Basic Care
There is a lot to take into consideration when buying a bunny. I'm going to mention just a few but remember they are important no matter how trivial they seem.
Once you have you cute little bunny, remember they can grow very big depending upon the breed, make sure they have a suitable sized hutch i.e. minimum 5ft in lenght, 2ft in height and 2ft in width, and remember they grow.
They need food, and water, i feed mine 2 times every day to make sure they get what they need. I also feed them fresh fruit and veg to compliment their diets. The fruit i give mine are..........
necturines, apples and firm pears .
The veg i feed them are the following.......
cabbage leaves, carrots, cauliflower leaves, tomatoes, celery.
They need fresh hay, this acts as bedding but you will soon find that they eat a lot of it too, so i tend 'top' my cages/hutches up twice a day. Yes this seems alot but it does their digestive systems good and also keeps them warm acting as nice soft bedding. Also you will need sawdust, this acts as a layer of softness under their feet and also as a bedding.
They need love and attention. No animal likes being shut in a cage or hutch 24/7 without being bothered with. It makes the animal unhappy, it can also cause behavioural problems like biting, scratching and kicking. This is due to not being handled and can take quite a while to rectify. With perseverance it can be done!
Exercise is also a must. If you were 'stuck' in a cage all day wouldn't you get bored? Well bunnies do too! I let mine out in the garden for a few hours every day unless the weather is really bad then they are let loose in the house. Typically mine do both as i leave my door open and they come and go as they please. This adds to a happy bunny.
Also just like us, rabbits need their claws/nails cut. you can either do this yourself by purchasing a cutter for them or your vets will do this for you, it's very easy when you get the hang of it, but if you do try this yourself then be very careful of the veins running through them just like a dog has. If you bunny has black nails/claws then trim literally the end of them as you cannot see the vein.
TEETH
Please keep a check on their teeth, their front teeth continue to grow and grow and sometimes if they haven't enough hard veg or toys to nibble on these can over grow and can be uncomfortable for your bunny. Also a known cause other than trauma for teeth problems is malocclusion where they are born with non aligned jaws causing over grown teeth and drooling. If they become over grown seek a vets advice as they will need cut.
While your bunny is getting his or her daily exercise please be aware of what your bunny is nibbling on. Grass is fine, dandilions are fine but please stop them from eating bulbus plants, these are poisonous for bunnys and will lead to the death of him or her. If you do have bulbous plants in your garden then use a rabbit run which is recomended that way they get exercise but cannot eat anything they shouldn't that is harmful to them.
Top Tip For Winter Months
During winter months if your bunny is kept outside you usually find that their water bottles tend to freeze constantly. I was in my local pet shop and they suggested a helpful hint, which is a tiny drop of GLYCERIN in the water bottle prevents the water from freezing. It also doesn't harm the bunny either. I have tested this and it has worked.
ILLNESS AND YOUR BUNNY.
Snuffles in rabbits is the illness that every owner dreads. Once a rabbit develops snuffles its a life long problem which can be treated but never cured :(
snuffles is extreemely contagious and also affects the eyes, ears and other organs. If detected early it can be treated, but it can become CHRONIC and even FATAL if left untreated.
CAUSE
Snuffles is the term to describe the upper respiritory signs. The most common cause for it is an infection with the bacteria PASTEURELLA MULTOCIDA.
TREATMENT
Snuffles is generally treated with antibiotics for 14 - 30 days. The antibiotics usually include Baytril, ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim sulfa. Rabbits will need additional bacteria during and after these treatments and should only be used under strict veterinary advice
PREVENTION
Snuffles is very CONTAGIOUS disease and difficult to treat, it is not curable !
Breeders should sanitise housing areas etc and quarantine 'new' stock until certain there are no signs of the disease. Pet owners should try and look for healthy rabbits, make sure they do not show any signs of the above, also look at the mam and other litter mates.
Because snuffles is a devistating disease to rabbits and is so contagious and wide spread, rabbit owners need to be aware of the signs of this disease and seek veterinary advice / treatment at the first signs.
BLOAT
Bloat is another very sudden affliction in rabbits, one minute they are fine and happy and healthy, the next they are very quiet, off their food and water, huddled in a corner and do not move. Tummys are often very bloated and hard to the touch and no signs of droppings.
Bloat can be caused by a number of reasons, some of which being stress of moving/travelling, a very quick change of food, hence why when purchased from a breeder you will recieve a change over supply of food to help prevent this from occuring.
Give plenty of hay to help the digestive system and guts to keep moving.
Bloat is often fatal in rabbits if not caught / recognised early enough.
