B.U.N.S. NEWS

December 2000

Volume 4, Issue 2

Bunny Festival 2000, Great Success

Where To Find B.U.N.S.:

Rabbit Care

Information

683-0521

Volunteer

Information

Darcy Freegard

968-5077

Basic Bunny Class

Time & Location

683-0521

Mailing Address

P.O. Box 91452

Santa Barbara, CA

93190-1452

Shelter Address

5473 Overpass Rd.

Santa Barbara, CA

Adoptable Bunnies

www.allforanimals.com/bunphotos.sb.htm

Government Access

TV Channel 20

B.U.N.S. Webpage

www.bunssb.org

House Rabbit

Society Webpage

www.rabbit.org

Thanks to you Bunny Festival 2000 was a wonderful success. In addition to having a great time together, we raised $5,449.85 to pay for medical care for our Shelter bunnies. We would like to acknowledge the support of the following businesses and individuals.

Sponsors: Carpinteria Veterinary Clinic, Foothill Pet Hospital, Island Seed and Feed, La Cumbre Feed, Noah's Ark Veterinary Clinic, St. Francis Pet Clinic, Santa Barbara Bank and Trust, Santa Barbara County Animal Health and Regulation, Santa Barbara Pet Hospital, Valley Animal Hospital.

Silent Auction Donors Aficionado European Bakery, Airport Animal Hospital, Anne Francis, Ark Pet Shop, Chili's Bar & Grill, Claire Murray, Codys Café, Cold Stone Creamery, Debbie's Delights, Dorothy Diehl Hares Wares, Elephant Bar, Enlightened Sights, Fairview Gardens, Foothill Pet Hospital, Gainey Vineyards, Gina McCaffrey, Great Harvest Bread Co., Island Seed and Feed, Julie Ann Mock & Kent Vining, Karen Gaines, Kendra Duncan, KW Cages, Lesley & Brian Fagan, Linda Karppinen, Linda

Malloy, Margie's Diner, Nancy Britton, Noah's Ark Vet Clinic, Papoose on the Loose, Pet House, Petcetera, Sandy Cocklin, Santa Barbara Ceramic Design, Sasso Feed, Shear Artistry, Sheri Rowe, Suzanne & Koral Ilgun, The Busy Bunny, The Good Earth, The Mandarin Palace, The Pet Barn, Tui Na, Walter Claudio Salon, Xanadu Bakery, Zaida Family.

Vendors: Andrea & Heidi Bratt, BunnyLuv, Cats and Rabbits and More, Dorothy Diehl Hares Wares, Jenny O'Reilly, Kristin Gehrung.

Vounteers: Lynn Adams, Angie Lawson the Face Painter, Andrea Bratt, Nancy Britton, Ellen Burns, Adrienne Chaconas, Kendra Duncan, Lesley Fagan, Jordan Fitch; Kevin, Darcy, Phillip & Mathew Freegard; Kristin Gehrung, Heidi Greer, Dr. Greg Haskell, Greg Heiman, Suzanne & Koral Ilgun, Teresa Kundt, Yumi Kuramae, Mr. Kysely, Ann & Mike Lawler, Pat Lindsay, Ann Lundgren, Natalie Lutz, Dr. Cynthia Lynn, Julie Newman, Linda McCury, Linda Malloy, Chris O' Connor, Ellen & Zoe Pasternak, Michelle Pearen, Anna Richardson, Phil Seymour, Jean Silva,

(Continued on next page)

(Bunny Festival Volunteers continued)

Lisa Smith, Kevin & Sheila Snow, Heather Starr, Denise Swearingen, Melis Tucay, Dorothy & Cory Wakamatsu, Kara Williams, Kalai Kennedy Vincent; Daniel, Jackie, Diane & Karen Zaida.

Special Thanks: Mimi & Mia Greenberg, Santa Barbara County's Parks Department, General Services Department, Elections Division of the Clerk Recorder Assessor, and the Probation Department's Tri-County Boot Camp. If your name was inadvertantly left off this list, please accept our regrets and thanks.

If you know any of the businesses or people on this list, tell them how much you enjoyed the Bunny Festival and add your thanks to ours for their support.

