DIET

Hay - HAY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE HOUSE RABBIT DIET. HAY SHOULD BE PROVIDED AT ALL TIMES IN YOUR PET'S CAGE. Hay provides fiber, which keeps the digestive tract working normally. In addition, hay contains a variety of other nutrients essential to the good health of your rabbit. The type of hay preferred is GRASS hay, which can include timothy, prairie, brome, meadow, oat (this is the type of grass, not the oats you eat for cereal), and Bermuda. Often grass hay is sold as mixed grass, which contains several of these types. Alfalfa hay is not preferred due to its higher calorie and calcium content. However, in situations where grass hay is not available, alfalfa may be used temporarily. It is better than no hay at all. We prefer the loose hay as opposed to hay cubes, but for clients with allergies to loose hay, the cubes can be an alternative.

Feeding hay has other health benefits. Hay is more abrasive and takes longer to break down than a pellet (which is made of compressed fine particles) so there is beneficial tooth wear. Teeth grow throughout a rabbit's life, and overgrown molars and incisors can be a problem if not kept in wear by the diet. In addition, the time spent chewing hay, and the "full feeling" to the stomach which hay provides, will result in less chewing on other objects in the house (it doesn't stop electric cord chewing!). Hay also decreases the incidence of rabbits chewing on their own or their cage-mates fur.

You can check with your local pet stores, feed stores and horse barns for sources of grass hay. If you have several rabbits you may want to buy a whole bale. If you buy from a horse barn or feed store, make sure the hay did not come from the top of the stack where is may be contaminated by animal or bird feces. Hay should be stored in a cool, dry place, safe from raccoons and birds with good air circulation (don't close it tightly in a plastic bag). Discard wet or damp hay, or any hay that does not have a "fresh" smell. One efficient way to offer the hay is to use a hayrack on the outside of the cage. Your pet can pull the hay into the cage through the bars as he or she needs it. This keeps the hay clean and eliminates much of the waste.

Fresh Foods - Fresh food is the second most important part of the house rabbit diet. These foods should be given daily. Rabbits in the wild eat a lot of tough, fibrous plants. Their digestive tract functions best when it has a high level of fiber, which helps to maintain the normal intestinal motility.

If your rabbit has never eaten green foods before, then it is best to establish it on hay first. If your rabbit is already eating hay, then there is generally no problem starting right out with fresh foods. The danger of feeding green foods to rabbits as stated in many older books on rabbits is not true in rabbits that are also eating hay. The problem in the past has been with rabbits that were on a diet of strictly alfalfa-based pellets, which results in a more sluggish movement of the intestinal tract than is normal. When greens are introduced to these rabbits, you may see soft stools or even diarrhea caused by an increased motility of the intestinal tract due to the higher fiber and fluid content. Some greens may cause a harmless softer stool (notoriously parsley) and can be eliminated from the diet if this is the case. When using greens for the first time, start with romaine, kale or mustard greens and then add a new food every few days.

Feed a minimum of 3 leafy greens daily. The more variety the better for the rabbit not only in nutrition, but also in recreational appeal due to different tastes and textures of food. The following are foods that you can try with your pet. Feed about 1 tightly packed cup per 4 pounds of body weight. Once your pet is established on hay and greens you can feed essentially unlimited amounts of these foods. Make sure to wash all fresh foods carefully before using. Because fresh vegetables are not as concentrated in nutrients pound per pound as the dry hay, you should not depend on greens only to maintain your pet's weight.

Rabbits must have hay as well as greens in the diet! Some examples of food items you can feed your pet: carrot tops, beet tops, dandelion greens and flowers (pesticide free), kale, collard greens, escarole, romaine lettuce, (no light leaf or iceberg lettuce), chickweed, plantain, endive, green, red or yellow peppers, Swiss chard, parsley, clover, cabbage, broccoli (don't forget the leaves), carrot, pea pods (the flat edible kind), Brussels sprouts, basil, borage, wheat grass, mesclan greens mixes, peppermint leaves, raspberry leaves, raddichio, bok choy and escarole. Packages of premixed salad are usually not sufficient for the bunny's needs as they contain a lot of lower nutrient lettuces such as iceberg. Use them as no more than a third of the daily amount fed.

