T.H.E Rabbit Resource

16/08/2024

11/08/2024

Got some Sunday Sploots

01/08/2024

Our lastest bun UPDATE: bun was dragged by a predator and is a mess of road rash, punctures and narrowly missed losing the eye! He saw the vet today, will need follow up treatment and we are already up to $500, not counting getting getting him fixed.
Please help us help this poor guy recover 🐰🐰

https://www.paypal.me/THERabbitResource?locale.x=en_US
Any amount will help. Thank you!

01/08/2024

IYKYK! We have a new rabbit just in tonight needing veterinary care for predator wounds to the face. This post will be updated when we can post pictures. Bun is comfortable and safe, and will see a vet tomorrow. Won’t you donate the cost of your am coffee to his care?


https://www.paypal.me/THERabbitResource?locale.x=en_US

28/07/2024

Awesome day at bunny yoga!
Thank you all for coming, we’ll do it again!
Please add your photos in the comments 🐰🐰

24/07/2024

Western NY: stop by, say hi, leave with something! We’re planning something special. 🐰🐰

19/07/2024

https://www.bowenfamilyfarm.com/event/bunny-yoga-28/register
LINK to sign up!
We need some more people to sign up! We had some interest, we now need you to sign up 🐰🐰🐰
Come pet and snuggle some fuzzy buns while relaxing with some yoga!

16/07/2024

Please help one of our sister rescues!! Share too!

***THIS IS A CRISIS!!!*** Calling NY, NJ, CT & PA, foster homes are needed more than ever!

What you see in this picture is a nightmare. This is just a glimpse of our inbox and the posts we have been tagged in. Names and certain information have been blocked to protect people's privacy.

You might think this is a few weeks' worth of messages. NOPE. This is just a few days' worth, and the dumps and surrenders keep coming. Not to mention all the countless calls and texts we’re receiving.

In the past 24 hours, Rockland County has had 4 rabbits come in as strays. Additionally, Cotton Tails rescued an injured, dumped rabbit from Bergen County, even though we don't have permanent placement for him yet. He is currently in emergency foster care. Plus, there are around 13+ in NJ out in this heat. It's heartbreaking to think of these innocent animals suffering and dying this way.

Keep in mind we are a small, foster based rescue with very limited resources in Rockland County, NY.

If there was ever a time to consider fostering, it is now! We will provide EVERYTHING you need. Please contact us at [email protected].

10/07/2024

Don’t forget, Western, NY! Help make our first try successful 🐰

04/07/2024

29/06/2024

Hi! Share this post far n wide please! It’s hard to find fosters! We have 4 Kart Krew baby girls for foster or foster to adopt homes. They can go as pairs or singles, but happier as pairs.
We have 1 little Kart Krew boy, Yoshi, who needs foster placement or foster to adopt. Babies need lots of love and attention 🐰🐰 DM this page, or therabbitresource.org for applications
Set ups and medical covered.
Yoshi and the Krew have not decided their ear direction yet 😀 and need to practice their manners.

20/06/2024

Don’t forget we have the yoga event coming up!

Some of our buns looking for homes will be there 🐰🐰

18/06/2024

Choking in rabbits:

Choking is one of the scariest things that a pet owner can witness. If you know what choking looks like, you might have a chance to intervene in time to help your bunny before it’s too late. If you are a veterinarian, it’s also important to know what follow-up care might be needed if you get a call from an owner that their rabbit has just choked.

First, we should get our definition of choking straight. There are two different things that are commonly referred to as “choking”. The type of choking that we think of first is obstruction of the airway by something (usually food). The second type of choking is esophageal obstruction, in which a bolus of something (again, usually food) gets stuck in the esophagus. Both of these can be very distressing to rabbits, but a tracheal obstruction is a true emergency that needs immediate intervention if your rabbit is going to survive.

