Health Care Sheets

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Rabbits

Facts

Expected Life span: 5-10 years

Sexual Maturity: 5-10 months

Gestation: 28-36 days

Weaning age: 4-6 weeks

Health

As rabbits are prey animals they do not outwardly show that they are in pain or unwell - the weak unhealthy rabbit would be the one to get picked up by the predator. As a result many rabbits are not brought into us until the disease is in an advanced stage. There are however certain important points and subtle clues to look out for. Keeping this check list in mind when playing with or examining your rabbits will ensure that problems are spotted earlier.

Eyes: Any weeping or swelling of the eye may mean an infection or more seriously that the teeth roots are blocking the tear ducts.

Ears: Crusting or scratching may be a sign of ear mites which are very painful for the rabbit.

Mouth: Always check the front teeth meet, are not overgrown or discoloured. Any dribbling is usually a sign of painful molar teeth. Lumps under the jaw are usually tooth root infections

Skin: Check for lumps and bumps. Dandruff is usually a sign that mites are present.

Nails: Regularly check that these are not overgrown.

Feet: Overweight rabbits can develop pressure sores on their feet.

Bottom: Rabbits should keep themselves clean. Check twice daily in the summer for "fly strike" - eggs can be seen as clusters of small white ovals.

Weight: Record your rabbit's weight every 2 weeks. Weight loss can be a sign of dental disease.

Droppings: Check there is no diarrhoea or mucus.

Behaviour: This can be the most sensitive indicator of general well-being if you know your rabbits character well. If your rabbit seems quieter or less happy to see you this may be a sign of discomfort or illness.

Fly strike in rabbits

What is fly strike?

Fly strike is where flies lay eggs in the coat or on the skin which hatch into maggots that feed on the debris in the skin. Eventually the maggots eat the skin and continue to invade and consume the underlying tissue causing rapid shock, septicaemia and death if not treated early.

Which rabbits are at greatest risk?

Rabbits kept in unclean conditions where their body becomes contaminated with excrement.

Rabbits with medical conditions resulting in dirty anal regions.

Rabbits with dental disease

Rabbits fed poor diets

Obese rabbits.

What treatments are available?

Speed is essential to successful treatment which involves killing and removing maggots. Providing pain relief and supportive medical care to overcome physiological shock and septicaemia. Unfortunately many rabbits are diagnosed too late to be able to be saved.

How can it be prevented?

Ensuring hygienic housing conditions

Preventing conditions that cause soiling of the anal region

Twice daily checking for signs, especially during the summer months

Preventative medication to reduce the risk of flies laying eggs and of maggots developing

Please feel free to discuss this with our practice nurse or vets since prevention is unfortunately better than trying to cure.

Vaccinations: Rabbits who have access to a garden or fresh vegetation from the garden should be vaccinated against VHD (Viral Haemorrhagic Disease) every year and myxomatosis every six months.

We recommend vaccination for all rabbits against the following diseases:

• VHD recently arrived in the UK and is now endemic. It causes severe bleeding from mouth nose and anus. Death is rapid.
• Myxomatosis has been in the UK for many years and causes many deaths a year in the wild rabbit population. Many people have seen wild rabbits with swollen eyes and mouth slowly dying.

Neutering Rabbits - Why?

Spaying female rabbits or Does.

Female rabbits or does have a very high risk of developing a tumour of the uterus (adenocarcinoma) as they get older. These are a malignant type of growth which can spread to other areas of the body - either other organs in the abdomen or the lungs. Studies have shown that 80% of does over the age of 5 years will have these tumours. As the average life span of a rabbit is between 5 - 10 years this is a major cause of illness and mortality. Removal of the womb will prevent this type of tumour from ever occurring. When female rabbits are in season they can become much more territorial and aggressive, spaying will normally make them much friendlier and a better pet. Entire does seem to be at a higher risk of "fly-strike" (flies laying eggs and maggot infestations). The other obvious advantage of spaying is prevention of pregnancy - as rabbits are highly social animals they enjoy the company of not only humans but other rabbits and neutering prevents a population explosion!

Castrating male rabbits or Bucks.

A mature buck normally uses urine to mark his territory and possessions - sometimes they are even able to aim this on to their owners. Castration will usually stop this marking behaviour. Adult bucks may show mating behaviour to other animals in the household, their owners or even inanimate objects - again castration will prevent this embarrassing problem. Castration will also allow two bucks to live together without fighting.

Rabbits can be neutered at anytime after 4 months of age.

There is no upper age limit.

Rabbits and Anaesthesia

Vale Vets anaesthetise many rabbits a month. The same care and monitoring is taken with rabbits as well as with any other animal. Modern drugs and anaesthetic equipment and techniques are used to make rabbit anaesthesia safer than ever before.

