April 5, 2017 The Skanner Page 9
News
Easter Bunny Special
By Jasmine Streeter, DVM
Special to The Skanner
News
Here comes Peter
Cottontail
Hoppin’ down the
bunny trail
Hippity hoppity
Easter’s on its way.
his song was a child-
hood favorite of
mine. Every April
I’d dress my black
and white Dutch rabbit,
Milkshake, up and place
him in an Easter basket
surrounded by colorful
T
ic on considerations be-
fore buying a rabbit for
Easter.
How did the Easter bun-
ny come to be exactly?
According to Time mag-
azine, “The Easter bunny
first arrived in America
in the 1700s with German
immigrants who trans-
ported their tradition of
an egg-laying hare.” This
custom spread through-
out the U.S along with
chocolates, chicks, and
peeps.
In addition to Easter
egg hunts, many people
decide to adopt bunnies.
Dr. Jasmine says rabbits can make excellent pets for older children
and adults
hay. Looking back, that
was not the best idea,
and I don’t believe he was
too fond of the bow I tied
around his neck either.
That being said, I chose
to focus this month’s top-
Unfortunately,
many
bunnies end up in shel-
ters once the excitement
wanes as these cute little
furballs grow into fully
grown adult rabbits.
Dr. Jasmine Streeter, Veternarian relaxes with her dog Sheba
It is difficult to identify
how many rabbits end
up in shelters each year.
The most common rea-
sons for surrendering
rabbits are owners un-
able or unwilling to care
for them, housing prob-
lems or overcrowding of
animals.
Many first-time rabbit
owners are unfamiliar
with the amount of care
“
should be considered
when acquiring a bunny
or young rabbit. Neu-
tering or spaying your
rabbit is strongly en-
couraged as bunnies are
the definition of “prolif-
ic breeders,” and in only
one month you can find
yourself with a +7 added
to the family.
Rabbits are naturally
sensitive, subdued and
Small children and rabbits
are not the most ideal pairing
that rabbits require. Al-
though they may appear
as “low maintenance”
pets, they require just
as much care as a dog or
cat. Houses must be rab-
bit-proofed to prevent
chewing of cords, cloth-
ing and furniture. They
have a relatively long
lifespan -- between five
and seven years -- which
gentle. Television loves
to show bunnies and
children together cud-
dling. I can’t blame them
because children and
rabbits do look amazing
together. But consider-
ing animal welfare, small
children and rabbits are
not the most ideal pair-
ing. Rabbits are extreme-
ly fragile, due to strong
back muscles and a weak
lumbar spine. This dis-
position can lead to frac-
ture of the lumbar spine
if dropped or handled
incorrectly. In addition,
many rabbits feel fright-
ened or uncomfort-
able when taken off the
ground, which may be
exacerbated when they
hear a loud or excited
voice.
When acquiring any
pet, research should be
done to make sure the pet
Ecuador
cont’d from pg 8
gry for change amid
ongoing
corruption
allegations related to
bribes that Brazilian
construction giant Ode-
brecht paid to officials
in Correa’s govern-
ment and a $12 million
contracting scandal at
state-run
PetroEcua-
dor.
Yet in the final weeks
of the race, Moreno
inched ahead in polls
amid an aggressive
campaign led by Cor-
rea to cast Lasso as a
wealthy, out-of-touch
politician who profited
from the country’s 1999
banking crisis. More-
no also benefited from
last-minute doubts that
fits in with your lifestyle
and cuddle demands.
I believe rabbits make
excellent pets for old-
er children and adults,
bringing great pleasure
to their owners. If the
time is not right when
your child asks for a bun-
ny, consider a chocolate
rabbit or a petting zoo.
Trust me, the rabbits will
thank you!
Send your pet questions
to drjasmine@theskan-
ner.com.
the pro-business Lasso
if elected would gut so-
cial programs that have
endeared poor voters to
Correa’s “Citizens’ Rev-
olution.”
Moreno, who has used
a wheelchair since be-
ing shot in an attempt-
ed robbery two decades
ago, cuts a softer image
than the infamously
irritable Correa which
was on display Sunday
night as he addressed
supporters.
“It’s time for peace
and union. Everyone
will have a new oppor-
tunity and we will seek
dialogue and harmo-
ny,” said Moreno. “Our
hand is outstretched.”
Associated Press writ-
er Joshua Goodman in
Caracas, Venezuela, con-
tributed to this report.