Body temperature is a major indicator of health in both humans and animals. Its deviations indicate that pathological processes are occurring in the body. From this article, readers will learn what body temperature is considered normal in a rabbit. Pet owners should know what to do if the thermometer shows critical values.
The rabbit is sick
Keeping rabbits in winter
There are three factors that the owner should not forget about: humidity, drafts and temperature changes. Humidity above 70% (and this happens in warm, slushy winters), drafty cages and jumps from frost to puddles can damage the health of pets. Remember that ill-conceived winter conditions lead to colds and weight loss.
On the street
As already mentioned, thirty-degree frosts are not scary for rabbits. This is facilitated, in particular, by good cell insulation. The free space between the walls of the shed and the cages themselves is best filled with natural thermal insulation: dried leaves, straw, branches or moss. You can also use artificial material, for example, felt, but this is not economically viable and not environmentally friendly. The floor is laid with thick wooden boards to protect against freezing. In the cages, the mesh bottom is covered with a heap of straw. The more there is, the better: rabbits warm the straw with their breath, and the heat lasts for a long time.
Important! If possible, for better thermal insulation, rabbit houses can be raised on wooden poles by 75
-
80 cm above the ground.
The outside of the cages is also insulated, and also sheathed with galvanized iron (sheets, overlapping). This prevents moisture from getting inside the houses when the snow melts or there are prolonged rains. When frosts reach alarming temperatures, you can cover the cages with quilted jackets and other warm things.
The so-called queen cells, that is, the cages in which nursing rabbits and small rabbits are kept, are arranged with special care. Female rabbits breed at temperatures of 20-25 degrees below zero, so for a successful birth they need relative warmth, light and access to fresh air. The cage is insulated with polystyrene foam or agro-canvas, avoiding gaps in the nest box. Thick cardboard or oranite is laid on the floor, and a thick layer of straw is spread on it.
It is best to place cells on the south side of buildings. If you place them in rows, with facades facing each other with a small functional passage, then, for example, you can make a common roof against the wind. It will also be convenient to install lighting.
Transferring cells indoors
Severe frosts, as well as light frosts, but with high humidity, can make adjustments to the outdoor keeping of furry pets. If the owner sees that insulating rabbit cages and other measures do not save the animals from hypothermia, he can take the cages into a barn or any other unheated but closed room. The walls will reliably protect from the wind and smooth out the effects of frost. You should not bring animals into the house. Firstly, sudden changes in temperature are even more dangerous for their bodies than cold. Secondly, they tolerate heat worse, and female rabbits may even stop feeding the young.
It is not worth placing rabbits with cattle, since stale air can injure them and even lead to death. Also, avoid noisy barns, as roosters, dogs barking and other noises can frighten rabbits, especially nursing mothers.
Did you know? The longest rabbit ears were included in the book of records straight from the USA - in Wichita in 2003 there lived a rabbit with ears 79 cm long!
Disease Prevention
Prevention of rabbit diseases does not end with hygiene and sanitary procedures. There are other factors that need to be taken into account during the care and maintenance of rabbits.
Injuries
Large breeds of rabbits are not recommended to be kept in cages with mesh bottoms, as the bars can damage their limbs. In addition, it is important to pay attention to the integrity of the walls and floor, and the absence of potential danger. The volume of the premises must correspond to the size of the individuals so that they can move freely. Cages must be made without sharp corners.
The most common disease in rabbits is paw injuries, among which pododermatitis occupies a leading place.
Vaccination
It is necessary to start giving vaccinations after the rabbits are weaned from their mother. By this time they reach the age of one to one and a half months. Revaccination is usually carried out every six months to a year.
Approximate vaccination scheme for rabbits
Winter diet
In summer, the rabbit's diet is fresh: juicy greens, various plants. When it gets cold, owners buy feed, stock up on hay, roots, and root crops. In order for all this to serve as food in the winter, it is important to properly dry the hay, preventing it from rotting or mold. Bad hay is guaranteed to provoke an epidemic of gastrointestinal diseases.
Did you know? Rabbits do not like rye, but if the owner considers it a necessary ingredient, then it is included in no more than 10% of the total feed. Rye causes bloating.
