When Your Rabbit Needs Special Care
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When Your Rabbit Needs Special Care Traditional and Alternative Healing Methods Copyright © 2008 by Lucile C. Moore and Kathy Smith All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part or in any form or format without written permission of the publisher. Published by: Santa Monica Press LLC P.O. Box 1076 Santa Monica, CA 90406-1076 1-800-784-9553 www.santamonicapress.com [email protected] Printed in the United States The information contained in this book is intended to help you provide care for your rabbit; however, this information is not intended for diagnostic or prescrip- tive purposes. The examples provided were helpful in each particular case, but a veterinarian and/or alternative practitioner qualified to treat rabbits should be consulted for your specific concerns. Although the author researched the topics in this work, the advent of new procedures—as well as future changes to those treat- ments considered standard at the time of publication—will render some informa- tion obsolete and further emphasizes the need for consultation with a rabbit- knowledgeable vet. The author, contributors, editors, distributor, and publisher are not responsible for any use or misuse of the information in this book, and are not liable or responsible to any person or group with respect to any loss, illness, or injury caused or alleged to be caused by the information found in this book. Santa Monica Press books are available at special quantity discounts when purchased in bulk by corporations, organizations, or groups. Please call our Special Sales department at 1-800-784-9553. ISBN-13 978-1-59580-031-2 ISBN-10 1-59580-031-X Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Moore, Lucile C., 1952– When your rabbit needs special care : traditional and alternative healing methods / Lucile C. Moore and Kathy Smith. p. cm. ISBN 978-1-59580-031-2 1. Rabbits—Diseases—Treatment. 2. Rabbits—Health. 3. Rabbits. I. Smith, Kathy, 1954- II. Title. SF997.5.R2.M66 2008 636.932--dc22 2007041438 Cover and interior design and production by Future Studio Cover photo by Velly Oliver CONTENTS Acknowledgments. 8 Preface. 9 Introduction Mr. Tim: An Introduction to Special Needs and Special Care . 14 PART I: Traditional Healing Methods CHAPTER 1 Basic Care I . 20 Lucile C. Moore CHAPTER 2 Basic Care II. 46 Lucile C. Moore CHAPTER 3 Digestive Ailments. 73 Lucile C. Moore CHAPTER 4 Infections and Infestations. 112 Lucile C. Moore CHAPTER 5 Sprains, Dislocations, Fractures, and Pododermatitis. 141 Lucile C. Moore CHAPTER 6 Coping with Paresis and Paralysis in Your Rabbit . 158 Lucile C. Moore CHAPTER 7 Dental Disorders. 185 Lucile C. Moore CHAPTER 8 Other Illnesses and Conditions Requiring Special Care. 199 Lucile C. Moore CHAPTER 9 Elderbuns. 240 Lucile C. Moore CHAPTER 10 Triage for Large-Scale Rescues. 261 Lucile C. Moore, with Debby Widolf, Shelley Thayer, and Sandi Ackerman PART II: Alternative Healing Methods CHAPTER 11 An Introduction to Alternative Treatments. 280 Kathy Smith CHAPTER 12 Interspecies Communication . 283 Kathy Smith CHAPTER 13 Energy Medicine. 299 Kathy Smith CHAPTER 14 Acupuncture and Chiropractic . 321 Lucile C. Moore CHAPTER 15 Healing Through Touch. 332 Lucile C. Moore CHAPTER 16 Alternative Systemic Treatments. 348 Kathy Smith EPILOGUE Death and Recovery from Grief. 370 Lucile C. Moore APPENDIX I Tables of Selected Medications Used to Treat Rabbits. 397 Lucile C. Moore and Kathy Smith APPENDIX II Rabbit Vital Signs . 414 Kathy Smith, reviewed by Noella Allan, DVM APPENDIX III Traditional Resources for Rabbit Caregivers. 416 Lucile C. Moore and Kathy Smith APPENDIX IV Alternative Treatment Resources for Rabbit Caregivers . 422 Lucile C. Moore and Kathy Smith Glossary. 425 Abbreviations and Acronyms. 427 Contributors. 428 Selected Bibliography. 438 Index. 443 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS athy Smith, who generously contributed several piec- es and chapters to this book, wished to thank those Kwho shared their time and knowledge with her: I would first like to thank Lucile Moore for the opportunity to collaborate on this wonderful project. We both want to thank all the bunny angels—especially King Murray, Dante, Stormy, Houdini, and Buster—who made sure everything fell into place as it was meant to. A special thanks to Dr. Noella Allan, my wonderful veterinarian, who always makes time for me whether I have a sick rabbit who needs her care or a writing project that would benefit from her collaboration and review. I would also like to thank Dr. James K. Morrisey and Dr. Christine Eckermann-Ross, both of whom also found time in their busy schedules to answer my e-mail questions. Finally, I would like to thank the communicators, res- cuers, and caregivers who shared their experiences and gave