Proper Handling of Rabbits

Note:  I will post pictures when I have the chance.  I can’t handle the rabbit properly and photograph at the same time.

I’ve raised rabbits for more than half my life and gone through extensive showmanship training.  One of the most critical aspects of that training was in handling my animals.  Rabbits can’t be handled like your average livestock animal: you don’t lead them on a halter, you don’t put a collar on them like a goat, and you don’t put a harness on them like a horse.  Unlike most other livestock animals, rabbits have a natural and desirable curve to their spine which allows them to hop in their characteristic manner.  If you attempt to collar you rabbit you can break its neck, harnesses will dislocate the shoulder, and halters may snap the spine as well.  Rabbits do not have the skeletal structure to be restrained in this manner, but they must be restrained in order to perform routine health checks.  The rest of this post will focus on proper ways to restrain and handle rabbits.

First, let’s discuss picking your rabbit up.  A helpful acronym to remember is BART,  Belly And Rump Tuck.  To pick up your bunny first place your dominant hand under the rabbit’s belly (this is my right), then place your non-dominant hand on the animal’s rump (this is my left) and lift with both hands.  As you lift, you will tuck the animal into the crook of your non-donimant arm (this is my left) and squeeze the rabbit gently against your side.  The rabbit’s eyes should be covered by your elbow; if they can’t see they are less likely to panic or move.  The feet should be below your arm, not resting on either your arm or your belly unless you really like sporting 4-8 inch long scratches.  Your non-dominant hand should remain on the animal’s rump to continue to support it.  Your dominant hand is removed and you can adjust the rabbit slightly if necessary, close your cage door, open door handles, etc.

Now, let’s discuss putting your rabbit down.  You will want to reverse the BART process.  Place your dominant hand back under the rabbit’s belly.  Support both the belly and rump as you move the animal away from your body.  Gently place your rabbit on the prepared surface (non-slip to prevent accidents, a towel or rug will work in a pinch).  It will take practice to master lifting and setting your rabbit down.  Try it several times while sitting on the floor in case you lose your grip.  A small hop from twelve inches is much better than a dive from 36 or more.  It will make you feel more in control and less guilty should the bunny squirm and you drop it in panic.

Now that we know how to pick up our rabbit, it is important to learn how to turn it over.  Turning your rabbit over safely is absolutely necessary.  You should not attempt to clip a rabbit’s toenails, check their teeth, or check their sex while the animal is on it’s back.  You will be more likely to cut the quick in the nail, get bitten, and mis-sex your animal if you do.  When turning your rabbit gentle restraint with your hands is vital.  If you are firm with the animal, they will feel safe.

To turn your rabbit, you will first  need to grasp the ears and shoulders firmly. (This is a pivot point, you will not be carrying the rabbit using it’s ears and shoulders.  The weight of the rabbit will actually rest in your dominant hand which is placed at the rump.) This can be done several ways.  Option A:  place the ears between thumb and first finger, grip tightly; grasp the shoulders using all of your fingers. Option B: place the ears between the first and second finger, grip tightly; grasp the shoulders using all of your fingers.  Option C:  place one ear between the thumb and forefinger and one ear between the first and second finger;  grasp the shoulders using all of your fingers.  Option D: place both ears on top of the shoulders; grasp the shoulders using all of your fingers. There is one more hold that I am not listing as it is best used by breeders to ensure the animal is not harmed, the average pet owner may not have the handling skills to perform it without injury, please contact me if you have questions.

Choose the hand hold that feels most comfortable.  I tend to use A or B though D can come in handy with very calm and large rabbits. The most important thing to remember at this point is that the ears are your “reins.”  If you have a good grip on them, the animal feels safe and secure and should not attempt to turn over.

Let’s turn the rabbit over.  Place the rabbit in front of you with the head towards your belly.  Using your non-dominant hand grip the ears and shoulders.  At the same time, place your dominant hand on the animal’s rump. Lift the animal with your dominant hand at the rump and bring the rump toward your belly while guiding the front of the animal up and away from you, keeping a firm grip on the ears.  If you lose your grip on the ears, the animal WILL turn over. You can now rest the weight of your animal on the floor in front of you or on a table with a proper surface.  Continue holding the ears in a firm grip and maintain a slight pressure on the shoulders.  This will reassure the animal as you examine it and keep it from injuring either itself or you.

