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Dena's Rabbit Rescue Page

Dena's Rabbit Rescue Page

About Me

My name is Dena J. Fitzgerald and I live in Pennsylvania. I am a Certified Veterinary Technician. I worked in a companion animal practice for nine years and now I work in technical services for a veterinary pharmaceutical company. I began my work in rabbit rescue 11 years ago. It all began with a mini lop named Snuffles who changed the course of my life. There is no greater feeling of fulfillment than knowing you have rescued an animal from suffering, neglect, or abandonment. Currently, I have 9 rabbits as well as 3 cats.

Rabbit Rescue Stories

Thousands of unwanted pets are destroyed at animal shelters each year and thousands more suffer terrible abuse and neglect at the hands of their owners. Having worked in veterinary practice for nine years, I have seen many of these horror stories first hand. Many people buy rabbits on a whim because they are "cute". They are indeed cute, as well as affectionate, and mischievious! However, rabbits also require a lot of care and attention. They generally require more care than a cat, but less care than a dog. Rabbits can live as long as 8 to 10 years. Many rabbits are taken to shelters or simply abandoned outside by their owners within their first year of life. Domestic rabbits cannot survive outdoors on their own. They will quickly succumb to starvation, dehydration, heat prostration, or an attack by a neighborhood cat or dog. One rabbit such rabbit I rescued, H.R. Puff'n'Stuff, is pictured on this page. His owners had dumped him outside and his right hind foot had been crushed before I was able to rescue him. Some owners just decide they are "tired" of their pets and take them to the shelter. One such pair of rabbits I rescued from a shelter at the end of January 1997. They had been a husband's Christmas gift to his wife and just one month later she decided she did not want them. Many sick rabbits that are taken to veterinary hospitals are euthanized because their owners do not want to spend money on medical treatments. One such rabbit was Mr. Gibble. His owner, a doctor, arrived at the veterinary hospital in a Lexus with his two young sons. Mr. Gibble had been attacked by another male rabbit that his owner had just bought. Mr. Gibble had many puncture wounds, but the veterinarian thought he would do well with suturing the wounds and antibiotics. Mr. Gibble's owner said he could not "afford" to pay for this treatment. As his two little boys stood there crying, the man told the veterinarian to put Mr. Gibble to sleep. I am happy to report that it is now 5 years later and Mr. Gibble is alive and well and living with me! Another rabbit, Flapdoodle, was brought into the veterinarian because his rear end was covered with maggots. This is an extremely common occurrence in rabbits that live outdoors. If the condition is caught early, it is usually not life threatening. But Flapdoodle's owners did not want to pay to have him treated and requested that he be put to sleep. So I again intervened and Flapdoodle has turned out to be one of the most affectionate rabbits I have ever met. These are few of my personal rabbit rescue stories. For more information on rescuing or caring for rabbits, please click on my links below or send me an e-mail at Lop Buny@aol.com or lopearbun@aol.com.

10 Rabbit Tips


1. Rabbits need a proper diet. A vast majority of sick rabbits presented to veterinarians have some sort of digestive upset. Rabbits will overeat and become fat if fed free choice pellets. Rabbits should never be fed junk food (i.e. cereal, corn chips, candy or other snacks). Rabbits should be fed a consistent measured amount of pellets and fresh vegetables every day.

2. Rabbits need added fiber in their diet in the form of Timothy Hay. Timothy hay should be fed free choice (because it contains virtually no calories). A rabbit's digestive tract is similar to a horse's. It must be kept moving all the time. If their gut slows down or stops, a rabbit can die very quickly. Rabbits should be fed only Timothy hay, not alfalfa hay. Alfalfa hay is more fattening and lower in fiber and it is very high in calcium which can cause bladder stones. Most pellets are alfalfa based so you don't want to add any more alfalfa to the rabbit's diet.

3. Rabbits should be housed indoors year round. Rabbits do not do well in outdoor hutches. They are extremely sensitive to hot weather and can easily die of heat prostration in temperatures over 80 degrees. In the winter their water can freeze and I have seen rabbits feet get frozen in their water bowls. Rabbits are susceptible to a number of parasites such as maggots, botfly larva, fleas, and ticks. Metal and wooden hutches are an attractive target for lightening strikes (yes, I have seen this happen quite frequently). Dogs, cats, and foxes are an ongoing threat. There is no such thing as a "Rottweiler-proof" rabbit hutch. Beside all of these outdoor threats, is the fact that rabbits make great house pets! They are quiet, extremely clean (they groom themselves like cats), and they are easily litter trained.

4. Rabbits must be spayed or neutered. This will not only prevent unwanted litters (if you have more than one rabbit), but also greatly increase your rabbit's life expectancy and prevent undesirable behaviors. 50% of female rabbits will develop uterine cancer by age four, so it is absolutey essential to have a female spayed. Male rabbits can develop testicular and prostate cancer. All of the cancers are 100% preventable by spaying or neutering. Unneutered rabbits of both sexes will fight with other rabbits and mark their territory by spraying urine. A male rabbit's urine will also smell much stronger if he is not neutered.

5. Most veterinarians do not know anything about rabbit medicine. This statement is sad, but true. Many veterinary schools don't cover rabbits at all in their curriculum. Before you even get a rabbit you should contact the House Rabbit Society to find a vet in your area that is knowledgeable about rabbits. Many veterinarians say they treat rabbits, but really don't know much about them, so don't take a vet's word on it. Play it safe and get a recommendation. Don't wait until your rabbit is sick to find a vet.

6. Don't ever let a veterinarian prescribe a penicillin based antibiotic for a rabbit!! Penicillin, Amoxicillin, Clavamox, and Ampicillin are all extremely toxic to rabbits. One dose can be fatal to a rabbit because these antibiotics kill the rabbit's gut flora. My first choice in antibiotics for rabbits is Baytril (enrofloxicin). I have used it many times and have always had great success with it. It is expensive, but it is the best antibiotic available for use in rabbits. Other antibiotics that can be used are Chloramphenicol and Bactrim (sulfa). Tetracyclines are not recommended either because the can also kill off gut flora. If your vet says your rabbit needs an antibiotic, don't be shy in asking for Baytril.

7. Do not use wood chips for your rabbit's bedding. Pine and cedar wood chips have been possibly linked to liver cancer in rabbits. The cancer is not caused be contact with the wood chips, but by the inhalation of phenols. Therfore, even if your rabbit cage has a wire bottom, you should not use wood chips in the tray underneath. I recommend either corn cob bedding or Yesterday's News (a brand available at most pet stores) litter for rabbit litterboxes. I don't recommend keeping rabbits on bedding because this can increase their risk for all types of infection.

8. Rabbits can easily break their backs if improperly handled. Make sure you know how to correctly pick up and restrain your rabbit. Also, young children should not be permitted to handle rabbits without supervision.

9. Rabbit proof your house. Rabbits love to chew. They are especially attracted to electrical cords. Before you can let you rabbit loose in your house, you must put the cords out of reach. I keep my rabbits in their cages when I am not home or asleep, because they will get into mischief!

10. Rabbits can get along with most other family pets. I have 3 cats and not one of them has ever tried to hurt one of my rabbits. For the most part, my cats and rabbits love to play together and it is so much fun to watch! There are however a couple exceptions. One of my 3 cats is completely terrified of the rabbits and runs at the very sight of them. I attribute this largely to that fact that H.R. Puff'n'Stuff (pictured on this page) chases her around! I do not have a dog, but I have also heard from others that dogs and rabbits comingle quite well.