Information for New Kitten Owners

Information for new rabbit owners:

VACCINATIONS

Rabbits should be vaccinated against Myxomatosis and Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (VHD). Both these diseases are very difficult to treat once contracted and are usually fatal. Ideally the first vaccination for VHD is carried out at 2 and a half to 3 months of age and a booster should be given annually. The Myxomatosis vaccine can be given after 6 weeks of age and boosters given every 6 months. Ideally, boosters should be given around May/June as just after this time is the peak infection period.

FLEA TREATMENTS

Your rabbit can get fleas in the same way a dog or cat can carry them. Regular checks for fleas should be carried out - flea combs can be used for this. If you suspect your rabbit has fleas, there are treatments available; please speak to one of the nurses for further details.

Rabbits are grazers and require a very specific diet. The bulk of their diet should be grass hay - hugely important for dental and gastrointestinal health - with a small amount of good quality, high fibre complete diet. This additional diet should ideally be in a complete pellet form as diets with many different pieces of different foods can lead to the rabbit selective feeding as well as obesity. Fresh vegetables should also be provided including carrot, broccoli, cabbage, chicory, watercress, kale, dock, dandelion and celery leaves.

FLYSTRIKE

Flystrike is when maggots infest an animal. Rabbits are particularly prone to this condition that is very distressing, painful and often leads to death or euthanasia. It is very important to check your rabbit twice daily to ensure it does not have any urine or faeces trapped around it’s bottom as this can be a leading cause of flystrike. These daily checks should be thorough and, if any maggots are seen, you must bring your rabbit to the veterinary surgery immediately. There are veterinary products which can be used to prevent flystrike - please speak to one of the nursing staff.

DENTAL HEALTH

As well as the obvious incisors at the front of a rabbit’s mouth, rabbits have a set of molars at the back of their mouth that are more difficult to see. As all of these teeth continually grow and are worn down, they can become overgrown and cause difficulty eating. The front incisors can mostly be checked conscious, but the back teeth will often need a general anaesthetic to be checked and have dental work carried out on them.

REGULAR, NECESSARY CHECKS

There are several regular checks that should be carried out on your rabbit including the following: - ensuring your rabbit is eating and toileting normally; - checking your rabbits bottom to ensure there is no build up of urine or faeces; - ensuring your rabbit has clean, bright eyes with no discharge; - checking the ears to ensure they are not scratching or rubbing at them excessively; - checking for fleas; ` - ensuring the claws are not too long and causing mobility problems - checks of your rabbits general demeanour and behaviour - is it behaving as it usually does?

If you are unsure about the health of your rabbit or are concerned about any of these things, please book in to see your veterinary surgeon.

- And remember, if you have any questions please ask one of our nursing team who would be happy to help! Compiled by Emma Kerry RVN