Rabbit Pellets - Rabbit pellets are the least important part of the house rabbit diet. Commercial rabbit pellets are high in calories, low in volume and require little chewing, which can be a problem for an animal designed to eat large volumes of tough, high fiber foods. Alfalfa-based rabbit pellets were designed for the rapid growth in food or laboratory rabbits that do not usually live out a full life span. In the house rabbit the feeding of pellets may lead to problems which results from the high concentration of carbohydrates, low fiber, high protein, fat and high calcium levels in the food. In many cases we may recommend feeding no pellets at all, particularly to adult rabbits. Do not become alarmed because your pet will be able to receive all the nutrients necessary from the hay and fresh foods that you will be instructed to feed. Rabbits are very efficient at making their own vitamin and minerals in the form of cecotropes, which they produce from their hindgut and eat and redigest. Complete removal of pellets from the diet is commonly the treatment suggested for overweight bunnies or for rabbits with chronic soft stools. Many rabbit patients of our hospital do not receive pellets for most of their life.

If you choose to use pellets in the diet, use a good quality rabbit pellet that is at least 18% minimum or higher in fiber, 2.5% or less in fat, 16% or less in protein and 1.0% to or less in calcium. Keep the pellets in an airtight container to prevent contamination with moisture or vermin. If possible, check the mill date (the date the pellets were produced at the factory) on the package and use them within 90 days of this date.

Treat Foods - Keeping the total under 2 tablespoons per 2 lbs. of body weight daily, you can give the following foods: strawberries, papaya, pineapple, apple, pear, melon, raspberries, blueberries, apple pear, mango, cactus fruit, persimmon, peach, pear, or tomato. Bananas and grapes can be "addicting" and we don't recommend feeding these items unless it is only a very occasional treat. Dried fruits may be used as an alternative to the fresh listed above but use half the amount.

These foods may increase the potential for obesity and intestinal upset: salty or sugary snacks, nuts, chocolate, breakfast cereals, legumes (peas and beans) and other grains (including corn and bread).

Lactobacillus or Acidophilus (Yogurt) - This is recommended by some, and while not harmful, it is not necessary. The touted benefit is that the live bacteria in the yogurt will replace bacteria that may be killed in the intestinal tract of the rabbit by disease or drugs. Lactobacillus is NOT a significant normal part of the rabbit intestinal flora and, in addition, will be killed in the stomach before it reaches the intestine. The nutrition benefit of feeding a dairy product could be better provided by a plant source such as a dark green leafy vegetable.

Water - Should always be available, and changed daily. A dirty water container can be a breeding ground for bacteria. Either use a water bottle or heavy bowl, weighted or secured to the side of the cage so that it does not tip over. Avoid the use of water medications or other additives because your pet may not drink sufficient quantities of water if the taste is altered. Note that rabbits get most of their fluid requirements from greens and may drink very little other water.

Vitamins - Vitamin supplements are not necessary in the healthy rabbit. Rabbits not only get these nutrients from the hay and fresh foods, but also produce their own vitamins, such as vitamins C, B-complex and K in their cecotropes which they then re-eat and digest. Indiscriminate use of vitamins may lead to overdoses and disease.

Salt or Mineral Block - Unnecessary for the house pet on the described diet.

Night Droppings (Cecotroper) - It may seem strange to list this as a part of the diet, but these "special droppings" known as cecotropes are an essential part of your pet's nutrition. During certain times of the day, usually 4-6 hours after eating, you may observe your pet licking his or her anal area and eating some of the droppings in the process.

Cecotropes are softer, greener, and have a stronger odor than the normal dry droppings and come directly from the cecum which is the part of the digestive system where fermentation of food takes place. In the cecum the digestible portion of the diet is broken down by bacteria, which produce fatty acids, amino acids (proteins), vitamins and minerals. Some of these nutrients are absorbed directly through the wall of the cecum, but most of the nutrients are kept inside the bacteria, which are excreted in the cecotropes. After eating these nutrition rich droppings your pet will redigest the material and extract all the necessary nutrients. This habit is normal and important for your pet. In this way, rabbits can thrive in the wild on food that other animals could not survive on because they are unable to digest them and extract the vital nutrients. Rabbit do an excellent job developing their own nutritional supplements within their bodies!

Occasionally a rabbit will drop these cecal pellets along with the waste pellets instead of eating them. This happens when the diet contains excessive amounts of protein or energy. This is not diarrhea, and if it only occurs occasionally, is not considered a disease problem. Some rabbits leave excessive amounts of cecotropes in the cage because they can't reach the anal area. Conditions such as obesity, flaps of skin over the anal area, spinal disease, painful abdomen or pain in general can lead to this condition. A diet that is low in fiber or high in energy may also lead to a chronic and persistent production of cecotropes that are too soft and liquid to be eaten and thus are left in little puddles around the environment mixed with normal waste stools. Your rabbit should be examined if you see excessive amounts of abnormal stools of cecotropes in the cage.