If in doubt take your rabbit to the vet.
Once you have you cute little bunny, remember they can grow very big depending upon the breed, make sure they have a suitable sized hutch i.e. minimum 5ft in lenght, 2ft in height and 2ft in width, and remember they grow.
They need food, and water, i feed mine 2 times every day to make sure they get what they need. I also feed them fresh fruit and veg to compliment their diets. The fruit i give mine are..........
necturines, apples and firm pears .
The veg i feed them are the following.......
cabbage leaves, carrots, cauliflower leaves, tomatoes, celery.
They need fresh hay, this acts as bedding but you will soon find that they eat a lot of it too, so i tend 'top' my cages/hutches up twice a day. Yes this seems alot but it does their digestive systems good and also keeps them warm acting as nice soft bedding. Also you will need sawdust, this acts as a layer of softness under their feet and also as a bedding.
They need love and attention. No animal likes being shut in a cage or hutch 24/7 without being bothered with. It makes the animal unhappy, it can also cause behavioural problems like biting, scratching and kicking. This is due to not being handled and can take quite a while to rectify. With perseverance it can be done!
Exercise is also a must. If you were 'stuck' in a cage all day wouldn't you get bored? Well bunnies do too! I let mine out in the garden for a few hours every day unless the weather is really bad then they are let loose in the house. Typically mine do both as i leave my door open and they come and go as they please. This adds to a happy bunny.
Also just like us, rabbits need their claws/nails cut. you can either do this yourself by purchasing a cutter for them or your vets will do this for you, it's very easy when you get the hang of it, but if you do try this yourself then be very careful of the veins running through them just like a dog has. If you bunny has black nails/claws then trim literally the end of them as you cannot see the vein.
TEETH
Please keep a check on their teeth, their front teeth continue to grow and grow and sometimes if they haven't enough hard veg or toys to nibble on these can over grow and can be uncomfortable for your bunny. Also a known cause other than trauma for teeth problems is malocclusion where they are born with non aligned jaws causing over grown teeth and drooling. If they become over grown seek a vets advice as they will need cut.
While your bunny is getting his or her daily exercise please be aware of what your bunny is nibbling on. Grass is fine, dandilions are fine but please stop them from eating bulbus plants, these are poisonous for bunnys and will lead to the death of him or her. If you do have bulbous plants in your garden then use a rabbit run which is recomended that way they get exercise but cannot eat anything they shouldn't that is harmful to them.
Top Tip For Winter Months
During winter months if your bunny is kept outside you usually find that their water bottles tend to freeze constantly. I was in my local pet shop and they suggested a helpful hint, which is a tiny drop of GLYCERIN in the water bottle prevents the water from freezing. It also doesn't harm the bunny either. I have tested this and it has worked.
ILLNESS AND YOUR BUNNY.
Snuffles in rabbits is the illness that every owner dreads. Once a rabbit develops snuffles its a life long problem which can be treated but never cured :(
snuffles is extreemely contagious and also affects the eyes, ears and other organs. If detected early it can be treated, but it can become CHRONIC and even FATAL if left untreated.
CAUSE
Snuffles is the term to describe the upper respiritory signs. The most common cause for it is an infection with the bacteria PASTEURELLA MULTOCIDA.
TREATMENT
Snuffles is generally treated with antibiotics for 14 - 30 days. The antibiotics usually include Baytril, ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim sulfa. Rabbits will need additional bacteria during and after these treatments and should only be used under strict veterinary advice
PREVENTION
Snuffles is very CONTAGIOUS disease and difficult to treat, it is not curable !
Breeders should sanitise housing areas etc and quarantine 'new' stock until certain there are no signs of the disease. Pet owners should try and look for healthy rabbits, make sure they do not show any signs of the above, also look at the mam and other litter mates.
Because snuffles is a devistating disease to rabbits and is so contagious and wide spread, rabbit owners need to be aware of the signs of this disease and seek veterinary advice / treatment at the first signs.
BLOAT
Bloat is another very sudden affliction in rabbits, one minute they are fine and happy and healthy, the next they are very quiet, off their food and water, huddled in a corner and do not move. Tummys are often very bloated and hard to the touch and no signs of droppings.
Bloat can be caused by a number of reasons, some of which being stress of moving/travelling, a very quick change of food, hence why when purchased from a breeder you will recieve a change over supply of food to help prevent this from occuring.
Give plenty of hay to help the digestive system and guts to keep moving.
Bloat is often fatal in rabbits if not caught / recognised early enough.
If in doubt take your rabbit to the vet.