Feeding Rabbits

The most common reason that rabbits are brought into our veterinary practice are dental problems. While some tooth problems in rabbits can be congenital (i.e. present from birth) the vast majority develop as the rabbit gets older. A poor diet is the main cause of this.

Unlike dogs, cats and humans, rabbit's teeth grow constantly throughout their life. This is because in the wild they spend a large part of their day chewing fibrous plant material and the new growth is to compensate for daily wear.

Problems in pet rabbits occur when they are fed a diet which is low in calcium - this causes their bones to be soft and allows their teeth to move in their sockets. As the teeth continue to grow sharp spikes grow into the cheeks and tongue. This is very painful for the rabbit and they become anorexic. Although we can burr the teeth back to a normal shape under general anaesthesia once the roots have moved the spikes will re-grow and need repeated attention for the rest of the rabbit's life. As usual prevention is better than cure.

Most rabbits if fed "rabbit mix" will select the tasty items and discard the rest - The bits they throw away tend to have the calcium and other minerals.

There are two possible solutions:

Feed a small amount of the mix a day so they eat all the mix - One tablespoon per 2lb of rabbit (Yes that little! Think of it like fast food - they'll want more but is it really all that good for them?).

Burgess Excel is a new type of rabbit food - it is higher in fibre than other foods and also each pellet contains adequate calcium. This is the food we recommend but still as a small amount each day.

Why do we not recommend purely rabbit food or Burgess Excel?

Rabbits fed solely one of the concentrate foods will eat their daily energy requirement in 10 minutes, become bored and overeat resulting in an obese rabbit. Also their teeth are adapted to chew and grind over 6 or more hours a day not 10 minutes.

What else should be fed?

Wild rabbits spend their time grazing on grass and other fibrous plant material. As not all pet rabbits have unlimited access to a garden the best alternative to this is hay. This will provide plenty calcium as well as a useful activity for your rabbit. 80% of a pet rabbit's diet should be made up of hay. Fibre is needed to maintain a healthy digestive tract and also to keep the wearing of the teeth in pace with the new growth. Rabbits will thrive on good quality hay alone. Feed the hay in a small rack off the floor to keep it clean and dry. A wire hanging basket fixed on its side to one wall is ideal.

What about Fruit and Vegetables?

Small amounts of fruit can be given as a treat. The phrase for vegetables is "dark, leafy and green" - these will contain adequate calcium and fibre. See the table below for the best.

It is best to feed roughly the same amount of fruit and veg. each day. Diarrhoea can occur if your rabbit is fed more than its system is used to.

Main feeding points

1 Tablespoon of food per 2lb of rabbit

Ad-lib good quality hay to make 80% of the diet

Dark leafy green Vegetables

Some treats

More rabbits are put to sleep because of dental problems than any other. Correct feeding will help prevent this from happening to your Bun!

Vegetables

Cauliflower leaves, broccoli leaves, romaine lettuce, watercress, spinach, cabbage, dandelions, clover, raspberry leaves, radish tops, carrot tops, parsley, pea pods.

Hay

The quality of hay varies from year to year. If you follow this checklist this will ensure that your Bun is getting the best;

1. Does it feel soft when it is crushed in the hand?
2. Does it smell sweet, not musty?
3. When you shake a handful there should be no dust

Housing

Outdoor rabbits can be kept in a hutch which is secure from predators. The hutch should be at least large enough for the rabbit to stand on its hind-legs, lie stretched out or move three hops in either direction. There should be an enclosed sleeping area and a larger "daytime" area.

Make sure there are no sharp edges in the hutch and it is easy to clean. Galvanised wire or lead is not recommended - rabbits love to chew and poisonings frequently occur.

Indoor or house rabbits benefit from having a hutch or cage which they can use to rest, sleep or just hide if life gets too stressful. Any areas of the house that the rabbit has access to should be checked to make sure it's "rabbit-proof" - all electrical cables are hidden or protected with solid plastic piping.

Bedding material can be clean straw or shredded newspaper. Wood shavings can be used provided they don't contain fine dust. Also pine and cedar shavings contain aromatic resins which may cause lung problems. Make sure the wood has not been treated with any preservatives. Soft towels can be used for house rabbits. The most important fact is that the bedding must be kept clean and dry.

The hutch or cage should be cleaned at least twice a week. If your rabbit has a regular toileting area then this should be cleaned daily - a litter tray can be used to allow easy removal. Disinfect the hutch after cleaning with a safe disinfectant.

House rabbits have a tendency to chew anything they can get their teeth into. Chewing is a natural behaviour and fresh edible branches such as apple or willow should be offered to provide an outlet.

Rabbits are hardy animals but cannot tolerate damp, draughty or hot conditions. Make sure they have somewhere to hide from these weathers. Plastic sheeting or a blanket covering the exposed front of the hutch and plenty of bedding will keep them comfortable in most winters.