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A senior rabbit has slightly different needs than a younger bunny, so learn to recognize the signs that your fluffy pet has reached the golden years.

Rabbits are all different — some may have health problems as they age while others won’t have any. Be prepared, and know which signs are a concern.

1. More napping: Rabbits tend to nap more as they get older. You may notice that your rabbit takes longer naps or naps more often. This is totally normal and just part of getting old. Do make sure, though, that you have a nice soft thick bed or pillow for your rabbit to lie on. It needs a choice of several comfy spots to rest.

2. Not getting around as well: Your rabbit may be a little stiffer when getting up from a nap. Maybe he can’t jump up on to the couch with the same spring in his hop, or he no longer races around and does binkies like usual.
Rabbits do get arthritis. If you suspect your bunny might have it, don’t wait to see what happens. Go to your rabbit veterinarian right away. An X-ray will determine if it is arthritis. Your veterinarian can prescribe medication to help with the inflammation and pain, and might suggest other treatments.

3. Not using the litter box: Depending on the severity of the arthritis, your rabbit could be too stiff or suffer too much pain to hop into his litter box. Most rabbits really like their litter box, so change things to allow your pet to continue using the box by purchasing litter boxes that have a low lip. Aside from providing a more easily accessible box, everything else remains the same — use a rabbit-safe litter and pile hay on top of it.

4. Not grooming like normal: Sometimes senior rabbits topple over when grooming and have a hard time keeping themselves clean. You may notice white flakes on the skin like dandruff, urine on the fur on the inside of the back legs and poop stuck to their bottom. This occurs because it may be harder for your rabbit to balance, bend, twist around and sit to groom. You can help by brushing your rabbit often to get all the loose hair off. Senior rabbits usually enjoy a soft scratching all over, too, as it is harder for them to do this themselves.

If your rabbit experiences tooth problems, this can also make it difficult for him to groom himself.
Keep your rabbit’s toenails trim to help him get around better. Plus, keep his scent glands cleaned out. Wax may build up in the ears, too. Ask your veterinarian to show you how to gently take out any wax buildup.

A senior rabbit is more prone to get fur mites. If you see white flakes on your rabbit’s skin, take him to a veterinarian to check for mites and get treatment.

5. Weight changes: Older rabbits may gain weight due to eating the same amount of food, but not getting as much exercise. Or, they can lose weight. Stick to offering your rabbit a healthy diet, but you may have to make some changes as he ages. Consult with your rabbit’s veterinarian before making any changes.

If your rabbit is overweight, encourage exercise and cut out any high-sugar treats. Being overweight causes a higher risk of heart disease. Plus, overweight rabbits are more prone to sore hocks.
If you rabbit is underweight, increase your rabbit’s pellet portion a little to help him gain weight. Don’t overdo the pellets, however, because you still want your rabbit eating lots of hay. You may try switching to an alfalfa-based pellet, which contains more calories. If your rabbit is having urinary tract problems, bladder sludge or stones, always check with your veterinarian before switching, because in addition to more calories, alfalfa pellets are higher in calcium, too.

Try new healthy treats, but be careful not to overdo it. Often a rabbit’s likes and dislikes change, and a rabbit can become a picky eater. At the Bunny Bunch Boutique, we offer special blends of hay that include herbs and flowers to encourage more hay eating. We also have a healthy line of treats that help keep rabbits interested in eating.

If your rabbit isn’t gaining weight after making the above changes, try a small amount of plain oats to encourage eating and weight gain. Again, consult with your veterinarian before making a change.

Weigh your rabbit often to track his weight loss or gain. Mark the weights on a calendar, and take this with you to show your veterinarian.

6. Not seeing as well: Rabbits do get cataracts and can go totally blind. In my experience, most rabbits adjust very well to blindness. To assist such rabbits, keep their living quarters set up the same way so that they know where to find everything. This helps them know where everything is and minimizes the chances that they’ll bump into anything.

Source: Caroline Charland for SmallAnimalChannel
Excerpt from the annual magazine Rabbits USA, 2011 issue

For years, veterinarians have strongly urged owners of dogs and cats to spay and neuter their pets. This recommendation also holds true for exotic pets. The most common elective surgery by far that we perform at our clinic is to spay/neuter rabbits. These procedures are strongly encouraged by most veterinarians for a variety of reasons.

First, spaying and neutering animals helps to prevent pet overpopulation. The sad truth is that more pets need loving homes than the homes that are currently available. Many exotic mammals breed at an alarming rate, which is best summed up by the saying: They breed like rabbits! It has been reported that rabbits are the third most commonly euthanized animals at pet shelters. While some animals are euthanized due to serious health problems, many animals are simply unwanted and pet shelters are just unable to house and feed them.

