Rabbit Advice

At Emscote vets we know what wonderful pets rabbits make and how hard our clients work to keep their bunnies in top shape.  Rabbit awareness week is aimed at protecting the health and well being of pet rabbits.  One of the simplest ways this can be done is by neutering and regularly vaccinating your rabbit.  Special attention to diet, housing, companionship and behaviour is equally important.

Thankfully the days of keeping pet rabbits in small hutches are far behind us!

Rabbits need space, they should be able to play, jump and run – the more binkys they can pack in the day the better!

Rabbits also need roughage! In short they need a diet high in fibre and low in carbohydrates. Good quality fresh hay and grass are good sources of fibre and should make up 85% of their diet. Pellets should only make up 5% of the diet eg a 2.5 kg rabbit needs no more than two egg cup fulls or 60 grams a day.  Carrots and fruit are high in sugar and should be avoided unless used as training treats in small quantities.

Rabbits are very sociable and should be kept in neutered pairs or bonded groups.  Mutual grooming also has health benefits, removing parasites and cleaning hard to reach places like the face and ears.

Remember, as rabbits are a prey species they will often hide signs of ill health so it’s important to be familiar with your rabbits normal behaviour and body language. Any changes in behaviour, appetite and stools should always be reported to your vet.

We would love to see photos or footage of your bunnies getting up to mischief too!

For more information on rabbit welfare, please check the RAW site:

https://www.rabbitawarenessweek.co.uk/rabbit-welfare/