Rabbits
This site contains a lot of information on bunnies.
You should always always research your pet before purchasing or adopting. Be sure you know what you are getting into. Know the feeding, housing, & life span of your pet. Know foods it can & can not have. Can you afford the foods? Can you afford the housing structure your pet needs? The minimal requirements, are just that minimal. Would you want to live in a "minimal" environment? A "quick" rabbit care guide pdf can be downloaded here.
Rabbits are a very popular household pet. However, there are many rabbits are also not very well cared for. People dote on them the way many people dote on their cats or dogs. In multi-pet household, rabbits usually "rule the roost", so to speak. This situation does not always work - their are some cats/dogs/others that will never get along with a bunny or other animal. However, in many households, bunnies get along with other species well. A thing to remember though, is that rabbits are a prey species. Cats or dogs can cause them great stress. Rabbits rather flee from danger then to fight.
Please know this is not just so you can keep a bunny you find. Wild rabbits are EXTREMELY hard to care for well enough for them to survive & be returned to the wild. In addition, to care for them, you need a wildlife rehabilitator's permit. It is usually against the law to have ANY wildlife without this permit. This is more geared toward the pet rabbit.
This information is to help you understand basics about bunnies.
*** I highly recommend if you find any wild bunnies in need of assistance to get the help of a rehabilitator. In addition to specific care, it may need medication, such as antibiotics.
Rabbits are lagomorphs. This group includes rabbits, hares & pikas. Some characteristics of lagomorphs include:
- 4 upper incisors - instead of 2 like rodents, such as the rat.
- they are vegetarians - instead of an omnivore, like the rat.
- their scrotum is in front of the penis
- their teeth do continuosly grow like rodents, such as the rat. They do need things to chew & to be sure their teeth are properly growing & aligned.
In general, rabbits live 5-7 years. Of course, there are rabbits that have lived over 10yrs. With rabbits, larger breeds tend to live longer than the smaller breeds. Large breeds may live 14-17yrs, or so. Medium breeds live approximately 10-12yrs.
Female rabbits reach sexual maturity before males. Smaller breeds reach sexual maturity quicker than larger breeds.
Females are called does, and males are called bucks.
For breeders, the doe is brought to the male's cage. Females are induced ovulators (like cats), meaning they have sexual intercourse to induce ovulation. The doe's estrus cycle is irregular & there is approximately a 4-17 day of receptivity, with 1-2 days of inactivity.
You can feel fetuses at approximately 14-15 days and gestation lasts 30-33 days. Rabbits can get pseudopregnancies like dogs, and these usuaully last approximately 15-17 days.
The birthing process in rabbits is called kindling. The birth is usually very quick, but could last 1-2 days. They don't usually have a dystocia problem (this is difficult birth). They can have breech or anterior presentation of the kits, but this usually does not cause a problem for the doe.
Does do eat their placenta & they will eat any kits that are still born. They are not too prone to killing their young. (Infanticide). The doe does not retrieve kits that fall from the nest either (like a cat would do).
Domestic rabbits kits are born hairless, blind & helpless. Eyes open at approximately 10 days of age.
Does only nurse 1x time - usually at night, or in the early am. Some rabbits have been known to nurse 2-3x a day. Kits that are not nursing have sunken abodomens. Weaning of the kits usually occurs are 5-6 wks of age.
Some breeds of rabbits are prone to uterine neoplasias, and unless your rabbit is to be a breeder, it is best to spay your rabbit young.
Female rabbits have a bicornucate uterus (2 horns), with 2 cervix.
Rabbits have an orangey-colored urine. True blood in urine is almost always caused by neoplasias.
Rabbits do have open-rooted teeth that continuously grow. Many rabbits are seen in veterinary practices for malocclusion of the incisors or cheek teeth. Rabbits have 4 upper incisors - which include a set of peg teeth behind the upper incisors = 4 upper incisors. In addition to malocclusion, rabbits can get periodontal disease & other teeth/mouth problems as well. Rabbits grind their food side to side like a horse. This can lead to point development on the inside of bottom teeth, or the outside of upper teeth. You can use a 1-tip to gently roll the lip away from the teeth & you can see the points (if there). NOTE: Not all rabbits wil allow this to be done!
