Need help building a bunny first-aid kit

[Imbrium]

I've seen a lot of different home-remedies for bunnies on this site, almost all of which involve stuff that I don't keep around the house. I'm looking to get a list in one place of all the "in case of emergency" goods that it would be helpful for me to have in case there's ever a situation where I need to tend to a sick bunny while waiting for a vet appointment. I'd also love advice on the best place to buy each item (online, grocery store, pet store, etc.) and a reminder of what situations they're useful in/how to tell if your bunny needs them. shelf life info on stuff where it's not obvious would also be handy

my list so far:
~ papaya tablets
~ critical care
~ simethicone (can I just buy any brand of baby gas drops from the infant section of the grocery store?)
~ a syringe (not sure what size it should be... my bunns are in the 2 lb range now and will be 3-4 lbs fully grown)
~ pumpkin (can I buy canned as long as it isn't labeled as pie filling/is plain pumpkin?)
~ UNsweetened pineapple juice (again, is canned ok? I usually have a big can of it for myself anyway) - I know it's good for dehydration, anything else?

I've also heard something about probiotics before surgery (mine are getting spayed in 2 mos)... no clue where to buy them, though, or if there's different kinds (or how much to give, for that matter). only thing I know about it is they're in some yogurts, but ofc bunnies can't have yogurt

I'm particularly interested in molting info, as that's something I haven't been through yet. I know most bunnies are molting this time of year, but mine aren't - at what age do they normally have their first molt? (mine are 13-14 weeks)

I've read up on all the tricks for removing loose hair and have a furminator on the way as well; I know they need incessant grooming to minimize hair ingestion, but is there anything else I can do as a preventative measure?

 

[mdith4him]

I don't think there's anything you can do to prevent moulting or make them shed less. We give them papaya tablets once a day to help with the hair they ingest and it does seem to help. We sometimes use a lint roller to get fur off, haha!

I'm interested in the canned pumpkin on your list--what's it used for? I like the idea of having this little emergency kit around!

 

[hamsterfeet]

I only have:
Critical care
Simethicone
Syringes: a 2 oz(60ml)for feeding, smaller ones for medication and simethicone )
Fresh Pineapples (most of the time since I love pineapple)

I found out that flavored simethicone is easier to give than unflavored

It would be very interesting to find out what other people have.

 

[Imbrium]

I meant anything else to prevent hairballs, not prevent molting (though I'm sure we all wish molting itself could be prevented!) I know two bunnies' worth of hair is going to come out all over the place one of these days ><

the canned pumpkin was mentioned as a way to keep the digestive tract going, I believe in regards to bunnies who weren't eating very much after neutering.

 

[caustin4]

I have lactataed ringers ("fluids") as well. For probiotics I have benebac and probios. Metacam is good to keep on hand as well. I pretty much have a mini pet pharmacy at my house lol.

 

[cwolfec]

You are a good bunny momma getting all your emergency supplies together! Good for you!

~Simethicone- I just bought generic "infant anti-gas drops" at my local grocery store. I'm sure any brand works just fine, just make sure the active ingredient is simethicone. My buns LOVE the regular flavor. When my lionhead is shedding, I go ahead and give him a dose or two as a preventative measure. He's pretty gassy anyway
~Pumpkin- Canned pureed pumpkin is the one you want. Make sure it's not the pie filling. I bet you could use baby food pumpkin if it wasn't sweetened....
~Pineapple juice- Fresh pineapple is better, but canned can be used to spike their water to get them drinking

The only other thing you could add to your arsenal is Pedialyte, the infant rehydrating fluid. I have never had to use it, but I keep in on hand just in case

Wishing you healthy bunnies so you never even have to use your first aid kit!

 

[Ellie]

I've heard SO much about papaya tablets... but I don't actually know what these are. Are they like a pill / capsule? Where do you buy them? I looked at my Petsmart and Walmart but they didn't have them.

 

[mdith4him]

Thanks for the note on the pumpkin. I have some in our pantry, so I'll definitely keep that in mind!

Our PetSmart used to carry Oxbow Papaya Tablets, but they don't anymore. They're just little white pill looking things, but they're chewable. I guess they must taste like papaya because our bunnies LOVE them! You can buy them online, just search 'Oxbow papaya tablets.' Amazon also carries them: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00244F528/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20.

 

[katherine at sacred stories]

Great thread! I'm also putting together a first aid kit and this is helpful to get it all in one place. Fruit flavored baby food has also been suggested to me. I got the Critical Care from a local vet but I think it's also available on-line. I'm looking for a site and will let you know if I find one.

 

[Imbrium]

I looked it up online and the oxbow website says you can only get it from vets. is that something they normally keep around or should I ask them to order some for my bunns when I make the appointment for their spayings?