ENVIRONMENT

Housing - We highly recommend that rabbits not be kept in a cage all the time. Rabbits that are caged continuously run a higher risk of disease, and are prone to obesity due to lack of exercise. In addition, they may develop behavioral problems such as excessive chewing or aggression (out of boredom or "stress''). An excellent set-up is to have a cage or partially enclosed house area as a comfortable "home-base", which they can enter and leave as they wish throughout the day, surrounded by a dog exercise pen for a place to roam. These pens come in all different sizes and are made up of a number of metal wire panels that can be taken apart and moved to make the pen area any size or shape you want. We recommend that it be at least 3 feet high for most rabbits. For some of the larger breeds use 4 foot high pens. You can purchase a solid piece of no-wax flooring to cover the floor of the pen so that carpet or other flooring is protected and it is easy to clean up accidents. Another advantage of the pen arrangement is that the rabbit is kept out of trouble from chewing on furniture and electrical cords, and the pen can be moved from room to room or even outdoors as needed.

A metal cage may be used as the "home base". It may have an open wire floor of 14-gauge wire (1"x 1/ 2" square openings) with a solid tray underneath. The cage should be at least 24" x 24" x 18" high for small and medium sized breeds and 36" x 36" x 24" high for large breeds. A solid floored area is necessary to prevent sore hocks and to provide an area for resting. You can use a towel (unless you have a pet that likes to eat towels), or piece of carpeting or wood for the solid area. We have found that the "synthetic fleece' cloth that is sold in fabric stores (in a variety of colors) works very nicely, as it is washable and if chewed on has no long strands of fabric that can get caught in the digestive tract. Newspaper or other bedding materials (not pine or cedar - see suggestions under "Litter Box") can be used under the wire. Do not use an aquarium or solid walled cage as the lack of air circulation has been linked to an increase in respiratory disease.

If your bunny will be roaming the house at any time, make sure that you eliminate areas where your pet can get trapped, or from which it can escape. Protect or remove electrical cords, carpeting and any toxic materials such as rodent poisons or plants that are accessible. Get on your hands and knees and "bunny-proof' your home!

Litter Box - Rabbits can be litter box trained relatively easily. Initially you need to keep your pet in a small area, either in a cage or a blocked off section of the room, and place a litter box in the corner; try to pick the corner your pet has already used for the bathroom. Make sure the sides of the box are low enough so your pet can get in and out easily. It is helpful to put some of the droppings in the box. Some people have also found it useful to put some hay in the box to encourage defecation in the box (they usually pass stool while they are eating). You can reward your pet with one of the treat foods listed previously whenever he or she has used the box successfully. Do not punish your pet while in the litter box. Do not worry if your pet sits for extended periods in the litter box. Sitting in the box can be allowed as long as your pet is not soiling itself and the box is cleaned frequently.

Pelleted paper or other organic products make the best bedding. These products are non-toxic and digestible if eaten; easier to clean up than shavings or clay litter; control odor better and are compostable. In addition, they draw moisture away from the surface of the litter, protecting the rabbit's feet should he like to sit in the litter box. Some examples are Cellu-Dri and Yesterday's News (which are paper products), and Mountain Cat Kitty Litter or Harvest Litter (pelleted wheat grass products).

Temperature - Rabbits should be kept in the COOLEST and least humid area of the house. Studies have shown that bunnies kept in warm, humid environments with poor air circulation have a dramatic increase in the incidence of respiratory disease over those animals kept in cool, dry environments with good air circulation. Damp basements are one of the worst areas to keep your pet. If your rabbit must be kept in a basement, invest in a dehumidifier and a fan to keep out dampness and improve air circulation. The optimum temperature range for a bunny is 60-70 degrees F. When the temperature gets into the mid 70's, you may see an increase in drooling, and nasal discharge. If temperatures reach the upper 80's and beyond, and especially with high humidity, there is a potential for fatal heat stroke. On very hot days, if air conditioning is not available you can leave a plastic milk jug filled with frozen water in the cage as a portable "air conditioner".

Keep fresh water available, as this will also help to keep the body temperature down. If your pet should actually experience a heat stress reaction, try holding an icepack on the ears or gently wet your pet down with cool (not cold) water. If the heat stroke is severe, veterinary attention will be necessary.

If your bunny is being kept outdoors in either warm or cold weather, make sure that part of the cage is sheltered from the wind and the sun. For the winter it is advisable to use straw bedding in the sheltered area for insulation and make sure that the water bowl is changed daily, as your pet can dehydrate rapidly if the water is frozen for more than a day.

