neglected rabbit dilemma

Question
hi dana,
i live with my fiances family, they have a pet rabbit. yesterday i helped move it into a bigger cage. we noticed they it had a sore ear. it is hard with like scales of crust. the rabbit cant bend it and it is that blocked up it cant here. they said they arent going to do anything about it just leave it. the rabbit has no food or water and it is left to just eat grass. they have had rabbits and guinea pigs in the past but they have all died from the hot australian summers of no water and food. i know this is wrong and i am totally against it.i dont know what to do. is there anything i can do.

Answer
Dear Lauren,

The only thing you can do is take care of the rabbit yourself.  She needs medication for her ear canker, which you can read about here:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/furloss.html

and buy her good food, as per the diet guidelines here:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/diet.html

Those people are cruel and inhumane, and should not own animals at all.  I hope your fiance does not take after them!

You can find a good vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

I don't know what the animal cruelty laws are where you are (I suspect they're not very strict), but you might ask your local RSPCA about further action.  I hope you will be able to adopt this rabbit and keep these people from ever taking in another animal, if they are not going to care for it.

Good luck,

Dana