So something that is also very important when owning a rabbit is nail and coat maintenance. Whether you have a long haired or short haired rabbit it is still important that you groom your bunny at least a couple times a week, and if you do have a long haired or fine haired rabbit then everyday grooming can be a necessity. Rabbits keep them selves relatively clean and you should NOT have to bathe a rabbit, but regular grooming can help to remove loose fur which can save your rabbit from hairballs and also reduce the amount of hair in your rabbits environment. I try to groom Dustin around 3 times a week and he usually quite happily sits there and lets me do it. Nail clipping is also important and should be done as regularly as need be, if rabbits nails get to long they can start to curve over and damage the foot and make it uncomfortable for your rabbit to move around on, also long nails can scratch quite badly when handling the animal. As with any other animals nails it is important to avoid the quick as this can be painful if cut, I just recommend doing more regular nail clips and just removing the tips of the nails each time, I usually do this about once or twice a month. Dustin hates me doing his nails so it is a battle where I am forced to restrain him in a towel and extract one foot at a time, takes him a while to forgive me afterwards as well!! I have just attached a photo of the grooming products that I own, which includes a rabbit slicker brush which remove loose hair really nicely and a rabbit nail clipper, you want to make sure you don't have to big of nail clippers as rabbits nails can be quite small and the bigger the clippers the more likely you might nick the quick.
Just a quick reminder for bunny owners please make sure you are up to date with your RCD/RHD vaccinations outbreaks are common at this time of year and there have been some deaths in the Palmerston North area so please keep your bunnies safe, vaccinate them and try and reduce fly and mosquito contact as well as contact with wild rabbits!!
So another important health issue that you need to think about is whether or not to get your rabbit fixed or not. Neutering or speying a rabbit is an expensive and of course risky surgery, and some vets are not overally keen on performing the operation. But with this in mind there are also benefits to fixing your bunny, fixed rabbits are often less aggressive and easier to litter train, it can help reduce spraying and destructive behaviours in males and territorial nesting behaviours in females. It is of course a requirement if you are planning to house a male and female rabbit together and not mate them, and it can make housing 2 females or 2 males together a lot easier. Females especially have a higher chance of developing ovarian cancer if they are unfixed and not mated. I personally agree with getting your rabbit fixed, I have had Dustin fixed and I think it has drastically improved his behaviour and he no longer sprays which is especially important when you are thinking of having an indoor rabbit. The surgery for male rabbits is slightly less risky and less expensive but there is a large chance of infection after these kinds of surgeries in both males and females, I was lucky as Dustin had no complications from the surgery but I had to keep him extremely clean and keep a very close eye on him for the week following the surgery. If you are thinking of getting your bunny fixed wait until they are at least 5-6 months old and ask around different vets in your area to compare prices and to find a vet that is also confident with rabbits and knows their stuff, I have heard some horror stories of after care going wrong because the vet has little knowledge on rabbits specifically. I was lucky Dustin was done by a very good vet and I only got charged around 70 bucks :)
As with owning any animal it is important that you check on the health of your bunny daily and make note of any changes in behaviour or eating habits. When I go out in the morning and feed Dustin I always check he is alert and happy, that he comes over to say hello, that he is keen on his food and that he has been going toilet fine. Often in the afternoon when I return home from work I will check on him again, and I will also check his eyes, nose and ears are clear and clean, that his fur is clean and I check that his bottom is clean and no poo stuck there. Rabbits can be prone to fly strike if they have a dirty bottom especially in hot summer months so always check your bunny is clean down there. Dirty bottoms can also lead to infections in the genital area so check these are not red or swollen in any way. Most rabbits will keep themselves pretty clean but sometimes you need to step in and give them a bit of trim and clean in those delicate areas. It is important to get your rabbit vaccinated yearly and along with this I would take your bunny in for a yearly check up with your vet to check the condition and health of your bunny. As always advised if there is anything wrong with your bunny or change in behaviour that worries you bring them into your vet for a look. I advice finding a rabbit savy vet in your area as not all vets are that on to it about rabbits, something I have experienced with Dustin when the vet could give me little advice on his gut issues which was a bit of a waste of a check up and money. So overall just always keep an eye your bunny and check them daily and if you are ever worried take them to the vet, but if you look after your bunny well they are pretty robust and often have little health issues :)
A really important thing that you must always keep in mind when owning a rabbit is something called gut stasis. A rabbits gut is continuously moving and needs a high fibre diet to do this, when a rabbits gut starts to slow down or completely stops moving bad bacteria builds up in the intestine and releases gas causing bloating and further reduction of the bunnies eating and drinking therefore making the issue worse. This is a very serious condition and without the movement of the gut a rabbit can die with 24 to 48 hours. Unfortunately this is also not a well known issue and many people lose their rabbits to this issue at a young age and have no idea what happened. So what causes it?? Often it is to do with diet but underlying stress or health issues can cause it to. It is very important that your bunny is provided with a hay-based diet, as I said in diet category hay should make up 80% of your rabbits diet, diets that are high in pellets or veges can easily set off a gut stasis episodes in your rabbit. Not only is hay good for the gut it helps to wear their teeth down which means teeth issues are unlikely to cause eating issues. I advice to feed your rabbit at a similar time each day and always make note of your rabbits behaviour, changes in faeces and keenness for food when you are doing your daily routine. If you note in difference in behaviour for instance rabbit sitting in its bed not keen to say hello or having no interest in food, keep an eye on him and try to encourage some food and water intake and if there is no difference in a couple of hours then you may need to go towards force feeding or a vet visit. I have fortunately being able to avoid a vet trip with the the two episodes Dustin has been through as the first time I got him eating and drinking within a couple of hours and he recovered quickly and the second time I picked up critical care from the vets and syringed food and water into him every couple of hours and he recovered by the next morning. Dustin was on a good diet, with a plenty of hay and grass and the vet feels he is just extra sensitive to any changes in food or routine therefore I have put him on a very high fibre pellet diet and I am very careful about the vegetables I offer him. I do advice that you have some critical care on hand in your house if you own a rabbit as it can be very helpful if you ever have a sick bunny and can help save you from an expensive, stressful vet trip.
So the next most important thing you need to think about when you bring a new bunny home is what health precautions are needed for pet rabbits. Rabbits are prone to diseases like Myxomatosis and Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease (RHD) where were originally introduced into wild rabbit populations in order to control their numbers in a number of countries worldwide and here in NZ. These diseases are horrible and causes intense suffering in pet rabbits that pick it up. Most wild rabbits have become immune to these diseases and they now make little difference to their population numbers, but they are huge carriers of the diseases and any contact with wild rabbits or their bodily fluids or insects carrying the disease can spread them to pet bunnies. Therefore a vaccination has been developed for pet rabbits in order to keep them safe and healthy. Rabbits can be vaccinated from 5 weeks old and it is normally an annual vaccination which provides protection against both these diseases, this may be more often during the year depending on your pets chance of contact with wild rabbits. A combination of regular boosters, controlling insects, regularly cleaning and disinfecting rabbit enclosures and prevention of contact with wild rabbits can help to reduce the risk of your little bunny developing these diseases.
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