Rabbits: Health, Husbandry and Diseases

182 Pages·2000·3.11 MB·English

by  V.C.G. Richardson(auth.)

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CONTENTS
Preface v
1 Husbandry 1
2 Nutrition 7
3 The Clinical Examination 19
4 The Skin 29
5 The Reproductive System 44
6 The NeonatalRabbit 59
7 The Urinary System 64
8 The RespiratorySystem 73
9 The Digestive System 81
10 The MusculoskeletalSystem 108
11 The Teeth 115
12 The HeadandNeck 121
13 Neurological and Neuromuscular Disorders 133
14 ImportantViralDiseases 139
15 Behaviour 144
16 Anaesthesia and Surgery 151
17 Drugs and Treatments 158
18 Zoonotic Aspects 168
References and further reading 171
Index 174
iii
PREFACE
Thestatusoftherabbitasapethaschangeddramaticallyinrecentyears.
Formany itisnolonger theforgotten petin ahutchat the bottom ofthe
garden; instead it has been brought indoors and cared for as one of the
family, often alongside more traditional family pets, the cat and dog. The
‘house rabbit’ has become an increasingly popular pet. For working
familiesitmaybeadogorcatsubstitute,asitishappytobealoneallday,
but will enjoy and respond to companionship every evening, at a time
whenitisnaturallyactive.Rabbitsaresurprisinglyresponsiveandeasyto
train.Theopportunitiesforfreeexercise andsocialcontactforthehouse
rabbitcreateapetthatisoftenhealthier,bothphysicallyandemotionally,
than its outdoor counterpart.
It is little wonder that our clients now expect, and deserve, the same
standardofveterinarycarefortheirrabbitsastheyreceivefortheircatsand
dogs. Previous texts have been concerned, in whole or in part, with
laboratory or farmed rabbits. This text, the first of its kind, is devoted
entirelytothe pet rabbit, its husbandry andhealth.
Aswiththetreatmentofothersmallpets,themajorityofdrugsavailable
are not licensed for use in rabbits. Every effort has been made to ensure
thatthedoseratesinthetextareaccurate,butalldrugsmustbeusedatthe
clinician’s own risk. Where appropriate licensed drugs should be selected
beforenon-licensed alternatives.
My thanks go to Fiona Webb and Ean Richardson for providing the
photographs used in the book.
V.C.G. Richardson
v
1 HUSBANDRY
INTRODUCTION
Traditionally, rabbits have been kept as pets in hutches in the garden, in
solitaryconfinement.However,asmorehasbeenlearntabouttherabbit,
and due to alterations in our society, this is all changing. It is now
recognised that rabbits are very social creatures, and benefit from
company, either from another rabbit, guinea pig, or their owners. They
canalsointeracthappilywithotherpetsinthehouseholdsuchasdogsand
cats.
Therabbitisthethirdmostpopularpetafterthedogandcat,andsocial
changessuggestthattheirpopularityissettoincrease.Withmorefamilies
working long hours, a dog may become too much of a commitment and
cats,beingmoreindependent,areoftenouthuntingwhentheirownersare
home from work and looking for their companionship. The rabbit is an
excellent alternative, as it is able to be shut away in its hutch whilst its
ownersareatwork,yetcanoffercompanionshipwhentheyarehome.A
rabbit is crepuscular by nature, and therefore most active in the morning
and evening, when its owners are at home, and naturally content to rest
duringthedaywhentheyareout.Thusthereisagrowingtrendforrabbits
tobekeptindoorsas‘houserabbits’.Thischapterreflectsthesechanges,
particularly in the sections on housingandstocking.
HOUSING
Rabbits can be kept in a variety of ways, either indoors or outdoors. This
mayrangefromahutchinthegarden,shedorgarage,toanindoorkennel
inthehouse.Wherevertheyarekeptthereareseveralbasicprinciplesthat
shouldbe considered.
1
2 Chapter1
. Theyshouldbeallowedasmuchspaceaspossible,withtheopportunity
for freeexercise for 4hoursdaily.
. Theaccommodationshouldofferonesheltered,darkretreat.This‘den’
mimics the burrow andoffersa place ofsafety in which tohide.
. Theaccommodationshouldbehighenoughtoallowtherabbittostand
fullstretch on its hind legs.
. Rabbits are particularly susceptible to heat stroke; they should not be
exposed to direct sunlight in the heat of the day without provision of
shade and shelter.
