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Health Care for Rabbits
General Information
Rabbits are growing in popularity as pets,
and for hobby breeding. They are clean, relatively easy
to handle, can be litterbox trained and can grow to enjoy
the attention given them as pets. They seldom bite but
can inflict deep scratches, if not property held.
Rabbits live an average of 5-10 years.
Males reach breeding age at 6-10 months of age, females
between 5-9 months of age. Gestation is between 29 and 35
days, and litters average 4-10 bunnies. Weaning age is
6-8 weeks.
Diets
Feeding pet rabbits is made easy due to
the fact that nutritionally complete and balance
commercial pelleted diets are available. One of these
pelleted diets and fresh water are all that a pet rabbit
requires.
The pellets should be available at all
times unless overeating and obesity have become worrisome
problems. Clean, fresh water should be available at all
times.
The pellets should be as fresh as possible
when purchased and should be purchased in relatively
small quantities. It is advisable that the pellets be
stored in the refrigerator to prevent premature spoilage.
Pellets that will probably not be used within two months
of purchase should be frozen immediately after purchase. Refusal to eat rancid pellets is a relatively common
cause of anorexia among rabbits.
Fresh water should be offered daily either
in a bottle or in a heavy ceramic dish that cannot be
easily overturned. Many hobbyist find the handing
drop-style water bottles to be the most satisfactory. The
water container, regardless of the type used, should be
thoroughly cleaned and disinfected at least every 3 to 5
days.
It is recommended that good quality hay
(either grass, alfalfa, or clover) or grass clippings be
offered daily. Some researchers feel that this practice
reduces intestinal problems and the tendency to pull out
and chew on hair.
Other food items (lettuce, spinach,
alfalfa sprouts, carrot tops, beet greens, carrot, apple)
can be offered two to three times weekly. The reason for
the relative infrequency of offering these food items is
that they are water-rich and lack the nutrient density of
the pelleted diets. Furthermore, many rabbits develop a
preference for these items over pellets if they are
offered more infrequently. Some rabbits, however, can
handle table food items offered daily if given in small
amounts (no more than 20 percent by volume of the
total diet).
Vitamin-mineral supplementation is not
necessary if a pet rabbit is fed as outlined above. Some
rabbit owners provide saltlicks for their pets, but
experts do not regard this addition as a necessity.
Many veterinarians advocate the daily
addition of pineapple or pina colada yogurt to the diet.
Most rabbits willingly accept the yogurt, especially if
they are introduced to it at a young age. The yogurt not
only promotes and maintains the normal bacterial flora
within the digestive tract, but the pineapple contains an
enzyme (papain) that is thought to help dissolve ingested
hair (see section on Hairballs).
Rabbits pass two type of feces: the firm,
dry daytime feces and the soft, moist nighttime fecal
pellet. The night feces are covered with mucus. They are
taken directly from the anus and swallowed intact by the
rabbit. The soft pellet contains twice the protein and
half the fiber of the hard fecal pellets. The process
improves the utilization of nitrogen, provides an
abundance of certain B vitamins and conserves water.
Rabbit urine may range in color from
cloudy yellow to red-brown.
Handling
Rabbits should be handled gently but
firmly. They are prone to kick their hind legs and can
cause deep scratches. Never pick a rabbit up by the ears.
A rabbit can be picked up by sliding one hand under its
breastbone and grasping both front legs between the
fingers of this hand. The other hand is then gently
worked under the rear quarters to fully support them as
the rabbit is lifted up. To carry a rabbit, it should be
placed on the forearm with its head concealed in the bend
of the elbow.
Rabbits feel insecure and will slip and
slide on slick surfaces. Placing a both towel under a
rabbit will keep it calm. A rabbit back is very easily
injured, if it struggles violently.
Housing Considerations
Rabbits can be housed indoors or outdoors.
Indoor rabbits should be confined to a suitable enclosure
when their activity cannot be adequately supervised. A
roomy wire cage with at least one-half of the floor
surface area covered with plexiglass or washable towels
is recommended. Relief from constant and continual
contact with the wire floor afforded by the plexiglass or
towels helps to prevent hutch sores to the feet. A water
bottle or ceramic crock, food dish and a litterbox should
be provided for the rabbit inside this enclosure.
