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Safe Pain Relief for Rabbits

| Updated September 26, 2017

Rabbits are prey animals, so they instinctively hide their pain. In nature, prey animals in pain quickly get caught and devoured by predators. If your bunny is sick, he's likely to become extremely quiet rather than display obvious pain symptoms. Your veterinarian can choose from various medications with analgesic or anti-inflammatory properties to safely treat rabbit pain. In addition to medication, a veterinary acupuncturist might provide relief from arthritis pain or other chronic conditions.

Rabbit Pain Control

If your bunny is in pain, your veterinarian will prescribe pain relief medications based on her diagnosis of your pet's ailment. She might prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for chronic pain relief. Although you might take NSAIDs for your own pain control, which include over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, never give human drugs to your bunny. If your rabbit undergoes surgery, your vet will give an opioid drug by injection or intravenously prior to the operation. For minor procedures, your vet will numb the area with a local anesthetic.