Emergencies

Most emergency situations are fairly clear, unconsciousness, paralysis and obvious trauma for example.  What is harder to determine with rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas and similar prey species, is when an animal is seriously ill but to the untrained eye simply doesn't look or smell right.

Watery diarrhoea, not eating for a day, hunched up, fluffed up with coat sticking out, crying when urinating or inability to urinate, grinding teeth in the case of rabbits, sticky eyes that have closed, laboured breathing, blood coming from mouth, anus or genitals and unusual lethargy can all indicate the need for immediate veterinary treatment.

Animals that are seriously ill are often not responsive unless threatened.  If an animal shows no interest in your approach when it would normally either scuttle away or come begging for food, you can be pretty sure the animal is sick enough to need veterinary attention.

Sick animals often do smell, quite literally. Digestive disorders, urinary tract infections, ketosis (common in toxaemia) and fungal problems can be detected even before the smell is really strong because the mind registers that something is wrong.

EXTERNAL LINKS

Rabbit Emergencies at House Rabbit UK
Guinea Pig Emergencies on Guinea Lynx
Guinea Pig Emergencies at Cavy Info