TH E B U N OL OGIST

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June 2012
Carrots too sweet!! Woman caught hoarding 1,100 rabbits Toddler burned after rabbit chews vacuum cleaner cord Life at the Do Hop Inn emergency surgery for Missys stomach blockage

No more carrots! says RSPCA

25 June 2012 Mail Online (UK)

RSPCA scientist Rachel Roxburgh said. But hes a cartoon real rabbits dont talk, and they shouldnt be eating carrots too often either. A spokesman for the charity added: A rabbit in the wild eats grass and hay. It doesnt pop into the supermarket to buy a bag of carrots.

It's news that Bugs Bunny would find hard to swallow carrots are bad for rabbits! The RSPCA says well-meaning owners are making their pets fat by feeding them too many carrots. Although the famous cartoon rabbit is rarely pictured without one, the charity warned that carrots should not be a staple food for his real-life counterparts. As they are high in sugar, they should only be given as a small occasional treat. Research carried out by Bristol University for the charity found high levels of overgrown and misaligned teeth and digestive problems in pet rabbits. And it seems lettuce, despite its nickname, is not rabbit food either. The charity added that lettuce can ferment in a rabbits stomach, causing gas and digestive problems. People think their rabbits should eat carrots because thats what Bugs Bunny does,

The RSPCA has launched a campaign, Hay Fever, to emphasise the importance of hay and grass in a rabbits diet. It advises that the animals are given daily bundles of grass and hay about the size of the rabbit itself. Regular handfuls of washed dark greens such as chicory and bok choy are also acceptable. Only 8 per cent of rabbit owners questioned for the charity knew the best food for their pets, researchers found. Previous work revealed that three in five owners were unaware that rabbits are intelligent and need mental stimulation, while almost half did not know they required lots of space in which to exercise.

Lifetime ban for woman who hoarded 1,100 rabbits in filthy home
ALMOST ALL HAD TO BE PUT DOWN
14 June 2012 - http://www.thesun.co.uk (Canada) A WOMAN who hoarded 1,100 rabbits in her house has been banned for life from keeping more than one animal as a pet. Animal protection officers who raided Shelley Zenners twostorey home in Terwillegar, Canada, say the bunnies were kept in terrible conditions. Urine and faeces were everywhere and many of the animals were injured or missing eyes or limbs. During a swoop last year the Edmonton Humane Society removed 589 rabbits - the largest single seizure of rabbits the officials had ever witnessed. Almost all of the rabbits had to be put down because they were suffering a highly contagious, fatal respiratory infection. Edmonton Court heard how Zenners home had been under surveillance since 2008- and more than 1,100 rabbits were either removed or surrendered from the house over three years. Zenner, 44, pleaded guilty to causing distress to an animal. She was fined $8,500 and ordered to take psychological counselling. After the sentencing, Crown prosecutor Christian Lim described the animals plight as horrific. He said: It certainly has to be one of the most dramatic and horrific scenes - hundreds of rabbits had taken over the house. They were coming out of the duct work and the floors had rotted because of the urine.

Rabbits had eaten through the wires - they were actually getting electrocuted because they were eating the wires. The court heard the case cost the EHS an estimated $200,000 in vets bills. Zenner, who was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder following a robbery, apologised in court for her actions and said she had become sick and couldnt properly deal with the situation. She is no longer allowed to own rabbits, but can have one cat or dog as long as it is spayed or neutered and she lets the EHS monitor the animals care.

Jennifer Nelson, an animal care attendant at Edmonton Humane Society (EHS), holds Lionel, the only rabbit remaining at EHS from the southwest Edmonton home, who's waiting for adoption

Toddler burned after rabbit chews vacuum cleaner cord

25 June 2012 Herald Sun (Aus) A two-year old Melbourne girl has been burned after clasping a vacuum cleaner cord that had been chewed by her pet rabbit. The Melbourne Fire Brigade said that the girls hand was burned and stuck to the cord while her mother was vacuuming the outer west Melbourne home. After noticing smoke coming from the hose while she was vacuuming, the girls mother followed the lead back to the power point in the next room and found her daughters hand stuck to the cord. The wiring had been exposed after the pet rabbit chewed the lead. The toddler suffered minor burns and blistering on her hand in the incident, which happened in Airport West.

