Rabbits can live approximately 10 – 12 years. They make great pets, but like cats and dogs, they need veterinary attention and care. At Callbeck Animal Hospital we recommend routine annual veterinary examinations to ensure optimal health. It is also a good idea to discuss diet and husbandry care with your veterinarian, as these factors greatly impact your rabbit’s overall health. You should regularly examine them for signs of illness or pain, and be sure to check their nails because, just like cats and dogs, they need to be trimmed. If you notice your rabbit is eating less or not eating at all you should contact the clinic immediately.
1. Diet: To extract as much goodness as possible from food, rabbits perform a digestive process called ‘caecotrophy’. They eat these caecotrophs; usually directly from the anus, allowing the food to be re-ingested. Cecotrophs are green elongated droppings that are coated in mucous and have a strong odour. These droppings are a vital part in your rabbits health. They are packed with amino acids, fatty acids and a variety of vitamins. If you notice a lot of them in your rabbits cage there could be a problem and they should be seen by a veterinarian. Rabbits are herbivores and need high fibre in their diet.
Hay: The bulk of your rabbits diet should be hay; it helps protect the intestines and prevents fur chewing, hairballs and overgrowth of normal bacteria in the intestines. Eg; Timothy, meadow, oat, rye, barley, and Bermuda hay.
Pellets: Not essential in the diet, they have low indigestible fibre and do not promote normal tooth wear. If you decide to feed pellets, make sure they are high quality and do not buy pellet mixes that contain seeds, dried fruit or nuts. Be careful not to overfeed because too many can cause obesity.
Vegetables: The most important food in their diet. Vegetables promote healthy intestine, kidney and bladder function. Although these green foods are important in your rabbits diet, they should never be the total source of nutrition. The Darker the green food the better; the nutritional value is higher. Eg: Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrot/beet tops, dandelion greens, kale, leaf lettuce, and baby greens. Be sure to wash before feeding!
Fruit: The best treats for rabbits! They should be fed in small quantities and only as treats! Ex. Apple, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, pineapple, and mango.
Forbidden foods: Beans, breads, cereals, chocolate, corn, nuts, oats, peas, refined sugar, seeds, and wheat. Do not give lawn mower clippings, salt licks or mineral blocks. These can cause issues with their digestive system and may have harmful substances in them.
2. Environment: A rabbits environment is important. They are messy pets and need a lot of space to move around.
Cage: Plastic bottom cages with a wire top is ideal. The cage size will depend on the rabbits size; bigger is always better. The cage should be cleaned 1 – 2 times daily. Rabbits like to burrow/hide so providing extra bedding or toys is important.
Litter Box: Rabbits can be trained to use a litter box, but do not use clay or clumping litter. You can put hay in the litter box as rabbits often have bowel movements while eating. This may encourage them to use the litter box more often.
Bedding: Pelleted litter makes the best bedding; it is non-toxic, draws moisture away and is digestible. Garden peat or newspaper covered in hay are also good bedding materials to use. Garden peat will neutralize ammonia; which will reduce irritation to eyes and the respiratory tract. Blankets are not a good idea because they might ingest them. It is also important to avoid using wheat or cedar shavings.
3. Entertainment: Rabbits are subtle communicators and highly social. They do well in pairs/groups as long as you introduce them gradually to each other. Regular handling and interaction with your rabbits is beneficial, and social interaction is good for their mental health. Rabbits are very athletic and have long, powerful hind legs. They require regular exercise; at least 4 hours a day, and should never be completely confined to a cage. Supervised outside activity in an enclosed pen is also a good idea. Rabbit incisors grow at a rate of 3mm per week! Grass and hay are abrasive and help to wear the teeth down, thus a very important component of their diet. Your vet will examine the teeth at each checkup. They like to chew and love things that make noise. Make sure to provide many fun toys for them to interact with and chew on. Eg; chew toys designed for birds or hard plastic baby toys.
If you require further information or would like to book your rabbits health exam, please contact us at Callbeck Animal Hospital.