News Brief

New at the Shelter:

There are 18 new guinea pigs at the shelter. These cute little guys and gals were left on the front stoop in cardboard boxes. They are all well behaved and looking for good homes. No home check is required, and they make excellent pets. Please spread the word that we have a great variety to choose from for every different taste.

Website Updates:

We have been working hard to improve our website. We have added a bunny-dating page. Which gives information on dating and has one of our successful couples featured on the site, that actually meet via the Internet. We also have a New Guinea Pig Adoptable's page (from reading the above article I am sure you can guess why). The newsletter can also be read on-line. Any of you who would prefer an electronic version

please notify us via the website and we can e-mail you each time a new newsletter is posted. Please help us spread the word about our site. We are also always trying to come up with ways for new and improved features for the site, so please do not be shy. www.bunssb.org

We Need You!:

Yes, you. We are looking for volunteers. There are many different ways you can help. Our main need at this time is shelter volunteers. We need people to help care for all the abandon bunnies at the shelter. This involvers giving pellets, refreshing water, distributing fresh vegetables, cleaning litter boxes, grooming, and nail care. Anytime that you can spare would be greatly appreciated. Any age is welcome, but if it is a child under the age of 16 a responsible adult must accompany them. For more information on how you can help, please call Darcy Freegard at 968-5077.

Do you have a story to tell?:

If you do (or do not, but are willing to come up with one), please share it in the newsletter. We are looking for people to share their bunny stories with us, so we can spread the word. Have you adopted a bunny from us? Maybe you could tell us how you heard about the bunny or BUNS, and how everyone is now. Or maybe your bunny has a cute behavior you would like to share. Do you volunteer with us? If so, share how you found out about us and what compels you to help. E-mail your stories to BUNS@silcom.com.

Caring For Your Bunny in His Golden Years

Unfortunately, we are able to live forever like Santa Claus. Also true is our trusted animal companions, unlike Santa's reindeer, are not able to live forever either. Let's face itour bunnies are aging too. The care of an aging rabbit can be very trying, but also very rewarding. The extra time you may spend together helping your golden bunny clean his ears or groom his rear end can draw you closer in more ways than you may anticipate.

One of the most common (and mostly inevitable) ailments seen in aging bunnies is osteoarthritis. This disease affects a bunny's joints and bones, causing stiffness, swelling, possible discomfort, and a decreased range of motion. These symptoms can lead to a decreased level of activity. You may notice your bunny having more difficulty managing to hop in and out of his litter box. Or you may notice either an increased wax build up in the ears, or a more matted caboose section. This is all due to decreased range of motion within the joints.

Why does this happen, and is there any way of preventing oseoarthritis in your bunny? Arthritis is a natural and relatively inevitable part of aging, especially in weight bearing animals. The simple wear and tear of daily living wears joints down. There are no guaranteed ways of preventing this in your rabbit. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to help keep your bunny more comfortable and increase his abilities. Start off

by cutting down one side of the litter box, making it easier for him to get in and out. Place food and water bowls close to the floor for easy access. You may also want to consider a second water bottle or water bowl, and a second litterbox if mobility is a big factor. If your bunny is not able to jump up into his cage or hutch any longer, consider either purchasing or building your own ramp.

Help your bunny with grooming. You should thoroughly groom every part of your bunny at least once a month. Pay special attention to the hind quarters and other hard to reach places. Also, check inside your bunny's ears using a small flashlight or penlight. Look for wax build up. Your bunny may need extra help with cleaning inside the ears. There are a few different ways to do this procedure. The simplest is to use your finger and insert it in a little way and twist it back and forth to remove the excess wax. Another option is to contact your vet and ask for a cleaning solution that you can either drop into the ear, or you can squirt some on to a q-tip and then place the q-tip inside the ear, twirl, and remove.

