After dogs and cats, rabbits are the UK’s most popular pet. However due to the misconception that they are an easy ‘childrens pet’ many of them live lonely lives in small hutches on poor diets. Many of these rabbits have preventable health problems.

Thanks in part to some of the work carried out by one of the founders of Crab Lane Vets, Frances Harcourt-Brown, the nutrition of pet rabbits has improved a lot over the last 15 years so some of these problems, especially dental problems are less common.

You can read some of Frances Harcourt-Brown's 65+ publications here !

HOUSING RABBITS: Rabbits live in groups in the wild and so will be happier living with a companion, usually another rabbit of the opposite gender (neutering is obviously important). Guinea pigs are not suitable companions.

They need plenty of space. Virtually all hutches are too small, large runs are needed with space to hop and run. Runs can contain toys such as tunnels and digging areas to give your rabbit both exercise and mental stimulation. If your rabbit lives loose in a house then you need to need to pay attention to bunny-proofing your house as they chew and can cause a lot of damage especially to electrical cables and skirting boards.

NUTRITION: Feeding should be predominantly leafy greens including grass and hay. Weeds are fine and you can share your healthy five-a-day with your rabbit. Dry food needs to be fed carefully as this is often overfed and can lead to obesity. If obese rabbits become unwell they readily develop hepatic lipidosis which can be fatal. Obese inactive rabbits have an increased risk of developing painful spinal and joint problems. Pellets are preferred over museli type foods as their nutrients are balanced. The museli mixes are often only selectively eaten leading to the rabbit consuming an unbalanced diet and this can lead to dental disease so these should never be fed.

We do see rabbits with painful bladder problems associated with sludgy urine. This is less likely if the rabbit drinks plenty of water and is active. Eating leafy greens encourages water intake and rabbits have been shown to drink more if offered water from a bowl than a bottle so bowls are preferred. Feeding wet rinsed greens can also help to increase water intake.

HANDLING RABBITS: Although some rabbits are easy to handle many do not appreciate it. They can struggle and scratch and so should not be picked up by children as they may be dropped. Rabbits are prey items so do not be surprised if your pet rabbit does not appreciate being handled. 

VACCINATION: We vaccinate rabbits annually with a combined single dose vaccine against:

• Myxomatosis
• Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (RHD 1&2)

We advise vaccination even in house rabbits as we have seen cases of RHD in house rabbits. Vaccinartions can start from 5weeks old and require a booster vaccination each year. We also stock a vaccination against new-variant RHD which can be given 2 weeks after the combined Myxo/RHD vaccination. 

MICROCHIPPING: Although it is not a legal requirement to microchip rabbits as it is with cats and dogs in the UK, we strongly encourage microchipping. Rabbits can be escape artists and a microchip provides a permanent form of identification if they go missing or are stolen. A microchip is an electronic chip about the size of grain of rice and we insert this under the skin between the shoulder blades. The microchip carries a unique ID number which is then registered to your name, address and contact details. We can implant a microchip quickly and painlessly in a conscious rabbit but many owners elect to have them implanted when their rabbit is under anaesthetic eg for neutering. 

FURTHER INFORMATION: The British Veterinary Association have produced a useful leaflet on rabbit care which can be found here and Petsavers have another handy leaflet on rabbit care.

Crab Lane Vets supports the work of the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund which is the UK's leading rabbit welfare organisation. Their ethos is about creating better tomorrows for all companion rabbits. They educate rabbit caregivers so their rabbits are living their best lives and support veterinary professionals to offer the best care whilst campaigning for better standards, protection and legislation. A link to their website is here  , where you can find lots of useful resources as a rabbit owner, or vet.