Under no circumstances should
rabbits be allowed total freedom within the home. Rabbits
love to chew and can be very destructive to biting into
telephone and electrical cords.
Like cats, rabbits can be easily trained
to use a litter box in the home. If the rabbit has
already exhibited a location preference for its
bathrooming activities, then the litterbox should be
placed in this location. It helps to place some of the
rabbits fecal pellets in the litterbox to encourage its
prompt usage.
Rabbits housed outdoors should be confined
to roomy wire cages with plexiglass covering
approximately one-half of the floors surface area. The
wire mesh should be just large enough to allow fecal
pellets to drop through. A water bottle or ceramic crock
and an equally weighted food dish should be provided. It
is imperative that visual security and adequate shade to
provided as well. Rabbits are typically anxious, wary
animals and are easily frightened.
This is especially true of newly acquired
pet rabbits and rabbits kept for reasons other than as
pets. A concealed area into which these rabbits can
retreat when they feel threatened is necessary in order
to prevent injury that would result from excessive and
futile efforts to escape from the cage. Hiding place
provides a sure alternative to useless and often
injurious escape efforts.
Shade must be provided in order to prevent
heat stress and heat stroke. Adequate shelter must also
be provided against the elements (wind, rain, snow, ice,
etc.).
Sterilization
Pet rabbits not intended for breeding
should be sterilized at any time after 5 months of age.
Male rabbits (especially of the dwarf varieties) have a
tendency to become assertive and aggressive upon reaching
sexual maturity. Neutering (castration) is the best way
to reduce the severity of the problems (biting,
urine-spraying) that result from the attainment of sexual
maturity.
Female rabbits should be spayed
(ovariohysterectomized) to prevent unwanted pregnancy and
uterine cancer. The latter condition is the most common
type of tumor afflicting female rabbits and is often
associated with serious blood loss. Spaying female
rabbits may also help to prevent or reduce territorial
aggression among females.
Diseases
Pasteurellosis
The bacterium, Pasteurella multocida, is the major infectious agent of
rabbits. It is most often transmitted between chronically
infected does and their litters or between breeding
pairs. The bacteria most often reside in the nose, lungs
and eye membranes, but can spread to other areas of the
body.
Pasteurellosis of rabbits may be
manifested in many different ways. Respiratory disease,
including infection of the nasal passages and sinuses as
well as pneumonia, is extremely common. Infections of the
ocular (eye) membranes, middle ear(s), jawbone and uterus
are most often the result of the Pasteurella organism.
Abscesses (single or multiple) are also
extremely common and result when the Pasteurella organism
localizes in a specific location. The rabbit's body
responds to this invasion with an influx of tremendous
numbers of white blood cells to fight the infection. Pus
results from the accumulation of dead and dying while
blood cells and tissue cells in the area of the
infection.
Pasteurella infections traditionally have
been considered essentially incurable if allowed to reach
a chronic state. Aggressive antibiotic therapy with the
appropriate drugs, however, especially if undertaken
early in the course of the disease, is often rewarding.
Many antibiotics have great difficulty making their way
into the relatively inaccessible sites of most infections
and penetrating the solid-type pus that rabbits create in
the face of bacterial infections.
Pasteurella is a chronic and persistent
problem in most rabbitries and very difficult to
eradicate. This disease complex creates its most serious
problems under conditions of malnutrition, overcrowding,
poor sanitation, temperature extremes, inadequate air
circulation and other stressful situations.
Ideally, prospective rabbit owners should
insist that their pet rabbit originate from a
Pasteurella-free rabbitry, but this is not always
possible. It is advisable, however, that all newly
acquired pet rabbits, regardless of origin, be thoroughly
examined by a competent veterinarian as soon as possible
after acquisition.
