rabbits that are no longer wanted. Countless well-meaning families buy cute baby bunnies as Easter presents for the children, only to realize a few months down the line what complex creatures these are, what complex care they require, and what a bad combination a skittish, unneutered rabbit and a rambunctious child can be. Read this article on why rabbits don't always do so well with children and vice versa and read here about the importance of spaying and neutering.

Buying a rabbit as an Easter present is a time-tested bad idea. Sure, baby bunnies are ridiculously adorable, but they also require a varied diet, not inexpensive vet care, a spay/neuter surgery, daily attention and playtime, and intricate rabbit-proofing (which in turn requires a watchful eye and sometimes infinite patience). Rabbits are excellent pets, but only in the right circumstances, which includes knowing full-well what you're getting into. And if you've done the research and still think you're ready to get a rabbit, don't ever buy from a pet store! Instead adopt from a shelter or a rescue and save a life!

Buy a toy rabbit for Easter-- adopt a real rabbit for life!

Question from the Audience: Hiccups?

A question from Travis J. in Long Island, NY:
Q: I have a 5 year old Dwarf Rabbit. She is in great health- she is spayed, has a healthy diet and goes in regularly for check ups with her exceptional vet. Every so often, usually after jumping out of the cage and running around a bit, when she sits down or relaxes for a moment- she begins to twitch (her entire body). It looks similar to when someone has the hiccups. Its usually about 10 twitches lasting about 15 seconds. If I walk to her and pet her during the twitches, she stops twitching. Sometimes she will continue twitching the moment I take my hand off of her. Have you ever heard of this?


A: You correctly identified this weird twitching behavior as hiccups, although it is strange because when a hiccuping rabbit is touched, she does stop twitching (suggesting the behavior is voluntary to a certain degree). It can be scary to see, especially the first few times, because it looks somewhat painful or like a seizure, but it's just regular old hiccups.

As usual, make sure your rabbit is eating and drinking normally, in case the hiccups are being caused by disturbances in the GI tract. Other than that, it's most likely nothing to be worried about!