BUNNY CARE

Health and daily care

Pet rabbits are relatively low maintenance, however there are a few crucial things you should know before getting a rabbit such as the right diet (see diet page ) , housing, seasonal care and health problems that can occur.

Finding all the right information on the internet about rabbit care can be daunting as there are so many different sites and not all contain all the info you will need and some are just plain wrong!! hopefully this page will help you understand how to care for your rabbit correctly......

HOUSING

Many times i have seen peoples pet rabbits stuck in the back garden in tiny hutches, lots of people are not aware that a rabbit needs alot of space and a standard hutch size is not big enough even for a mini breed.

The minimum size hutch we recommend for a mini breed is at least 5x2 with access to a large run preferably attached to the hutch so the rabbit is free to run around during the day, it does not matter to much if the run is seperate as long as there is shelter in the run and somewhere to hide and bunny is put away at night.

Giant bunnies will need a much larger hutch, minimum size we recommend for all giant breeds is at least 7x3 with breeds such as the continental giant needing exta height, the rabbit should be able to stand up on hind legs in the hutch, we dont recommend adding a run via a ramp for giant breeds as they are not as agile as the miniature breeds.

A small shed is an excellent housing option for a giant rabbit or a dog kennel, the type with large run attached.

All our giants are housed in hutches no smaller than 7x3 foot and our mini breeds no smaller than 5x2

Making sure your bunny has plenty of time in a large run is important not only to prevent bunny getting bored but also to help keep bunny fit and healthy and lots of excercise will help keep bunnies digestive system moving nicely.

Added toys in the run such as logs and tubes to run through are great for bunnies they love racing around jumping on logs and running through the tubes!!!

Rabbits can also be kept in the house for more info on house bunnies please click here

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BEDING & HUTCH CLEANING

We use a layer of soft shavings topped with soft barley straw in all our hutches, the shavings are good to use as bottom layer as they are very absorbant helping to reduce smells and to keep hutch floor clean and dry, in the winter we use extra straw so bunny has a comfy bed to snuggle in to.

Rabbits will mostly use one corner of the hutch to go to the toilet and this should be cleaned out daily, a complete hutch clean should be done at least once a week using a dissinfectant, we use virkon.

Every few months and before breeding we steam clean all the hutches, its hard work but it is vital to ensure a clean environment for the little ones!!

Make sure to thouroughly clean all equipment and feeding bowls, bottles etc.. at least once a week.

GROOMING

Some rabbits will need more grooming than others such as angora rabbits will require much more brushing than a mini rex,

Rabbits also require extra grooming during moult.

A quick brush to remove lose hair when needed is all most rabbits need,

You will need to check your rabbits teeth regulary to ensure they are not overgrown, check nails, ears and check the rear for sticky bottoms.

SEASONAL BUNNY CARE

Rabbits do not cope with heat well and can very quickly overheat and die, be sure to keep your rabbit out of direct sunlight and to ensure you keep him cool in the summer, bunnies can cope quite well with the cold and will thrive in a hutch during the winter however be sure to protect from rain, make sure hutch is kept dry, bedding is kept dry and bunny has lots of extra straw to snuggle in to, a hutch cover works well to keep out the rain but make sure it is loose enough to allow for good ventilation.

HEALTH

Please be aware that most rabbits if cared for properly will get through life with few problems, however health problems can occur and it is vital that you have at least some knowledge of symptoms so if your bunny is ill you can act , some of the health problems bunnies can suffer with are...................

MYXOMATOSIS

Has a survival rate of just 5% in unvaccinated rabbits, if it is a strong strain there is little chance of survival however there are steps you can take to ensure your rabbit is not affected, the virus is spread by biting insects and not usually from rabbit to rabbit contact, however still keep other rabbits well away from a rabbit with myxomatosis.

No 1 step is to vaccinate, a vaccinated rabbit can still get myxi but the chances of survival are much higher and the rabbit stands a very good chance of recovery.

Please be aware that myxi season is in august/september so vaccinations are best given may/ june time to ensure complete protection, if you are in a high danger area for myxi vaccinations are best given every six months, your vet will be able to tell you if this is neccasery, other steps you can take are to ensure environment is kept clean as not to attract insects, to keep bunny in a shed or better off in the house, and if you keep outside in a hutch it is highly recommended to attach mosquito netting over hutch doors and over runs, this way if the insects cannot get to bunny, bunny will not get bitten!!