Ear Mites
Ear mite infestations
cause typical changes to the ears, accumulation of a
light brown crusty material that fills or nearly fills
the external ear canal. The underlying tissues are
usually very raw and irritated. In especially severe
cases, lesions from the infestation may spread to
adjacent areas of the head. The infestation may be
treated with a topical preparation.
Hairballs
Like cats, rabbits
(especially Angora rabbits) frequently develop hairballs
within their stomachs. But unlike cats, rabbits cannot
vomit and, as a result, the hair that is swallowed from
frequent grooming passes into the stomach and remains
there. Over time, the hair develops into a solid mass
that grows even larger.
As the hairball increases in size, it
begins to occupy more and more of the stomach's interior,
leaving less room for food. Initial symptoms of a
hairball problem include reluctance to eat pellets with
more interest in eating greens and treat items exhibited.
Later, symptoms include general inappetence, decrease in
size of fecal pellets or total absence of same, weakness,
weight loss and, eventually, death from starvation.
Surgery is necessary in order to open up
the stomach and remove the hairball. Recurrences are
common. Prevention involves vigorous daily brushing of
the rabbit and concurrent administration of intestinal
lubricants designed for cats. Many rabbit fanciers and
veterinarians feel that the administration of fresh (not
canned) pineapple juice, pineapple chunks or papaya which
contain a digestive enzyme may help in the prevention of
stomach hairballs in rabbits. The suggested dosage or
pineapple juice is one-half teaspoon per two pounds body
weight administered daily. A suitable alternative to this
is pina colada yogurt at the same dosage and frequency.
Hutch Sores--Sore Hocks
Hutch
sores are chronically ulcerated and infected wounds on
the weight-bearing surfaces of the rear (sometimes the
front) paws that result from one or more of the following
predisposing factors: reduced thickness of fur on the
bottoms of feet, continued thumping of the rear feet when
frightened, increased weight-bearing from excessive body
weight, lack of movement from living in a small enclosure
and abrasions from irregular cage flooring.
Hutch sores can occur in rabbits housed on
both solid and wire floors but are a more frequent
consequence with the later circumstance. As mentioned in
the "Housing Considerations" section above, pet
rabbits that are housed indoors or outdoors should be
confined in roomy wire cages with plexiglass covering
approximately half of the floor's surface area.
Hutch sores are treatable, requiring
judicious use of antibiotics (both topically and by
injection) and periodic bandaging of the affected.
Overgrown Incisor Teeth
Malocclusion (improperly aligned teeth resulting in
abnormal dental growth and wear) in the rabbit usually
results in overgrown incisor (front) teeth. Many rabbits
suffering from malocclusion probably possess a genetic
deficiency that results in an abnormally short upper jaw.
This structural defect prevents the continuously growing
upper and lower incisors from meeting each other as the
rabbit chews. Consequently, the incisors grow unimpeded,
causing considerable trauma to the tongue and lining of
the mouth. A rabbit's "bite" must be absolutely
perfect in order for normal dental wear to occur.
Infections of the jawbone in the area of
the incisors can also result in malalignment of these
teeth. Many cases of overgrown incisors result from
previous injury to the area of the jaw(s) responsible for
growth of the incisor teeth with subsequent uneven growth
of them.
Initial symptoms of this disorder include
the desire to eat but failure to properly chew and
swallow food, slobbering and wet dewlap. Soon,
inappetence and weight loss become noticeable. Death from
starvation can occur if the problem goes unnoticed and
untreated.
Treatment involves periodic clipping of
the incisors and attention to the wounds within the mouth
inflicted by them. The clipping procedure should be
carried out by an experienced veterinarian or veterinary
technician and must be done for life. Rabbits possessing
this affliction should never, under any circumstances, be
bred.
Overgrown Claws
Overgrown claws
are a liability to the rabbit because they become easily
torn when caught in fabric or wire, and to the handler
because a panicked rabbit can inflict painful scratches
with them. Clipping claws requires experience and
restraint of the rabbit and should be done on an as
needed basis. Declawing of rabbits is not
recommended.
