International Rabbit Day is September 24th and to celebrate we are highlighting some of our medical fosters and requesting donations to help us continue our ability to save rabbits' lives. Overall, NMHRS provides vet care for dozens of rabbits every year, including saving many from the euthanasia list. We are the only rabbit rescue in New Mexico and spend thousands of dollars on medical care every year. So far in 2022 our vet bills are more than our donations.
Here are some rabbits we have helped/are helping in 2022. Your donations help NMHRS save rabbits like these. NMHRS is a 501(c)3 organization run entirely by donations and volunteers. All donations are tax deductible.
HELA
This spunky girl (pictured above) came to us with an open fracture in her hind leg that was severely infected. We were able to get her an emergency amputation and also discovered that she had mites. Her surgical site developed an abscess that then required over 4 weeks of twice-daily care. During this time, she lost about half of her body weight and was struggling to move. We ordered a blood panel and x-rays, and continued giving her antibiotics. She was also put on a special diet designed to gain weight. Her blood panel showed that she was anemic and had an infection, so we did an ultrasound to look for tumors. Luckily, the utrasound showed nothing and she was able to get back to a healthy weight. She is still working on rebuilding the muscle she lost back when she couldn't move with a broken leg, but is otherwise a perfectly normal rabbit packed to the brim with bunitude.
HERCULES
This sweet boy came to us at the very end of December 2021 and still requires vet care for his respiratory infection that will not go away. When we first got him, we knew he needed some teeth removed because he had a few abscesses along his jaw that were preventing him from eating. After the molar-removal procedure, our vet told us that Hercules has the worst teeth that he has ever seen. The abscesses were also cleaned out by our vet and he was on antibiotics. Since his respiratory infection won't go away, Hercules has been on 4 different antibiotics, along with daily nebulizer sessions. The culture that we did for the infection has helped guide the plan for his future meds.
TYE
Tye spent many weeks in the shelter going in and out of the clinic for not eating. When the clinic asked us to take him, we immediately brought him to our vet for an exam where it was discovered that the spurs on his molars were so bad they had cut up his cheek and tongue (his mouth was still actively bleeding). He was anesthetized and his molars were filed down. He went 3 months before he stopped eating again, and after taking him back to the vet we learned that because his teeth are maloccluded, he will need a molar trim 4 times a year. We have paid for 3 procedures so far and will continue to pay for this important service until he is adopted.
ARLO
Another foster taken from the shelter, this boy came to us with both an eye and respiratory infection. We were able to get him on an antibiotic right away which cured both infections. Although he remains blind in the eye that was infected (due to the trauma that caused the infection and not the infection itself), he has adjusted well.
EDDI
Another abandoned stray, Eddi was found with headtilt back in 2021 and has still not recovered. We have paid for multiple acupuncture sessions for her in hopes to help her body be able to straighten. Since she sometimes has trouble navigating around, we have also purchased items to make her life more comfortable, such as a special pillow and flooring.
SHASTA
Shasta had many emergency trips to the vet this year for a particularly nasty case of stasis. In addition to the emergency exam fees we also paid for medications, x-rays, and a blood panel.
BARNABY
Stasis strikes again. Barnaby had a very stubborn case of stasis that took 3 or 4 weeks to finally resolve. When he finally recovered, we realized that he has a condition called megacolon. He is now on a daily medication.
MAJOR ADAMS
Trapped as a stray at a very young age, this fuzzy bun had an infected toe. We gave him antibiotics and cleaned the wound until he was good as new.
ROOSEVELT
This sweet boy came to us with multiple breaks in both back legs. We provided pain meds, a vet exam, x-rays, cream for his urine scald, and surgery for him.
COLTRANE
Even though Coltrane came to us in 2021, his head tilt caused him to stay with us into 2022. We took him to multiple acupuncture sessions to try to help his neck and shoulders.
MINNIE & BABIES
In July, we were contacted by a good samaritan who had trapped a stray rabbit after learning that she had been living behind a Uhaul building for over a month. Since no good deed goes unpunished, the rabbit gave birth to 6 babies only a few days later. Knowing she couldn't keep 7 rabbits, the samaritan contacted us. The family is now in foster care with NMHRS and we are committed to providing all necessary care for them.
VACCINES & SPAYS/NEUTERS
Every rabbit in our care gets the life-saving RHDV2 vaccine, which requires 2 doses. We also spay and neuter all of our rabbits. These two standard procedures have cost us over two thousand dollars this year.
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