Nutrition
Many of the health problems seen in pet rabbits are caused by
feeding the wrong diet.
It is essential that rabbits have a fibrous diet that needs a
lot of chewing.
Their teeth grow constantly and it is only by grinding this
fibrous food that their teeth stay at the correct level.
The bulk of the food should consist of grass or hay.
It can be supplemented by small amounts of concentrate food
(e.g. Science Selective) but ‘muesli-type’ foods should be avoided as
they encourage selective feeding which can lead to deficiencies
in the diet.
Obesity is an increasing problem in pet rabbits and is often
due to the over feeding of concentrated foods.
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Parasites
The most common mite seen in rabbits is Cheylietella. This
leads to the presence of marked dandruff.
Cheylietella can become a problem when the rabbit is poorly
for another reason so should always be checked and treated by a
veterinary surgeon.
It is also zoonotic (can affect humans) so early treatment is
advisable.
E. Cuniculi (or Encephalitozoon Cunciuli) can infect
the kidneys, cause urinary problems, eye problems, weight loss,
weakness, wobbliness or head tilts as seen below, and even
death.
Ear mites can also be a problem and need veterinary treatment.
They
live in your pets ear canals and can be very irritating
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Fly Strike
This is a serious problem – often needing emergency treatment.
Flies lay eggs in soiled areas around the rabbit’s rear end
and the maggots that hatch out will then start to eat the
surrounding flesh.
It is important to check a rabbit’s rear end regularly,
especially in the summer, to ensure there are no matted and
soiled areas.
We can supply effective treatments to prevent the flies
laying the eggs
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Vaccination
Myxomatosis: An inevitably fatal
disease which can be spread by biting insects such as fleas.
Because of this, spread is possible without direct contact
with infected wild rabbits
Yearly vaccinations are necessary – in high risk areas six
monthly boosters are recommended.
The vaccine can be given from 6 weeks old
Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (VHD): Is a
rapidly fatal disease.
Yearly vaccinations are required and can be given from 8
weeks old.
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Dental Care
A rabbit's front teeth (the incisors) continue to grow
throughout the life of the animal. Generally, the wear on the
teeth through gnawing and eating is equal to the growth of the
teeth, so the teeth basically stay the same length as seen
below.
The first sign of teeth related problems are often that the
rabbit goes off its food and dribbles a lot – leading to a wet
chin and front feet.
The main cause is poor diet leading to abnormal growth /
wearing of the teeth which results in them deviating and the
formation of sharp spurs. These spurs can lead to laceration
of the tongue.
The front incisor teeth may also be overgrown but it should
be remembered that this is invariably related to problems
with the back cheek teeth.
Dental care depends on the cause but can consist of:
Clipping or burring to reduce the size of the incisor
teeth
Removal of incisor teeth under anaesthesia
Correction of overgrown cheek teeth under general
anaesthesia
Radiography of teeth and extractions/treatment of cheek
teeth if necessary
Early correction is essential as once the problem
becomes chronic there is little that can be done long term
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Neutering
Unless you intend to breed from your rabbit neutering is
advisable:
Females:
Avoids unwanted pregnancies
Avoids the risk of womb cancer in older rabbits
Spaying a Rabbit
The first incision is made
 
The ovaries and fallopian tubes are located
 
These are then ligated (tied off) and removed along with the two
uterine horns
Internal sutures are used to bring the layers of muscle
together. Another layer of sutures brings the skin edges
together
 
The
wound is then closed with surgical glue
Males:
Castration tends to make male rabbits easier
to handle
Allows them to be mixed
with others without the worry of any females getting pregnant.
Castrating a Rabbit
The hair around the scrotum is removed to
enable the area to be cleaned prior to surgery
The skin of the scrotum is incised and the
testicle exposed
The testicles are then tied off (ligated)
before being removed
Surgical glue is used to seal the skin edges
The patient recovers on a heat pad in a
recovery kennel within the prep room
Both males and females can be neutered
from about 5 months of age
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