Rabbit Husbandry, Nutrition, and General Care
Dr.Kedar Karki
History
Rabbits are lagomorphs, not rodents, and are closely related to hares and picas. A distinguishing difference between lagomorphs and rodents is the number of incisors each has. Rodents have four incisors and lagomorphs have six.
Domestic rabbits are the descendants of the European rabbit from Western Europe and Northwestern Africa and have been kept as pets since the 16th century.
Behavior
Nutrition
Rabbits are herbivorous which means they require diets that consist of hay, greens, and pellets.
Hay: Hay should make up the majority of your pet rabbit's diet. Hay is very important in gastrointestinal health, prevention of hairballs, and the prevention of dental disease. Any rabbit under one year of age should be offered unlimited hay including about 50% alfalfa and 50% grass hays (western timothy, orchard, brome, oat, etc). Rabbits one year of age or older should be offered unlimited hay including all grass hays (western timothy, orchard, brome, oat, etc). Rabbits one year of age and older should not be fed alfalfa hay as it is too high in calories and calcium for the adult rabbit.
Pellets: The common misconception about pellets is that they were made for the pet rabbit. While there are a few brands that are now specially formulated with the pet rabbit in mind, many brands were originally produced for commercial rabbits to promote quick growth and weight gain. Pellets are part of today's pet house rabbit diet, but should be limited in most cases. A good rabbit pellet consists only of the green extruded pellets that look like mashed up hay. Rabbit "mixes" that contain cute shaped pieces, dried fruits/veggies, seeds, or grains should be avoided as these extras are not nutritionally sound for pet rabbits. In fact, rabbits cannot digest sugars, seeds, or grains very well and a diet containing these can cause medical problems such as loose stool and GI stasis. These mixes are also too high in calories and fat which can lead to obesity. Rabbits under one year of age should be given an unlimited amount of pellets that are alfalfa based (first ingredient is alfalfa) while rabbits one year of age and older should be offered limited timothy based pellets (first ingredient is timothy hay). The amount of pellets an adult rabbit can have a day is based on weight and you should refer to the package instructions.
Greens: Dark green leafy veggies are another important part of the house rabbit's diet. In general, the darker the green, the higher its nutritional value is. Rabbits can have a salad the size of its head up to twice a day. If you rabbit is not used to greens in its diet, you will want to start of will a salad half the size of its head once a day and slowly work up. Dark green leafy veggies that are great to feed your rabbit include:
* Use sparingly. Contain high levels of oxalates.
Treats: Anything that is not hay, pellets, or dark green leafy veggies is considered a treat and should be offered sparingly. So what exactly do we mean when we say sparingly? A bunny that is 2 lb or less in body weight should get no more than 1 Tbs of treat food a day. A bunny that is 5 lb or larger should get no more than 2 Tbs of treat food a day. In general, commercial rabbit treats containing sugars, grains, seeds, etc should be avoided. Healthy treats include:
Water: Water is a very important part of the diet that tends to get overlooked on a day to day basis. Rabbits can be given water with a water bottle or a crock. The water bottle or crock should be rinsed and refilled with cool fresh water daily. If you live in an area where the water is heavily treated with chemicals or tastes bad, you will want to consider offering bottled water.
Husbandry
Behavior
Rabbits are quiet, relatively odor free, and have a propensity for chewing and gnawing.
Litter Box Training
Rabbits are very easy to litter box train.
Veterinary Care
The two main causes of illness in rabbits are improper nutrition and poor husbandry. Providing proper nutrition and husbandry as described above is one of the best ways to prevent problems from occurring.
In the wild, rabbits are prey animals that are constantly on the look out for predators. Domestic rabbits still have many of the instincts of their wild cousins. This is very important to keep in mind when owning a pet rabbit. In the wild predators with pick out the rabbits that look injured or sick. Pet rabbits will hide signs of illness until they are very, very sick as a natural defense against "predators". Because of this, it is very important to call your veterinarian if you notice anything that is abnormal about your pet rabbit. Even something as minor as not wanting to eat a treat that is normally favored could be a sign of illness.
Rabbits should be examined by a veterinarian that is knowledgeable about rabbits at least once a year; more often if there are any signs of illness.
Nail Trimming: In addition to yearly exams, rabbits will require regular nail trimming. This can be done at home or by experienced veterinary staff. Trimming rabbit nails can be a little trickier than trimming the nails of other animals. If you are not experienced with trimming bunny nails, it is best to ask qualified veterinary staff to show you how.
