Caring for a Disabled Rabbit
Tips for Keeping Your Challenged Bunny Happy
Recently I was conducting an adoption through the shelter where I volunteer and brought up the subject of what it's like when a rabbit becomes disabled and how to care for them at that point. The adopter asked, in all innocence, "Is that really humane?" That question had never reallySo I did stop that minute and thought about it. Yes, of course there are times when we must carefully weigh the quality of life for our companion animals but quality of life is measured in many different ways. When you have companion rabbits or 'house rabbits' (as opposed to hutch rabbits or livestock rabbits) and they start getting older and possibly become disabled, this happens most often because you have invested a lot of time and energy and usually money into their welfare and well being and they have the luxury of growing old (see my article on extending the life of your rabbit) - something a wild rabbit does not usually experience.
Measuring the Will to Live
A rabbit who is happy and has a will to live is one who eats with gusto. A rabbit who is sick or has given up on life, does not eat and simply waits to die which happens quickly when their intestinal tract shuts down. Many times during a long-lived rabbit's life will an owner find themselves force feeding or 'assist feeding' their rabbit through a period of illness. However, a rabbit who truly has lost their will to live cannot be successfully assist fed; they just let their mouths hang open and as soon as your syringe feed some food into their mouths, they just let it come right back out. When this happens, you know your rabbit has given up and does not want to live.
Related information
- How can you make life easier for your disabled rabbit?
- What resources are available for the disabled rabbit?
- Is it humane to extend the life of your disabled rabbit?
Most Comments Today
- Hot News Quickies - Friday, July 3, 2009 News happnes while you sleep - get your Hot News Quickies her! 30 Comments
- David Carradine Second Autopsy Results Results of the second autopsy of 72 year old actor, David Carradine, have bee... 24 Comments
- Divorce and Partial Custody: Coping with Normal Parental... Divorce and partial custody are a difficult row to hoe for us men. Please un... 21 Comments
- Psychic Children: Dealing with My Intuitively Gifted Gran... This is the third installment in a series based on the true facts about two o... 18 Comments
- The Do-Boy Are goodies worth more to you than freedom? 15 Comments
- Tips for Parents Living with a Sexual Predator in Your Ne... When you know a sexual predator is returning home to your neighborhood, what... 13 Comments









Michelle L Devon (Michy)
Posted on 02/20/2008 at 9:02:39 PM
Jean Riva
Posted on 02/20/2008 at 7:02:41 AM