RABBIT CARE

Diet

Rabbit Pellets

A good quality rabbit pellet may be offered daily but in limited quantities. The uncontrolled feeding of a pelleted diet can led to obesity, heart and liver disease, chronic diarrhea, and kidney disease which results from the high concentration of carbohydrates, low fiber and high calcium levels in the pellets. Make sure that you buy pellets that are high in fiber (18% or more), and that you buy small quantities. Keep the pellets refrigerated or cool and dry to prevent spoilage. Old, rancid pellets can cause a rabbit to stop eating. If you must buy more than two months of pellets at a time, freeze them.

The following chart shows daily amounts to be fed to your bunny. DO NOT REFILL THE BOWL even if the pellets are all eaten before the next day. OVERFEEDING OF PELLETS IS THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF HEALTH PROBLEMS THAT WE SEE. Keep your rabbit healthy by not overdoing it!

*Rabbits up to 8 months of age can have access to pellets free choice, because they are still growing rapidly. However, after 8 months of age they should receive the following maintenance diet:

• 2-4 lb of body weight - 1/8 cup daily
• 5-7 lb of body weight - 1/4 cup daily
• 8-10 lb of body weight - 1/2 cup daily
• 11-15 lb of body weight - 3/4 cup daily

*Please note that these food amounts are for the maintenance of the non-breeding, mature house rabbit. If you intend to breed your pet, then we suggest increasing the daily pellet amounts by 1/4 to 1/2 cup during the breeding season. For does that are nursing babies, the pellets should be offered free choice until the babies are weaned. After the breeding period is over, resume feeding at the maintenance levels as listed above.

In some situations, your veterinarian may recommend that pellets be totally removed from the diet. Do not become alarmed because your pet will be able to receive all the nutrients necessary from the hay and fresh foods that you will be instructed to feed. TIMOTHY OR GRASS HAY SHOULD BE OFFERED DAILY IN UNLIMITED AMOUNTS. It is critically important that hay be available at all times for your pet. Rabbits tend to eat small amounts of food frequently throughout the day and withholding hay for long periods of time can lead to intestinal upsets.

We prefer the loose, long strands of hay, as opposed to the pressed cubes or chopped hay. The fiber in the hay is extremely important in promoting normal digestion and for the prevention of hairballs. Hay also contains proteins and other nutrients essential to the good health of your pet. We no longer recommend the use of alfalfa hay because it appears to be too high in calcium and carbohydrates, which may lead to serious health problems and digestive upsets.

Check with your local pet stores for timothy hay or grass hay. Also check with local feed stores and horse barns, because many of these places will sell you a "flake" of hay off a bale at a very nominal cost. Hay should be stored in a cool, dry place with good air circulation (don't close it up in a plastic bag). Discard wet or damp hay, or any hay that does not have a "fresh" smell. The best way to offer the hay is to use a hayrack on the outside of the cage. Your pet can pull the hay into the cage through the bars as he or she needs it. This keeps the hay clean and eliminates much of the waste.

At certain times of the year and in certain locations, it may be difficult to obtain grass hay. At these times it is okay to use hays mixed with alfalfa, or use strictly alfalfa hay for a short period of time. The most important thing is to ALWAYS HAVE HAY AVAILABLE TO THE PET. Remember, we are restricting the pellets and the hay is a major source of fiber and nutrients.

Fresh Foods

These foods should be given daily. Rabbits in the wild eat primarily tough, fibrous leaves, bark and other difficult to digest plants. Their digestive tract is healthiest when it has the most work to do in breaking down cellulose. If your pet is not used to getting any fresh foods, then start out gradually with the green leafy veggies and add a new food item from the list every 5-7 days. If the addition of any item leads to diarrhea or unformed stools in 24 to 48 hours, then remove it from the diet.

Young bunnies should also be introduced to new foods gradually. However, once your pet is eating these foods, try to give at least 3 types daily. We find the addition of these fresh fibrous foods help in the prevention of hairballs and other digestive upsets, plus your bunny will love you for it!

The following are all foods that you can try on your pet:

The total amount of fresh food that can be given daily (once your pet has been gradually introduced to it as described above) is about 1 heaping cup (loosely packed) per 5 pounds of body weight.

Treat Foods

In a small amount, you can give one of these "treat" foods daily (give about 1 level tablespoon per 5 lbs of body weight):

One can alternately give one level teaspoon per 5 pounds of body weight of banana or dried fruit.

WE DO NOT RECOMMEND GIVING ANY OF THE FOLLOWING FOODS ROUTINELY BECAUSE OF THEIR POTENTIAL FOR CAUSING DIETARY UPSET AND OBESITY:

Water

This should always be available, and changed daily. A dirty water container can breed bacteria that can cause disease. The container can be either a water bottle or heavy bowl that is weighted or secured to the side of the cage so that it does not tip over. Because medications or vitamins may alter the taste or color of water, your pet may not drink it.