Outdoor rabbits
Many rabbits are kept outdoors in hutches. Ideally there should be a run
attached.Ifthegardenisenclosedtherabbitcanbeallowedfreerunofthe
garden. It is important to ensure protection from predators, either wild
animals or other domestic pets. The hutch must be situated in a site
protected from rain, wind and, in the summer, direct sunlight. Outdoor
rabbits must be kept clean and dry and their hutch cleaned regularly, as
they are most susceptible to the unwanted attentions of flies and the
development of ‘fly strike’. Breeders may keep their rabbits in tiers of
hutchesinashedorgarage.Ifmanyrabbitsarekeptlikethisitisimportant
to ensure good ventilation at all times. The ideal environmental tempera-
tureinashedis168C(618F).Ifrabbitsarekeptinagarage,thecarshould
ideallybekeptelsewheretoavoidtheeffectsofnoxiouscarfumes.Rabbits
are also particularly terrified ofthe smellof caroils and petrol.
Indoor rabbits
A variety of accommodation is available for the indoor rabbit. Even if the
rabbit is allowed free run of the house, it is important to provide it with a
denofitsown.Theindoordogkennelisthemostpopularformofindoor
cage. However, as ‘house rabbits’ become more popular there are
‘designerhutches’appearingonthemarket.Itisimportantthattheindoor
cageissitedsomewherequietinthehouse,andthatwithinthecagethere
isadarkcoveredareatohide;thecageshouldnotbeplaceddirectlybya
radiator orwindow.
Whentherabbitisallowedfreerunofthehouseitisimportantto‘bunny-
proof’anyelectricalwires or other objects thatthe rabbit may chew.
Husbandry 3
THE ENVIRONMENT
Rabbitsareintelligentcreaturesthatrequirementalstimulationinorderto
avoid stereotypical behaviour associated with zoo animals. This is parti-
cularly relevant for rabbits kept in confined hutches. Laboratories have
recentlyrecognisedthisneedformentalstimulation,andnowkeeprabbits
in groups and provide ‘toys’.
The rabbit’s natural curiosity and need to burrow can be satisfied by
providing pipes to crawl through, and cardboard boxes to chew and hide
under.Itsforaging instinctcanbedevelopedbyscatteringfood andtreats
all around its environment, so that it can take time to search for food.
Plentyofhayfor‘grazing’shouldbesuppliedatalltimes.Edible‘toys’such
asstrawcoastersandbasketswillprovidehoursofamusement,aswillsmall
plastictoys marketed forcats.
Heat stroke
Rabbitsareparticularlysusceptibletoheatstroke,andthisisanimportant
factor to consider when planning their environment. They should not be
exposed to direct sunlight in the heat of the day without some shade and
shelter being provided. Indoor cages should not be placed directly by a
radiatoror window.
Clinical signs: Respiratory distress, mouth breathing, weakness, depres-
sion, incoordination and convulsions. Body temperature more than
40.58C(1058F).
Treatment:Therabbitshouldbesprayedwithawatersprayorimmersed
in tepid water. Fluids should be given by intravenous or subcutaneous
injection. A shock dose of dexamethasone (2mg/kg) can be given
intravenously.
Bedding
Traditionallyhayandstrawareusedasbedding.Hutchescanbelinedwith
newspaperorlinoleumforeaseofcleaning.Indoorrabbitscanbekepton
newspaper, linoleum or carpet. Hay and straw serve a dual purpose, as
beddingandasthebasisofthediet,andshouldbereplenisheddaily.Both
indoorandoutdoorrabbitscanbetrainedtousealittertray,andthismakes
it much easier tokeep the environment clean.
4 Chapter1
Litter training
Rabbitspasstheirfaecesandurineinchosenareasaspartoftheirnatural
instincttomarktheirterritory,anditisthistraitwhichmakesthemeasyto
litter train. Bothindoorandoutdoor rabbits canbetaughttouse atrayin
thisway.Inthecaseofoutdoorrabbitsthetrayisplacedintheareaofthe
hutch where they defaecate; for indoor rabbits the first tray is placed in
theirindoorkennel,andsubsequenttrayscanbeplacedaroundthehouse.
The followingprinciplesapply tobothindoorand outdoorrabbits.
. Older rabbits are easiest to litter train, particularly if they have been
neutered.Thisisbecause theyhaveless ofan urgetoterritory markin
multiple sites.
. Loss of litter box habits may occur at sexual maturity, and this can be
corrected by neutering. Inappropriate toileting may also be the first
symptom ofurinarytractdisease.
. Rabbits tend to defaecate as they eat, and can be encouraged to use a
tray by placing some tasty pieces of food in one corner, or a hay net
above the tray.
