How to Take Care of Sick Rabbit


If your dwarf rabbit gets sick, you should give special atten­tion to its care.

  • Follow all the veterinarian’s instructions exactly.
  • Keep the sick rabbit separated from other rabbits in an isolation cage and, if necessary, put the cage in another room. Also, follow this precautionary measure when you want to add a new dwarf to your household.
  • Wash your hands thoroughly before and after care, using disinfectant, if necessary.
  • Keep the cage clean and, in the case of infectious disease, change the litter frequently; cage and all equipment must be disinfected (ask the veterinarian which disinfectant to use).
  • Make sure the area around the sick animal is kept quiet, v’ Fluctuations of temperature and drafts further weaken the animal’s immune system. Avoid these risk factors.
  • With diarrhea or consti­pation, the rabbit needs a light diet. Sometimes it must even fast.
  • When it is ill, the rabbit in pain may bite you-forgive the animal if it does so.

Wiping Out the Eyes

Sometimes the dwarf gets a hair in its eye around which a sticky plug forms. With your finger over the upper eyelid, carefully massage the plug to the inner corner of the eye.

Taking Temperatures

It’s best to have two people take a rabbit’s temperature. Put the animal on a slide-proof surface. Dampen the fur around the rabbit’s rear end so that you can easily recognize the anal opening. One person grasps the front end of the rabbit firmly between both hands; the other gently lifts the tail. Coat the digital thermometer with Vaseline beforehand and gently insert it about 1 to 1-1/2 inches (3 to 4 cm) into the anus at an upward angle.

Administering Medications

You can give the dwarf drops with a disposable syringe (without cannula). To do this, hold the rabbit firmly as pic­tured and spray in sideways behind the incisors. Slowly press down on the plunger so that the animal doesn’t gag.

Cecal Feces

The rabbit forms the so-called cecal feces in its cecum (a portion of the large intes­tine), which contains vitamins and raw protein that are essen­tial to life. In contrast to ordi­nary feces, which consists of individual firm, dry little pellets, the cecal feces are soft, damply shining, and stuck together like a bunch of grapes. Sometimes you find them in the litter but usually the rabbit eats these “vitamin pills” directly from the anus. This eating of feces is not an abnormal behavior but a necessity for the rabbit.

Filed Under: Pets & Animals

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About the Author: Fred Goodson has a passion for pets and animals. He has 4 dogs and is planning to have another one. He is also a blogger who writes about pets and animals. Currently, he is living in New Jersey.

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