The diseased and sick rabbits were taken to the Edmonton Humane Society

This serves as a reminder to be vigilant in looking for signs of wear, damage and frayed cords, an MFB statement said. Have them checked & repaired by a qualified tradesperson.

Life at the Do Hop Inn

By Karen (www.boingonline.com)

A blood test was taken to see what was going on. She was given a 60% chance of survival. We went ahead with surgery. The only other alternative was euthanasia to stop her suffering. The operation took quite a long time to move the blockage but she survived!!

Missy
We nearly lost our beautiful Missy this month to a freak stomach blockage.

Missys xray after surgery. The blockage was removed and the fluid & gas were moved through her system. She had been fine in the morning but by dinner time she didnt want to eat her veggies (which is very unlike Missy!). Her tummy was gurgling but it felt strange and I could feel a hard round lump. Fortunately with the quick actions of the wonderful vets at the Melbourne Rabbit Clinic saved her life! Missy was x-rayed & it was confirmed that she did indeed have a stomach blockage. This blockage was causing a build up of fluid and gas in her stomach. This, in turn, was causing pain and there was no chance she would get through it on her own. The description of the items that caused the blockage was small hard irregular shaped items. The only thing I can think of is a small, thin apple stick that I had given Missy & Charlie to play with. Once the bark had been nibbled off, some of the bunnies like to nibble the stick itself and as it was a thin stick, I think she may have nibbled it and swallowed the pieces. I was so relieved when the operation was over but then there was a 36 hour wait to see if she would fully recover. Dr Louise took Missy & her brother Charlie home for the night and looked after her with critical care feeds and an incubator to keep her warm. She had fluids on hand in case Missy needed further treatment. It was wonderful to get a text from Dr Louise overnight that Missy had started to eat some parsley on her own!! Yay!! It was a relief to pick them up at the Melbourne Rabbit Clinic the next day. The following 24 hours was more critical care feeds as Missy was still quite groggy and quiet. She was enjoying her parsley though but she was still sleepy. Over the next few days she got better & better! It was a miracle!!!! She did so well that it was like nothing happened. I cannot thank the Melbourne Rabbit Clinic enough for everything they did for Missy. In particular, I want to thank Dr Alice & Dr Louise for their wonderful support, skills, expertise and knowledge. They were truly wonderful and without them, Missy would not be here today.

A bit hard to see but the round circle on the right is Missys blocked stomach where fluids & gas were starting to build up. This is the lump I felt.

Intestinal obstruction
By the Melbourne Rabbit Clinic www.melbournerabbitclinic.com An important condition that can cause inappetance and mimic gut stasis is gastric dilation. Gastric dilation is caused by intestinal blockage. Blockages are uncommon. When there is a blockage in the intestinal tract the stomach fills up with fluid. Rabbits cannot vomit and continually produce intestinal juices. When there is a blockage these continue to collect in the stomach and this fills up like a balloon. Missy & her brother Charlie (in front). They are inseparable. Missys tummy is now healing nicely and her fur is even starting to grow back!! The result is a suddenly depressed, lethargic rabbit with a large swelling in the upper abdomen that is painful. This condition is an emergency and surgery is required as soon as possible (do not leave till the morning). The stomach needs to be drained and surgery needs to be done to remove the blockage - if not the stomach can rupture. Radiographs can differentiate between gut stasis and an intestinal blockage if you are at all concerned.

Pumpkin
Mr Pumpkin had a problem with his eyes this month. Both his eyes were weeping so he made a visit to the Melbourne Rabbit Clinic for a checkup. Lucky I did take him as it turned out he had scratched both his eyes!!

A few days of pain relief and antibiotic eye cream fixed up his scratches. Unfortunately, Pumpkin had a bit of a reaction to the eye cream. The rims of his eyes became inflamed which caused them to become sore again. So we needed to stop the cream. Fortunately, the scratches healed during the time he had it applied and he is now a happy bunny again.

745 Burwood Highway, Ferntree Gully Victoria, Australia

www.melbournerabbitclinic.com