Nightshade Ranch Rabbitry

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Crazy Rabbit Lady
Velveteen Lop Breeder
Holistic Homestead Systems
Permaculture and Food Forestry
Foraging and Wildcrafting
Herb Gardener
Chaos Garden Dirt Goblin
Friend of Bugs, Spiders, Snakes, Snails, and Other Little Guys
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Ghost had his second health emergency this year. This time: wool block! Ghost has the most dense and luscious coat of an...
06/15/2025

Ghost had his second health emergency this year. This time: wool block!

Ghost has the most dense and luscious coat of any rabbit I've ever met. And right now he's molting terribly. Monday, I noticed him showing signs of pain and stasis. Usually with GI stasis, there are no gut sounds, but he would have faint ones from time to time. After some gas drops and olive oil and belly rubs through the night, he wasn't in as much pain, but still not eating. I'm pretty confident in dealing with GI stasis, but this wasn't following that script. So Tuesday morning we headed to the emergency vet.

They warmed him up, gave him a couple meds there and a prescription to get filled. However they weren't able to actually fill the prescription there for either of them. They would have to be sent to a compounding pharmacy. I called maybe half a dozen such facilities, and of the couple that could do it, it wouldn't be ready for several days!

Thankfully, by the next day he didn't seem like he would require a continuation of the meds, though we did do more subcutaneous fluids and Critical Care. He was far better behaved with a needle in him than he was being syringe fed.

He's still not entirely back to normal, but he's at least eating enough greens to work the blockage out. Today he pooped a long string of connected poops, and he's eating more regularly. No more needle or yucky food mush.

First picture: messy, the indignity of being forced to eat mush and spitting it out as much as possible.

Second picture: a perfect gentleman getting his fluids. Doesn't even need restraint.

It's that time again
06/07/2025

It's that time again

A few of the bucks got some outside time today, even though it was a bit drizzly. Their pens were mostly covered, but Ro...
05/16/2025

A few of the bucks got some outside time today, even though it was a bit drizzly. Their pens were mostly covered, but Rowan managed to make himself a huge mess regardless.

He's was so filthy and so happy with himself. Lots of warm fresh hay was waiting for him when he got back to his home. He'd rather be making mud.

Rita loves to flop into holes. Total weirdo.
05/10/2025

Rita loves to flop into holes. Total weirdo.

Magic, Rita, and Astrid having an important meeting.
05/10/2025

Magic, Rita, and Astrid having an important meeting.

Damn, another sad day, another random loss. Calypso (harlequinized chinchilla), was about four years old. She had never ...
05/05/2025

Damn, another sad day, another random loss.

Calypso (harlequinized chinchilla), was about four years old. She had never been a very social bunny with people, but she loved her bunny friends, and was the head doe of her clique.

Yesterday she started showing signs of pain, then disappeared down an inaccessible warren before I could collect her to bring her in. This morning I was able to get her, brought her in, gave pain meds, but ultimately had to end her suffering this afternoon. Upon necropsy, she was found to have liver lobe torsion.

While sad enough for me, I hurt mostly for her best friend, Irulan (blue tort). Irulan was obsessed with Calypso, there was seldom more than a few inches between them. Irulan had stayed with her down in the warren all night, and left mid morning. I think she may have known what was coming for her friend.

Rabbits are resilient, but they are social, and form strong bonds. I hope she's able to make a new best friend to love like she did Calypso. My money is on Magic, a trouble maker and a third wheel to Rita and Astrid, who has been expanding her territory since the passing of Twyla, also a friend of sweet Irulan.

It's so strange to see her alone.

Carl is the coolest
05/04/2025

Carl is the coolest

Blackberry greens can be fed to rabbits any time of year, but they're best right now with the fresh growth. When the ste...
05/03/2025

Blackberry greens can be fed to rabbits any time of year, but they're best right now with the fresh growth. When the stems are still green and tender like this, rabbits will eat the whole thing. As the vines age and become woody, they will skip the hard parts, and you'll have to clean them up.

If you live in the Pacific Northwest, there's a good chance you have an infestation. Luckily, bunnies absolutely LOVE the stuff!

Chili Pepper 🌶️❤️. I love his sweet face.
05/02/2025

Chili Pepper 🌶️❤️. I love his sweet face.

There are a number of reasons rabbits flop dramatically on their side. We've all heard the common one, that it's because...
05/01/2025

There are a number of reasons rabbits flop dramatically on their side.

We've all heard the common one, that it's because they're happy and feel safe, and that's one reason. But like most rabbit behaviors, it's contextual.

If you breed rabbits, you've probably seen a doe flop over. Sometimes it's because she doesn't want the buck's attention, it's a request to be left alone. It could also be because she wants to be bred, and she's frustrated that the buck isn't figuring it out. That's what's happening in the first picture, when Blueberry had to take a moment to collect herself when Spot was being a nonce.

Carl, son of Blueberry, will flop if I'm getting ready to get out of bed (where he is. He hates it when I leave), or if I offer him something he doesn't want. But also to cuddle.

His daughter here, Daphne, has cast herself to the ground because I dared to pick her up and do her nails. She does this almost every time I do her nails. This, as far as she knows, is the worst thing that can happen to a rabbit. Absolutely violated. Life ruined.

The drama is hereditary.

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Out In The Woods
Roy, WA
98580

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