"Oh no! My rabbit died. What to do?" She asked with a pinch of sadness in her voice.
Well, there isn't much you could do once it has lost its pulse. No amount of CPR would be able to bring it back to life. It was heartbreaking...
She said, "When I returned from work, my kids were playing with it. Awhile later I noticed it was lying motionless on the floor with saliva around its mouth. Hubby pronounce D-E-A-D."
We then pressed on to question and diagnose the cause of it. Okay, we are not certified vet but certainly we would like to know how it died so we could document it in our library of raising rabbit.
"Where did you keep the bunny?"
"Under a shade."
"Is it exposed to direct sunlight?"
"Umm... yea, late afternoon the sun would shine on it..."
Afternoon sunlight is the HOTTEST in tropical countries and it is a HUGE NO for bunny sun bathing. If you should (which is not necessary) allow the sun for some natural sterilization of your bunny (and cage), it is advisable to do it in the morning when the sun (i.e. before 8.45am, West Malaysia) is not as hot. Failing so, you may end up with a baked rabbit for lunch. Anyway, let's get back to the story...
"Well, probably it had a heat stroke...." We made a wild guess. It was rather hot in the afternoon last week and even to us human, stepping out of the car upon reaching home from work around 6pm+ is as if walking into an oven! The weather was hot and unforgiving. Now, what's more for a young bunny of barely 3months being exposed to the heat.
After that she didn't say much and the conversation ended with a promise that we would notify her when we have our next litter of Holland Lops.
So now, we would like to share a thing or two on heat stroke. Temperatures or heat index numbers above 90F place your rabbit at risk of heat stress. Do bear in mind, your bunny wears a fur coat year round in a tropical country!
Symptoms:heavy panting, salivating, confusion, inability to move and may lead to convulsions.
Treatment:
1) Place a tile, a marble tile preferably because marble is a poor heat conductor. It will not absorb heat from sunlight shining on it, and instead it stays cool.
2) Large blocks of ice can help cool your bunny on hot days. Freeze water in an unused water bottle and let your bunny lie next to them. If your bunny drinks from a bowl, pop some ice cubes in it so that the water is cooler. Holland Lops will sometimes lie with one ear in a bowl of cool water since a rabbit's ear help remove heat. If your rabbit is not a lop, mist its ear by dabbing with a wet cloth to help him cool (NOTE: the cloth must not be dripping wet less the water drips into the rabbit's ear). A wet towel may also be used to wet the coat of the rabbit. Gently rub the water into the fur so it reaches the skin because the rabbit's fur is liken to the duck's back.
3) During the night when it is cooler, open the house and allow air ventilation to get it as cool as possible since during the day, heat is trapped in the house. In the morning, close up the house and pull blinds, shades or drapes shut to keep the hot sun out.
4) Air conditioning: too much for your electric bill? No worries. Use a fan to circulate air or let it blow across a block of ice to cool the air. NOTE: Don't blow the fan directly at your bunny and make sure the fan and cord are safely out of your bunny's reach. If you are staying in a terrace house, rooms on the lower floor is always cooler.
5) If you must transport your bunny in the hot afternoon, turn on the air-con in your car before allowing your bunny in it. Or, if your vehicle has a faulty air-con, wrap an ice pack, ice cube or frozen water bottle in a towel and put it into the carrier with your bunny. NEVER LEAVE YOUR BUNNY LOCKED IN A CAR ON A WARM DAY -NOT even if you have the windows down! Temperatures can rise to deadly levels within minutes. Do not take for granted even if your car is parked in a basement car park or a shaded car park.
If you find your rabbit acting weird, not itself, unresponsive, uncoordinated or having convulsions, spray him with water (NOT COLD). Seek immediate veterinarian attention where IV fluids and medication can be administered. Failing so, adverse effect such as damage to the kidneys or DEATH may take place.
A good rule of thumb is check and observe the behavior of your little bun friend everyday. Because they are prey animals, they are good at hiding their weaknesses until it is too late to seek for veterinarian attention.
In Memory of dear Milo - Pictures of Milo (and siblings)
RIP Dear Milo
Milo drinking from bowl
Happier times with siblings
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