 

[katherine at sacred stories]

It probably depends on the vet. Might be a good idea to give them a call and ask.

 

[Imbrium]

thanks for all the suggestions so far... keep 'em coming

 

[missyscove]

I keep on hand:

simethicone for gas (I give 1 ml every hour the first 3 hours after I notice he's not eating or pooping and then 1 ml about 3 hours later)

Critical care

pedialyte (which I sometimes use instead of water in the critical care and will offer in a separate dish if I'm concerned about hydration in addition to water)

baby aspirin (I give this along with the first dose of simethicone)

meloxicam (metacam) which is stronger than the aspirin

canned pumpkin

styptic powder (in case I cut a quick too short)

vet wrap and gauze for bandaging.

A sock filled with rice that I can microwave and offer as a heat source.

I also have a stethoscope, a pen light and a whole slew of textbooks, but that's mostly because I'm a vet student.

 

[Bunnylova4eva]

mdith4him wrote:

Our PetSmart used to carry Oxbow Papaya Tablets, but they don't anymore. They're just little white pill looking things, but they're chewable. I guess they must taste like papaya because our bunnies LOVE them! You can buy them online, just search 'Oxbow papaya tablets.' Amazon also carries them: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00244F528/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20.

LOL Yes, they do taste like Papaya; I've tried them :big wink: Our buns go CRAZY for them, and Ripley during his heavy moult right now is getting like 3 a day because he's really struggling with gi slowdown due to too much hair. Our Petsmart quit selling them too, but I found them in a small nearby petstore.

 

[Imbrium]

ok, combining my original list with suggestions/info so far, here's my updated list:

~ oxbow papaya tablets
~ critical care (from vet)
~ simethicone (baby gas drops) - 1-2 cc of a liquid baby gas med (20mg per ml suspension formula) can as often as every hour for three doses, then 1 cc every three to eight hours
~ baby asprin
~ two syringes; a smaller one for meds/larger for liquids and foods
~ canned pumpkin (PLAIN pumpkin/not pie filling) for bunns that aren't eating well/are having digestion issues
~ UNsweetened pineapple juice (canned ok, fresh is better) - good for dehydration,
~ pedialyte (dehydration or added to critical care, can also be added to canned pumpkin if it needs to be syringed)
~ fruit or veggie flavored baby food (not eating well and/or hiding the taste of medicine)
~ uncooked rice to make a rice-filled sock as a heating pad (will this still work if I have a chewer? might she chew through the sock/eat the rice and if so, could that harm her?)
~ styptic powder (or flour or cornstarch) in case the quick gets cut during a nail trim (I've already got some, just thought I'd add it in case someone else wanted to use my list )
~ metacam (from the vet only, I assume?)
~ vet wrap/gauze
~ probiotics (benebac and/or probios?)
~ ice packs for vet trips on hot days or in case the AC goes on the fritz again

links to sites with dosing info for rabbit meds:
http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=74601&forum_id=16

toxic plants list: http://adoptarabbit.org/articles/toxic.html

to do: call vet and get info for an after hours/emergency vet just in case

~~~~~

I'd still love more info about probiotics, particularly dosing info

 

[missyscove]

I think the benebac usually comes in single dose tubes, but I might be wrong. The critical care also has bacterial cultures in it.
Metacam has to come from your vet especially as it's only labeled for oral use in dogs (it's safe for rabbits just not labeled that way which means legally it must be prescribed by a vet).
You could use a snuggle safe heating pad if you have a chewer. When they're feeling that bad though they're usually not chewing.

 

[Kipcha]

Our first aid kit includes...

- Metacam
- Vet Wrap
- Gauze
- Pedialyte
- Critical Care
- Syringes
- Scissors
- Tweezers
- Hot water bottle
- Baby Food (Currently have a strawberry apple one in there right now)
- Kwik Stop
- Emergency Vet Information
- Polysporin (WITHOUT pain meds)
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Cotton Balls
- Sterile water (In case an eye flush is needed)
- Cotton swabs
- Stethoscope
- Medical tape
- Surgical gloves
- Small high powered flash light
- Thermometer
- Petroleum jelly

We managed to stock up on a large amount of Metacam after our problems with Sparta, you could probably talk to your vet about getting some.

 

[Imbrium]

I found a place online to order the critical care and the papaya tablets... they have critical care in 5 oz and 1 lb sizes.

what size would you guys recommend for two small-breed bunnies that might need to be fed critical care after their spays?

also, how long does it stay fresh after the bag has been opened?

 

[JessicaK]

Can this thread be stickied for easy reference please?

 

[Imbrium]

I couldn't find baby aspirin at walmart, only baby tylenol and baby advil and I wasn't sure which, if either, would be safe to give bunnies - any advice? should I look elsewhere (like the grocery store) for something that's specifically baby aspirin?