Now that your animal is on it’s back you should give it a thorough examination.  Start with the teeth.  To check the teeth DO NOT poke your finger into the lips, unless you want a new piercing courtesy of those four front incisors.  Shape your thumb and first finger into a “u” shape.  Now turn it upside down so that it looks like an “n.”  Make sure that your other fingers are curled up into your hand.  Move your hand over the rabbit’s muzzle and place your thumb on the right side (for right handed people) and your finger on the left, gently push all three lips back, exposing the four front incisors.  The top teeth should overlap the bottom teeth and be free from chips and missing pieces, they should also be approximately the same size.  If either the top or bottom teeth are long enough to touch the opposite gum, your rabbit’s teeth are too long and they need a more compact pellet or a chew block to wear them down.  Rabbits have 28-32 teeth, just like humans, and you will need to examine the rest for tumors and abscesses.  Do not attempt to poke your finger in the mouth to check the molars.  We will do this from the outside.  After pushing the lips back, keeping your hand in the same shape, sweep your hand towards the rabbit’s ears.  You should feel a smooth jawline, just as you would on your own face.  If there is a lump of any sort, give the rabbit some time and then check it again.  It may be an errant pellet, or small wad of hay that they were eating when you picked them up.  If the lump remains after several hours, it is likely an abscess and you will need to take the rabbit to the vet.

While you are examining the teeth, you should also view the animal’s nose.  It should be free and clear of any discharge.  It is also important to view the eyes for discharge, they should be bright and bold.

Having checked three major indicators of health, we should move on to the toenails.  Rabbits have five toenails on the front feet and four on the hind feet.  There are only four toes on each foot.  So, where is that fifth nail on the front?  It is a residual nail, known as the dewclaw that is tucked along the inside of the paw.  Don’t forget to clip this nail!  It can be just as sharp and cause as much damage as the other nails.  Continue holding the rabbit’s ears and shoulders firmly with your non-dominant hand.  Examine the nails by placing your thumb in the front pad, causing the rabbit to extend them.  Locate the quick. You will want to avoid cutting this, but it is a good idea to keep some baking soda or cornstarch handy in case you do cut the quick.  Using your pet appropriate nail clippers (no human nail clippers as this crushes the nail and can cause painful fractures into the quick), clip each nail with your dominant hand.  Repeat the clipping process on the hind feet.  If needed, you can turn the rabbit so that it is parallel to you for easier hind foot access.  Remember to keep your grip tight on the ears and shoulders.

At this time, we need to check the abdomen and sides for tumors and abscesses. Using your dominant hand, use firm pressure and all of your fingers to sweep down the belly and sides.  You are trying to find any lumps that feel like cold lumpy oatmeal in a balloon or like an unripe kiwi.  Lumps of any sort are cause for concern, but always wait a few hours and check again to be sure you weren’t feeling the rabbit’s lunch (or the remains of it).

Now let’s check the sex of your animal.  This is an important part, so don’t skip it.  You may need to clean the glands located next to the vent (the outer female sexual organ) or penis and testicles.  First you will need to check for infections and pimples.  You will have to expose the inner lips of the vent and the entire penis to do this.  Keep your grip on the rabbit’s ears and shoulders.  You may need to turn the rabbit away from you slightly.  Using your dominant hand, place your thumb at the base of the tail, just below the anus, you will use your thumb for leverage.  Place your forefinger at the top of the vent and push gently up and into the crotch area.  The vent or penis should be a white to bright red-purple color, any shade of white, pink, or healthy red is good.  There should be no pus present, and no pimples.  If you find a pimple, it will need to be popped and swabbed using a sterilized needle and antiseptic.  Examine the testicles on the buck next, they should be soft and pliable, but may have slight callouses for larger bucks.  If they are hot and swollen, you may need to take the animal to the vet.  Don’t panic if you find only a scrotal sack when you examine your buck, rabbits can retract the testicle into the abdominal cavity.

You are almost finished with your examination.  One more step is needed.  Place your thumb on top of the tail and your forefinger beneath it, then slide your fingers down the tail using a light pressure to check the bones.   You will want to be aware if the tail is intact and healthy or if it feels stiff and brittle at the end.  A dead tail is not harmful to the animal, but may develop an infection if you don’t check it regularly.  If it feels like you have a lump in the bone, the tail has been broken at some point, this isn’t a concern, but it is important to know.

We’ve completed our examination, but it’s time to turn the rabbit over.  What do we do?  Reverse the process, of course!  Place your dominant hand on the rabbit’s rump and lift up and away from your body while at the same time your non-dominant hand lifts the ears and shoulders (gripped tightly) towards your body.  A second option is to use the rump as a pivot point on the floor or table and just bring your non-dominant hand toward you, rotating the rabbit into position.  Either one will assure a safe return to hopping position.  Your rabbit will likely shake it’s ears and it might even scratch a bit, ruffling it’s fur back into place.

Grab a carrot and congratulate yourself and your rabbit for a safe and happy health check.  You’ve successfully learned how to handle your rabbit without injury to yourself or the rabbit.  Just remember, you may need to give your veterinarian a lesson on how to handle rabbits now.