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How do I clean my bunny's dirty bottom?
What is flystrike?
Why should I vaccinate my rabbits?
How important is it to feed my rabbits correctly?
What not to feed!
Neutering info - see Neutering page.
How do I clean my bunny's dirty bottom?
A rabbit with a dirty bottom needs prompt attention to prevent painful soreness and flystrike. Ignoring the problem is just like leaving a baby in a filthy nappy for days on end. The skin becomes raw and inflamed, and the hair will be scalded away by ammonia. There are absolutely no excuses for leaving a rabbit to suffer like this and if you yourself cannot deal with it, you must find someone who can. I am always happy to help with this and can usually get them clean again within 24-48 hours. If you follow my advice, bottom cleaning should be a thing of the past.
1. Hold your rabbit firmly but gently under the front legs and support his bottom with your other hand. Gently lower him into a tepid (not hot, remember he's sore) bowl of water (an old washing up bowl is ideal). You can add a mild disinfectant like Hibiscrub. Be warned- you may get wet they usually kick like mad to start with.
2. The idea is to soak the muck off to avoid scrubbing and irritating the skin even more. The longer you let him soak, the easier it will come off- use your fingers under the water to gently tease it away from the fur and skin. It's not a pleasant job but it's the most effective way. It's easier to trim excess fur away before bathing a fluffy rabbit- be careful, snip away just a tiny bit at a time, you may need an extra pair of hands to help you
3. Rinse him with clean tepid water when all the muck is gone. Then lift him out and lie him on his back in your arms (most rabbits are quite happy with this!) Pat him dry gently with a towel. You can dry him thoroughly with a hairdryer if it has a low heat setting - keep it moving and be careful not to burn him.
4. Apply a barrier cream like vaseline or sudocream. Vetsalve (available from the vet) contains citronella so it naturally repels flies. Just like a baby, the barrier cream helps stop wetness getting into the skin.
5. Finally pop him back into his warm hutch with a pile of clean hay, you will see the relief on his face now he is so clean and comfortable. Give him nothing but hay for 24 hours and he should be clean by then. If not, repeat, he will soon get better, avoid dry food until he is clean again.
If a persistently dirty bottom is accompanied by any other symptoms, ie weight loss, respiratory problems, lethargy etc, get him checked thoroughly by your vet to rule out anything serious.
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What is flystrike?
In short, it's the most awful, distressing condition a rabbit can ever suffer from. Most at risk are overweight bunnies who can't reach their bottoms to eat their first faeces and keep clean (see How important is it to feed my rabbits correctly?) It is vital to get these rabbits cleaned up and fast (see How do I clean my bunny's dirty bottom?). Also affected by flystrike are:
" Rabbits with urine infections (usually indicated by incontinence); " Those with open wounds; " Rabbits with overgrown front teeth (and those whose front teeth have been removed); " Elderly rabbits, who may be a little stiff in the spine or legs, restricting their efforts to keep their bottoms clean, they may also be a little incontinent.
Flystrike is most common in the warm spring and summer months, but beware, I've seen it in a mild December - it only takes one fly to lay the eggs which cause this horrible condition. Attracted by the smell of faeces, urine or an open wound, flies lay their eggs in the rabbits fur which later hatch into maggots. The maggots then spend the next few hours munching into the rabbits skin - literally eating the rabbit alive. Understandably, the rabbit will go into deep shock and die without very prompt treatment. This whole process can happen in as little as 8 hours. Often people return from a day at work to find it's too late to save their rabbit. It is vital to keep a a close eye on them to ensure they are keeping clean, helping them if necessary- the information in ''How do I clean my rabbits dirty bottom?'' will tell you how to do this.
Preventative measures and vigilance are essential; check them every morning and evening, keep hutches clean and most importantly, if your rabbit is chubby, get him dieting! Over - indulging him with dry food and treats will kill him, either through flystrike or organ failure because of fat clogging up his system.
Rearguard is a liquid applied to the bottom and back of the rabbit (most maggots are found at the base of the spine, behind the tail). It won't stop eggs being laid but it will prevent them hatching into maggots. Only available at the vets, it costs around £15.00, lasts for several weeks and is money well spent on any rabbit, but especially those at high risk. Believe me, flystrike really is the stuff on horror movies and will leave you feeling very queasy indeed - do not underestimate how awful it is.
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Why should I vaccinate my rabbits?