Spaying/Neutering: Spaying and neutering is another very important part of your rabbit's veterinary care. The ideal time to have your rabbit altered is 3-6 months of age. However, it is never too late to have your rabbit altered. There are many benefits to altering your rabbit. Females have a high incidence of reproductive cancer which can develop as early as 3 years of age. Spaying essentially eliminates the risk of developing uterine or ovarian cancer because the ovaries and uterus are removed during the spay surgery. Aggression and urine spraying is easily controlled or decreased with altering your rabbit.
Common Medical Problems
Bordetella: Bordetella is caused by a bacterium known as Bordetella bronchiseptica. This organism is also a pathogen in other species such as cats and dogs and is generally benign and clinically silent in rabbits. It is believed to be part of the normal flora.
Dental Disease:
Pasteurella: Pasteurella is caused by a bacterium known as Pasteurella multocida. Pasteurella can be transmitted from rabbit to rabbit by direct contact, close contact aerosol, and venereal routes. Pasteurella lives in the nasal passages and symptoms can range from frequent sneezing (snuffles) and mucopurulent nasal discharge to…
Rabbits purchased from pet stores, adopted, or otherwise obtain should be assumed be infected with pasteurella
Trauma:
Uterine/ovarian Cancer:
Breed Overview
There are approximately 45 breeds of rabbits currently in the United States that are recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA). These breeds range in size from 1 kg (2.2 lb) to 5-8 kg (11-18 lb). Rabbit breeds are distinguished from each other by a combination of body size and shape, ear carriage and length, and fur color and length.
Terms and Definitions
Here are some common rabbit terms and their definitions that are good for rabbit owners to know.
Dr.Kedar Karki
- Scientific Name: Oryctolagus cuniculus
- Average Life Span: 9-12 years
- Gestation: 28-34 days
- Average Litter Size: 6-10 kits
- Weaning Age: 5-6 weeks
- Heart rate: 200-300 beats per minute
- Respiratory Rate: 30-60 breaths per minute
- Rectal Temperature: 101-103 oF
History
Rabbits are lagomorphs, not rodents, and are closely related to hares and picas. A distinguishing difference between lagomorphs and rodents is the number of incisors each has. Rodents have four incisors and lagomorphs have six.
Domestic rabbits are the descendants of the European rabbit from Western Europe and Northwestern Africa and have been kept as pets since the 16th century.
Behavior
- Females tend to be more territorial than males, making female/female bonds the most challenging.
Nutrition
Rabbits are herbivorous which means they require diets that consist of hay, greens, and pellets.
Hay: Hay should make up the majority of your pet rabbit's diet. Hay is very important in gastrointestinal health, prevention of hairballs, and the prevention of dental disease. Any rabbit under one year of age should be offered unlimited hay including about 50% alfalfa and 50% grass hays (western timothy, orchard, brome, oat, etc). Rabbits one year of age or older should be offered unlimited hay including all grass hays (western timothy, orchard, brome, oat, etc). Rabbits one year of age and older should not be fed alfalfa hay as it is too high in calories and calcium for the adult rabbit.
Pellets: The common misconception about pellets is that they were made for the pet rabbit. While there are a few brands that are now specially formulated with the pet rabbit in mind, many brands were originally produced for commercial rabbits to promote quick growth and weight gain. Pellets are part of today's pet house rabbit diet, but should be limited in most cases. A good rabbit pellet consists only of the green extruded pellets that look like mashed up hay. Rabbit "mixes" that contain cute shaped pieces, dried fruits/veggies, seeds, or grains should be avoided as these extras are not nutritionally sound for pet rabbits. In fact, rabbits cannot digest sugars, seeds, or grains very well and a diet containing these can cause medical problems such as loose stool and GI stasis. These mixes are also too high in calories and fat which can lead to obesity. Rabbits under one year of age should be given an unlimited amount of pellets that are alfalfa based (first ingredient is alfalfa) while rabbits one year of age and older should be offered limited timothy based pellets (first ingredient is timothy hay). The amount of pellets an adult rabbit can have a day is based on weight and you should refer to the package instructions.
Greens: Dark green leafy veggies are another important part of the house rabbit's diet. In general, the darker the green, the higher its nutritional value is. Rabbits can have a salad the size of its head up to twice a day. If you rabbit is not used to greens in its diet, you will want to start of will a salad half the size of its head once a day and slowly work up. Dark green leafy veggies that are great to feed your rabbit include:
- Alfalfa sprouts
- Arugula
- Basil
- Beet tops
- Bok Choy
- Brussels sprouts
- Carrot tops
- Chard
- Chicory
- Cilantro
- Clover sprouts
- Collard greens
- Dandelion greens and flowers
- Endive
- Escarole
- Kale*
- Mint
- Mustard greens
- Parsley
- Peppermint leaves
- Radicchio
- Radish tops
- Romaine lettuce
- Spinach*
- Watercress
- Wheatgrass
* Use sparingly. Contain high levels of oxalates.