Male rabbits do not have nipples.
If nostril twitching is absent in your bunny, it is either VERY sick, or EXTREMELY relaxed. Bunnies twitch their noses 20-120x/minute.
Rabbits are hindgut fermenters with a simple glandular stomach - and like horses & rats, they CAN NOT vomit. They also should never have an empty stomach. They are monogastric herbivores - with a complex digestive physiology. (Even though they have a simple stomach, their digestive process is complex). The cecum is the developed portion of their GI tract. For an article "Rabbit GI Physiology & Nutrition" <-- click.
Rabbits should be fed unlimited hay. They should absolutely, always have hay - timothy, orchard or brome - grass hays. Pellets & alfalfa hay should be limited. Your should give your rabbit no more than 1 tablespoon of pellets per day! It is absolutely important that rabbits have a dietary fiber - it is ESSENTIAL to their GI motility and proper function. (Meaning - they absolutely need hay!) Alfalfa is too high in calcium to be used as a maintenace food for rabbits. You may, however, supplement your rabbits diet with other foods. You should use greens, such as, cabbage, cauliflower leaves, broccoli leaves, kale, turnip greens, & mustard greens. Again, though, remember, moderation is the key. They are just a SUPPLEMENT. Too much fresh foods can lead to starch overload for your bunny, as well as pH extremes & disease. Always offer new foods to your bunny in a small amount so as to not cause diarrhea. Dark green leafy vegetables & root vegetables are good for your rabbit. Do not use beans or rhubarb. You can see a suggested veggie list here. Your bunny can also have fruits occasionally. Do not feed too much fruit as they can get diarrhea. (Remember to always introduce new foods in small amounts & monitor for diarrhea). Some fruits your bunny can have include apple (be sure to remove the stem & the seeds), orange, pineapple, pear & more. You can see a suggested fruit list here. There is another fruit & veggie list here. You can also download a pdf of a sample healthy rabbit diet here. There are also many plants that are toxic to rabbits. You can see some of them here. Some rabbit diet in general information, click here.
Rabbits also practice coprophagy. This mean they eat some of their feces. Rabbits eat cecal pellets. They are a different type of feces than the normal rabbit pellet feces you see all the time. These pellets are called cecotrophs. (See Article "What is a cecal pellet?"). Pelleted diets (in GENERAL) do not provide the adequate fiber a rabbit needs and this can lead to diarrhea, obesity & trichobezoars (hair balls). (Remember, a rabbit can NOT vomit).
The inguinal canal in rabbits stays open through their whole life. The testes will pull back into the inguinal canal at times.
Rabbits are generally timid unless handled frequently.
They tend to urinate/defecate in a chosen area of their cage, or housing area, and therefore can be litter-box trained. Either gender will spray urine to mark territory. You can usually help elminate these behaviors with neutering. It really makes a significant difference.
Some general rabbit behavior information here.
Rabbits don't usually bite, the exception being intact bucks. However, they do scratch severly with their hind legs & can rip skin right off of you.
Intact rabbits of either gender may fight. They do have social hierarchies when housed in a group. Rabbits chew on stuff, including wires, wood, cardboard, furniture & carpeting. They do need to be monitored or kept in a completely rabbit proofed area.
Rabbit caging should have very good ventilation and be easy to clean. Wire bottom cages help with sanitation, however, it may also lead to a condition called "sore hocks" because the rabbits weight mainly rests on its hocks. Wire bottom cages are really not good for rabbits. If using a wire flooring, the spaces of the wire should be small. There should also be a flat surface for the rabbit to go to, too, so that its whole floor is not a wire bottom. Tips on rabbit housing can be found here.
Rabbits can tolerate the cold if they have an appropriately sized shelter to get into. It can not be too large or the rabbit will not generate enough heat to keep itself warm. They will acclimate to temperature extremes if they are given ample time to adjust to outdoor life, and again, have a suitable shelter. However, rabbits do NOT tolerate heat well - > 85deg F rabbits do not like it & do not do well. They should be provided with a way to keep cool. For some ideas on keeping bunnies cool, you can download another pdf here. There is also an article here.