Here is how these episodes differ:

True choking (tracheal obstruction) means that no air can move in or out of the lungs. A rabbit who is choking will look distressed initially. They may have their mouth wide open, show the whites of the eyes, or paw at their mouth. They are unable to make any noise, because no air can move past their larynx. Within seconds or minutes, they will begin to lose consciousness and, if the obstruction cannot be relieved, they will die.

An esophageal “choke” means that food is stuck in the esophagus (for you equine fans, this is also what horse people refer to as “choke”). Because nothing can get past, and because esophageal obstruction is very irritating, rabbits will start to hypersalivate. The excessive fluid cannot get past the obstruction, so it will start to come back up out of the nose or mouth. Fluid bubbling out of the nose is often the color of whatever is causing the obstruction. The rabbit appears uncomfortable, may extend their head and neck, repeatedly attempt to swallow, and may paw at their mouth. If very distressed, the rabbit may dart around and vocalize. Sometimes, the excessive saliva produced or the repeated swallowing dislodges the obstruction. If that occurs, the rabbit will suddenly be back to normal and resume eating like nothing happened. If the obstruction persists, fluid will keep pouring from the mouth or nose and a rabbit may get that fluid into their lungs, causing difficulty breathing and rattling sounds in the lungs. Throughout all of this, a rabbit with an esophageal choke continues to be able to move air in and out of their lungs because their airway is NOT obstructed.

Obviously, neither of these situations is ideal, but an airway obstruction is much more acutely fatal when compared to an esophageal obstruction. Regardless of the cause, a rabbit might need immediate first aid and also will likely need follow up veterinary care. First aid for choking means dislodging the obstruction. There is a technique for rabbits called the “centrifugal swing” that I think rabbit owners should know how to perform should they ever be in the unfortunate situation of witnessing a choke incident. This technique isn’t risk-free due to the delicate nature of a rabbit's spine, and should be reserved for rabbits who clearly can’t get any air into their lungs or who are distressed from an esophageal obstruction.

This is a good resource for learning about the centrifugal swing: http://vgr1.com/choking/

(Note that the video on this site shows a rabbit with an esophageal “choke”- he’s repeatedly swallowing and extending his neck, but doesn’t appear to be in severe distress nor at risk of losing consciousness. It’s a short video, but I think I can make out the sound of clicking while he’s breathing, which means he is moving air in and out of his lungs. I think if the episode is lasting long enough that you can get it on video and the rabbit isn’t so distressed that you are intervening, it’s likely an esophageal obstruction and not a tracheal obstruction.)

After either type of choke, the risk of aspiration of food material into the lungs is high. There is also a high likelihood that food material has ended up in the nasal passages. In some cases, choking incidents can lead to fluid buildup in the lungs called non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema. All of these warrant a vet visit, chest radiographs, and likely medication. I think if a patient has an esophageal obstruction but clears it quickly and never has any nasal discharge, it’s probably okay to forego a vet visit. If the rabbit required intervention (a centrifugal swing), had nasal discharge, or showed any signs of respiratory distress, he should have a followup exam with a vet. Even after surviving a choke event, there can still be fatal complications. Get thee to a vet!

Choking can be a random fluke event (just like it can be in humans), or could be a sign of predisposing causes like dental disease. Rabbits who prove to be prone to choking should be fed with certain precautions, such as moistening their pellets with water, scattering their pellets on the floor to slow down pellet consumption, or feeding from a “slow feed” style dish.

I hope this helps both pet owners and veterinarian alike to know what choke looks like in bunnies and follow-up care they might need after an episode!

18/06/2024

‘Three (Kart Krew) maids all in a row’
Three of the 4 little girls hanging out in the AC.

14/06/2024

Puffs Plus 😬

12/06/2024

Stare down this new bag, I will. ~ Reggie

10/06/2024

The Kart Krew practicing their speedy moves!

09/06/2024

Sleepy babies with full bellies.