Because, quite simply, an unvaccinated rabbit infected with either myxomatosis or viral haemorrhagic disease stands no chance of survival whatsoever.Myxomatosis is a threat to all rabbits, even those who live indoors, because it can now be spread by mosquitoes and midges, not just rabbits fleas. It is no longer a 'country' disease- wild rabbits have become incredibly urban now, living in car parks, on roundabouts, playing fields and in factories- anywhere there's a bit of undergrowth to live in- they don't all live underground now! Pet cats love to hunt baby rabbits and can transfer rabbit fleas back home where they can hop onto their next bunny host- so many people tell me their cat and bunny are best mates, often sitting together- great news for a rabbit flea looking for its next meal. Mosquitoes and midges are obviously impossible to guard against and can obviously infect house rabbits. To not vaccinate is a false economy- there are other illnesses which present similar symptoms to myxomatosis; it doesn't always exhibit all its classic symptoms right from the start. So you could take your slightly snuffly rabbit with his slightly weepy eye to the vet and receive a diagnosis of a mild respiratory infection. A consultation fee, antibiotics and eyedrops will probably set you back £25.00 or so; you return a few days later with a bunny getting worse not better, probably by now getting full blown myxy symptoms- the puffy eyes, swelling at the base of the ears, swollen genitals, even more snuffly- the vet can now be sure its myxy and recommends euthanasia. So with destruction and disposal fees and last weeks bill you probably have a little change from £50.00- and a dead rabbit. The vaccination would've cost less than £20.00.
VHD (viral haemhorragic disease) is usually the second vaccination to be given, 2 weeks after the myxomatosis jab. An airborne virus which can be carried on clothes, VHD kills swiftly and often with no warning- you have a perfectly healthy looking rabbit one day, a dead one the next. Unless you kept large numbers of rabbits and lost several in quick succession, you would probably dismiss a sudden death as 'natural causes', a heart attack for example. Therefore, its quite difficult to ascertain how much, if any, of the disease is around, but its still worth vaccinating against it, as its very distressing to suddenly lose a rabbit with no warning.
Both vaccination need to be given annually to ensure adequate protection. Some vets recommend 6 monthly myxomatosis vaccinations for rabbits in very rural areas, for example, those whose gardens are constantly invaded by wild rabbits.
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How important is it to feed my rabbits correctly?
To put it bluntly, its the difference between having a healthy, easy to keep rabbit who lives for years, as opposed to a high maintenance, always at the vets costing you a fortune rabbit! Your rabbit is biologically no different to his wild cousins and therefore needs to be fed (and kept) as closely as possible in the same way. The rabbit is like a finally tuned engine needing only a very basic, but very specific fuel to keep it ticking over properly. Incorrect feeding sets off a chain reaction of problems which can be time-consuming and expensive for you, but even worse, painful, debilitating and often fatal for your rabbit.How does rabbits digestion system work? - If your rabbit lived in the wild, he would spend the whole day and most of the night grazing on plain, boring old grass and rough vegetation. Consequently, his diet would be high in fibre, low calorie, low carbohydrate and packed with all the vitamins and minerals he need for a healthy digestive system, strong teeth, bones and general well being. Constant exercise would make him strong, fit and muscular, never overweight, so therefore his bottom would always be clean. In other words, you will never find a healthier rabbit than a wild one, so the trick is to replicate that lifestyle and diet as closely as you can, ie, treat him like a rabbit, not an over- indulged child! Rabbits are species that simply cannot cope with being overweight and eating the wrong things - obesity and its related problems are undoubtedly the fastest way to send your beloved bunny to an early grave. Feeding in the following way will give him the very best chance of reaching his natural old age with a few, if any, health problems.
At least 75% of his diet must consist of good quality hay. This is his staple; because most pet rabbits don't spend nearly as much time as they should out on grass grazing freely, hay (dried grass, not to be confused with straw) is the next best thing. High in fibre, it keeps the gut running smoothly and constantly (an essential process), it is low calorie so they can't get fat on it, and the constant chewing of the tough fibres keep the teeth short and even. Rabbits are crafty and will always choose a tastier option if its available, which is why its vital to limit dry food- he will eat his hay if that is all there is! He will enjoy a piece of veg everyday; there's no need to go over the top- a carrot or large cabbage leaf in the evening is quite sufficent, he will also enjoy broccoli, curly kale, cauliflower, lettuce (no it won't give him the runs!) swede and carrot tops. Fruit should only be given as an occasional treat - it is, after all, sugar and can lead to weight gain if overfed. Dandelions, dock leaves, milk thistles, groundsel etc will go down extremely well!