permission for their stories and/or photos to be included in the sections I wrote: Vineeta Anand, Meg Brown and Greg Wait, Dawn Baumann Brunke, Joanna Campbell, Brenda and Jim Holden, April Jones, Janie Landes, Jeanette Lyerly, Kim Meyer, Deborah Miles-Hoyt, Molly Sheehan, Kerry Stewart, Suzanne Trayhan, and Evonne Vey. PREFACE ost books on house rabbits are written as a result of the author’s personal experience with a rabbit com- Mpanion. This book is no exception. I first conceived the idea of writing about disabled buns after my experiences with a rabbit who required constant specialized care. He in- spired me to write an article about caring for special-needs rabbits, which appeared online, and I then planned to ex- pand the topic into a book. I also discovered that even my healthiest rabbits require occasional special care, if only for a short time after a spay surgery or when recovering from a digestive upset brought on by stress. I hope that this book, with tips from many people who have cared for rabbits af- fected by everything from obesity to permanent paralysis from a fractured spine, will help others who face giving daily specialized care to their rabbits. My focus in this text is on how to actually provide home care to rabbits with medical problems. But it is my in- tent to include enough medical information on each disease or condition that you will be able to understand what is hap- pening and discuss it with your veterinarian. Only then can you make the best choices and provide the best possible care to your rabbit companion. It is beyond the scope of this book to include all the diseases and conditions that could possibly affect your companion rabbit, so I have for the most part cho- sen to include those that you are most likely to encounter. Rabbit care and medicine, after years in its dark ages, is progressing rapidly. Periods of swift increase of knowledge in any field are exciting, but there are also instances where not everyone is going to agree, and when it may be diffi- cult to provide one “right” answer. Many differing points of view may have validity; opinions are often based on per- sonal experience, and what is successful in one case may not be in another. 10 When Your Rabbit Needs Special Care In addition to opinions from veterinarians and alter- native health care professionals, views of the rabbit caretak- ers in whose hands rest the actual daily tasks involved in giving special care to rabbits are included. Again, what hints they have to give others striving with the same care issues are based on their own personal experiences as they struggle to give the best possible care to the companion rabbits they love. Their perspective may be entirely different from that of the professionals. Rabbits are intentionally referred to as “he,” “she,” and “who” in this book, because those of us who share our lives with animal companions think of them in this way. For the same reason, I chose to use the word “symptom” instead of the more technically correct “sign” when referring to the visible manifestations of disease in rabbits. I am aware not all veterinarians will agree with my decision to include the tables of medications. My reasons for including them were: 1) The information is widely available on the World Wide Web and in publications, usually without the warnings I give; 2) Not all readers are fortunate enough to live where they have access to a veterinarian experienced with rabbits, and even the best vets may occasionally make errors in writing prescriptions. I recommend that a person always compare a prescription to the range of doses given in a formulary. If there is a question, a quick phone call to the vet’s office can resolve any discrepancies and possibly save the rabbit’s life. I owe thanks to many people for their help in creat- ing my share of this book. First and foremost, I owe thanks to Amy Spintman, board member and educator, San Diego chapter of the House Rabbit Society, owner of Cats & Rab- bits & More, founder and moderator of the Disabled Rabbits Weblist. Without her encouragement and the inspiration provided by the lives of her special-needs rabbits, especially Bijou, along with the stories and pleas for help from mem- bers of the Disabled Rabbits Weblist, this book would never have come to be. Preface 11 Secondly, I owe a great debt of thanks to Debby Widolf, manager of rabbits at the Sanctuary of Best Friends Animal Society. It was at her suggestion the chapter on tri- age for large-scale rescues was included. Despite her busy schedule, Debby also took on the task of reading through my completed manuscript and offering comments and sugges- tions. Thanks also to Shelley Thayer, Rapid Response Project Specialist at Best Friends Animal Society, and to Sandi Acker- man of Washington, who graciously added her knowledge and perspective on large-scale rescue.