bunny's pharmacy

Some tips from my own experience. During all treatments the bunny has to be watched carefully. If there isn't any recovery within a day or if you feel unsure, please ask your vet!

Diarrhea: Put the rabbit on diet, feed only good hay and water for 1-2 days.

Indigestion with soft belly: The rabbit doesn't eat, doesn't defecate and seems listless. The belly is soft. I give homeopathic Opium D30 directly in the mouth. Repeat once or twice.

Indigestion with swelled belly: A homeopathic cocktail made of Nux vomica, Colchicum and Carbo vegetabilis D6, D12 or D30 (depends on what you have in your farm's pharmacy). If you have Bach flower remedies you solve the homeopathics in the Rescue Remedy. You give some drops of this cocktail every 30 minutes. Gently encourage the bunny to move.

Extended pregnancy: If the birth didn't take place till the 33rd day of pregnancy I give the future mom some leaves of ivy (Hedera helix) and a couple of artemisia twigs (Artemisia abrotanum). Be sure that you give the right herbs! (That's why I noticed the scientific names.)

Herbs to keep a rabbit healthy

Our long eared wool producers are herbivores. What is more natural than using herbs as tonics. Some common herbs and their use are presented here:

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica and Urtica urens): Unpopular with gardeners but a precious medical plant! It contains lots of mineral salts, it increases the milk of the does, helps the young rabbits to build up strong bones, it is blood-cleansing, stimulates the blood formation, the metabolism and the digestion. Cut the nettles before blooming and let them dry. This nettle hay is very popular with our rabbits. As they are also excellent forage plants for many sorts of butterfly larvae, in every garden nettles should be allowed to grow in a corner.

Birch tree (Betula pendula): Rabbits like to nibble at fresh birch twigs. Birch is diuretic, stimulates kidneys and metabolism, it dehydrates, detoxifies and cleans the skin. Birch doesn't affect the kidneys in long-term use (unlike juniper, lovage and watercress).

Spruce tree (Picea abies): Sometimes during winter I offer fresh spruce branches to my bunnies. Most of them like it, but some long-ears don't see what they should do with that prickly stuff. But the spruce-eaters do good as the branches are full of vitamins A and C and essential oils which are antiphlogistic, expectorant, antibacterial and tonic.

Lady's mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris): It is calming, styptic, antiphlogistic, blood-cleansing, stimulates scarring and heals wounds. You can feed it to the does after kindling to prevent uterus infections. It may also help against infertility.

Raspberry (Rubus idaeus): I feed some raspberry leaves to my pregnant does every day. It is an uterus tonic and helps for good pregnancy and birth. It stimulates also the fertility. Feed it 2 or 3 weeks before mating. After birth I give the doe a handfull of leaves together with dried nettle.

St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum): New researchs show that St. John's Wort is very powerfull against depressions, comparable with chemical drugs but without their side effects.
It is a smighty anti-microbial herb, above all against the dreaded Staphylococcus aureus, which is often multi-resistant against antibiotics.
To make St. John's wort-oil you put the flowering tips in olive oil and leave it in the sun for 2-3 weeks. The oil turns red. It is filtered and keeps well for one year. Use it against contusion, wounds and sunburns. Use it for sore hocks.

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinalis): Very popular with rabbits and very healthy as well. It stimulates metabolism, cleans the blood, stimulates appetite, diuretical, a tonic for the liver and increases the milk. The first greens for the babies and for all rabbits in the spring.

Mint (Mentha spec.): The popular tea herb is refreshing and cooling and therefore useful in hot summer days. Caution: it decreases milk flow!

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris): Anti-inflammatory, expectorant, anti-microbial, a tonic. Great for the respiratory system, against sneezing, rhinitis, pneumonia.
On cold winter days my rabbits get diluted thyme tea instead of water, which they love more than anything else.

Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium und Artemisia vulgaris): A herb containing bitter principles. It increases appetite, stimulates peristalsis, relax stomach and reduces gas in the digestive tract. I offer wormwood to the rabbits which aren't so greedy for their feed as usual. Worming treatment.

Bindweed (Convolvulus sepium): Feared by gardeners but loved by rabbits! I feed them regularly. Give them as mild laxative when the droppings get smaller and smaller.

There is a homeopathic remedy which should be found in every first-aid box for rabbits: Nux vomica. It is good for digestive problems, which are caused by lack of exercise. Give it in a potency of D6, D12 or D30.

Bunny's Pharmacy

Herbs to keep a rabbit healthy