Feeding
The transition to a winter diet is carried out gradually so that the animals’ bodies have time to get used to it. With the onset of autumn, oats and barley are added to the diet; you can diversify the menu with wheat by-products. In winter, furry pets can be pampered with boiled potatoes and bran. They will also be happy to chew on stale bread. When giving grain, remember that it must be dry. Cabbage leaves, which many strongly associate with lagomorphs, should be given little by little - this product can cause stomach pain. But if you add dried nettle leaves to your food, your pets will respond to you with good health and stable weight gain.
We must not forget about the lack of vitamins in winter. Their deficiency is well compensated by mineral complexes, as well as completely natural supplements. These are mainly branches of fruit trees. For example, apple trees and pears stimulate the gastrointestinal tract. Oak, birch, aspen and maple branches with leaves will be useful. Coniferous species (pine, spruce) are also useful to give in winter. But under no circumstances should you give twigs of cherries, plums and apricots. Poplar shoots are also dangerous to rabbit health.
Important! Peach branches are poison for rabbits! Letting them chew is strictly not recommended.
Feeding is carried out twice a day. The only exceptions are young animals and lactating females - they are entitled to three meals a day.
Find out also
Sometimes owners prepare so-called mash for their pets - these are the mixed and pureed remains of various vegetables, perhaps from their own table. Standard set of winter mash: potatoes, carrots, beets, eggshells. The most important thing is to remember to remove the remains of such a meal immediately, without waiting for them to freeze to the feeders.
conclusions
- Rabbits are very susceptible to various diseases. Also, their health may suffer due to poor living conditions and nutrition. In addition, they can be carriers of epidemiological diseases such as myxomatosis, coccidiosis, pasteurellosis, and hemorrhagic viral disease.
- Young animals are more susceptible to health changes and require more frequent examinations.
- Some diseases can affect all animals. Therefore, it is extremely important to isolate the sick individual.
- There are diseases in rabbits that cannot be cured. Death will occur in any case.
- When keeping rabbits, special attention should be paid to prevention. This increases the likelihood that your animal will live longer and be healthy.
Childbirth in winter
In a year, a young rabbit will give birth four times. Provided that you approach this issue responsibly and provide conditions for breeding even in winter and even in outdoor conditions. In addition, winter breeding allows you to avoid compacted litters, when, in pursuit of profit, owners sacrifice the health of their rabbits, allowing them to mate within a week after birth. But only experienced farmers, who are not breeding these animals for the first time, can plan it. It is a known fact that rabbits tolerate cold better than heat. This is also an argument in favor of winter mating. In preparation for childbirth, the cells are additionally insulated, creating cozy, draft-free, but ventilated queen cells. Sufficient space is important; cramped cages are not conducive to breeding. A mother rabbit may even overwhelm her babies if there is too little space. You also need a lot of light so that the animals do not lose interest in mating. In winter, daylight hours are short, so you will have to think about artificial lighting, at least for the mating period. Another tip: don’t skimp on the straw. It is best to put enough of it so that the mother can make a nest there and settle comfortably.
Canopies are made for protection from the wind. If frosts get stronger and threaten 30 degrees below zero, you can move the queen cells to a barn, for example, where the temperature will be higher than outside.
How to measure temperature?
Rabbits react negatively to any procedures and manipulations; these animals are very timid, and severe stress can lead to a pet’s heart rupture. To measure the animal’s temperature, it needs to be calmed, seated on a hard surface and secured.
Attention! It is worth enlisting the help of another person to hold your pet during the procedure.
The rabbit's temperature is measured using an electronic thermometer rectally, that is, in the rectum. It is inconvenient to use a mercury thermometer for the following reasons:
- You will have to wait at least 7 minutes until the mercury heats up and the result becomes known;
- A glass flask with poisonous contents may break if the animal twitches. This is dangerous for the animal.
Measuring body temperature in a rabbit
The tip of the thermometer is lubricated with petroleum jelly or baby cream and carefully inserted into the rectum no deeper than 1 cm. After a minute, the device will signal that the procedure is complete. After this, the thermometer is removed. The animal should be calmed by stroking its back and released. You can treat him with a piece of carrot as compensation for the inconvenience.