Vitamins

Vitamins are not felt to be necessary if the rabbit is getting pellets, hay and fresh foods in the diet. In fact, the indiscriminate use of vitamins may lead to over dosage and serious disease.

Salt and Mineral Block

A salt and mineral block is not necessary for the house pet on the described diet. You may want to have one available for those animals kept outdoors in warm climates and for breeding animals.

Night Droppings

It may seem strange to list this as a part of the diet, but these "special droppings" are an essential part of your pet's nutrition. During certain times of the day, usually in the evening, you may observe your pet licking the anal area and actually eating some of the droppings in the process.

These cecal pellets, as they are called, are softer, greener, and have a stronger odor than the normal hard, dry, round waste droppings. Your pet knows when these droppings are being produced and will take care of eating them himself. These cecal pellets come from the cecum, which is the part of the digestive system where fermentation of food takes place, and they are rich in vitamins and nutrients, which are needed by your pet to maintain good health. After eating these "vitamin pellets" he will redigest the material and extract all the necessary nutrients. This habit may appear distasteful to us, but it is normal and important for your pet.

Occasionally a rabbit will drop these cecal pellets along with the waste pellets instead of eating them. They will be soft, brighter green, misshapen, but formed and have an odor. This is not considered diarrhea, and if it only occurs occasionally, it is not considered a disease problem.

Environment

Cage

A metal cage may be used with a wire flooring of 14 gauge wire (1" x 1/2" square openings). A solid floored area is necessary to prevent sore hocks and to provide an area for resting. The size of the cage should be at least 24" x 24" x 18" high for the small and medium sized breeds and 36" x 36" x 24" high for the large breeds.

You can use a towel (unless you have a pet that likes to eat towels), or piece of carpeting or wood for the solid area. We have found that the "synthetic fleece" cloth that is sold in fabric stores (in a variety of colors) works very nicely, as it is washable and if the pet chews on it, there are no long strands of fabric that can get caught in the digestive tract. Newspaper can be used under the wire. Do not use aquariums or solid walled cages because the lack of sufficient air circulation has been directly correlated with an increase in respiratory disease.

If you are going to have your bunny roaming the house either all or most of the time, make sure that you eliminate areas that your pet can get wedged in or escape from. Watch out for:

Get on your hands and knees and "bunny-proof" your home.

Litter Box

Rabbits can be litter box trained relatively easily. Initially you need to keep your pet in a small area, either in a cage or a blocked off section of the room and place a litter box in the corner (try to pick the corner your pet has already used). Make sure the sides of the box are low enough so your pet can get in and out easily. It is helpful to put some of the droppings in the box. You can reward your pet with one of the treat foods listed previously whenever he or she has used the box successfully. Do not punish your pet while in the litter box. Do not worry if your pet sits for extended periods in the litter box. Sitting in the box can be allowed as long as he is not soiling himself.

Aspen shavings or compressed paper pellet, such as yesterday's newspaper, make good litter material. It is excellent for keeping odors down, doesn't tend to scatter all over the house, and is harmless to the rabbit if he eats it.

Temperature

Rabbits should be kept in the COOLEST and least humid area of the house. Studies have shown that bunnies kept in warm, humid environments with poor air circulation, have a dramatic increase in the incidence of respiratory disease over those animals kept in cool, dry environments with good air circulation. Damp basements are one of the worst areas to keep your pet. If your rabbit must be kept in a basement, invest in a dehumidifier and a fan to keep out dampness and improve air circulation.

The optimum temperature range for a bunny is 60-70 degrees F. When the temperature gets into the mid 70's, we start to see an increase in drooling, and nasal discharge. If temperatures reach the upper 80's and beyond, and especially if the humidity is high the potential for a fatal heat stroke is very real. On very hot days, when air conditioning is not available, it is helpful to leave a plastic milk jug filled with frozen water in the cage, for a portable "air conditioner".

Please keep fresh, cool water available, as this will also help to keep the body temperature down. If your pet should actually experience a heat stress reaction, try holding an ice cube on the ear or gently wetting your pet down with cool (not cold) water. If the heat stroke is severe, veterinary attention will be necessary.

If your bunny is being kept outdoors in either warm or cold weather, make sure that part of the cage is sheltered from the wind and the sun. For the winter it is advisable to use straw bedding in the sheltered area for insulation and make sure that the water bowl is changed daily, as your pet can dehydrate rapidly if the water is frozen for days.

*Information taken from 1993 AAHA Proceedings. Written by Susan A. Brown, DVM.

The Animal Health Clinic recommends annual wellness visits for all rabbits. If you have any questions, feel free to call us at: 701-237-9310