A Bit About Rabbits

Rabbits are the third most popular UK household pet and can live for 7- 10 years depending on their breed, so they are a big commitment. They are often bought as pets for young children, however, this is not ideal as they are prey animals and so they are naturally very shy. They also have very fragile skeletons which can easily fracture if not held correctly.

Rabbits are social creatures and require company and stimulation. The company can be in the form of another rabbit or from humans. The best bonded pairing for rabbits is a neutered male and a neutered female. It is possible for two of the same sex to live together, however, you may experience the occasional spat! If you are choosing to have a same sex pair then you will need to introduce them to each other from a young age and ideally they should be from the same litter.

Feeding

As a profession we see a lot of health problems in rabbits relating to diet. Rabbits are prone to dental disease so the correct diet is essential. As 80% of their diet should be grass based, rabbits should have round the clock access to good quality hay (e.g. Timothy Hay) and/or access to grass in order to ensure their teeth and gastrointestinal system remains healthy.

If you offer too much commercial rabbit food it will result in a decrease of hay intake and lead to obesity, dental disease, digestive disease, boredom and behavioural problems. It is important to note that grass should be handpicked or your rabbit should be allowed to graze daily. Never feed your rabbit lawn mower cuttings as a rabbit’s gut cannot cope with the fermentation and it can be fatal.

Leafy greens and vegetables are great for your rabbit in moderation. Examples include dandelions, brambles, rocket, mixed salad leaves (not iceberg lettuce), watercress, rocket, broccoli, kale, carrot tops, basil, coriander, parsley, spring greens and spinach.

The best types of commercial rabbit food are pelleted ones, as this means they cannot pick their favourite bits and so receive all the nutrients they need. You should not be feeding more than 25g of commercial rabbit food per kg of body weight per day. This roughly equates to 1 tablespoon a day for medium rabbit breeds. If your rabbit is neutered or has limited exercise opportunities - they will require even less.

It is important to keep an eye on your rabbit’s appetite. If your rabbit stops eating this can result in ‘Gut Stasis’, which can be life threatening and urgent treatment is required. Some causes of appetite reduction are pain and dental problems. Changes to their droppings can also be indicative of illness.

Housing

Keeping rabbits solely in hutches can lead to a variety of health problems, ranging from boredom and stress to sore hocks. Rabbits require space where they can display their natural behaviours and be active. Hutches really should be for overnight and should always be weather and predator proof if outside!

Always bear in mind that rabbits should be able to sit up on their back legs without their ears touching the roof and be able to hop three times in any direction. In outdoor runs, it is important that your rabbit has a hide box that they can dart in to if they feel threatened - these range from cardboard boxes to large plastic drain pipes and so much more!

Some owners choose to keep their rabbits as indoor pets, and in these instances, make sure that you have rabbit proofed your house! They are very inquisitive creatures that will chew anything they can, from wires to furniture! 

Vaccinations

It is important to vaccinate your rabbit against two serious diseases: Myxomatosis and Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (Strains 1 and 2).

Myxomatosis is very commonly seen in the wild rabbit population and is transmitted by fleas. Symptoms include swollen eyes, snuffles and pus from their noses. It is often fatal. Vaccinating will not prevent your rabbit contracting the disease, but it will give them a chance to recover. 

Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (VHD) is a fatal disease and often results in sudden death. With Strain 1 you may sometimes see signs of bleeding, but often it is assumed that the rabbit has died of heatstroke or a heart attack. The second strain is often fatal but less readily recognised as we don’t see bleeding. Both strains are passed between infected rabbits, either via direct contact or through urine and faeces. The virus can survive for months in the environment, even in the cold. For example, your rabbit could contract VHD from wild rabbit droppings on your shoes if you’ve been out walking and even from hay when it was growing in the field.

The only safe way to help protect your rabbit is vaccinating. We can vaccinate your rabbit from 7 weeks of age and then carry out annual boosters. Please speak to us for more information.

Flystrike

Flystrike is another fatal condition seen in rabbits, especially during warmer summer months. Flies lay their eggs on the rabbits which hatch into maggots and this can occur within 12 hours! 

We recommend you check your rabbit’s bottom daily, especially if they are old or overweight as they often struggle to groom themselves. Diet plays an important part in prevention as certain foods result in diarrhoea making your rabbit more attractive to the flies! Rapid and aggressive treatment is required if your rabbit does become struck. Some products prevent maggots from hatching, however, good hygiene is the best!

Neutering

Finally, we would always recommend neutering your rabbits. In females up to 80% will develop a uterine tumour by the time they are 4 years old if they are not neutered. Neutering can also help to reduce hormone related behaviours, such as aggression in both sexes (but not completely). Ideally we neuter rabbits around 5 months of age.

We hope that you have found this informative and this advice helps you to keep your rabbit happy and healthy. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us on 01665 252250.