Rabbits left intact are at risk for the development of diseases of the reproductive tract. Studies suggest that, depending on the breed, the risk of an intact female rabbit over the age of 4 developing cancer of the uterus can be as high as 80 percent! Owners may not even be aware of any trouble until their pet starts passing bloody discharge or showing other signs of illness, such as lethargy, lack of appetite or difficulty breathing (this occurs if the cancer has spread to the lungs). Another common problem reported in older, intact does is the development of aneurysms in the uterus. An aneurysm is a large balloon-like dilation of a vein that fills with blood. Should a large aneurysm burst, a chance exists that the doe could pass away from fatal blood loss.

© Gina Cioli/I-5 Studio
Both female and male rabbits can avoid some health and behavior problems if spayed or neutered.

Even male rabbits that are left intact can develop serious health problems. I have seen several older bucks develop testicular cancer. In my experience, these males tend to be very advanced in years, thus making surgery and anesthesia a much more risky procedure than in younger, healthier bucks.

Finally, rabbits that are not spayed or neutered can develop a number of problem behaviors. Female rabbits often become very aggressive. They often lunge, grunt or even nip at owners. Male rabbits become overly "loving” toward objects and spray urine to mark territory. Spaying and neutering can often reduce the frequency of these unwanted behaviors.

Spaying or neutering your rabbit is incredibly important and the cost of the procedure should be factored into your budget when you consider obtaining this kind of pet. But there are many other factors to consider when researching clinics to perform this procedure. Be sure to ask your veterinarian a lot of questions, including: How many rabbit surgeries do you perform a week? How will my pet be monitored during anesthesia? How familiar are the technicians with handling rabbits? How do I take care of my rabbit at home after surgery? I appreciate these types of questions from my clients, because it allows me a chance to alleviate many fears that they may have.

Just like dogs and cats, exotic pets also benefit from being spayed and neutered. In many cases, their life may be longer due to the procedure. Ask your veterinarian for more information about spaying or neutering your pet.
Note: This article is meant for educational purposes only and in no way represents any particular individual or case. It is not for diagnostic purposes. If your pet is sick, please take him or her to a veterinarian.

Source: Leticia Materi, PhD, DVM

In the wild, gerbils are a desert species that rarely drinks water; however, as pets they do require a constant fresh water source. They also need a higher protein level in their food compared to most rodents, so it is important to feed a food especially formulated for gerbils. Gerbils are similar to chinchillas and should have a "sand box” to use for a dry bath. Without regular dry baths, gerbils are prone to develop an oily and matted coat and skin problems.

Gerbils are prone to having skin problems. One of the common skin problems involves the face and nose area. Some owners call this condition sore nose. This condition involves the end of the nose initially. With time it can spread to most of the nose and face, and the hair in that area falls out. Eventually it will become infected and develop crusty lesions. It is thought that secretions from the Harderian gland (the red tear gland of the eye) irritate the skin and distal nose. This irritation leads to a Staph infection of the skin. Once diagnosed by a veterinarian, a Staph infection can be treated with frequent cleaning of the face and application of a topical antibiotic like Neosporin. More severe cases may need an oral antibiotic like Baytril (enrofloxacin) too.

The tail of a gerbil has a very thin layer of skin over it. This is quite different from the tails of rats and mice. You must be very careful when holding a gerbil’s tail because the thin skin can "slip” right off the tail. This will cause a raw, open wound with no skin over it. This wound can become infected and necrotic. If the tail is not treated, it can slough (fall) off. It is better to have the wound treated by your veterinarian after the initial injury. Treatment involves closing the wound with sutures or skin glue if the wound is small enough or amputation of the tail if the wound is too large to close.



© Isabelle Francais/I-5 Publishing, LLC
As gerbils age they become more prone to cancer.


The other common skin problem involves the large scent gland on the ventral surface of the body. In older gerbils this gland frequently becomes infected. It can also turn into a tumor (squamous cell carcinoma) in older gerbils. Infected glands can be treated with Neosporin topically and an oral antibiotic. Cancerous glands are malignant and need to be removed surgically as soon as possible.

 As gerbils become older (2 to 3 years of age) they are prone to cancer, and cancer is frequently the cause of death in older gerbils. Tumors of the ovaries, called granulosa cell tumors, are common in older females. These can become large enough to grow into the ligaments holding the ovaries. These ovarian tumors are a malignant cancer, and with time they can spread in the abdomen. Spaying female gerbils that are not used for breeding can prevent this cancer.

In addition to the squamous cell carcinomas of the ventral scent gland, gerbils can also develop melanomas of the skin. Melanomas are commonly seen on the ears, the paws, and the rump area. These can be treated by removing them surgically. Gerbils can also develop a mass in the middle ear. Even though these are not a true cancer, they can cause serious problems. Unfortunately these are not normally removable because their location inside the middle ear makes this surgery too difficult to perform.

Story credit: smallanimalchannel.com

Use these easy tips to train your hamster to stop biting



Q: My hamster keeps biting me for no reason. My brother gave him to me because my brother didn't want him anymore. When he began to bite me, I started to put on gloves because I looked up online how to have a hamster not to bite and it said to use gloves because it might be your scent. All of the sudden he started biting me with the gloves on and they were clean. Also I was holding him correctly. How do I get my hamster to stop biting me? Please help. I've tried everything!