Important! After measuring the temperature, the thermometer must be treated with a disinfectant solution.
Diseases
We have already mentioned in this article that street rabbits are not afraid of infectious diseases in winter. But there are several typical winter diseases that are also very dangerous. Let's look at some of them below.
Frostbite
Even a warm “fur coat” does not save rabbits from drafts, especially if the temperature outside drops to 20 degrees below zero. Ears and paws are the first to get frostbite. The animal shows anxiety, tries to lick the affected areas of the skin, and takes intricate poses.
Stages of frostbite:
- First . It is characterized by redness of the skin areas and swelling of their individual parts. In this case, the animal must be brought into the house and its wounds treated with fat.
- Second . Blisters appear. It is necessary to treat the places where the blisters have burst with camphor oil.
- Third . Occurs with prolonged exposure to unfavorable factors. The animal's skin wrinkles and dries out. Without a veterinarian, nothing can be done at this stage.
Important! Hot water bottles and other heating elements are contraindicated for rabbits!
Rhinitis
Rabbits can catch colds during the cold season. Its main features are:
- mucous discharge from the sinuses;
- periodic sneezing;
- apathetic state;
- loss of appetite.
If the discharge is clear and not purulent, then it is a common cold. It is treated in a warm room with increased nutrition with multivitamins and rinsing the nose with furatsilin solution (in a ratio of 1:100). This point is especially important, since a rabbit can suffocate from a runny nose. In addition, rabbits can develop infectious rhinitis. With it, the nasal discharge already has a color, either greenish or whitish. The disease is contagious, and you cannot cope with it without the help of a veterinarian.
Breed selection
There are four main types of rabbit breeds:
- meat (Flandres, Risen);
- skin (Down rabbit);
- meat-skin (White and Gray giants, Vienna blue, Silver);
- decorative (Germelin, Angora).
The weight of meat rabbits reaches twenty kilograms, meat-skin rabbits - ten, the average weight of representatives of skin-bearing species is four to five kilograms, decorative ones - one to two kilograms.
The choice of breeds must be made based on the goals of the establishment. It may also be affected by climate conditions and possible costs. The purchase of young animals for breeding is recommended only in specialized large farms. Animals should also be purchased there for restocking.
Step-by-step instruction
In fact, the procedure for measuring an animal's temperature is simple to perform. But there are some points that are worth paying attention to. Rabbits are shy animals, so sudden movements and screams should be avoided. Talk to the little rabbit in a gentle voice, stroke it and calm it down in every possible way.
If you cannot calm the rabbit and fix it in a suitable position, it is better to let it go and try again after a while. Temperature can only be measured when the animal is completely calm and does not struggle or twitch. Otherwise, injury may occur.
The procedure is performed according to the following scheme:
- Place the animal on a soft surface on its side or back;
- choose the position in which the little rabbit behaves more calmly;
- let the assistant firmly fix the chest and hind legs;
- Lubricate the end of an electronic or mercury thermometer with Vaseline or a special gel;
- the thermometer must be inserted into the rectum parallel to the spine; it is enough to insert the instrument 2-3 cm;
- After the required time has passed, carefully remove the thermometer and look at the measurement results.
If you need to exert effort to get the tip inside, it means that the angle of insertion is incorrect, or the rabbit is lying in the wrong position. If everything is done correctly, the thermometer will easily penetrate the rectum.
The tip of the thermometer must be disinfected after use with medical alcohol.
Hygiene and nutrition
Rabbits, unlike other domestic animals and birds, do not tolerate crowding well and are demanding of hygienic conditions. Animals are very sensitive to air purity. The cages or enclosures where they are kept must be cleaned regularly; when kept in enclosed spaces, high levels of ammonia, carbon dioxide, fluff and dust in the air should not be allowed; rabbit hutches must be well ventilated.
Drinkers and feeders must be cleaned daily, cages - when dirty, but at least twice a week when kept outdoors and daily indoors. If manure is removed well through holes in the floor, the frequency of cleaning can be reduced. Cages or enclosures should always have fresh bedding.