HANDLING

There are a number of ways to pick up a rabbit depending on size and temperament. Be sure to always support the hindquarters to prevent serious spinal injuries. The rabbit backbone is fragile and can easily fracture if the hind legs are allowed to dangle and the animal gives a strong kick. Unfortunately, many of these injuries are permanent and may necessitate euthanasia, so the best policy is prevention. Never pick up a bunny by its ears: it's painful! It is better to grasp the loose skin over the shoulders or scoop up under the chest, and then place your other hand under the back legs to lift your bunny from the floor. Work near the floor when first learning to handle your pet so that if he jumps out of your arms he won't have far to go.

Put your bunny on its back when trying to trim nails or examine the belly. Most rabbits will learn to relax in this position and will tolerate quite a bit of handling. Sit on the floor and put the rabbit on its back with its head just over the edge of your knees so that it hangs down a little. Restrain the body firmly between your thighs, and place one hand over the chest to help prevent him from turning over. Talk softly and stroke the chest and abdomen gently. It may be necessary to have a second person face you and hold the front legs when first learning to trim nails in this position. However, many pets become so relaxed that one person can do all the grooming alone.

MEDICAL PROBLEMS

Females - A leading cause of death in the female rabbit is a cancer of the uterus (adenocarcinoma). This is a malignant disease and, unfortunately, once diagnosed may have spread to other areas of the body. It is entirely preventable by having your pet spayed between 5 months and 2 years of age. The spay procedure involves removal of the uterus and ovaries. Spaying also prevents the occurrence of breast cancer, pyometra (infected uterus), uterine aneurysm (life threatening bleeding into the uterus) and false pregnancies. In addition, spaying a rabbit will decrease aggression due to behavior associated with the rabbit being "in season" (which is nearly constant!).

Males - Some male bunnies may become extremely aggressive when they reach sexual maturity. They may spray urine outside of the regular litter box area. The urine may develop a very strong and unpleasant odor due to the presence of male hormones, and intact males may not groom effectively, developing stained and messy tail areas. Aggression towards other rabbits can result in serious bite wounds. The best solution is castration (surgical removal of the testicles). This procedure is recommended any time after 4 months of age.

Dental Disease - All rabbit teeth are open-rooted and grow continuously throughout their life. Rabbits were designed to eat tough fibrous foods that would wear down teeth of the type humans, dogs or cats have. The teeth wear not only on the foods but also on one another. If the teeth are not lined up properly, or if the diet does not provide sufficient opportunities for chewing they will overgrow. Both the front teeth (incisors) and back teeth (molars and premolars) may develop problems. Some teeth can grow so long that they penetrate the tissues of the mouth, including as the palate, cheek or tongue. Tooth roots can overgrow and penetrate the jawbone. These conditions lead to extreme pain and result in other signs such as nasal and eye discharge, drooling and the inability to eat.

If the incisors are overgrown they will need to be trimmed every 6 to 8 weeks. Do not use pet nail trimmers because this can result in fractures of the teeth and deep root infections. We use a special dental instrument to trim the teeth safely. If the molars are involved, or if the animal is very skittish, a general anesthetic may be required for the teeth trimming procedure. We may need to take skull x-rays to evaluate the extent of the tooth root disease. A permanent cure for overgrown incisors is the complete removal of the incisors under a general anesthetic. Rabbits are able to eat normally afterwards and teeth trimming will obviously no longer be necessary. If your pet has dental problems, please discuss the options with your veterinarian.

Loss of Appetite - There are many reasons why a rabbit will lose its appetite. The most common cause is pain. This can be anywhere in the body but the two most frequently encountered causes of pain are dental disease and gastrointestinal disease. The most common cause for gastrointestinal pain in our experience is a diet low in fiber and high in calories. This combination can lead to obesity, fatty liver disease, sluggish movement of the intestinal tract, accumulation of a dry impacted food ball in the stomach and excessive gas in the intestines, which is uncomfortable. When the rabbit stops eating, the intestinal tract stops moving and the problem escalates.

Less common, but serious conditions that can also lead to appetite loss include uterine infections, abscesses, respiratory infections, gastrointestinal infections, gastrointestinal blockage, inner and middle ear infections, strokes, parasitic disease, eating toxic materials and bladder and kidney infections.

Loss of appetite in a rabbit that is otherwise acting normally is something that should be investigated within 48 hours. Rabbits rapidly develop a deteriorating condition of the liver when they go without food for long periods. If prolonged, there may be no way to reverse the process. Early diagnosis and treatment of appetite loss is crucial.