A: You didn’t specify whether your hamster is a dwarf or Syrian, and that does make some difference. Dwarves are slightly more inclined to bite than Syrians, at least at first, perhaps because they are simply smaller and more defenseless than the heftier, faster Syrian. There’s more about the specific behavior of dwarf variety hamsters further on. But what you need to know is that hamsters don’t have to be biters. You can help them break the habit.

It’s important to understand that biting doesn’t necessarily mean your hamster is aggressive. The fact is, the hamster’s jaw is much stronger and more dexterous than his short, rather weak and uncoordinated forepaws. A hamster can build an entire home with that jaw! So if something is in a hamster’s way, or just looks like it might be bothersome for some reason, it is more likely he will grab it and move it aside with his jaws than with his paws. It comes down to physique.

Beyond that, habit takes over. The hamster may have learned to see human interference as some sort of obstacle or hassle, and responds immediately by, very effectively, "making it go away” using his teeth. Putting on a glove is of no help because, frankly, glove and skin are the same thing to a hamster, but gloves may seem more frightening. The hamster won’t learn anything from the presence of a glove.

Scent is, indeed, something any hamster is acutely aware of, but it’s only likely to lead to a bite if you smell like food, or perhaps another hamster. That’s why it’s critically important to always wash your hands with scent-free soap before handling a hamster. At the same time, you actually want your hamster to recognize your ordinary, natural "people scent,” because you want him to know you won’t hurt him and that he need not be concerned for his safety.

So what you’ve got to do is get your hamster used to that scent, and to being around you. It’ll take five to fifteen minutes per session, and you’ve got to practice this at least once a day until you break the biting cycle: Put your hamster on a big, flat surface. A bed or couch is perfect for this because it bears your scent strongly (hamsters are extremely sensitive to smells — their olfactory sense is far, far stronger than any other). Let the hamster wander freely, but every now and then block his movement with the back of your hand. There are two reasons for this. First, hamsters instinctively dread being grabbed. They’ve got an inborn image of teeth and talons, and our fingers are not that greatly different. Second, you don’t want to give your hamster any kind of "edge” to pick at. The back of your hand or your wrist are a large, broad, flat-ish surface. There’s nothing to grab onto, and nothing to bite, and there’s nothing to suggest to your hamster he’s going to be grabbed.

If the hamster seems a little inclined to bite, very gently, calmly, and softly blow in the direction of his face. He won’t especially like this, but if you do it gently he won’t take it too hard, and it’ll distract him from any biting impulse. It’s a gentle method of discipline that really works. (Never be aggressive or forceful with a hamster — never yell, and never, ever strike a hamster. They don’t "get” that they did anything wrong, and they just think you’re trying to attack. That’s the surest way to make them respond aggressively.)

Patience is the key to this technique, and eventually you should be able to sit on the couch or bed with your hamster and have him travel around and over you out of sheer curiosity and playfulness, with no impulse to bite or react to you in any particular way.

Of course, you may be having trouble simply removing your hamster from his home to put him on the bed. A number of techniques can help, but one simple tool that you may find does the trick is a "scoop” made out of a 2 liter soft drink bottle. Remove the label, wash the bottle, and trim off the bottom so that it is mostly an open scoop shape. It may take several tries to get the shape just right. The cut plastic can have sharp edges, so cut it along round lines to eliminate sharp corners. There’s no need to sand or treat the edges, but do exercise caution when using it. When you hold your hand beneath this "scoop” the plastic quickly warms to the touch. When you place it before your hamster he will see your hand, feel its warmth, but there will be no direct contact, and no edges (fingers) to pick at. Don’t attempt to literally scoop the hamster, but hold your hand and the scoop still, beneath and in front of the pet. Curiosity will likely bring the hamster inside it in short order. You can hold him in this scoop for some time to acclimate him to being held without consequence.

As mentioned previously, dwarf hamsters have particular behavioral tendencies that are worth noting. Even more than typical Syrians they can be extremely territorial about their habitat. Extending a scoop of some kind instead of hands to lift them out may be all it takes to restore their sense of order in the world. The most territorial of dwarf hamsters charge the cage bars or door when you approach, or dart to attack hands reaching in. For these hamsters, their stress can be greatly lessened by keeping your hands out of their homes while the hamster is in it.

Of course it’s important to remember to be sensitive to any hamster’s overall sense of well-being. Never "sneak up” on him. Always show your hand to him from the front, while speaking to him gently. Let him awaken fully before trying to hold him, and don’t disturb him when he’s eating, or fixing his nest. Hamsters are naturally curious. Let that work to your advantage. And again, we cannot emphasize this enough: Patience, patience, patience. It will take a while for your hamster to "unlearn” biting behavior, but once it happens, you need never worry about it again. Good luck!

-Martha Boden