Not all Easter bunnies are made of chocolate!

Not all easter bunnies are made of chocolate!

Rabbits are now the 2nd most popular pet in the UK, having recently overtaken dogs. They make fantastic pets, and are really easy to look after, provided you follow a few simple rules. However, we often see rabbits in the surgery with health problems that can be easily prevented by knowing the correct way to care for them.

Diet
The mainstay of a rabbits diet should be hay. Every day a rabbit should eat a pile of hay as big as he is! This is essential as it helps keep the teeth ground down and is also good for gut health. One of the most common problems with rabbits we see in the vets is overgrown teeth. The teeth become long and sharp, which cause pain and may even stop the rabbit from eating. Rabbits should also have a small handful of fresh food everyday, carrots, broccoli, cabbage and apples are all suitable. They can also have hard food, but about a tablespoon per rabbit is enough. If rabbits are offered too much hard food, they will not eat the hay. This means they will become overweight and may get teeth problems. The best hard food for rabbits is an all pelleted diet. Rabbits are very intelligent creatures, if they are given the ´mixer´ style rabbit foods, they will eat only their favorite bits, and can become nutritionally deficient.

Vaccinations
All rabbits should be vaccinated at least every year against myxomatosis and viral haemorragic disease (VHD). Both these diseases are deadly and have no cure, vaccination is the only protection against them. They are both passed by fleas from wild rabbits, so although pet rabbits in rural areas are most at risk, suburban rabbits can also catch them as the fleas can be passed via cats and dogs.

Parasites
The most common parasite we see in rabbits is a fur mite. It causes the rabbit to have very flaky skin that can be itchy as well. It is easily treated with ´spot-on´ drops from your vet. They can also get fleas, just like dogs and cats, again these are easily treated with veterinary ´spot-on´ products.

Rabbits do make great pets but take a lot more looking after than people often think and they are not always suitable for children as they can kick and scratch when they are handled. If you are thinking of getting a rabbit why not contact your local rescue, they are over flowing with unwanted animals and will be able to give you lots of advice on how best to care for them.