Rabbits General Health Care
Rabbit Diet
Feeding the wrong diet is one of the main reasons for most of the health problems with which rabbits present to the vet. These can include:
White discharge from the eye corner due to blocked naso-lacral duct
The Correct Rabbit Diet
12% Green leafy vegetables
6% Pellets
2% Treats like apple and carrots
Rabbit Sterilisation
Rabbits reach sexual maturity at 16-24 weeks (4-5 months) and can become pregnant any time after that. Best time to sterilise your rabbit is from 4 months of age.
Reasons to Sterilise Female Rabbits
Prevention of uterine tumours. (70% of unsterilised rabbits will develop uterine tumours by the age of 7 years).
Stop aggression towards other rabbits and people.
Prevents pregnancy.
The Procedure:
Do NOT fast your rabbit before you bring her to the hospital. Please bring a small lunch pack with you when you drop her off at Hilton Vet. We need to give it to her as soon as she wakes up from anaesthesia.
Your rabbit will get an intramuscular sedation that will make her fall asleep in 5 to 10 minutes. Once she is asleep the vet will place an intravenous fluid drip in the lateral ear vein. The drip fluid is warmed and will maintain a good body temperature. It will make sure the blood pressure is stable and she is nicely hydrated. We then clip the fur on the tummy and prepare the area for surgery. She will then be placed on gas anaesthesia for the duration of the surgery. A two centimetre incision is made just behind the belly button and the uterus and ovaries are removed. The abdominal muscle and skin is closed with absorbable sutures. The sutures are hidden underneath the skin so your rabbit won’t be able to pull them out. There is no need to remove any stitches later on. Once she wakes up we give her the lunch pack that you left with her in the morning. As soon as she eats her food we know she is fine to go home. You will then get a phone call from us to organise a discharge time.
Rabbit Castration
Reasons To Castrate Your Male Rabbit
Stop him making female rabbits pregnant.
Stop aggression towards other rabbits and people.
Slow down the urge to escape to look for female rabbits.
Rabbit Vaccination
Young rabbits are vaccinated at 8 and 12 weeks of age.
Fleas
Rabbit Fur Mites
Fur Mites (Cheyletiella parasitovorax) cause mild dermatitis in rabbits that can sometimes be inapparent to their pet parents. It presents as an area of dry skin, dandruff and mild hair loss on the back of neck or body. It can sometimes cause mild irritation to the rabbit. Diagnosis is made by microscopic examination of a skin scrape or sticky tape test. The eggs are attached to the hair shafts and shed with the hair to contaminate the environment.
Treatment can be done with Advocate top spot for kittens. A dose of 0.1 ml per kg is applied between the shoulder blades. One treatment every two weeks for three treatments.
It is worthwhile to spray the environment with a Pyrethrin product and wait six hours before introducing the rabbit to that area.
Rabbit Ear Mites
Ear mites (Psoroptes Caniculi) causes inflammation and crusting in the ear canal. Affected rabbits shake their heads and scratch at the ears. The mites can spread to other parts of the body in debilitated rabbits. Diagnosis is made by observing the mites with an otoscope or under a microscope.
Treatment can be done with Advocate top spot for kittens. A dose of 0.1 ml per kg is applied between the shoulder blades. One treatment every two weeks for three treatments.
Maggots
The area under the tail is most often affected. To prevent maggot infestation, make sure the area below your rabbit’s tail is always dry and clean. Prevent flies from reaching your rabbit, by putting a fly screen over the outside rabbit hutch.
Veterinary treatment is most often needed. The hair is clipped around the affected area and the maggots physically removed. Advocate top spot can be used. A dose of 0.1 ml per kg is applied between the shoulder blades. Antibiotics are often needed to treat dermatitis.
