Healthy Hops: Caring for Your Rabbit

Rabbits make wonderful companions, but they are very good at hiding signs of illness. By the time a rabbit looks obviously sick, it may already be seriously unwell. Knowing what is normal for your rabbit and recognising early warning signs can make a very important difference. Rabbits have continuously growing teeth, a specialised digestive system that depends on a high-fibre diet, and a sensitive gastrointestinal tract. They are also prey animals and can become stressed easily.

1. Always make sure to lift and carry your rabbit correctly by supporting the chest and hindlegs at all times.  A frightened rabbit may kick violently and can injure its spine or suffer a fracture if it struggles while being held incorrectly. When you cover the eyes of a rabbit, it quickly relaxes.

2. Nutrition has a great influence on your rabbit’s health. High-quality hay and grass should make up 80-85% of the diet. A rabbit should have unlimited access to hay such as timothy, teff, meadow, oat hay, orchard or rye grass. This diet should be supplemented with fresh vegetables and greens (1 cup of packed leafy greens per 2 kg of body weight) daily and fruit as an occasional treat. See below table. Small measured amounts of rabbit specific pellets can be fed. Do not feed muesli mixes. The exact diet should be adjusted according to your rabbit’s age, body condition, activity level and medical conditions. Some rabbits require a different diet under veterinary supervision  Lucerne (alfalfa) is higher in protein and calcium than most grass hays. It can be useful for growing rabbits and certain rabbits with increased nutritional requirements, but grass hay is generally the better main hay for healthy adult rabbits. If your rabbit has urinary disease, kidney disease or another medical condition, ask your veterinarian which hay is most appropriate.

3. South African rabbits do have to receive a yearly vaccination for the deadly Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD). This virus is present in South Africa since 2022. Clinical signs are sudden death, fever, lethargy, dyspnoea and nervous signs. Your rabbit can pick up the virus via various ways; most commonly via direct contact with a sick rabbit, via insects, contaminated food (e.g. hay) or water. However, birds, vermin or other people, who handle the rabbit can infect your rabbit. Vaccination is the only way of preventing your rabbit from becoming sick. Rabbits are vaccinated from as early as 10 weeks of age, and annual boosters must be given. The vaccines are imported via special permits, so they are not widely available.

4. Rabbit teeth grow continuously throughout their lives. Normal chewing and the contact between opposing teeth keep the teeth at an appropriate length. A diet containing plenty of long-fibre hay encourages the prolonged chewing, needed for normal dental wear. Rabbits with dental problems will often show a reduced appetite, weight loss, eye discharge, or digestive disturbance. If the teeth grow too long or painful points, called spurs, develop on the teeth they must be corrected under general anaesthesia. It is very difficult to examine the teeth properly without sedation because of the fleshy tongue, long and narrow oral cavity.

5. Pain, dental disease, incorrect diet, intestinal obstruction, or stress can result in gastrointestinal stasis. This is a serious condition in which normal movement of food through the digestive tract slows down. This then results in an imbalance of the intestinal bacteria. Your rabbit will often eat less, have smaller or fewer droppings, lethargy, a hunched up posture, teeth grinding, bloating, hiding. Bring your rabbit to the veterinarian as soon as possible. The quicker treatment is started, the better the survival rate is.

6. When rabbits show dirty fur around their anus it can indicate that your rabbit is not eating his caecotrophs, has diarrhoea, bladder infection, bladder stones, obesity, or pain. It is important to find the cause of the problem. A rabbit with a dirty bottom is at increased risk of fly-strike, particularly during warm weather. Do not simply wash the rabbit repeatedly without finding the underlying cause.

7. Rabbits can get a variety of skin and ear diseases. They are susceptible to fleas, lice, fur mites, ear mites, fungal and bacterial infection. All these parasites can cause severe itching and hair loss. It is important to take your rabbit to the veterinarian to make a diagnosis and obtain treatment. Ringworm is a fungus that causes circular area of hair loss. It can spread to people and other animals. Rabbits kept outdoors can develop severe problems with maggots (fly larvae) or mango fly larva on and in the skin. Fly-strike occurs when flies lay eggs on a rabbit, often around a damp or dirty rear end, wounds or areas contaminated with urine or faeces. The eggs hatch into maggots, which can cause severe tissue damage and life-threatening illness. Never use a dog or cat flea product on a rabbit without checking with your veterinarian first. Some products, including fipronil, can be dangerous to rabbits.

8. Sneezing, nasal discharge, noisy breathing or difficulty breathing can indicate respiratory disease. Rabbits can only breathe through their nose and cannot breathe through their mouth. Your rabbit will require a visit to the veterinarian as soon as possible. Treatment depends on the diagnosis and may include appropriate rabbit-safe medication, supportive care, nebulisation or other treatment.

9. Rabbits have unusual calcium metabolism and excrete a large proportion of absorbed calcium through their urine. Some rabbits may therefore develop urinary sludge or bladder stones. Signs of urinary disease can include: blood in the urine, straining to urinate, urine staining around the hindquarters, signs of pain and/or reduced appetite. Prevent urinary tract problems by encouraging good water intake, providing plenty of grass hay, maintaining a healthy body weight, encouraging regular movement and avoiding excessive high-calcium foods and inappropriate supplementation. A rabbit that is straining to urinate or unable to pass urine requires urgent veterinary attention.

10. Rabbits can be affected by several parasites, including intestinal parasites, coccidia and external parasites. Routine medication should not automatically be given to every rabbit. Never use a dewormer or parasite product intended for another species without veterinary advice.

11. Please contact our veterinary clinic for further information

Leafy Greens Excellent choices	Non-leafy vegetables Small amounts	Leafy Greens Small amounts	FRUITS Very small amounts as a treat
Leafy green Rocket / arugula Basil Coriander / cilantro Dandelion greens Dill Endive Escarole Fennel leaves Frisée lettuce Mint Radicchio Romaine lettuce Spring greens Turnip greens Watercress Wheatgrass Carrot tops Raspberry leaves	Bell peppers (any colour) Broccoli (leaves and stems) Broccolini Brussel sprouts (can cause gas) Cabbage (can cause gas) Carrots Celery Cucumber Chinese pea pods Edible flowers (roses, nasturtiums, pansies, hibiscus) Summer squash Zucchini squash	(Relatively high in calcium or may cause digestive upset) Kale Bok choy Broccoli leaves Mustard greens Parsley Spinach Swiss chard	Apple (any variety, without seeds) Pear (without seeds) Strawberry Raspberry Blueberry Kiwi Banana (small amounts) Mango (small amounts) Melons (flesh only) Papaya (small amounts) Cherries (remove stone) Nectarine (remove stone) Apricot (remove stone) Peach (remove stone) Pineapple (flesh only) Plum (remove stone) Star Fruit

Written by Dr Tessa

Source: Fisher P.G. 2011, Rabbit medicine overview, CVC IN KANSAS CITY PROCEEDINGS, http://veterinarycalendar.dvm360.com/rabbit-medicine-overview-proceedings. Flecknell P. 2000, BSAVA Manual of rabbit medicine and surgery, BVSA

House Rabbit Society https://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabbit-diet/