3 Effective Ways to Treat Rabbit Bite

Dear fellow animal lovers! We all can agree on how cute and loveable our favorite fluffy ball, rabbits are. You can keep them as friendly companies as well as livestock. Whether you raise rabbits for their company or their economic value, keeping them happy and healthy is a must because their condition may affect you and your family, too.

Imagine playing with your rabbits happily but they bite you all of sudden! Though that surely may happen incidentally, sometimes your tame and calm rabbits are being aggressive due to several reasons. Aggressive rabbits tend to grunt, kick, scratch, and even bite people around them. However, note that rabbits do nip you lightly to attract your attention. 

Now the question is what should you do to treat the bite wound? We have told you that human could get infected by some rabbits illnesses. Rabbits bite is one of the ways the illnesses can infiltrate our bodies. Thus, we should never take rabbits bite wound lightly and give it a proper treatment. Thankfully you come to the right place because here we have some Effective Ways to Treat Rabbits Bite.

The very first thing you have to do after getting bitten by rabbits is evaluating the bite wounds. While the shallow bite is unlikely harming, the deeper bite sure does. Which rabbits that bite you also count on how you treat the wound. Surely, your pet rabbits (as long as they show no unusual behavior or signs) have less risk of carrying zoonosis disease than wild rabbits. After measuring the damage and should you find the wounds are shallow, here are some effective ways to treat rabbit bite.

1. Basic first aid

Basically, you have to ensure your wound is clean thoroughly. Do these following measures:

• Wash your hands first with soap and warm water. Don’t forget to wash between every finger and under nails, too. After that, rinse your hands with clean water.
• Rinse the bite wound and area around it with running clean and cold water. Note that warm or hot water can aggravate the bleeding so you may want to avoid using them. Stop the bleeding first if it bleeds heavily by applying pressure with a clean towel firmly to the bleeding area until the bleeding subsides. Wash the wound area carefully with a gentle soap. Don’t scrub the wound as it may get worse.
• Treat the bite wound with an antiseptic ointment or gel disinfectant such as Neosporin; it contains neomycin, a very effective antibiotic to heal cut injuries. Or you can take Bacitracin into consideration as a good alternative should you have an allergy to it. You don’t need to consume oral antibiotic unless the rabbit bites are infected.

• Although a very shallow bite wound may not be needing any covering at all, a deeper wound has to be protected by covering it with a dressing or bandage for up to 24 hours. Change the bandage regularly and allow it to be exposed to fresh air as it heals. 

2. Using some natural remedies

Mother earth has blessed us with nature to help us survive. Here are some remedies to treat rabbit bite that comes from her.

• Honey

Honey has been used since ancient times to treat sore throats, but also, at times, wounds. However, you can’t just use any type of honey. We suggest you to always use medical grade honey like manuka and jellybush honey to avoid worries that it has bacteria or other additives or added allergens in it.

Pure manuka honey is known for its anti-inflammatory properties and often used for skin care because it can heal wounds prevent bacterial infections. Thus, manuka honey is one of the best natural remedies for pet bite, including rabbit.

Usually, you will need 3 spoonfuls of manuka honey. Depend on the size of the wound, you may need more or less. After washing and drying the wound like how you’d do the basic first aid, apply the honey then leave it on for several hours.

• Garlic

Garlic has strong antibacterial property. It’s also very easy to find as you can buy it at any grocery store, making it the perfect natural remedy for emergency rabbit bite.

Make a paste from fresh minced garlic by mixing it with aloe vera or coconut oil. Apply to the bite wound and cover with gauze. Keep in mind that it may sting at first! Also, note that consuming garlic capsules may strengthen your immunity. Hence, it will give you protection from possible infections.

• Cumin

For another home remedy for rabbits bite treatment, you can use cumin seeds. They protect you from bacteria and improve your immunity at the same time. Just like garlic, you can find them in any grocery store, or you may already have them in your kitchen.

Ground cumin works best. If you happen to have whole cumin seeds, grind them first. Mix two teaspoons of ground cumin with water to make a paste. Some said adding black pepper make even stronger healing benefits.

3. Prevention

Not exactly a treatment but as we all know, prevention is better than any cure. To prevent rabbit bite, understand what trigger your rabbit to bite you. There are lots of causes and each will need a different approach. Ask some advice from your fellow rabbits’ owner to help and discuss certain behavior that could lead to biting.

In the end, both basic first aid and natural remedies only work for shallow, non-serious injuries. Make sure to contact your doctor or go straight away to the nearest clinic for a deeper and severe bite wound. Also, always keep in touch with your local vet should you find some concerning behavior from your rabbits. That way, even if you get bitten, you could avoid more severe infections. 

We sincerely wish healthiness toward you and your rabbits. Hope this Effective Way to Treat Rabbit Bite help, and good luck!