Symptoms are swollen eyes, nose, genitals, lumps on ears and/or round jaw, heavy eye discharge and possibly difficulty in breathing due to swelling.

VHD ( VIRAL HEAMOHARGIC DIESEASE )

Is a viral diesease and is a sure bunny killer and the only protection against vhd is to vaccinate, death usually occurs before any symptoms are noticeable, bleeding from the nose and convulsions are a symptom of vhd, vaccination must be given after 2 weeks of myxomatosis vaccination.

COCCIDIOSIS

Can be a maijor problem for rabbit breeders and since there are few treatments on the market that completely kill the coccidia it can be hard to defeat, in older rabbits high numbers will mainly cause weight loss and is rarely fatal.

In young rabbits however it is a maijor cause for concern and can be fatal, a young rabbit is very vulnerable and the immune system is not strong enough to cope with coccidiosis, amprolium and sulphaquinoxaline based treatments are usually used to control the coccidia however they will not kill the coccidia completely, we treat our rabbits twice yearly and always before breeding with baycox, baycox will completely kill the coccidia in 48 hours and when you have little ones is a life saver compared with other products that can take up to 14 days to only control the problem, during treatment dissinfect all hutches and equipment, the only dissinfectant that will kill coccidia is jeyes fluid, bleach and normal dissinfectants are no use, high temperatures may also kill the coccidia and steam cleaning is recommended.

FLY STRIKE

Rabbits are at danger from fly strike during the summer months, flies are attracted to the rabbits rear end and eggs are layed in the rabbits fur, when the eggs hatch maggots will start to eat the flesh, YOU MUST CONTACT YOUR VET IMMEDIATELY IF YOUR RABBIT GETS FLY STRIKE!!!!

It is very important to keep your rabbit and environment clean to protect against fly strike.

GI STASIS

Stasis is a slowdown of the digestive system and can lead to blockages in the intestines, if bunny stops pooping or poops become less, smaller or misshapen feed only hay and regular green foods, stop feeding pellets and make sure bunny ALWAYS has access to water ( you should be doing this anyway ), if bunny is bloated, lethargic, completely off food and/or water, contact your vet immediately.

MUCOID ENTEROPATHY

more commonly known as bloat or enteritis

Baby bunnies are most at risk of mucoid enteropathy between 5-12 weeks, bunny will be very lethargic, bloated, rough coated, be very constipated and/ or/followed by diarreah and mucous, dehydrated and off food.

In the wrong hands is almost always fatal and even experience cannot always save a bunny, it is crucial you contact a vet experienced in rabbit care and your breeder if your baby bunny develops bloat.

A wrong move with a baby bunny with bloat is likely to end in fatality and stress will only worsen the problem.

Can be caused by many things, stress, sudden food change, being taken away from mum to early, poor diet/not enough fibre, bad bacteria and coccidiosis can all cause bloat problems

Please note not all bloat is the same and can be caused by different things, sometimes with slighty different symptoms.

Identifying the cause is usually crucial in saving baby bunnies life.

MALLOCLUSION

Malloclusion/ deformed teeth, is genetic so it is very important never to breed from a rabbit with known malloclusion, breeds such as netherland dwarfs, mini lops and french lops are more prone to malloclusion because of the shape of the jaw, a rabbit with severe malloclusion can have its teeth taken out if it is the incisors, molars can be filed, hay is very important to keep rabbit teeth trim.

CHEYLETIELLA PARASITIVORAX

Or more commonly known as fur mites

Visible to the naked eye as very very small white flecks often called walking dandruff and can be easily treated with ivermectin spot on for rabbits, never use a product not specifically made for rabbits as some treatments such as frontline for dogs can kill a rabbit, be sure to thouroughly clean living areas as well, regular treatments will prevent any mite infestations.

CANKER

Ear mites

If left can be very unsightly forming large scabby crusts in the ear, signs early on are waxy slightly scabby ears and shaking of the head, treatment can be effective using ivermectin spot on and pure white mineral oil drops in the ear and to clean the ear. NEVER PUT MITE TREATMENT DIRECTLY IN TO RABBITS EARS ALWAYS USE ONLY AS DIRECTED, Contact your vet if your rabbit appears to have ear mites.