Due to their chewing nature, rabbits that can not be supervised, should not be left out in the home. They should be caged while you are way for their safety.
A pdf about rabbit health (such as changes that may indicate a problem), can be downloaded here.
Rabbits do not handle antibiotics well. Oral penicillins can destroy the normal good gut flora of your bunny. Be sure when choosing a vet, they have treated bunnies, and know what antibiotics to use. It is a good thing for you to research well all aspects of your bunnies care & be up-to-date with your knowledge. Going to a vet that has not treated bunnies can be a serious situation. However, if your vet is willing to research & see what your bunny needs & is open to the information, you can have a perfectly good visit with a less knowledgeable vet. However, one that is open to listening & finding out what may be needed, is probably not a good choice to care for your bunny.
Some anitbiotics used on bunnies may include: baytril, tetracycline, & a couple others. It is always best to consult a vet that is well educated on bunnies.
It is always important to remember that you should never ever pick your bunny up by the ears. You should lift your bunny under her body & support her hind legs. Rabbits can be easily damaged. They have a very high muscle weight in comparison to the weight of their bone (they have heavier weight of muscle, than bone). Improper handling of the rabbit can lead to fractures or even breaks.
Rabbits, like other animals can carry zoonotic diseases. Zoonotic diseases are diseases that can be transmitted to humans. Among these possibilities are: Cheyletiella ("walking dandruff"), ringworm. . . or rabies, TB, or salmonella. Proper hygiene is always in the best interest of all involved;) Proper care of your bunny will ensure that diseases or other health problems are kept out of your bunny's life, or hopefully, limited. Bunnies also normally carry bordatella. This is contagious to Guinea pigs & can kill them! Bunnies & guinea pigs should NOT be kept together or near each other. For an article "Is Your Bunny Sick?" <-- click.
Rabbits have very delicate skin. Please keep this in mind if you ever try to trim a mat or burr from your bunnies hair. They are easily cut if you are not careful.
All herbivores can have increased levels of intestinal gas - they can have colic due to built up gas.
If you ever work on bunnies, (surgically) here are a few tips:
- Rabbits, like all herbivores, are hard to intubate. Necks can not be straightened or it will cut off their breathing. They can be intubated, there is just a technique to it.
- absorbable monofilament sutures should always be used
- never use catgut
- never place sutures where they can be chewed
- never use a continuous suture pattern
- staples & tissue glue do not work well
- post-op pain meds should be use - it helps to speed recovery & they get back to eating quicker - remember rabbits that are not eating is bad news! (For an article on GI Stasis <--click)
- drugs that can be used: buprenorphine, butorphanol, meloxicam, rimadyl, or combinations of opiods & NSAIDs - these will be things administered by your vet
- rabbits must eat right after surgery - so PAIN = NOT EATING
- animals that are recovering slowly should be rotated to avoid hypostatic congestion & should be given warmed fluids
- once the rabbit shows swallowing reflexes, they can be hand fed
- telazol is nephrotixic to rabbits & should NOT be used
Oxbow critical care is a good thing to have for ill rabbits.
I will also list several websites. Thanks to all these sites for their GREAT rabbit information on care, feeding, housing, etc. Some information has come from some of these sites. Most of the written out infomation I obtained in my Exotic Animal Nursing & Disease class this past semester (Spring 2007). Dr. Factor is a Vet in the Newburgh, NY area. He sees many animals, including most exotics such as birds, sugar gliders, etc.
Dr. Donald Factor
West End Veterinary
41 Fullerton Ave.
Newburgh, NY 12550
Tel: 845-565-0804
One of the absolute BEST rabbit sites is House Rabbit Society. They have tunz of info. From care, feeding, housing, behavior, etc. They have about all the info you could ever need.
Another good site is: Rabbit Advocates: Rabbit Adoption & Care. Many, if not ALL, the links to pdfs are to their site!
If you have a great vet to recommend, you can email me & I will list them. You have to be willing to provide a recommendation for that vet. Try to include contact info (like above) & the animals the vet sees, if possible. I will list them on the appropriate page. (If you are recommending your vet because they see your rabbits, see rabbits & you like them a lot, they will be listed here).
