I found a neglected bunny on the side of the road! Help!

[HomesteaderWife]

@wyandotte102 - How sweet of you to rescue the little fella. I do highly suggest as others have mentioned to get him seen by a vet first thing and get an examination done to check basic health/look for parasites/maybe can help get him cleaned up and nails trimmed. They can have a look at that ear for you too. It may require some calling around, just ask their receptionist if they will perform exams on bunnies!

 

[gtaus]

You have a very kind heart. If you think the bunny is cold, a little warm water to drink would not hurt. Rabbits under stress can exhibit shaking, but hopefully it will settle down when it feels safe. Sounds like you are already there. Assuming the bunny makes it through the night, he will probably do very well with some good rabbit pellets and TLC from you.

If money is not a concern, then maybe a vet visit is in order. However, for many of us, a vet visit is not an option. As I have said, I can buy 20 healthy chicks for the price of one visit to the vet for a sick chicken - and our local vets don't treat poultry anyway. But they will charge you for a visit just the same.

Sometimes the local farm store has people who have knowledge on raising small animals and might to be able to give you some good advice on treatment options and even have the medicine in the store. I know my local farm store has people that have been raising chickens for 20+ years, so their advice is always considered.

Keep this thread updated as I would like to hear a happy ending. Best wishes.

 

[Folly's place]

I disagree with gtaus on this one. Many veterinarians will see rabbits, and if cost is a huge issue, there are bunny rescues out there, and vet clinics who see bunnies may have contacts that would be helpful.
Finding a veterinarian for chickens is much harder, and one big reason was mentioned; The number of chicken keepers willing to actually pay for vet care for their birds!
Getting medical advice from the farm store would NOT be my first choice here...
Mary

 

[gtaus]

I disagree with gtaus on this one.

That's OK with me. I understand everyone's particular experience and situations may differ. Fortunately for me, I personally know the "poultry advisers" at 2 of our local farm stores and one has raised chickens for 30+ years and the other has 20+ years raising chickens. So I pretty much listen to their advice when I go to their store to buy supplies, feed, etc... The vets where I live do not have a great reputation for poultry, but maybe, like you said, rabbits are different.

Getting medical advice from the farm store would NOT be my first choice

Again, I would not seek poultry advice from a high school kid, hired yesterday, who has no experience raising chickens. But where I live, we are talking about people in their 50's and 60's with years of experience raising poultry. But I live in a rural community and the farm store hires people with experience in their department - retired plumber in plumbing, electrician in electrical, etc.... I am lucky in that respect.

Finding a veterinarian for chickens is much harder, and one big reason was mentioned; The number of chicken keepers willing to actually pay for vet care for their birds!

We agree on that point. Most chicken owners around here that have large numbers of chickens, or even a small backyard flock, treat them as something other than pets. The attitude is that it is less expensive to replace a sick bird than having to pay a vet bill for someone who has less actual experience with poultry than you do.

In the end, I hope this bunny gets better and I look forward to an update from the OP.

 

[wyandotte102]

Sadly, he passed away today. This morning I got him pellet feed and peanut hay but he didn't want to eat, and when I came home he was dead. Thank you all for your great advice and support. I'm just glad that this rabbit died safe and warm, and not lonely on the side of the road.

 

[Duckfarmer1]

Update: He is doing okay. He ate the rest of the lettuce and a very tiny piece of banana (many online forums said that they were simple and basic for bunnies). He practically inhaled it. First thing tomorrow morning I will go get rabbit pellets from the feed store. Anything else I can feed him in the meantime? And what about cleaning him? He took care of his face and ears, but his belly is still muddy. Also thought I would mention that he was shaking just a little, even with the heat light.

I raise rabbits...Timothy hay is best...no iceberg lettuce..dark leafy greens..kale is best..if you’re worried he’s not drinking, you can wet his kale or greens and he’ll get water that way...no heat lamp is right...rabbits don’t do well in the heat. Make sure he eats a ton of hay. Rabbits are prone to digestive issues and hay makes the bowels move best. So always have hay for him in the cage..if you can. Some of my rabbits prefer a water bowl to the bottle...so you can give the bowl a try first..hey..it’s cheaper...lol. Pellets need to have at least 16% protein...18% would be better but is sometimes wayyy overpriced...so weigh the options. If he stops being interactive and is still too much with a bloated belly ..or has a gel like substance instead of regular stool...write on here right away and I can help, and in the mean time give him a small dose of simethicone drops for gas and a tummy rub. Other than that it sounds like you.have a new buddy and just enjoy him!!

 

[Duckfarmer1]

I raise rabbits...Timothy hay is best...no iceberg lettuce..dark leafy greens..kale is best..if you’re worried he’s not drinking, you can wet his kale or greens and he’ll get water that way...no heat lamp is right...rabbits don’t do well in the heat. Make sure he eats a ton of hay. Rabbits are prone to digestive issues and hay makes the bowels move best. So always have hay for him in the cage..if you can. Some of my rabbits prefer a water bowl to the bottle...so you can give the bowl a try first..hey..it’s cheaper...lol. Pellets need to have at least 16% protein...18% would be better but is sometimes wayyy overpriced...so weigh the options. If he stops being interactive and is still too much with a bloated belly ..or has a gel like substance instead of regular stool...write on here right away and I can help, and in the mean time give him a small dose of simethicone drops for gas and a tummy rub. Other than that it sounds like you.have a new buddy and just enjoy him!!

As for his ears...are they red and scabby inside? If so that’s ear mites..go buy VetRx..it’s about $7. It’s so easy..use use a q tip to put a drop in and gently dab on daily..it works like a charm

 

[Duckfarmer1]

Sadly, he passed away today. This morning I got him pellet feed and peanut hay but he didn't want to eat, and when I came home he was dead. Thank you all for your great advice and support. I'm just glad that this rabbit died safe and warm, and not lonely on the side of the road.

Oh...I didn’t read this part before my info..I’m so sorry...you could donate your opened feed back to the feed store to give to a loyal customer or give to your friend...

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

So sorry he died.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

@wyandotte102 - I am so sorry to hear the sweet bun didn't make it, but you know it is so good to hear that you took care of him and really tried to help the little fella out. Good on you for even being willing to take him in.

(As to another thing mentioned above as far as giving the feed away, do consider donating it to your local animal shelter. Every time we had furry friends surrendered, we always had to go and purchase specialty food for them and never had any on hand. It would be a blessing.)