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If ever in doubt, please contact your vet and/or the
breeder that you bought your bunny from!
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The articles presented here are to be used as a guide. If you find any
problems with your rabbit that you are not comfortable in dealing with yourself,
please see your local veterinarian. The Edmonton Area Rabbit Society takes
no responsibility for any negative outcome in the health and well being of your
animal in regards to the suggestions presented on this site.
Thank you.
CARE:
Once your new bunny has settled down in his new home you will want to try hard
to make him happy. But when it comes to food, you must temper your
affections. Your bunny must be kept on a proper diet and you must try hard
to follow it. Although bunnies are usually associated with goodies like
candy and chocolate-covered eggs, you certainly should not feed your pet sweets.
Feeding Guidelines:
Do not overfeed your pet. Twice a day, morning and evening, is enough.
Pelletized rabbit food should form the mainstay of your pet's diet. This
food provides a convenient balanced diet and is used successfully by countless
numbers of rabbit keepers. You can supplement the prepared food with an
occasional nibble of stale bread. Greens should be offered to your pet on
a limited bases only, and be sure that any fresh food items are thoroughly
washed before they are served to your pet. Any rabbits under that age of 6
months should not be feed any type of greens as they have delicate
digestive systems at this point and the introduction of greens can cause an
upset GI system which could lead to death. Some pet owners like to provide
their rabbits with a salt lick or spool, while others feel that prepared rabbit
food contains a sufficient amount of this element. Avoid giving your pet
rabbit leftovers or in-between meal snacks. And you should not, of course
give him meat. Your rabbit is a decided vegetarian! Keep plenty of
fresh water available at all times. It is best to serve your rabbit's
water in a water bottle that attaches to the side of the cage. In this
way, the water cannot become soiled by droppings or bedding material.
Feeding dishes should be deep and heavy so that your pet cannot tip them.
Acclimation
There is more to feeding and taking care of a rabbit than meets the eye.
Don't just set the food in front of him and walk away; try to keep him company.
Speak to him in a gentle voice, show him that you are friendly. When you
want him to come to you, call him softly by name - don't shout. When he
comes to you, reward him; eventually he will grow more friendly. As you
stroke him, move your hand in the same direction as the lie of the fur - don't
ruffle it. Rabbits generally get along fine with other pets. However
exercise caution when introducing your bunny. Do not give your other pets
any opportunity to harm the bunny. Some rabbit keepers claim it's quite a
sight to see a rabbit playing with a large dog, even leaping over his big friend
:) Such behavior however is more the exception than a rule.
Housing
Your rabbit will live in a house within a home: you will keep him in your
own home, but he will have a house of his own - a hutch or cage. This will
give him all the comforts of expansive living, and save you the trouble of
finding him when he has crawled into some hidden corner. The hutch or cage
can be in or out of doors. It depends upon you. If outdoors, of
course, it will require more weatherproofing. The pen should be large
enough to allow the rabbit to exercise. It should be at least four and a
half feet wide, 2 and a half feet high and two feet deep. It should be
divided into two parts: 2/3rd of it should be a wire surrounding for a
"front yard" and 1/3rd closed in for a "bedroom". A rabbit that lives
outdoors during the winter requires a shelter and this "bedroom" does the trick.
A flap of burlap will provide a simple door and protect him from drafts.
If you decide to keep the hutch outdoors, place it in a spot that gets some sun,
but remember to avoid direct sun because it will make the pen too hot.
Your rabbit doesn't require much heat, but too much of it can lead it to heat
exhaustion that could be deadly. The hutch or cage should be built at
least 2 feet off the ground with a sloping roof and a slight overhang; rain will
then run off the back. For added protection, canvas flaps can be attached
to all four sides and lowered when the weather is bad. The roof should be
hinged to permit easy cleaning. The "front yard" should be enclosed in one
half inch wire mesh; this not only makes the cage mouse-proof, it prevents stray
cats from poking their claws through. For bedding, use a material that is
soft. Hay and straw are a good choice.
Housekeeping
Regardless of the material used for your rabbit's bedding, it should always
be clean. Replace the bedding 2-3 times a week. Rabbits are among
some of the cleanest animals in the world, and they always assist their owners
in keeping their home clean and neat. Your pet will usually dirty only one
corner of his hutch, which makes cleaning a lot easier. The entire living
area should be cleaned thoroughly at least once a week. Scrub it with a
solution of mild disinfectant. Cleanliness is the best insurance for the
health of your rabbit. You are lucky to have a pet that is so clean by
nature, one that is easy to take care of. Help him along with these few
simple guidelines, and you will be helping him to a happy and healthy life.
