Did you ever think about having an emergency kit on hand specifically for your bunny rabbit, just like you might have for yourself and your family?

Emergencies can happen any time, and, according to Murphy's law at the most inopportune of times: a holiday or a weekend when your regular rabbit-savvy vet isn't in.  Even if your vet is in, you'll find it's important to have an emergency kit on hand .

You should include some, if not all, of the following items in your emergency kit:

- Baby food or canned pumpkin to mix: Use then when your bunny refuses to eat; it's easy to get the baby food or canned pumpkin into a syringe.

- Critical Care by Oxbow: the same as baby food and canned pumpkin, you'll use this when your bunny refuses to eat. However, Critical Care is only available through your vet's office.

- Gas medication (Simethicone) in case of a gas emergency. Various brands are acceptable including Gas-X. For a detailed way to administer the medication as well as for proper dosages, look on bio.miami.edu for the article on rabbit gastrointestinal problems.

- Basic Neosporin (the non-pain relief type.) You can use this if your bunny has a minor cut or wound.

- Flour: this is the trick if you trim your bunny's nails a little too short, and they begin to bleed. Simply dip her paw into the flour.

- Gauze and cotton to care for wounds.

- Scissors (to carefully trim the fur surrounding a bunny wound.)

- Syringes of various sizes

- Saline (for washing out eyes in an emergency.)

- Eyedropper (to administer the saline.)

- Heating pad: you'll use this if your bunny goes into hypothermia.

- Tweezers

- Pedialyte: helps keep your bunny hydrated during stasis and bouts of gas.

You should also consider a STANDARD ANIMAL EMERGENCY FIRST AID KIT, available by typing in "first aid" in the search box on:

http://www.rabbitsecrets.com/Supplies.htm