08/06/2024

Slo mo

06/06/2024

We have an urgent need for fosterers in upstate/central/wny
New rescues and no space for them
Please message us !!!!

30/05/2024

**TRANSPORT FILLED**

Saturday June 1st

Berlin, NJ to Utica, NY

Dax the Guinea Pig has been adopted!! He just needs a lift to his forever home! Can you help this cutie get home?

HOP 1: Hainesport, NJ to Cranbury, NJ; 34 miles, 40mins, 9:20am - 10:10am - FILLED, Melissa, thank you!

HOP 2: Cranbury, NJ to Mahwah, NJ; 67 miles, 1hr 20mins, 10:15am - 11:35am - FILLED, Amanda, thank you!

HOP 3: Mahwah, NJ to Albany, NY; 118 miles, 1hr 45mins, 11:40am - 1:20pm - FILLED, Beth Ann, thank you!

HOP 5: Albany, NY to Utica, NY; 95 miles, 1.5hrs, 1:30pm - 3pm - FILLED, Rebecca, thank you!

26/05/2024

Or foster 🐰🐰🙃

24/05/2024

RECOGNIZING & MANAGING RABBIT MEDICAL ISSUES for Rescuers and Owners

A one-day, in person, medical workshop for rabbit rescuers and owners is being offered by Missouri House Rabbit Rescue and Saving Rabbits in St. Louis held at the T.A.S.K. facility at 980 Horan, Fenton, MO 63026. See agenda below for times.
Please note this is NOT intended to replace veterinary care. An essential part of appropriate care is taking your rabbit to a veterinarian who is knowledgeable in rabbit care including emergency clinic veterinarians for when you have an emergency. Please locate these veterinary sources as soon as you adopt your rabbit and don’t wait until an emergency occurs!

This workshop is intended to:
• Increase knowledge of and ability to suspect common rabbit disorders
• Know when the situation is an emergency including signs of pain in the rabbit
• Know what materials to have on hand at home for both common and emergency issues
• Know what actions might be useful at home until the rabbit can see a veterinarian including keeping records

The veterinarian is the professional that will determine the diagnosis and course of treatment if needed. Giving the caregiver basic knowledge of common issues that need medical care will greatly improve the chances for success for managing these issues on the veterinary end.

Topics planned for this workshop are listed below. Some topics will be more in-depth and others more about understanding/recognition. Lay material is being reviewed by veterinarians experienced in rabbit care. Handouts on topics included.

Workshop attendance is $20 and will be used to cover the expenses of the workshop. This is not a fundraising event. People may bring their own lunches (please bring in a small cooler) or they may purchase a lunch from a listing available on our website at morabbit.org. Lunches are from the Art of Entertaining and will be brought to the workshop for the lunch break. Water, soda, coffee, & tea will be provided. Snacks will be provided during the breaks.

To register or purchase lunch order, please go to https://www.morabbit.org/store-1

Speakers currently include rescuers who have been working with rabbits and emergencies for over 25 years. Speakers include Micah Kohles, DVM, Dana Krempels, PhD, U of Miami, BOD Saving Rabbits, Robin Rysavy, PhD, 30 years Missouri House Rabbit-Kansas City, MO president,) George Flentke, PhD, U of North Carolina, Susan Smith, PhD, U of North Caroline, Joy Gioia rabbit rescuer and wildlife rehabilitator of 27 years saving over 7,000 rabbits, president Missouri House Rabbit Rescue (St. Louis,) BOD Saving Rabbits, and Brooke Higgins, M.D. plus other long time rabbit rescue contributors. Susan Brown, DVM, and Linda Beisswenger, DVM, will participate in Q&A session. After the workshop, attendees are invited for a tour of the 4-acre, 6,600 sq. foot facility of Missouri House Rabbit Rescue nearby in Fenton. Besides touring one of the largest rescues in the country, attendees are welcome to shop in the extensive Bun Fun store with several aisles of high-quality rabbit supplies and bunny items for people. Purchases are tax exempt.