Safety Tips
Naturally, you will want to take every step to ensure your rabbit's safety
and well-being - both indoors and outdoors. Periodically check your pets
housing for any signs of wear-and-tear. A protruding piece of cage wire
can cause a painful scratch if your rabbit brushes against it. By the same
token, worn-out materials can become a virtual haven for parasites and other
pests. Food bowls should be heavy in weight to prevent tipping; a
lightweight glass or ceramic dish can be shoved about and shattered by a
rabbit's vigorous hopping movements. When you let your pet out of its cage
for playtime and/or an exercise session, make sure that you are ready nearby to
keep an eye on him. Remember that rabbits love to gnaw, and they are not
always discriminating in the object of this favorite pasting: chewing on an
electrical cord indoors or a toxic object outdoors can lead to quick and
unnecessary death.
Poisonous Plants
Contrary to a commonly held assumption, rabbits do not always reject
poisonous plants. If your pet is permitted outdoors, you should
familiarize yourself with the wild plants that grow in the area that he is
playing in. Plants to be avoided include foxglove, yew, creeping buttercup
and all plants from bulbs. Generally, do not let your pet eat unknown
plant matter. Rabbit keepers should also be aware that Milkweed, a
common plant found in North America, is toxic to all rabbits. Symptoms of
milkweed poisoning are evidenced by paralysis. Treatment and cure for
milkweed poisoning involve a slow process. Veterinary care is an absolute
must.
HEALTH:
If you give your rabbit the proper care and attention, hopefully he will
maintain a sound state of health. Most diseases result from the lack of
proper care, unsanitary living conditions, bad ventilation or too much, too
little, or improper food. If your rabbit does not respond to the
treatments suggested here, call a Vet.
Diarrhea:
Young rabbits are most likely to have tummy upsets. Just like babies,
their tummies are very delicate and sensitive to new foods. If you notice
your young rabbit having loose, soft droppings, Gastro Enteritis is most likely
the culprit. Remove any food in the cage and replace with good quality hay
and rolled oats (Quaker oats). You can try feeding strawberry, bramble or
raspberry leaves to help settle the bunny's tummy.
Coccidiosis:
This is caused by tiny creatures, call coccidia, which may be found in a
rabbit's stomach. These may make the rabbit lose weight although it may
continue to eat well. The coat loses its shine and the rabbit may also
have loose droppings. The disease may be cured by a drug from the
veterinarian or by feeding the rabbit with pellets that contain the drug, call
coccidostats.
Sore Hocks:
It's important to look at the base of your rabbit's legs regularly.
They should have a thick coating of fur here. some rabbits, especially Rex
breeds, have very thin fur here, and it sometimes gets worn away, causing
painful sore patches. The cure is to keep the rabbit on a thick pile of
bedding and put some anti-fungal cream on the sore patch until it heals.
Dirty, wet bedding can result in a similar problem.
Malocclusion of Teeth:
Sometimes the teeth do not overlap (top teeth over bottom teeth) and carry
on growing until the cannot eat at all. There us no real cure for this
unfortunate condition, apart from cutting them back regularly. Rabbits do
not have nerve endings in their front teeth, so it's as painless as you cutting
your nails. This condition is either hereditary (born with it) or was
caused from an environmental situation (chewing on wire, falling and breaking
teeth etc.)
Pneumonia:
This is an inflammation of the lungs and often results from the rabbit being
in a draft or in damp conditions. With pneumonia, the rabbit's breathing
becomes very rapid. The rabbit will look miserable. It huddles up
and looses it's appetite. The best thing to do is keep the rabbit warm,
with plenty of bedding and plenty of indirect fresh air. The assistance of
a veterinarian is essential, as most rabbits die within a few days of
contracting the illness. Sometimes there is much to be done.
Eye Infections:
Domestic rabbits are rather susceptible to eye problems, primarily
infections caused by dust and/or other flying matter that accumulates in the
tear ducts. As a result of the blockage caused by the dirt gathered, fluid
fills the eye pocket and subsequently flows down the rabbit's cheeks.
Prevention of dust accumulation should be stressed, as a cure is never as easy
as prevention. Often only one eye is affected, although some unfortunate
rabbits suffer an infection in both eyes. Polysporin Ear/Eye drops have
been used by many people with great success in treating the problem.
Snuffles:
This is a disease that beings with the rabbit sneezing a lot. At first
it might seem as though the sneezing is caused simply but dusty bedding, but if
it continues and the rabbit also has a runny nose, it's pretty safe to say that
it is a strain of snuffles. Just like the common cold, there is no cure
for Snuffles as the pathogen mutates from one host to the next. Your
rabbit should be isolated from all other rabbits in the household and may be
treated with an antibiotic from your veterinarian, but this will only mask the
symptoms. There is no cure for snuffles, it is a chronic and terminal
disease.
Ear Cankers:
This is caused by a small ear mite. If the rabbit is suffering from
canker it will constantly shake its head and scratch its ears with its hind
legs. It will also have yellowy-brown lumps in its ear. Use a cotton
swab to coat the inside of the ear with mineral oil or olive oil once a day for
3 days. Repeat this procedure in 2 weeks.
We hope that this article has helped you with your pet bunny. If you
are ever in doubt however, please contact your vet and/or the breeder that you
purchased your bunny from.
Page Last updated on: November 4, 2007
Counter restarted on July 31, 2005
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