Tag Archives: rabbit

Autumn News 2017.

Our Autumn Newsletter has arrived, read it here!

Our Autumn Newsletter has arrived, read it here!

 

Parasite alert!

Continue to treat your pets against parasites and come and talk to us about how to protect your home as well. Read our Autumn NEWSLETTER to learn more about Harvest mites and ticks, that thrive in your home once the heating is turned on. Pets should be checked daily for ticks and if found they should be removed promptly with a specially designed tick remover.

 

Toxic Alert!

Make sure you keep anti freeze well out of reach of your pets and clean up any spillages. Cats find anti freeze very tasty despite the fact that it is toxic! If you suspect your pet may of tasted anti freeze, even the smallest amount, make sure you bring them to us immediately.

 

A word in your ear!

Read our NEWSLETTER to learn the signs of ear disease, and watch out for in your pet. Infections can have many different triggers including objects getting into the ear canal, allergies, excessive wetness after swimming and ear mites. To prevent or reduce ear infections it is important to identify the cause and start treatment as soon as possible.

 

Arthritis alert – Is your pet affected?

Have you noticed your older pet slowing down lately? Have you just put this down to old age or have you thought about pet arthritis, its a lore more common than you may think! Arthritis can become more noticeable during the cooler months, it affects all species and breeds and can strike at any age. Read our NEWSLETTER to understand the signs to watch out for, particularly in your cat as they are masters of hiding pain. There are many different treatment options available and as every pet is different,we follow no set protocol. Contact our friendly team if you suspect you pet may be suffering.

 

Read our newsletter here.

 

2 rabbits.

Getting a Rabbit- what do I need to know ?

rabbit vaccination

 

 

Getting a Rabbit:

  • Rabbits are becoming increasingly popular as pets for both children and adults in the UK. They are very sociable animals and should be kept in pairs if possible. Animals from the same litter will normally get on well, but any pair that are newly introduced must be monitored closely. Female rabbits will tolerate each other, but un-castrated male rabbits will fight. It is not recommended to keep rabbits and guinea pigs together, as both have very different requirements.
  • The average rabbit will live for 5 – 10 years, so they are a big commitment.

Feeding:

  • The most important part of a rabbit’s diet is hay, alongside fresh grass. Rabbits should be allowed to eat as much hay and grass as they like. Rabbit teeth grow continuously throughout their life, and so hay is vitally important to keep them worn down. Rabbits that are not fed enough hay will often encounter problems with overgrown teeth later in life, which can be very difficult to resolve.
  • Rabbits can also be fed green leafy foods and vegetables, such as cabbage, chard, parsley, watercress, broccoli, basil, carrot, brambles, and dandelions. All of these foods should be washed before being fed to your rabbit. Fruits should be avoided as they are very sugary.
  • Rabbits can also be fed a pre-packaged rabbit food in the form of pellets or muesli. This is the least important part of the diet, and only a small handful should be given daily. Pelleted rabbit foods are better than mueslies, as the rabbit cannot pick and choose what to eat out of the bowl!
  • Always ensure fresh water is available.

Neutering:

  • Rabbits can be neutered from 4 months of age. In female rabbits, this prevents uterine tumours and can greatly reduce the chances of mammary tumours developing. It also stops any unwanted pregnancies. In male rabbits, castration prevents aggressive behaviour and inappropriate mounting of objects.

Vaccinations:

  • Rabbits should be vaccinated against myxomatosis and viral haemorrhagic disease (VHD). Even rabbits who live indoors should be vaccinated, as the viruses can be spread via contact with flies, and biting insects. Rabbits can be vaccinated from 5 weeks of age. Vaccinations should be repeated annually to ensure protection is maintained.

Flystrike:

  • Rabbits will naturally eat some of their faeces (called caecotrophs) daily. These are the soft pellets that are normally passed at night so you may not see them. However, if a rabbit suffers from certain conditions such as obesity, arthritis, etc, it will be unable to reach around to it’s rear end to collect them. This can lead to a build up of sticky faeces, which will attract flies. If the flies lay eggs onto the rabbit’s coat, the developing maggots will eat away at the rabbit’s skin. This is an extremely painful condition called flystrike and needs prompt treatment from your vet. It is therefore important to check a rabbit’s rear end everyday for faeces and to bathe away anything that becomes stuck.
  • We recommend protecting rabbits from flystrike by using an insecticide twice yearly, which can be picked up from the surgery in May and July.

