singapore rabbits

the Singapore rabbit first-aid kit, what to actually stock

updated 13 May 2026

a first-aid kit will not save your rabbit. the vet will. but the right kit buys you the 1-4 hours between noticing a problem and getting them seen, and that window matters.

this is the SG owner’s version. nothing on this list is exotic; everything is sold locally or via Shopee/Lazada with 2-day delivery.

the 14 items worth keeping

1. Oxbow Critical Care, anise or apple-banana flavour, 1 sachet

syringe-feeding formula for any rabbit refusing food. mixes with warm water to a thick slurry. shelf life 18 months unopened. SGD 12-18 per 36g sachet from The Pet Safari, Polypet, or Shopee. one sachet covers a 48-hour emergency for a 2 kg rabbit.

2. feeding syringes, 1ml and 5ml, three of each

needle-free oral syringes. 1ml for medications, 5ml for slurry. SGD 3-5 for a pack of 10 at any pharmacy.

3. digital thermometer, paediatric

rabbit normal range 38.5 to 40°C. below 37.5 is hypothermia, above 40.5 is fever. the cheaper paediatric ones from Watsons or Guardian work fine. use rectally with a little KY jelly. SGD 12-20.

4. Simethicone infant gas drops (40mg/ml)

reduces gas bubbles, which helps when a rabbit is bloated from early stasis. dosage is 1ml per 2 kg, repeat every hour for up to 3 doses. Watsons sells Infacol or Phazyme drops. SGD 8-15. confirm dosing with your vet at the next checkup.

5. saline solution, sterile, 100ml

for flushing minor cuts, eye irritation from dust, and cleaning around abscesses pre-vet. sealed bottles from any pharmacy. SGD 4-8.

6. styptic powder or cornstarch

for nail trim accidents. if you accidentally clip into the quick, dip the nail in styptic powder to stop bleeding. cornstarch works as a backup. SGD 6-10 from pet shops; cornstarch is in the supermarket baking aisle.

7. soft towel, microfibre, dedicated to rabbit emergencies

for wrapping a frightened rabbit, soaking up urine if they wet themselves during transport, lining the carrier. keep it in the carrier so you do not hunt for it during an emergency.

8. heat strategy, two options

SG climate means heat stroke is more likely than hypothermia, but a sick rabbit often feels cold. keep both:

  • a microwaveable Snuggle Safe disc (heats for 12 hours, no electricity needed) — SGD 35-50
  • frozen water bottles (just rotate two in your freezer) — free, for cooling

9. carrier with hay-stuffed towel

your transport carrier should be assembled and ready. soft-sided is fine; hard plastic is fine. hay in the corners gives the rabbit something familiar.

10. small notebook and pen in carrier

for noting symptoms, timestamps, and what the rabbit ate. vets find written timeline more useful than verbal recall.

11. a current rabbit-vet med list

a printed list of any medications your rabbit takes regularly, dose, frequency, and reason. updated whenever the vet changes anything.

12. emergency contact card

laminated card with your primary exotic vet’s phone, address, hours, and after-hours protocol. plus the nearest 24-hour exotic clinic. taped to the fridge, kept in carrier, photo on phone.

13. flashlight or phone torch

handy for checking nostrils, ear canal, gum colour. you can also use phone torch but a dedicated small light frees up your phone for vet calls.

14. cash, SGD 200

after-hours exotic vet consults often quote in cash. card readers fail. having two pink notes in the carrier saves time at the worst moment.

what NOT to keep at home

four items popular on overseas rabbit first-aid kit lists that are wrong for SG:

human painkillers (ibuprofen, paracetamol, aspirin).

all toxic to rabbits at common dosages. ibuprofen causes acute kidney injury. paracetamol causes liver failure. never give. only the vet prescribes rabbit-safe meloxicam.

Pedialyte or sport drinks.

high sugar load is wrong for a stressed gut. fresh water is better. if dehydration is severe, the vet does subcutaneous fluids; you cannot replicate that at home.

activated charcoal.

popular on US rabbit forums for “gut issues.” in practice it interferes with most rabbit medications and can mask symptoms. skip.

any antibiotic from a different pet’s prescription.

several common dog and cat antibiotics (amoxicillin, ampicillin, clindamycin) are fatal to rabbits. they wipe out the gut bacteria the rabbit needs. only use medications prescribed for your specific rabbit by an exotic vet.

quick-reference emergency card

print this, laminate, fridge magnet:

SG rabbit emergency contacts primary exotic vet: ___________ () hours: ___________ after-hours: ___________ () nearest 24h exotic: ___________ (___________)

first signs of stasis: no droppings, refusing food, hunched first signs of heat stroke: rapid shallow breathing, red ears, lethargy first signs of trauma: limp, won’t bear weight, visible wound

in carrier: Critical Care sachet, 1ml + 5ml syringes, towel, hay, water, this card.

what owners often get wrong

three patterns:

  • buying the kit but never opening it until the emergency hits, then realising the syringes are still in plastic and the Critical Care needs warm water you don’t have ready. open the kit on the day you buy it, mix a tiny test slurry, learn the syringe action
  • leaving the kit at home when boarding the rabbit, going to a friend’s house, or moving. the kit goes wherever the rabbit goes
  • forgetting to check expiry dates — Critical Care expires, Simethicone expires, saline expires. once every 6 months, walk through the kit and replace anything within 3 months of expiry

community-sourced information here is not veterinary advice. for any health concern see a licensed SG exotic vet.

community-sourced information, not veterinary advice. for medical issues, see a licensed SG exotic vet — start with our vet directory.

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