Rabbit Advice

Housing

Rabbits need a habitat that is as similar as possible to their natural environment.

• They should be kept in a large enclosure which provides enough room for them to fully stand up, hop, run, jump and dig
• They should have a sleeping area that is warm, dry and free from draughts
• They require hiding areas to ensure they feel safe: these can be provided by having boxes, tubes and a hutch. The whole area should be predator-proof
• Small hutches would compromise their welfare as they cannot exhibit normal behaviour. A hutch area should be seen as their bedroom only and attached to a run at all times to allow exercise 24/7
• Each rabbit should have enough space to be away from each other if they want and also be able to run and jump at the same time as each other
• The sleeping area should be lined with newspaper and have plenty of dust-free hay or straw for them to burrow a nest
• It should be cleaned out daily to prevent attracting any flies. The dropping and urine patches should be scooped out daily, with a weekly total clean
• Rabbits generally like to defecate in one area so once they have established that area, you can provide them with a litter tray and substrate to help with daily emptying
• Rabbits should be checked minimum of 2 times per day and 3 times a day during the summer, due to the increased risk of illness such as fly strike
• House rabbits are becoming more popular as they can be easily litter trained (defecate/urinate in one area) and they normally enjoy the human interaction! The house should be rabbit-proofed by providing a pen area or by covering all wires. Make sure there isn’t too much hard flooring as this can cause sore hocks
• Rabbits need stimulation to prevent boredom; this can be achieved by using inexpensive toys such as cardboard tubes, boxes, or a litter tray filled with soil for digging
• Rabbits are very clever and they can be clicker trained just like dogs! They love searching for their food and running through tunnels, their nuggets can be put in a treat ball to encourage exercise and slow their eating down. It is important to rotate toys regularly as they can get bored quickly!
• Rabbits don’t like extreme temperatures. In the winter it is advisable to bring the hutch and run inside the shed or garage, or cover with a warm thick blanket and waterproof sheet to protect them from the elements. In the summer they are known to get heat stoke when the temperature reaches over 80°F (27°C) so providing shaded areas is very important

Rabbits should be fed a diet mainly consisting of hay and grass; in fact this should make up 80% of their daily intake.

A rabbit should be having as much hay as their body size every day. Feeding hay from racks or nets helps to minimise contamination and also increases the time spent feeding, which decreases boredom and aids normal dentition.

Concentrate food (pellets) are not an essential part of a rabbit’s diet: if ad-lib hay, grass and greens are provided, rabbits do not require any concentrate. If you do feed concentrates, it is recommended to only give 1 tablespoon to small-medium breeds and 2 tablespoons to giant breeds per day. When choosing a concentrate it is important to feed a pellet form as rabbits have a sweet tooth and often pick out their favourite parts of a muesli diet, therefore feeding a pellet diet prevents selective feeding and ensures they are receiving all the nutrients and fibre. Overfeeding of concentrates can lead to gastrointestinal problems and dental disease. It can also lead to obesity, boredom & behavioural problems.

Treats can be given in very small amounts but avoid any treats that are high in fat and carbohydrates, such as commercial treats, beans, peas, corn, bread, breakfast cereal, nuts, seeds and chocolate.
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Green foods, such as fruit and vegetables, are an important component of a rabbit’s diet so it is advisable to feed a variety of these daily (about a teacup size portion or the size of the rabbit’s head). Fruit should be limited as it is very high in natural sugars. Most fruit pips are poisonous and should therefore be avoided. Introduce new foods gradually to help minimise digestive upsets.

General feeding tips:

• Never feed mouldy food or lawnmower clippings as they can cause serious gastric upsets
• Always allow ad lib access to clean, fresh water. Drinking bottles or ceramic bowls are suitable depending on your rabbit’s preference
• Nutrient deficiency can occur easily in rabbits as they have a very specialized digestive system. They produce two types of faeces, droppings and caecotrophs:
• Droppings should be dry, slightly larger than pea-size, light in colour and crumble easily
• Caecotrophs are a group of faeces that are moist, soft and sticky and resemble a bunch of grapes. Caecotrophs should be ingested by rabbits as they are passed to absorb more nutrients.

Vaccinations are essential to protect your rabbit from life threatening diseases. They are a low dose, single, subcutaneous injection which should be started from 5 weeks of age.

We use a combined vaccination, which needs to be repeated yearly to protect against Myxomatosis and Viral Haemorrhagic Disease, both of which are fatal to rabbits.

