160 Bear Christiana Rd
Bear, De 19701
302-322-6488
Dr. Jim Berg
|
Rabbit Questions
Dear Dr. Berg
I am writing to you in hopes that you may share my story about my four-year-old rabbit Lenni with your readers.
We have always taken the proper precautions with our rabbits such as providing them with their own fan for those
hot days, fresh food and water daily, greens readily available, pineapple juice occasionally to prevent blockage,
room to run, a clean hutch, and of course love. That is why what happened to her took us by such a big surprise.
A few days ago I went out in the mid morning to give my rabbits ice water and to open their hutch to let them run
in their extended fenced-in area when I noticed Lenni lying down with an increased rate of breathing. My first
thought was heatstroke/dehydration. After seeing that she quickly finished the first ice cube and then failed in
her attempts to go down the ramp to her hutch, she fell. I thought she had broken her foot as she dragged herself
a couple more feet to where I picked her up without her usual fighting and kicking and brought her inside. I took
her to the veterinarian immediately.
Lenni's problem was not heatstroke or dehydration or a broken foot, but maggots. Our rabbits had been sprayed the
previous week with a flea and tick spray, but this did not protect them from the flies which we had no knowledge
about even after reading two complete books on the introduction to rabbits before we got them. The maggots quickly
killed our rabbit by eating at her skin and poisoning her fragile system.
We were devastated by Lenni's death and so was her pen-mate Gus. Please warn other fellow rabbit owners about what
caused the unexpected death of our rabbit.
Sincerely,
LG, Bear
Dear L.G,
I am so sorry to hear about your rabbit. Let's hope printing your letter will encourage those of us who leave our
animal outside to check on them often and to pay special attention to the needs of outdoor living. Thank you for
sharing your painful loss with all of us.
Back to the Rabbit page
<
>
Home Page | About Us | Our Facility | Dog Info | Cat Info
Our Clients | Ask the Pet Dr. | Dr. Berg | Kids Page
This site built and maintained by
Bob Hairgrove / Budget
Web Design - Delaware
Revised 7/27/2000
Copyright ANIMAL VETERINARY CENTER, INC.
2000
|