I often receive e-mail questions or phone calls from folks wanting to know what medication to use for an illness or injury on one of their Rabbits, and more importantly, how to give it and how much. Below I have compiled a list of "over the counter " drugs that have been used by Rabbit Breeders for many years and have proven to be effective and safe for use in Rabbits. I have used the drug's name, where to get it, what to use it for and how much to give in which form, to use as a handy guide for the future in your own rabbitry.

Disclaimer : The guide below is for your own, personal use and was not compiled by or approved by a Vet. Very few drugs have been cleared for use in Rabbits. Dosages listed are suggestions , based on my own experience as a Rabbit breeder, YOU are responsible for your own usage and dosage.

SULMET 12.5 % liquid

can be purchased at larger Feed Stores or ordered from catalog companies such as Klubertanz, KW cages etc. For use in prevention and treatment of Coccidiosis. As a preventative, use 3-4 times a year. Should not be used on babies younger then 12 weeks.

Dosage : use in drinking water only. Mix 2 tablespoons of Sulmet per gallon of drinking water for 2 days, then mix 1 tablespoon of Sulmet per gallon of water for 4 more days. Give as sole source of water. Mix fresh daily, discard drinking water from the day before.

SULQUIN 6-50 , liquid

same as above, can be purchased at feed stores or ordered from catalog companies. Same type drug for prevention and / or treatment of Coccidiosis.

Dosage : Use 1 tablespoon for 4 gallons of water for 5 days, give plain water for 10 days, give 1 tablespoon of Sulquin for 5 more days.

Again, mix fresh daily, and discard medicated water from the day before.

ALBON powder

can be found in some larger feed stores under the name of " DI-METHOX ", drug name is Sulfadimethoxine . Potent drug for the use of prevention of Coccidiosis, also useful in the treatment of bacterial enteritis and respi5ratory infections.

Use 1/2 teaspoon of powder per gallon of water, use for 4-5 days. Make fresh solution daily and discard old solution after 24 hours.

NEOMYCIN liquid

Can be found at most feed stores as well as in most Rabbit Equipment catalogs for mail order. Use for treatment of bacterial enteritis and diarrhea. Use 4 drops per 10 # body weight given orally with a oral syringe, or mix 2.2 cc's per gallon of drinking water. Use as long as needed, or until stools are firm again. Maintain animal with lots of hay and old fashioned oatmeal during use of medication.

KAOPECTATE liquid

can be found in any drug store or grocery store. For emergency use on Rabbits with Diarrhea, give 1/2 cc with oral syringe along with old fashioned Oat meal and lots of hay. Repeat dosage every 3-4 hours first day, withhold as soon as stools firm up, do not overdose.

PEN - G , liquid, to be injected

Pen -G is a penicillin that is safe to use on Rabbits, if administered correctly. Pen - G is sold in most Feed stores, ask for it since it will be kept in the fridge behind the counter. DURA -PEN is another brand name of the same type medication, it's a combination of two meds that can be used on Rabbits. Keep refrigerated . Pen- G is injected SUB - Q , under the skin, at a rate of 1 cc for 10 pound body weight, or increments there of. ( 1/2 cc for 5 pound body weight ). Inject once a day, for 3-4 days.

Use for : Mastitis, wound infections, pneumonia, Vent disease.

LA 200 , liquid, to be injected

LA200 is one inject able antibiotic that I have used for pneumonia in one of my rabbits and had great success with fast healing and no side effects. I found it in the fridge in a large feed store. Can also be ordered from some Rabbit Supply catalogs. Jeffers Livestock Catalog carries this medication.

LA 200 is a long acting antibiotic, it should only be administered once every 48 hours !!!! I injected 1/2 cc SUB Q ( under the loose skin ) for a 7 pound Rabbit, waited 48 hours and injected once again, pneumonia cleared up. I take it that it can be used for up to 3 injections, 6 days total. The Rabbit that I treated did not get sick with diarrhea or went off feed.

This drug can be used for most bacterial infections including pneumonia, bad eye infections, mastitis, treatment of infected sore hocks.

NFZ Puffer , powder

a topical treatment of eye infection and minor wound infections in Rabbits. Can be purchased from Rabbit Supply vendors. Follow instructions on bottle. Do not use internally !!!

IVOMEC 1 % , inject able , liquid

can be purchased at most feed stores, as well as ordered for shipment from most Rabbit equipment vendors.

It can be injected SUB - Q , and it can be administered orally without having to use a sterile needle to inject or the risk of injection site abscesses. I use 0.03 cc's of Ivomec per pound of Rabbit ( 0.30 cc's for a 10 pound Angora ), use a needle to draw the liquid out of the bottle, remove needle and insert the tip of the syringe between the bunny's lips on the side of it's mouth before squirting the liquid into it's mouth. Dose once for fur mites, ear mites present on the rabbit, repeat dosage again in 14 days. A drop can be placed inside an ear that has ear mites ( ear canker ). For mite prevention during show season, I dose once every 4 weeks, to keep down a possible infestation picked up at a rabbit show.

Tea Tree Oil , liquid, topical

Tea tree oil is a herbal antibiotic oil that has been used for many years as a healing agent for topical infections and irritations. I use tea tree oil on sore hocks and abscesses on hind legs. Clean the area well with an antibiotic wash ( mild bleach water, or a Vanodine wound wash solution ) , pat dry, and apply one drop of human grade tea tree oil to the wound. It is a very strong oil, so make sure you only apply one drop per foot. Wait 2-3 days, and repeat if necessary. I have seen sore hocks heal up within 4 days by using this oil twice, and a big abscess pop open, drain and heal with the use of 2 drops in 3 days. Tea tree oil can be found in most health food stores.

Black Tea in tea bag, internal and external

Black tea has been used as a mild healing agent for many years. Given internally as a tea, black tea can cure an upset tummy and mild diarrhea in a rabbit. I simply steep a tea bag as for human consumption, then mix a cup of black tea with a cup of water and offer this to the sick bunny to drink. Tannic acid in the tea will help heal upset tummies and sore intestines. Bunnies seem to like the bitter taste of the tea.

A spent black tea bag, steeped for 4 minutes, removed from the water, squeezed semi dry and allowed to cool ( from hot to warm ) can be used as a poultice to sooth sore, runny eyes, and applied to abscesses and sore teats can help open and heal the same. Again, the tannic acid in the tea will help sooth the sore tissues, dry up the inflammation and help with mild infections.

I know this list is small, but, I have experiences with all of the above medications, and can attest to the fact that they work, without killing the rabbit while trying to treat it. I shy away from using medications whenever possible, but sometimes one has to know which one to use to treat which illness or infection. Some medications sold for use on Rabbits simply do not work well, cause bad side effects or are simply masking the symptoms and do not cure the illness itself. Make sure to follow the instructions on dosages and administration above, and keep this list on hand for future reference.

For inject able medications, I recommend to order several 1 cc syringes with needles from one of the Rabbit supply vendors, to have on hand when you need them. Do not reuse needles, since they become dull after usage, and are not sterile after one use. Most Rabbit medications are used in such small doses that you will need a 1 cc syringe to get the accurate amount drawn up.