COMING TO THE RESCUE

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Seizures can occur as a result of many poisonings and if your pet begins to seizure, do not attempt to grab its tongue. It's a rarity that an animal will swallow its tongue or suffer respiratory problems during a seizure, so simply stay clear of the mouth. Move things out of the animals way and wait for a few moments. Most seizures last only one to two minutes and once finished, you can take the animal to the veterinarian. Never make the animal drink milk, oil, or hydrogen peroxide until you consult with the veterinarian: it could hasten a poison's absorption time. Also, it's not a good idea to make an animal vomit if the toxic substance does the same harm coming up as it did going down. Antifreeze poisoning needs to be treated immediately, as kidney failure can result soon after ingesting as little as a teaspoon.

In any emergency, try to calm your animal and keep it comfortable. Attempt to get a sense of how seriously it is injured before calling the veterinarian: this will help rectify the situation as the hospital will be most prepared when you arrive.

NAVICULAR DISEASE IN HORSES
This degenerative tendon and bone condition often results from improper trimming and
shoeing.

Dear Andrea:
A month ago we purchased a mini lop-eared rabbit.
He's quite lovable but chews on everything. Do rabbits teethe?
Will he grow out of this?

Sandy McKenzie
Braham, MN

Dear Sandy:
Rabbits unfortunately do not have baby or deciduous teeth, so what we refer to as "teething" or new teeth erupting cannot occur. Their permanent teeth, however, are in by five or six weeks of age and continue to grow at the rate of 10-12 cm/year throughout the life of the rabbit. Most veterinarians like to encourage chewing on certain things for this reason—to wear teeth down as they grow. But the type of chewing that you describe sounds more like a behavior problem than anything else.

I would discourage you from allowing the bunny free run of the house. They are naturally curious and, as chewing is natural to them, it is hard to discourage this if something is in reach. Rabbits can be kept in hutches for part of the day and even litter box trained when they run loose (this can be difficult if not started early in life).

Try to provide plenty of fresh greens for him to chew on as well. We now realize that alfalfa hay may not be the best sole greenery for rabbits; likewise, iceberg lettuce is simply nonnutritive and is habit-forming (once rabbits start to eat it, they may go on a hunger strike with the rest of their vegetables). A quality mixed grass hay is best. Carrots may help but believe it or not, most domestic bunnies will not chew continuously on these. Rolled oats, stale bread, and different fruits can be supplemented, but make sure you do not provide these as rewards for chewing on other things; your timing of feeding is essential! If even when crated, he has a tendency to chew, try giving him stainless steel balls or weights to play with, or alternatively anything plastic that has rounded edges, like a good whiffle ball, which he can't seem to get his mouth around. If cage chewing is a problem, try painting the bars or sides with hot Chinese oil or Tabasco sauce. Some spicy condiments make great deterrents!

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