Content
- Sick Rabbit - Symptoms and Signs of Pain
- Evaluate pain in rabbits
- When to give analgesia to a rabbit?
Rabbits can make great companion animals, but they are neither dogs nor cats, so they need some. specialized care. So, if we want to take care of any of them, we must look for a veterinarian with experience in these animals who, in addition to being responsible for checking their health, advise us on the best care and the most adequate food.
In addition, it is advisable to inform ourselves about the warning signs that we should pay attention to, so in this article by PeritoAnimal, we will review the 15 signs of pain in rabbits. Essential for any tutor.
Sick Rabbit - Symptoms and Signs of Pain
the pain in rabbits can go unnoticed in cases where it is lighter. Even so, we can point out 15 signs of pain in rabbits, which we must be aware of because, when identifying any, we must seek veterinary assistance. They are as follows:
- Activity reduction: we will notice that the rabbit remains immobile, and when it moves it does so slowly, sometimes with a limp.
- Dehydration: which we can notice because the skin loses its elasticity, the fur does not shine and the eyes look sunken.
- Lethargy and apathy.
- Lack of hygiene: because the rabbit stops grooming itself, so the coat looks unkempt.
- Changes in nutrition: the rabbit eats and drinks less, it takes longer to feed and we can see that the food falls from its mouth.
- Eye problems: One or both eyes runny, close, cross-eyed, or change color.
- Strange postures: The rabbit may contract its abdomen, bend its back, or keep its head against the wall.
- Self-protection: means that the rabbit avoids being manipulated into the painful area. It hides or it can become suddenly aggressive.
- Loss of interest in what happens in your surroundings.
- Teeth grinding or vocalizations: usually when they are handled, move, urinate or defecate.
- Breathing difficulties.
- Sleep pattern disturbances or problems with resting.
- Modified facial expression: ie, dilated pupils, no eyelid reflex, etc. Hypersalivation.
- Isolation from the group: in the case of rabbits that live in community, we can observe that the animal avoids contact with its peers.
Evaluate pain in rabbits
Of the 15 signs of pain in rabbits we highlighted, some will correspond to mild to moderate pain, while others will indicate severe or chronic pain. Keeping this in mind is important to know if the veterinary attention it must be immediate or how carefully we must handle our rabbit.
We can distinguish the pain signs as follows:
- mild to moderate pain: would include eye secretions, nictitating membrane protrusion, photophobia, constipation or diarrhea, depression, body leaning against a wall, reduced water and food intake, disinterest, aggressiveness or vocalizations, and teeth grinding when we handle it.
- Intense or chronic pain: also produces teeth grinding, lethargy, dehydration, emaciation, stool stuck around the anal region, loss of muscle mass that can be noticed in the hind legs, which will have little meat, lack of response to stimuli or low stool production.
When to give analgesia to a rabbit?
Once the 15 signs of pain in rabbits that we should pay attention to are explained, we will see in which cases it will be necessary to administer analgesia, that is, any drug, always prescribed by a veterinarian, to mitigate the pain that may be causing the different ailments of rabbits. But, in addition to treating the discomfort, it is essential to look for the cause that originates it, which is what must be cured for the pain to disappear. The 6 clinical signs for which analgesia is recommended are as follows:
- Anxiety
- Inactivity
- anxiety
- squeaks or moans
- teeth grinding
- Immobility
- Anorexia (from water and/or food)
- slimming
As we said, detecting any sign of distress in our rabbit is a reason for veterinary consultation, always with a professional with proven experience in dealing with these animals. It is essential to arrive at a diagnosis to discover and treat the primary cause of the pain, as well as administering a suitable analgesic if the pain is considerable, always prescribed by the veterinarian.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.