Rabbit Awareness Week (RAW) is an annual campaign that aims to educate rabbit owners on all aspects of their care.
Sadly, despite being the third most popular choice of pet in the U.K, rabbits also remain the most neglected. Many live a life of solitude in inappropriate housing such as hutches and indoor cages, which do not meet the minimum requirements for their welfare considerations.
Sometimes considered ‘forgotten pets’, the campaign aims to encourage us to take better care of our fluffy friends, improve their welfare, and educate us about their needs and illnesses.
Rabbits can make wonderful pets but in order for them to live happy and healthy lives they need:
- The companionship of another rabbit(s): they like to live in pairs or small groups, otherwise they can get lonely and become depressed or even develop health problems. They should not be kept with other small animals (such as guinea pigs) due to different dietary needs and behaviours which can lead to injury or worse. When introducing new rabbits it is essential to make introductions slowly and gradually – a process known as bonding – or they could reject eachother and fight.
- Good size accommodation designed to encourage natural behaviours: recommended rabbit enclosure standards suggest you should provide a minimum overall area of 10ft long x 6ft wide with a minimum run height of 3ft. The hutch/sleeping accommodation should be no smaller than 6ft wide x 2ft deep, even if it is incorporated into the run. Giving your rabbit more space will allow them to display their natural behaviours (such as running and jumping) so options such as converted sheds or Wendy Houses with runs are ideal for providing added floor space and height.
- Correct diet: rabbits require a diet made up of 85% good-quality hay, 10% fresh vegetables and only 5% pellets. Hay is very important as it provides fibre to keep their guts moving and chewing is very important to wear down teeth and prevent dental problems. Vegetables are an important part of your rabbits’ diet as they provide essential nutrients. However, you must be careful as some vegetables and fruits could make your rabbit unwell.
- Veterinary care: many common diseases can be vaccinated against and regular vet visits can help to ensure that other health conditions are diagnosed early giving the best chance of treatment being successful. It is a good idea to insure your pet, and some vet practices offer monthly plans for routine vaccinations and parasite treatments.
If you have pet rabbits or are thinking of welcoming new rabbits into your family, check out these handy guides:
Recognising when something may be wrong with your rabbit
Rabbits are prey animals and are very skilled at hiding physical discomfort. Therefore it is important that rabbit owners pay extra attention to their rabbit’s behaviour and know what do do if something doesn’t seem right.
If symptoms are spotted early and veterinary treatment is sought, in most cases the cause can be treated and there is a better chance of a good recovery.
These are some of the more common conditions and diseases that can affect rabbits.
Where vaccinations are available this is always the best course of action to prevent serious infection.
Rabbit viral Haemorrhagic Disease (RHVD)
What it is:
It is a disease that causes internal bleeding in rabbits.
Symptoms:
Fever, lethargy or reluctance to move, loss of appetite, blood at their nostrils or around their mouth. However, some cases can present as asymptomatic.
How it spreads:
It is spread through the urine and faeces and direct contact with infected rabbits. It can be on hay that may have been in contact with infected wild rabbit, birds and insects may also transport it. It could be carried in the wind and on your clothes if walking in an area where it may be prevalent.
Preventative measures:
The best way to protect your rabbits from this disease is to vaccinate them against both strains of the virus and make sure you are being careful wearing PPE, changing your clothes and washing your hands if you have been in contact with a rabbit that might have it or have been to an area with a wild rabbit population.
Treatments:
There is sadly no cure and putting your rabbit to sleep may be the only option to prevent further suffering if very unwell.
Myxomatosis
What it is:
It is a disease that affects the skin, eyes, lungs, liver and genitals of rabbits.
Symptoms:
Swelling, redness and/or ulcers around the eyes, nose or genitals, runny nose, milky eye discharge, blindness caused by inflammation of the eyes, breathing problems, loss of appetite, low energy.
How it spreads:
It is spread through direct contact with an infected rabbit as well as through insects that have been in contact with it and on contaminated surfaces.
Preventative measures:
Vaccinating your rabbit is the best way to help your rabbit. A vaccinated rabbit who catches it has a much higher chance of survival and will usually get a milder form of the disease which will still need veterinary treatment.