Dry foods - all types - are the rabbits equivalent of junk food; fine if eaten in moderation but disastrous if eaten freely, with little or no control. The manufacturers of these foods have a lot to answer for - very few feeding guides make it clear that hay must be the main diet and the dry food should only be fed as a tiny part. In fact, dry foods are optional as rabbits can live perfectly happy, healthy lives on hay, grass and a little veg. Dry foods were originally designed for laboratory and meat rabbits, who were unfortunately not destined for a long life, and they have since been marketed as a 'convenient' way to feed pet rabbits; this is convenience however comes at a price, as you will see from the photos on this website of rabbits with dirty bottoms and dental disease.
Constant gorging on dry food will lead to a huge imbalance in your rabbits digestion, as well as causing weight gain which will make it impossible for him to carry out his normal ''bunny functions''. Their digestion system works as follows; food eaten during the day will be passed out at night as soft, sticky droppings called caecotrophs. Unlike normal droppings they consist of lots of tiny, much wetter droppings bunched together (people often mistake them for an upset tummy- its not, they're perfectly normal). It is essential that the rabbit can reach down to his bottom to eat those droppings as the gut 'recycles' them to preform another digestive process, thus releasing more nutrients. Following this, the faeces will be passed as the round, dry, hard droppings you sweep up in the hutch. As this process happens at night, sometimes you rarely see caecotrophs; a healthy, optimum weight rabbit will take care of the whole process clearly and discreetly. If, however, bunny is a little on the round side, he will struggle to get his head down to his bottom; therefore, the soft, sticky droppings aren't removed and eaten, they just stick to the fur and skin causing soreness and discomfort, as well as making him attractive to flies and potential flystrike. Add to this the fact that he is also missing out on vital nutrients and you can understand how a potentially disastrous chain of events starts to unfold.
So, drastic action is called for! Whereas an average sized, optimum weight, clean and healthy rabbit needs no more than one small handful of dry mix once daily only, a dieting bunny should have literally just a small sprinkle over the bottom of his bowl once a day. Its not the end of the world to cut it out altogether; if he has plenty of hay, grass and a little veg, he won't be missing out on anything and he should come clean within 24 hours. It's vital to clean him up properly (see ''How do I clean my bunny's dirty bottom?'') to prevent the soreness and flystrike risk. Remember, you are not being cruel by dieting him, you are saving his life and he'll be much happier and comfortable with his new trim figure!
I give my small rabbits (i.e. Netherland dwarfs, mini lops) no more than half a handful of dry mix daily. The very small faced breeds are particularly prone to dental problems (the same number of teeth squashed into a shorter jaw) so its vital to make them work their teeth hard by grinding lots of hay. Baby rabbits should also only have a tiny amount of dry mix - lots of hay and a small handful of fresh grass everyday will give them good strong teeth held firmly in place, ensuring no movement which would lead to uneven growth and problems as early as 1 year old. My giant rabbits have only 2 handfuls of mix daily and eat vast quantities of hay and grass!
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What not to feed!
1. Lawnmower cuttings - cut grass from the mower ferments too quickly in the stomach causing painful, gassy build up which will in turn cause the stomach to twist and contort; once twisted it is almost impossible to put right. The stomach and intestines are very sensitive and bloating or blockages can even split them; resulting in certain death. There are no surgical options for these conditions, but there are drugs which, if given in the early stages, may work wonders. If your rabbit stops eating and/or looks uncomfortable it is vital to get an early diagnosis - you won't have hours or days to ponder over it.2. Human foods - toast, crackers, chocolate, biscuits etc.... if you feed these things as treats, please re-read this section, the flystrike link and check out the flystrike picture; you may feel differently!!
3. Pet shop treats - Don't even go there! Unhealthy, expensive, pointless - which do you think your rabbit likes best? A ''carrot flavoured'' dog biscuit or a real carrot?? Fattening and unnecessary, follow the advice in point 2!!
Finally - don't panic too much about plants in your garden (yes, unfortunately for you a free range rabbit will tuck in!) He is unlikely to eat anything which will harm him (I don't know how they know) unless he is absolutely starving - which of course he won't be, after all that hay and grass!
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