It is important to assess whether or not your bunny may need relief from arthritis pain. Bunnies are not immune to pain; however, they are good at not showing discomfort or disease. This is where your skills as an observer can come in handy. Look for signs of discomfort, such as

hunching up in a corner, abnormal activity or markedly decreased activity, loss of interest in favorite foods, or teeth grinding. You know your bunny best, so if you have a "gut feeling," then trust it and check it out. There are some different options for pain control, but let me stress here that it is imperative that you work closely with your vet on these matters. Trying to medicate your bunny either with over-the-counter pain relief or herbs on your own can prove fatal. There are many subtle drug and/or herb interactions that can affect your bunny. It is always best to have medical guidance. You may want to consider a non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drug such as Ibuprophen or Tylenol for pain relief and decreasing joint swelling. There has also been much talk recently over the use of Glucosamine, which is an anino-saccaride found in mucus, in some fungi, and in the outer covering body of invertebrates, such as crabs. This is considered a natural remedy, and is available in most health food stores. Be forewarned that new studies reveal that in humans long term use of Glucosamine may have detrimental side effects. How this relates to rabbits is something that you must discuss with your vet.

Older bunnies have increased difficulty maintaining their normal body temperature. If your bunny is an outdoor bunny, now is the time to move him indoors. When inside make sure he is in a warm place.

Consider making his new quarters a place where your family spends a lot of time. Allow your bunny to feel like he is a valued member of the family. Bunnies are very social creatures, and enjoy interacting with people. What could be nicer for your bunny than to feel a part of the family in his/her Golden Years?

Incontinence can be another daunting problem with your bunny. Your bunny is not trying to be messy, but the muscles just are weakened by age and often the bunny looses control. There are a few different ways to tackle this problem. First, you can try disposable diapers for when BunBun is out of his cage. You should cut a small hole for the tail to stick out and stay dry. If your bunny is nibbling the diapers, a big, "No, No," try another option. Secondly, you can try padding his hopping ground with fleece to wick moisture away keeping him dry. Or, again, you can try two litter boxes.

Eyes can also become harder for your bunny to clean. You may need to help your bunny in order to avoid eye infections or blocked tear ducts. Take a clean soft cloth and moisten it in warm water and gently wash from the inner corner of the eye to the outer corner of the eye. Change the section of the cloth for each wipe, so you can use a clean area each time. If your older bunny has problems with "sleep" (the opaque white stuff that can shed into the eye), you can wash it out with some sterile eyewash. Just hold the eyelids open and gently place a drop in, making sure not to touch the container on the eye. Allow your bunny to blink after each drop. It is always a good idea to give some pets in between to let your bunny know how well he is behaving.

Diet is also a consideration for an aging bunny. If there is a decrease in activity, there should be a decrease in caloric intake. I recommend a decrease

in pellets and leaving the green forage the same. Sweets may also need to be cut back. It is more difficult for an aging bunny to move around, especially if he is obese and/or arthritic. Excess weight can also add extra work to an aging heart and circulatory system.

This is a brief overview of some issues to consider with an aging rabbit at home. There are many good resources for further information, such as the book Rabbit Health 101: What Every Bunny Parent Needs to Know, by Kathy Smith, available through BUNS by calling 683-0521. You can also try some Internet sites, such as House Rabbit Society at www.rabbit.org. Good luck on your quest for better bunny health in the Golden Years!

This note was found tucked in a litter pan at the shelter.

Dear Santa,

The rabbits at the shelter asked me to write down their holiday wish list. We don't have any mothers or fathers to make our dreams come true only you. If you could visit the shelter and foster homes this year, it would really give a lift to some of the little ones. Snowy, Basil and Delilah are just babies; also there is Avila with her broken paw and dislocated hip. Please don't forget your shelter bunnies.

Christmas Carrots for 40 $ 20.00

Mats and Chew Baskets for 40 $ 50.00

One Spay or Neuter $100.00

Sponser a Hutch for a Year $250.00

Medical Bills for a Badly Injured Rabbit $500.00

A Loving Home Priceless

P.S. Some peanuts and bananas would be nice too.

Your Friend,

Glenda

Bunnies Urgently Needing Shelter

PO Box 91452

Santa Barbara, CA 93190

Exciting Topics in This Issue:

· Santa Barbara Bunny Festival

· Caring for the Older Rabbit

· Christmas Wish List

Address Correction Requested