Topics to be taught or touched upon are below.

Additional questions may be sent to [email protected] or [email protected]

CHECK-IN 9:00AM – 9:30AM
CLASSES 9:30AM – 4:30PM
Q&A 4:30PM – 5:00 PM

INTRODUCTION

SIGNS OF PAIN
SIGNS OF ILLNESS
DIET – Effects on health
ENVIRONMENT – Effects on health

STARTING AT THE TOP
Diagrams of body: External / Internal / Skeletal
HEAD
Ears - Infection / Parasites / Head Tilt
Eyes – Weeping & causes / Entropion / Bulging / Third eye lid
Nose – Infection (URI) / sores
Teeth – Spurs/Malocclusion/Roots/Jaw Cancer
NEUROLOGICAL
Encephalitis Cuniculi
Cerebellar Hypoplasia
Head Trauma
NECK
Parasites
Throat / Esophagus
Heimlich for rabbits
CHEST
Lungs – Respiratory Infection / Cancer / Labored or Fast Breathing
Heart – Enlarged / Thymoma / Murmur
SKIN
External Parasites – Fur Mites / Fleas / Ticks
Sebaceous Adenitis
Abscesses / Lumps
Syphilis
Fungus
Urine Scald
BREAK (15 min)
EXTREMITIES
Toes / Nails
Pododermatitis
Legs
MID BODY/DIGESTIVE TRACT
Stomach and digestive tract
Intestines – Mega Colon (malabsorption) (more info during RGIS topic)
Bladder – Sludge / Stones / Infection / Urine color / Incontinence
Renal Failure
Parasites - internal
Poop/Cecal Identification
Obesity – Fat can kill
RGIS – Rabbit Gastrointestinal Syndrome (What is it? Recognize signs.
What to do and not to do on your own.)
THINGS YOU CAN DO
Record Keeping (What is the rabbit doing or not doing? Video and photos are
VERY helpful to the veterinarian.)
Taking a Temperature (hands on available during the lunch session)
Hypothermia/Hyperthermia (What do they indicate? What do I do?)
LUNCH 12:30PM – 1:30PM (approximately)
THINGS YOU CAN DO (Cont.)
Home Exam (used to help catch things, not replace a veterinarian exam)
Giving Meds (oral, eye, ear, sub-Q)
Oral Hydration & Determining Dehydration
Assist Feeding (if instructed by veterinarian)
Abdominal Massages
Butt Bath (reasons for messy butt / how to do a butt bath)
Sub-Q Fluids (note: fluids are by prescription)
Emergency Kit (what to include)
Otoscope/Stethoscope (applications at home / how to use them)
Pain Management (use extreme caution and why)

WOUNDS / BREAKS
Broken bone (minimizing damage prior to emergency veterinarian visit)
Open sores/wound care

BREAK (15 min)
Radiograms
Chiropractic / Acupuncture (Why? Do they work?)
Pharmacology (good drugs/bad drugs)
Tumors (malignant/benign) / Cancer
RHDV2 (Is it really bad? Why get the vaccine if it’s not in Missouri yet?)
Blood Work (terms & definition)

Q & A (held immediately following presentations)

Visit/Tour of Missouri House Rabbit Rescue (Immediately following the workshop. Optional, but fun and our store will be held open if people want to buy things. Check out the video on our website at morabbit.org.)

23/05/2024

Please support your local rescues!
TRR supports domestic rabbit rescue and education. We can always use fosters (supplies provided), and people willing to share proper care of rabbits.
I will gladly come to a school, class, Scout, or other organization to discuss rescue, responsible pet ownership and the issues we see. We can use video platforms if not in person. We need to be heard. You may not want to get involved in the day to day of rescue, but you CAN turn your keyboard toward the legislature and laws of your town, county and state so rescues ARE heard. You can be a way someone learns something today!

17/05/2024