A loss of appetite accompanied by obvious lethargy or depression should be investigated immediately, and should be considered an emergency. The classic sign for rabbits developing a gastrointestinal obstruction is that they are fine one day and then suddenly stop producing stools and are very depressed the next.

"Hairballs" (Gastric Stasis) - Hairballs are commonly cited as the reason for rabbits to stop eating. The cause behind appetite loss and accumulation of food in the stomachs is NOT hair. All rabbits groom themselves and accumulate some hair in the stomach normally. If the rabbit is on a high fiber diet and has access to plenty of water (in the form of fresh foods and water bottle) this condition rarely exists. The material in the stomach remains fluid and has an "open-lattice-work" consistency and will move normally out of the stomach. However, when a rabbit has any condition, such as something painful, which causes it to eat or drink less, their gastrointestinal tract will move much more slowly. Then the food ball in the stomach will dehydrate and compact. The less the rabbit eats or drinks, the more the food ball becomes compacted until the rabbit stops eating entirely. On an x-ray the stomach will appear full, with a halo of air around the food ball because the material is so dehydrated. If you looked at the food ball you would find a mixture of hair and dried food. The hair is left behind because it is of a larger particle size and stays in the stomach, leading to the mistaken idea that the original problem was hair. We prefer to call this condition gastric stasis (which means the stomach has stopped moving) as opposed to "hairballs".

Pineapple juice or papaya enzymes DO NOT break down hair (which is not the problem anyway) and are not useful alone for this problem. Surgery is avoided, unless it is felt that there is actually an obstruction present, or if all medical therapy has failed. Medical therapy should be aimed at rehydrating the food ball in the stomach with oral fluids, rehydrating the rabbit with injectable fluids and getting food into the stomach, stimulating the gastrointestinal tract to move again.

Pasteurellosis - A large percentage of rabbits harbor a bacterium in their upper respiratory passageways called Pasteurella multocida. This doesn’t cause disease in bunnies with a healthy immune system. However, under certain stress situations, such as poor diet, high environmental temperatures, poor air circulation, overcrowding, etc., this bacterium can reproduce rapidly and cause potentially serious disease.

Pasteurella may cause infections of the upper respiratory tract, uterus, skin, kidney, bladder, tear ducts, middle ear or lungs. Have your pet examined if you observe any discharges around the eyes, nose or anal area, or if there is a loss of appetite, depression, diarrhea, head tilt, loss of balance, or labored breathing. NEVER attempt to use antibiotics without supervision. The rabbit gastrointestinal tract is an extremely delicate organ, dependent on large populations of healthy bacteria to digest the food. If inappropriate antibiotics are given indiscriminately, death may result because the antibiotic killed the normal bacteria in the gut, leading to an overgrowth of deadly bacteria.

Diarrhea - True diarrhea is not common in the rabbit. This is a situation where all stools being passed are in a liquid form. This is a very serious condition and should be seen by a veterinarian immediately. Some gastrointestinal conditions that result in diarrhea can be fatal in less than 24 hours.

Different is an intermittent passing of soft liquid or pudding-like stools. In between, the rabbit will also pass normal stools. The soft stools may be seen more frequently at certain times of the day (many times overnight), may have a strong odor and accumulate on the rabbit's fur. The liquid stools are actually the cecotropes (see above) that are unformed. There are a variety of reasons for this condition, but by far the most common reason is a lack of sufficient fiber in the diet and obesity. Eliminating pellets and feeding good quality grass hay for several weeks may clear up the problem. Consult your veterinarian if your pet has this condition before making any drastic changes in the diet.

Urinary Disease - The urine color of the pet rabbit can range from light yellow to dark orange in color. It may be clear to so cloudy as to almost appear white. These color and clarity changes are due to the production of pigments in the urine called porphyrins (which can be related also to plant pigments and/or the rabbit's emotional state) and calcium precipitates. The calcium that is taken in through the diet is excreted through the urine; therefore the urine may appear cloudier if the rabbit is eating a high calcium food such as pellets, alfalfa hay or certain greens.

Rabbits can also develop urinary tract disease such as bladder and kidney stones, infections or cancer. Signs of these diseases may include: weight loss, poor appetite, frequents small urination, blood tinged or painful urination. Female rabbits with uterine disease may also produce what appears to be bloody urine, but which is actually blood being discharged from the reproductive tract just after urination. A good publication that is well written is the House Rabbit Journal. Write to House Rabbit Society, 1615 Encinal Ave., Alameda, Ca. 94501 or call 510-521-4631.

Above all, enjoy your pet and give him or her your love and affection. Your pet deserves it and will repay you with years of enjoyment and the opportunity to see life at a slower, calmer, "bunny pace."