Rabbit Talk In Ohio

Breeding

Apple Cider Vinegar: 1 week prior to breeding, add 1 Tablespoon of vinegar to 1 gallon of water. It is said to help in stabilizing their organs, and make them more receptive.

Cranberry: Cranberry given to does at least one month before planning on breeding helps odds in them

Non-Receptive: * Switch the doe and buck to each others cage overnight * Take the doe along to a show (or on a drive elsewhere) then breed her the next day * Give the doe several drops of wheat germ oil for a few days * Add apple cider vinegar to the does water * Colloidal Silver (For any natural health nut out there, you may understand this one. It acts as a cleanser of sorts, antibiotic, antibacterial, eye wash, its a multipurpose type thing. It is expensive...$37 for what I believe is a 3oz bottle.)

Conditioning Mix

Mix 2 cups of old fashioned oatmeal (or steam rolled oats) with about 1/2 cup of showbloom or a like product and about 1/4 cup of black oil sunflower seeds. Then mix in about 2 ounces of wheat germ oil into the grain mix.

Drywall

In my opinion this is a miracle home remedy. I was very skeptical when someone told me this but I promise it works. I had a buck that just would not keep fur on. He was really a mess. He was very high strung anyway and I think this is what caused the problem. I tried everything from worming to different litter to fruits/veggies and on and on. Anyway someone mentioned this and I thought what the heck. I had tried everything else. As long as it won't kll him I'll try it. This buck was bare in so many places he was just a mess. I gave him a 3" X 4" piece of plain old drywall, no paint. You can get a piece at Home Depot that is 2' X 2' for about $3.00. I guess he chews on it and that helps with his nerves and something in the drywall works with the fur. I was told magnesium but really I don't know. I just know it works! Within about 3 weeks he was beautiful for the first time ever. I was finally able to show him and he did pretty well. The best thing was that he finally had a full coat. Since then it happened again where I noticed some fur missing. I put another piece of drywall in and wah-lah, like magic it worked. When I take him to show I take a piece of drywall and put it in the carrier. I leave a piece in his cage now at all times. It seems he knows when he needs it. I notice that he starts chewing it again. After this I had a doe that kept rubbing her feeder and rubbed a bare spot above her nose. Again, I gave her a piece of drywall and it took care of the problem. I have also been told that drywall helps with loose stools. I have not tried this but what the heck. If this happens I will definitely try it. Debbie

Fly Control

Mix equal parts of apple cider vinager and Pine Sol (any brand). Spray on all surfaces. I don't spray on the cagesbecause I don't think the Pine Sol would be good for the rabbits. Someone who used it around horses gave me the suggestion last year. Not sure how often you would need to spray it, but it did seem to help last year.

Fur

Remove Stains- In a spray bottle you mix white vinegar and water together. Then moisten the fur with the spray bottle and with a soft clean clothwipe a little white cornmeal into the stained or soiled spot. Using the soft clean cloth or a comb or stiff brush work the cornmeal out. Repeat as needed. Make sure you get all of the cornmeal out.

Sheen- If you want to give a nice sheen to the coat, take a very well used dryer sheet and wipe in the direction the fur lays. This will take out any static and the fur has a nice "sheen" to it without leaving anything behind. Works well with broken varieties.

Fur Block- * Pineapple juice (or pureed fresh pineapple) * Meat Tenderizer * Benebac with plenty of hay * Papaya tablets (or pureed fresh papaya) * Use mineral oil and palpate the blockage to work it into the digestive system * Cat hairball treatment

Fur Mites- * Ivermectin horse wormer paste for fur mites. I give a small green pea size amount in the mouth and retreat in 10 days to kill hatching eggs * rub powder SEVEN [You can find it in the Garden center] on the head and spread it around the cage * Spray Listerine on the affected area

Kindling

Doe eats kits- If you have a doe that eats her kits, throw a raw piece of bacon into the does cage while she's in labor, the doe will most likely eat the bacon and leave her kits alone.