. If the rabbit takes to sleeping in the tray, a second tray should be
provided with straw,orfleece forit toliein.
. Type of litter. Clay litter should not be used as it can cause gastro-
intestinal obstruction ifingested. It hasalso been well documented that
aromatic hydrocarbons from cedar and pine shavings induce liver
disease, resulting in elevated liver enzymes, which should return to
normal once the litter is removed. The best litter is paper pulp litter or
strawwhich canbe ingested safely.
STOCKING
Ithasrecentlybecomeclearthatrabbitsaresocialanimals,andshouldhave
companionship. Traditionally rabbits have been kept alone, or with a
guineapig.Tworabbitswillformaveryclosepair-bond,buthouserabbits
havebeenknowntoformclosebondswithcatsanddogs,despitethefact
that both are the rabbit’s naturalpredators.
Rabbits and guinea pigs
Thereismuchwrittenthatstatesthatrabbitsandguineapigsshouldnever
bekepttogether.However,therearemanyrabbitsandguineapigsthatdo
Husbandry 5
becomeclosecompanionsfortheirwholelifetime.Whenconsideringthis
issuethe following pointsmustbetaken intoaccount:
. Rabbitscankickwithforce,andarecapableofbreakingtheguineapig’s
legsorribseasily.Theguineapigmustbegivenlittledenswithentrances
thatonly itcan get through.
. The rabbit should be neutered, otherwise it could hurt or scare the
guinea pigwhen ittries to mount it.
. RabbitscanharbourBordetella,harmlesstotherabbit,butpathogenic
forthe guinea pig.
. Guinea pigs have a high daily requirement for vitamin C, generally
suppliedbytheprovisionoflargequantitiesofgreenfood,possiblymore
than the rabbit isused to.
Rabbit and rabbit
The very best pair-bond is a neutered male and neutered female. Such a
pairwillremainclosefortheirlifetime.Twoneutereddoesortwoneutered
bucksmaylivetogether,butthesepairingsarelessreliable,andmayresult
in the odd squabble. Same sex pairs are more likely to work if they are
introducedtoeachotherwhentheyareyoung,ideallyunder12weeksof
age, orfrom the same litter. The ideal scenario is the purchase of a male
and female from the same litter. The male can be castrated at 14–15
weeks, and the female spayed at 6 months, and they need never be
separated. In spacious environments groups of rabbits can live together
peaceably.
Pair-bonded rabbits are extremely close, and this should be taken into
consideration if one of the pair is ill, or requires hospitalisation. The sick
rabbitwillrecovermorequickly,andnotlosethewilltoliveifitiskeptwith
its companion, even if this means hospitalising the companion with it. If
one member of the pair dies, the remaining rabbit is likely to be able to
form another pair-bondeasily,as itwill cravecompanionship.
Rabbits and other domestic pets
House rabbits will form close friendships with dogs and cats, traditionally
considered to be their predators. Any introductions must be done gradu-
ally,andunderclosesupervision.Ifrabbitsdocomeintocontactwithdogs
orcats,fleacontrolofthedogandcatisextremelyimportantasthefleais
the maincarrierofmxyomatosis.
6 Chapter1
Procedure for pairing two rabbits
As previously mentioned the best pair-bond is a neutered male with a
neuteredfemale.Ifonlythemaleisneutered,thefemalemayexperience
cycles of moodiness associated with her hormonal surges and the devel-
opment of false pregnancies, and may become aggressive towards her
companion at certain times in this cycle.
. Thetworabbitsshouldbeintroducedonneutralterritory,withplentyof
available space.
. There will be chasing and mounting by the two rabbits, this is a sexual
ritual (evenifneutered) and quite normal.
. Only intervene if actual fighting occurs, and then try aversion tactics
using a water spray, before handling the rabbits.
. Somerabbitsmayaccepteachotheralmostimmediately,butitmaytake
24–48hours.
. When the rabbits groom each other, particularly around the head,
bondinghasbeen successful.
. Oppositesexrabbits,ifneutered,canbepairedatanytimeoftheyear.
Same sex rabbits are best paired in the winter during their period of
sexual inactivity, when they are least likely to fight. Same sex pairs
shouldnotbeabletosmellanoppositesexrabbitintheirsurroundings,
or theywill fight.
. If a neutered buck is paired with an unneutered doe it must be done at
least2weeksafterthesurgeryashecouldstillbeabletomateher.The
exception is if the doe has not reached sexual maturity, in which
instancethey can bepairedimmediately.