Heat Stress (Stroke)
Rabbits are
especially susceptible to heat stroke, particularly those
that are overweight or heavily furred. Environmental
temperatures above 85 degrees Fehrenheit, high humidity
(above 70 percent), inadequate shade and ventilation,
crowding and physiological stress are additional
predisposing factors.
Signs of heat stroke include panting,
slobbering, redness of the ears, weakness and refusal to
move about, delirium, convulsions and eventually death.
Heat stroke is a treatable condition if recognized
relatively early. Heat-stressed rabbits should either be
sprayed with cool water or be bathed in cool water.
Another very effective means for rapidly lowering the
body temperature involves applying cold running water to
the earflaps. Once these first aid measures are
undertaken, a veterinarian should be contacted
immediately.
Prevention of heat stroke involves
providing adequate shade from the sun (if rabbit(s)
housed outdoors) and adequate ventilation (if rabbit(s)
housed indoors). Furthermore, a continuous light mist or
spray of water or a fan operating over a container of ice
can be directed at a rabbit within its enclosure in order
to lower the air temperature, whether the rabbit is
housed indoors or outdoors.
Trauma to the Spine
An interesting
fact is that a rabbit`s entire skeleton comprises only 8
percent of its total body weight whereas that of the
domestic cat is 13 percent of its body weight. The
rabbit's fragile lumbar spine is surrounded by a powerful
muscle mass and is particularly susceptible to fracture.
As stated above in the section on
"Handling-Restraint," injuries to the back are
most often sustained when rabbits are dropped or
improperly picked up and restrained. Rabbits within small
enclosures that become excited and thrash about
excessively are very prone to back injuries as well.
Symptoms of back injury may include
incoordination, urine-soiling and loss of ana sphincter
control. Paralysis of the rear quarters is the most
serious of the symptoms noted with this type of injury.
Any rabbit exhibiting any of these symptoms should be
seen by a veterinarian at once. A thorough physical
examination and x-rays are usually necessary in order to
make the diagnosis and predict the eventual medical
outcome. Generally speaking, the outcomes are
unfavorable.
To avoid injury, very careful pick-up and
judicious restraint of rabbits is necessary. A panicked
and struggling rabbit should never be strong-armed. Instead, such a rabbit should be immediately released and
approached again when it has calmed down.
Uterine Cancer
The most common
tumor of the domestic rabbit involves the uterine lining.
In breeding rabbits, the early signs of this tumor
involve decreased fertility in does, smaller litter
sizes, abortions and still births usually noted over many
months. In pet rabbits, the most common clinical sign of
a uterine tumor is intermittent bleeding from the vulva.
It is often interpreted as blood in the urine. The volume
of hemorrhage can be substantial.
Even though this type of tumor has the
potential to spread to the lungs, spaying rabbits
diagnosed with or suspected to posses this type of cancer
is strongly advised. In fact, because this is so common a
tumor, we recommend that all pet female rabbits be spayed
after 5 to 6 months of age to avoid difficulties with the
reproductive tract later in life.
Wryneck
A serious problem that
often afflicts pet rabbits is "wryneck;" a mild
to severe twisting of the head that results in incoordination and, in some cases, total incapacitation.
Wryneck is most often the result of a bacterial infection
of the inner ear and is not a true neck problem. It can
be treated with antibiotics and judicious use of
anti-inflammatory drugs but the outlook with these cases
is always guarded.
Temporary Selective Anorexia
One
interesting condition of pet rabbits involves the
occasional selective boycotting of alfalfa pelletts.
Affected rabbits usually continue to eat other items in
their diets. This condition occurs most often in response
to stress such as that associated with inadequate
husbandry and sudden environmental changes. The period
during which affected rabbits refuse to eat pellets
varies and amy extend for weeks. The diagnosis of this
condition is made indirectly. Physical examination of the
rabbit and laboratory values of blood taken from it well
be normal. Furthermore, it is necessary to systematically
exclude the known caused for inappetence in rabbits.
Poisonings and Other Hazards
Pet
rabbits are often allowed the "run of the
house" and being inveterate chewers, they often get
into trouble by chewing on electrical cords, poisonous
house paints, floor mats and rugs. Death by electrocution
or serious burns and intestinal impaction respectively
are the most frequent consequences of these unsupervised
activities. Rabbits should be confined when their owners
are away from the house and be closely supervised when
their owners are at home so that these accidents are
avoided.