Hard on Doe- This is safe and usually effective. Soak 1/2 piece of bread in milk and top it with one fruit-flavored, chew able Tums tablet (crushed). This home remedy will add extra calcium, which a doe with a new litter may be lacking. We used to give this to a doe that tended to have symtoms of "milk fever" (tremors and lack of coordination shortly after kindling) and she would be lapping up the treat before you could set the dish down. Also can give rabbits mashed, cooked carrots or baby food carrots when they were under the weather or off feed.

Labor- Raspberry tea helps relax the muscles to help make delivery easier for the doe. give it shortly before or during labor.

Not Producing Milk- If the doe doesn't produce enough milk for her kits add beer into the does water.

Raspberry Leaves- Feed fresh or dried raspberry leaves when a doe is close to kindling. Helps make contractions easier to bear. Give to does 2-3 days before they're due.

Raspberry Tea- Helps does in labor - Can usually be found at the grocery store or health food store. Use one raspberry tea tea bag in hot water. Give the doe about 4 0z of tea.

Off Feed

Comfrey leaves and Bounce-Back- For rabbits that go off feeding due to new surroundings /stress. If any rabbit just sits in the back of the cage and doesn't run up at feeding time--I catch it early at the first sign and start this procedure: Mix 1 tsp. Bounce-Back in 1/2c warm water and syringe a few cc.'s into the mouth. I dump the remaining Bounce-Back mixture into the water dish. I then hold the rabbit like a baby in my arms and slowly, carefully tip it back--and forth--going from head down to back up and letting it stretch out its hind legs--to get the hind gut moving its contents. If poss. I also let it run around and exercise a bit. I then offer some dried or fresh comfrey leaves--these settle a troubled stomach and most rabbits just LOVE them ! Other treats can be used to get the rabbit nibbling and get the digestive system going again. But I think the Bounce-Back and the simple act of tipping the rabbit back and forth is key. Usually works within 15-30 min.

Off Feed and Water- * Give them 5 cc of yogurt some rabbits like certain flavors i find peach and strawberry best or french vanilla * Add honey mixed in with there water make sure water is warm when mixed * Give them a few Ritz crackers as this helps stimulate the rabbits to eat, at least it's something in their stomach that's not harmful * Carrots and apples are really good and rabbits love them * Give them water from a bowl or from a bottle if they usually drink out of bowls * Plants Toxic to Rabbits, Here is a site that lists toxic plants for rabbits: http://www.sandiegorabbits.org/health/poisonous.html

Sores on feet / Sore Hocks

* Dab with Listerine or Scope * Treat twice a day with hydrogen peroxide and Keep dry, give the rabbit a slab of dry wall to sit on. * Treat with Vanodine and spray cage. * Preperation H * Mcness Salve (www.mcness.com) * Take the rabbit out, set it in a dish pan with warm water while we clean the cage really good, wash it's feet off with a mild soap, rinse them off with bactine or peroxide. We hold them while the feet are drying, we usually just towel dry them. Spray a thin layer of blue kote on, let it dry, then rub in some bag balm. It sounds like a lot, but this way you are starting with everything clean. We use the plastic resting pads so that the bag balm doesn't suck in to the wood. I would recommend the bag balm daily as that is going to help keep the scabbing down. Blue kote we would do maybe twice a week.

Wry Neck

Use dramamine (motion sickness pills for people)When the does were rolling we gave the Harlequin and a Holland Lop 1/4 tablet 2-3 times a day til you see it working, then 1/4 tab once a day for about 3 weeks. The does heads came back into place and never had issue again. Remember, Holistic takes "longer" not a fast miracle cure. Dramamine works:~)

I read an article once about wry neck in cats and they suggest sprinkling salt substitute over the cats food since wry neck can be caused by a lack of potassium. I have tried it with 4-5 rabbits with success in all but one. I just sprinkled the substitute on the bunny's food with no particular amount. I did make sure lots of water was available in case it increased their thirst. I began to see improvment within a couple of days This worked with both older and young stock.