Treatments:
Keeping your rabbit warm, giving antibiotics to prevent any infections, assisting with their feeds, providing fluids that are administered through a drip.
Pasteurella
What it is:
It is a respiratory infection that affects rabbits and other animals. The bacteria is found naturally in the airways of rabbits.
Symptoms:
Weepy eyes, discharge from the nose, sneezing/snuffles, fast breathing/ difficulty breathing, wheezing/noisy breathing. Low energy, being quieter than usual or hiding away, loss of appetite and weight loss, stained fur on front legs from cleaning weepy eyes and a runny nose.
How it spreads:
It can be spread through direct contact with an infected rabbit as well as through the air. The bacteria that cause the disease naturally live in the airways of rabbits and can often cause symptoms in times of stress.
Preventative measures:
As Pasteurella is a disease that flares up with stress it is important to keep your rabbit as free from stress as possible. Ways of doing this include, making sure your rabbit is kept in a spacious, clean enclosure with another rabbit. Other ways are avoiding contact between your rabbit and a rabbit with Pasteurella.
Treatments:
If your rabbit is unwell with Pasteurella symptoms seek advice from a vet. The treatment they will offer will depend on how unwell your rabbit is. Treatments can range from antibiotics/anti-inflammatories to help them fight the infection, to being hospitalised in a veterinary practice and receiving oxygen and fluids.
E.cuniculi
What it is:
It is a tiny parasite that affects organs such as the brain and kidneys and causes a variety of symptoms.
Symptoms:
Head tilt, wobbly legs, excessive drinking, eye issues as well as paralysis, incontinence and tremors.
How it spreads:
It spreads through direct contact and contact with the urine and faeces of an infected rabbit.
Preventative measures:
Theres no way to completely prevent your rabbit from getting e. Cuniculi but ways to try to minimise risks are keeping their enclosure clean, isolating any new rabbits if you are welcoming another rabbit into your home and avoiding exposure to wild rabbits and rats.
Treatments:
It is a disease with no cure; however, the symptoms can be treated. This is usually done using a worming treatment for 28 days. In some cases they can develop other issues such as infections so antibiotics may be needed to treat this.
Dental disease
Symptoms:
Overgrown teeth, drooling, teeth grinding and bumpy jaw. Secondary symptoms can include reduced appetite, weight loss and a dirty bottom as the pain can cause them to stop eating and grooming. They can also get weepy eyes and a runny nose.
Preventative measures:
The best way to limit the likelihood of tooth problems is to feed the correct diet, this is a diet rich in hay. A rabbit needs 85% of its diet to consist of hay. It is also recommended to feed pellets rather than other foods such as muesli as this can cause selective feeding which can contribute to teeth issues. As well as this you must regularly get your rabbit checked by a vet, here they will check your rabbits’ teeth. You should also try to check them yourself at home in between vet visits so you can notice problems quicker as they arise.
Treatments:
Your rabbit will need a veterinary examination to determine the severity and type of tooth issue it has. This can be done conscious if the rabbit will allow this or done under anaesthetic if not. Types of teeth issues include overgrown teeth, tooth root abscesses or tooth injuries such as a broken tooth. Ways to treat them include tooth trimming, tooth removal, medication, syringe feeding and extra grooming.
Ear disease
Symptoms:
Head tilt, shaking of the head and ears, lethargy as well as discharge from the ears. Often you may not know for certain a rabbit has it until you do an x ray/ scan as it is usually in the inner ear.
Preventative measures:
The best way to prevent the risk of a rabbit developing an ear infection is to keep the rabbit’s enclosure as clean as possible and to check your rabbit regularly for any signs of ear infections/ disease this means you can treat it quicker before the symptoms get any worse.
Treatments:
A vet may prescribe antibiotics and anti-inflammatories to combat the infection and relieve the discomfort.
If you have any concerns about the health of your pet, please contact your vet for advice. If you have general questions about the wellbeing or care of your rabbits, you can email our team on smallanimals@gawa.org.uk and we will do our best to help.