Comments Regarding Usage of Antibiotics
in Rabbits
Antibiotics should never be used in rabbits unless they are specifically
prescribed by a veterinarian. The route of administration (oral versus
injectable) of antibiotics is a much more important consideration with rabbits
than with dogs and cats. Because rabbits are herbivorous (plant-eating) and
depend upon bacteria within their bowel for proper digestion, orally
administered antibiotics can be injurious to these microorganisms.
When these helpful and necessary bacteria
are destroyed, undesirable bacteria can, and often do,
overgrow and, in so doing, produce poisons within the
bowel that are capable of killing the host rabbit.
Injectable antibiotics are preferred for use in rabbits,
when needed, because they are far less injurious to the
bacteria within the intestinal tract.
Additional Comments Regarding The
Sensitivity of the Rabbit`s Intestinal Tract
The bacterial flora of the rabbit's
intestinal tract is considered the most delicately
balanced of any of the herbivorous mammals. The growth
and activity of normal (favorable) bacteria tend to keep
potentially harmful and lethal bacteria on check.
Overgrowth of the latter usually results in the
production and release of poisons that are quickly
absorbed into the rabbit's circulation resulting in rapid
illness and death.
Besides being sensitive to the lethal
effects or orally administered antibiotics, the balance
of the bacteria (favorable versus unfavorable) can become
upset in the face of other insults resulting in the
overgrowth of undesirable bacteria. Rapid changes in the
diet are most often implicated in this regard. Three
cases seen in our hospitals will help to illustrate this
situation. The first involved a rabbit whose diet was
suddenly and abruptly changed from alfalfa pellets to
oats because the pet owner had run out of rabbit pellets.
The rabbit died within 24 hours of this diet change.
Another case of sudden death involved a
pet rabbit that got into a box of well know oat breakfast
cereal, eating a large quantity of it and died the
following day. A third related case concerns a rabbit
that was allowed to consume huge quantities of lawn grass
for which its intestinal tract was not adequately
prepared and the rabbit died that very same day.
No other commonly keep house pet is as
sensitive to dietary changes as the rabbit. Consequently,
such changes should be made very gradually and additions
to the regular diet should be done judiciously and not
constitute more than 20% by volume of the total diet.
Comments Regarding the Appearance of
Rabbit Urine
Urine from normal rabbits is usually
heavily ladened with a light-colored sediment and may
appear abnormal to the uninitiated. The color of normal
rabbit urine will vary from white to a yellowish-white to
a light brown. Heavy water-drinking rabbits tend to
produce a clearer urine with less sediment.
Rabbits that have been recently treated
with antibiotics and those undergoing significant stress
may produce a urine that is orange to re-tinged. This
poorly understood phenomenon is temporary and such urine
can be differentiated from that which accompanies urinary
tract infections or uterine bleeding by the use of a
urinalysis.
Parturition
Parturition is called
"kindling." Litters usually consist of 6-7
rabbits. The young normally nurse only once a day. Their
eyes open at 10 days, they begin to eat solid food at
about three weeks of age, and they may be weaned at 6-8
weeks.
Orphaned rabbits can be fed orphaned puppy
formula with a syringe, doll bottle, or gastric
intubation. Milk should be offered three times a day,
giving up to five ml/day the first week, 15 ml/day the
second week and 25 ml/day the third week (Harkness and
Wagner 1977). Newborn rabbits do not require colostrum
because all passive immunity is acquired through the
placenta (Williams 1976).
Give one part Esbilac to three parts water
and one part whipping cream.
Alternate Milk Formulas for Orphaned
Bunnies
-
1 egg yolk
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8 oz. (=240 cc's) canned evaporated milk
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8 oz. (=240 cc's) bottled water
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1 teaspoon (=5 cc's) honey
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1 teaspoon (=5 cc's) pediatric
vitamin/mineral supplement
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