• Myxomatosis (Myxi): This is a virus spread by infected fleas and flying insects, or from contact between infected rabbits and the environment. Early signs are spotted with swellings around the face and eyes and can then spread to the genital area. Eating and drinking is then reduced and then this can lead to death. Vaccinated rabbits can catch milder forms of myxomatosis and will often recover with intensive veterinary care. Unfortunately, most unvaccinated rabbits usually die from the disease, even with veterinary intervention.
• Viral Haemorrhagic disease (VHD): This is a very serious and deadly disease that rabbits can catch from contact with contaminated rabbits and the environment (spread by migrating birds droppings). It will cause internal bleeding, liver disease and a high fever. Most rabbits are found dead with no symptoms, others can experience bleeding from the nose or mouth. There is no treatment available so vaccinating yearly is vital.​

All rabbits need to be vaccinated, even if your rabbit lives indoors. This is because Myxomatosis is spread by fleas and flying insects, which can be brought into your home by you and any other pets.

Overgrown incisor teeth on the left compared to normal incisor teeth on the right

Dental disease is very common in pet rabbits: this can be due to poor diet or breed disposition (such as Netherland Dwarves). Rabbits have continuously growing teeth that are worn down through eating, if a rabbit does not have an appropriate diet they may get spurs on their molars which can be painful and cause them to stop eating.

• Heart disease: Obese rabbits tend to have high resting heart rate and blood pressure, which can result in them developing heart disease when put under stress
• Eye problems: rabbits can get eye infections, milky eyes and blocked tear ducts.
• Urine scalding and cystitis can be caused by a dirty hutch or if the rabbit is unable to groom or direct their urine away from the folds of skin and fat. It can result in urine burning the skin and causing and infection which can then track up to cause a bladder infection. This is more common in obese rabbits and rabbits with poor living conditions.
• Faecal scalding is where a rabbit does not eat their caecotrophs. It can be down to a dietary problem but more likely due to rolls of fat covering their anus, or arthritis resulting in back pain that makes them unable to bend round to their bottom. The faeces can get stuck to the fur and result in discomfort and/or flystrike.
• Gut stasis: rabbits have a very complex digestive system, meaning that they need to eat constantly throughout the day to keep their guts moving. Gut stasis is a lack of gut movement which can be fatal. If your rabbit stops eating or they stop producing or have smaller faeces then they should be taken to see a vet immediately.
• Arthritis: this is inflammation of the joints and can be common in the spine, elbows, knees and hocks. This can be exacerbated by obesity and can lead to knock-on effects such as inability to groom leading to faecal and urine scalding, which can then lead to discomfort, cystitis or flystrike
• Pododermatitis: also known as sore hocks/pressure sores. Rabbits have thick guard hairs covering the soles of their feet to protect them. However, a variety of reasons such as weight gain, long nails or incorrect substrate can wear down these hairs. This can cause the skin to become swollen and sore. This will cause pain and infection.
• Skin: Small areas of intense dandruff may develop which can result in loss of fur and dermatitis caused by a skin parasite called ‘Cheyetiella parasitovorax’. This will require a specific anti-parasite treatment and it is best to get it check out by a veterinary surgeon
• Hepatic lipidosis: Obese rabbits have high cholesterol levels which leads to excess fat being stored in the liver. This puts extra pressure on the liver, making it fragile and reduces its function, which can be fatal
• Obesity: it is estimated that one in three rabbits are obese, this can lead to a variety of problems (many listed above) and should be treated very seriously by adjustment to their diet (but never withhold food) and an increase in exercise. Please book a nurse clinic to discuss in more depth.
• Fly strike (Myiasis): Flies are attracted to the smell of ammonia in urine, the odour of faeces and any damaged tissue (from sores and wounds). The flies lay eggs on the rabbit that will later hatch into maggots. The maggots will then feed on dead and living skin tissue and release toxins into the rabbit’s body. Fly strike is extremely painful and uncomfortable and if it’s not dealt with immediately it can be fatal. It can happen very quickly and can be prevented by cleaning the rabbit’s enclosure daily, checking their rear end at least three times a day in the summer, feeding a high fibre diet and encouraging exercise. Pet-safe insecticides such as ‘rear-guard’ can also be applied to keep flies away. Rabbits should be taken to the vet immediately if any maggots are seen.