Looking after your rabbit

We've put together some professional advice to help give your rabbit the best quality of life.

Vaccination

Myxomatosis

All rabbits should be vaccinated against Myxomatosis: a heartbreaking disease, for which there is no cure.

It is transmitted by biting insects as well as rabbit fleas, so direct contact with a wild rabbit is not always necessary to contract it.

The virus causes very swollen eyelids, ear bases and genitals, eventually leading to pneumonioa, and death.

Rabbit Viral Haemmorhagic Disease

Rabbit Viral Haemorrhagic Disease is a highly contagious, and rapidly fatal disease.

Rabbit Viral Haemorrhagic Disease is an airborne virus, which can be spread by direct contact with infected rabbits.

It can also be spread by indirect contact from contaminated feeding bowls, clothes, and shoes.

Vaccines

An annual booster vaccination is essential to maintain immunity.

The Myxomatosis vaccine includes protection against RHD1 virus, but a new strain has since emerged, called RHD2.

The combined Myxomatosis/RHD1 vaccine can be given from 5 weeks of age, but then takes 2 weeks to work.

For RHD2, a new vaccine is available, and we now have this vaccine in stock.

The RHD2 vaccine can be given from 10 weeks of age, but must be given at least 2 weeks apart from the Myxomatosis and RHD1 vaccine.

Both the Myomatosis/RHD1 and RHD2 injections are single doses.

How can I get my rabbit vaccinated?

We can provide the necessary vaccinations to help protect your rabbit

Call the surgery now

Feeding

What a rabbit eats can play an important part in its overall health.

Diet

Ideally, 3 quarters of a rabbit's diet should be hay or grass, as rabbits need a diet that is high in fibre, both to maintain digestive health and prevent dental disease.

The rest should be made up of 15% leafy greens; and 10% pellets - 1 egg cup per kg mass (2 egg cups for a medium-sized rabbit).

You could use leafy greens such as curly kale, spinach, parsley, spring greens etc.

Selective feeding

It is important to use pelleted foods to prevent selective feeding, and only eating the nice bits.

Selective feeding can happen when muesli-style foods are given.

This can lead to an imbalance in calcium levels, and low fibre - which could lead to dental disease.

Teeth

Rabbits' teeth grow all their lives, and they are used to chewing on fibre to wear them down correctly.

In the wild, they achieve this from eating grass, but hay is an ideal substitute.

Droppings

Low fibre can cause wet droppings to stay around a rabbit's bottom.

Feeding sugary foods such as carrots or apples can also cause this, so they should only be offered them as a treat 2 or 3 times a week.

Rabbits produce 2 types of droppings:

  • Large, dry ones and;
  • Soft, small ones (caecotrophs), that contain vitamins and nutrients, which are eaten again.

Want to discuss your rabbit's diet in more detail?

If you would like to discuss your rabbit's diet in more detail, please call us

Call us on 01283 480 910

Neutering

As rabbits should always be kept with a companion, same-sex or male-and-female, all rabbits should be neutered.

Neutering will reduce aggression between same sexes, and make your rabbit more sociable towards you.

Rabbits are much more content when not continuously having the urge to breed.

A direct health benefit of spaying females is preventing ovarian cancer, which is very common in entire females.

Age of neutering should be 4 months for males, and 6 months for females.

It is important that your rabbit is well-fed prior to its operation, and not starved.

I want to neuter my rabbit

Please call us to book your rabbit in with us

Call the surgery on 01283 480 910