 

Rabbit- feeding, vaccinating ,neutering and avoiding flystrike

 

 

Getting a Rabbit:

 

          • Rabbits are becoming increasingly popular as pets for both children and adults in the UK. They are very sociable animals and should be kept in pairs if possible. Animals from the same litter will normally get on well, but any pair that are newly introduced must be monitored closely. Female rabbits will tolerate each other, but un-castrated male rabbits will fight. It is not recommended to keep rabbits and guinea pigs together, as both have very different requirements.
          • The average rabbit will live for 5 – 10 years, so they are a big commitment.

 

 

Feeding:

 

          • The most important part of a rabbit’s diet is hay, alongside fresh grass. Rabbits should be allowed to eat as much hay and grass as they like. Rabbit teeth grow continuously throughout their life, and so hay is vitally important to keep them worn down. Rabbits that are not fed enough hay will often encounter problems with overgrown teeth later in life, which can be very difficult to resolve.

 

          • Rabbits can also be fed green leafy foods and vegetables, such as cabbage, chard, parsley, watercress, broccoli, basil, carrot, brambles, and dandelions. All of these foods should be washed before being fed to your rabbit. Fruits should be avoided as they are very sugary.

 

          • Rabbits can also be fed a pre-packaged rabbit food in the form of pellets or muesli. This is the least important part of the diet, and only a small handful should be given daily. Pelleted rabbit foods are better than mueslies, as the rabbit cannot pick and choose what to eat out of the bowl!
          • Always ensure fresh water is available.

 

Neutering:

 

        • Rabbits can be neutered from 4 months of age. In female rabbits, this prevents uterine tumours and can greatly reduce the chances of mammary tumours developing. It also stops any unwanted pregnancies. In male rabbits, castration prevents aggressive behaviour and inappropriate mounting of objects.

 

Vaccinations:

 

          • Rabbits should be vaccinated against myxomatosis and viral haemorrhagic disease (VHD). Even rabbits who live indoors should be vaccinated, as the viruses can be spread via contact with flies, and biting insects. Rabbits can be vaccinated from 5 weeks of age. Vaccinations should be repeated annually to ensure protection is maintained.

 

Flystrike:

 

  • Rabbits will naturally eat some of their faeces (called caecotrophs) daily. These are the soft pellets that are normally passed at night so you may not see them. However, if a rabbit suffers from certain conditions such as obesity, arthritis, etc, it will be unable to reach around to it’s rear end to collect them. This can lead to a build up of sticky faeces, which will attract flies. If the flies lay eggs onto the rabbit’s coat, the developing maggots will eat away at the rabbit’s skin. This is an extremely painful condition called flystrike and needs prompt treatment from your vet. It is therefore important to check a rabbit’s rear end everyday for faeces and to bathe away anything that becomes stuck.

 

 

 

      • We recommend protecting rabbits from flystrike by using an insecticide twice yearly, which can be picked up from the surgery in May and July.

 

Rabbit care

Feeding your pet rabbit

Rabbit with overgrown teeth

Rabbit with overgrown teeth

One of the commonest problems we see with rabbits is related to their teeth. This can often be diet related, so what is the correct diet to feed?

Hay, meadow grass and vegetables, with a small amount of pelleted rabbit food is the ideal diet for your bunny. As a rough guide timothy based hay mixed with other hay should be offered ad lib – as this will help wear down your rabbits teeth. 1 cup of varied vegetables and or edible plants, and 25gms of a pelleted (not muesli) commercial diet per kg body weight (1 tablespoon 2x daily for an average 2.5kg adult rabbit). We always recommend pelleted rabbit food not muesli as your rabbit may become become fussy and pick out the bits they don’t want to eat but with pellets all the goodness is included in each pellet.

 

We recommend a varied diet to include green leafy foods and vegetables, such as cabbage, chard, parsley, watercress, broccoli, basil, carrot, brambles, and dandelions. All of these foods should be washed before being fed to your rabbit. Fruits should be avoided as they are very sugary. Always ensure that fresh water is available at all times. In the summer you can put their water bottle in the fridge overnight and give it to them in the morning and it will keep cool on a hot summers day.

 

Their teeth, unlike ours, grow continuously, and wear down during the grinding and chewing of grass and hay. If your bunny eats only commercial rabbit food, they will not wear down their teeth correctly and are much more likely to develop dental problems, which can be painful and require lifelong treatment.

www.youngvets.co.uk