Tips For Keeping a Healthy Rabbit

There are those who consider rabbits a functional animal capable of producing meat or wool (depending on breed) and those who consider them pets (that’s more my line). As one might expect with division there is also disagreement among the proper care of these animals.

This sweet little girl has been waiting two years for someone to come and take her home. She can be adopted from San Diego House Rabbit Society as of this writing and would love to get to know you.

Feeding:

On one side is the camp that advocates plenty of vegetables and no pellets. On the other side are the owners that advocate pellets as a base, some hay and occasional treats of vegetables. There are indications, however, that a vegetable only diet can lead to digestive upset, which can even be fatal; this is very rare with a pellet-based diet.

As with most things a moderate approach is important. Here are some guidelines for your bunny:

-Feed a few ounces of pellets per day.

-Supplement the diet with hay and greens but NEVER feed greens from the nightshade family, including potato and tomato greens.

-Flopsy will very likely enjoy treats of dandelion greens, an occasion plantain leaf or handful of grass. Make sure when giving these treats they have not been sprayed with any kind of fertilizer or weed-killer. Rabbits also love trimmings from rose or berry bushes and eagerly eat the pruning pieces when offered.

-Alfalfa hay is not usually needed unless the animal is breeding or growing. Ordinary grass hay can be a benefit to the rabbit’s health by providing roughage.

Teeth and Nails:

Pay particular attention to the teeth – they should meet evenly or top over bottom. If they don’t then the teeth won’t wear properly, leading to discomfort and the need for regular trimming of teeth.

Flopsy will also need her nails trimmed regularly. You can do this easily as you would a dog’s nails, using caution to trim short without getting into the ‘quick’ or sensitive inner nail. In light colored toenails this is easy to see.

Grooming:

All bunnies will benefit from brushing and it’s a great way to bond with your pet. Among the rabbit breeds for which daily grooming is essential is the angora. Its long soft hair can quickly become tangled and matted. Keeping the hair at one inch or less in length will help prevent problems but, if matts occur, use ball-tip grooming scissors to cut them out, snipping carefully down to the base of the matt, then tease the last of the matt out with a medium bristle brush. Don’t try cutting down to the skin; you’re likely to injure your pet.

Rabbits can make wonderful pets

…and can even be house-trained, though as prey animals they can be quite timid. They also have a tendency to scratch and bite but when they feel safe they can really come into their own and be affectionate and entertaining.

“Once I showed up at my sister’s with a baby rabbit I had bought from some children because its ears were cold. I put the rabbit on a hot water bottle and massaged its ears for quite a while. After all, I knew that all healthy animals had warm ears.” ~ Juliette G Low

Find lots more adoptable bunny rabbits at House Rabbit Society.