Treats: Anything that is not hay, pellets, or dark green leafy veggies is considered a treat and should be offered sparingly. So what exactly do we mean when we say sparingly? A bunny that is 2 lb or less in body weight should get no more than 1 Tbs of treat food a day. A bunny that is 5 lb or larger should get no more than 2 Tbs of treat food a day. In general, commercial rabbit treats containing sugars, grains, seeds, etc should be avoided. Healthy treats include:
- Fresh Fruit:
- Apple
- Banana
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Cherries
- Cranberries
- Grapes
- Mango
- Melon
- Orange
- Papaya (no seeds)
- Peach
- Pear
- Plum
- Pineapple
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Fresh veggies
- Artichoke, Jerusalem
- Asparagus
- Beet
- Carrot
- Chives
- Cucumber
- Fennel
- Green pepper
- Pea pods
- Sweet potato
- Turnip
- Zucchini
Water: Water is a very important part of the diet that tends to get overlooked on a day to day basis. Rabbits can be given water with a water bottle or a crock. The water bottle or crock should be rinsed and refilled with cool fresh water daily. If you live in an area where the water is heavily treated with chemicals or tastes bad, you will want to consider offering bottled water.
Husbandry
- Environment
- Predators
- Environmental extremes
- Environmental intoxicants
Behavior
Rabbits are quiet, relatively odor free, and have a propensity for chewing and gnawing.
Litter Box Training
Rabbits are very easy to litter box train.
Veterinary Care
The two main causes of illness in rabbits are improper nutrition and poor husbandry. Providing proper nutrition and husbandry as described above is one of the best ways to prevent problems from occurring.
In the wild, rabbits are prey animals that are constantly on the look out for predators. Domestic rabbits still have many of the instincts of their wild cousins. This is very important to keep in mind when owning a pet rabbit. In the wild predators with pick out the rabbits that look injured or sick. Pet rabbits will hide signs of illness until they are very, very sick as a natural defense against "predators". Because of this, it is very important to call your veterinarian if you notice anything that is abnormal about your pet rabbit. Even something as minor as not wanting to eat a treat that is normally favored could be a sign of illness.
Rabbits should be examined by a veterinarian that is knowledgeable about rabbits at least once a year; more often if there are any signs of illness.
Nail Trimming: In addition to yearly exams, rabbits will require regular nail trimming. This can be done at home or by experienced veterinary staff. Trimming rabbit nails can be a little trickier than trimming the nails of other animals. If you are not experienced with trimming bunny nails, it is best to ask qualified veterinary staff to show you how.
Spaying/Neutering: Spaying and neutering is another very important part of your rabbit's veterinary care. The ideal time to have your rabbit altered is 3-6 months of age. However, it is never too late to have your rabbit altered. There are many benefits to altering your rabbit. Females have a high incidence of reproductive cancer which can develop as early as 3 years of age. Spaying essentially eliminates the risk of developing uterine or ovarian cancer because the ovaries and uterus are removed during the spay surgery. Aggression and urine spraying is easily controlled or decreased with altering your rabbit.
Common Medical Problems
Bordetella: Bordetella is caused by a bacterium known as Bordetella bronchiseptica. This organism is also a pathogen in other species such as cats and dogs and is generally benign and clinically silent in rabbits. It is believed to be part of the normal flora.
Dental Disease:
Pasteurella: Pasteurella is caused by a bacterium known as Pasteurella multocida. Pasteurella can be transmitted from rabbit to rabbit by direct contact, close contact aerosol, and venereal routes. Pasteurella lives in the nasal passages and symptoms can range from frequent sneezing (snuffles) and mucopurulent nasal discharge to…
Rabbits purchased from pet stores, adopted, or otherwise obtain should be assumed be infected with pasteurella
Trauma:
Uterine/ovarian Cancer:
Breed Overview
There are approximately 45 breeds of rabbits currently in the United States that are recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA). These breeds range in size from 1 kg (2.2 lb) to 5-8 kg (11-18 lb). Rabbit breeds are distinguished from each other by a combination of body size and shape, ear carriage and length, and fur color and length.
Terms and Definitions
Here are some common rabbit terms and their definitions that are good for rabbit owners to know.
- Buck - A male rabbit
- Doe - A female rabbit
- Kit – A Baby rabbit
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