Thameswood Veterinary Clinics Ltd

Rabbits are now the third most popular pet in the UK, behind dogs and cats. In recent years the rabbit's traditional role as a child's pet kept in a hutch at the end of the garden has been changing, and we are seeing more and more being kept as house pets by adults. In response to this, veterinary care of rabbits has become increasingly sophisticated, and more owners are insuring their pets to ensure that they receive the best possible care.

Health Diet & Insurance

A rabbit’s diet is very important – their teeth grow constantly and a rabbit needs to spend most of it’s time eating hay or grass to wear them down. If they become overgrown then the roots can get infected, or sharp spurs can develop that cause damage to the tongue or cheeks.

We recommend neutering all pet rabbits; entire male rabbits tend to urine spray to mark territory whilst entire females can be territorial and aggressive. Both sexes can be neutered from three months of age.

Flystrike is another common problem. This is where rabbits that cannot keep their bottoms clean, either due to being overweight or having medical problems such as arthritis. In warm weather flys lay eggs in the soiled fur which hatch out and the maggots eat into the surrounding flesh. Unless spotted extremely early the damage can be so severe that the rabbit has to be put to sleep.

To prevent flystrike it is essential to keep them at the correct weight, and to check their bottoms daily to ensure they are not dirty. A product called Rearguard will prevent fly eggs from hatching, and this can be useful for rabbits that are at risk.

Vaccination

We recommend that all rabbits are vaccinated against myxomatosis and viral haemorrhagic disease. These are usually given annually, with a two week interval between the injections. For rabbits that live in areas where myxomatosis is known to be prevalent we would advise vaccinating against myxomatosis every six months.

Myxomatosis is a viral disease that arrived in Britain 40 years ago. It is usually spread by biting insects such as fleas and mosquitoes, however direct rabbit to rabbit spread can occur. Very few rabbits survive myxomatosis; they can take several weeks to die in great discomfort and it is usually kindest to euthanase them if myxomatosis is diagnosed.

Viral haemorrhagic disease (VHD) first appeared in 1992, and can be spread via contaminated feed or water or contact with infected rabbit droppings which can be spread by birds or even your own shoes. VHD usually causes sudden death in rabbits with no clinical signs; there is no treatment.

Anaesthesia

Advances in drugs and knowledge have made rabbit anaesthesia much safer, and we routinely anaesthetise rabbits for dental work, neutering and surgery. We pride ourselves on our anaesthetic regime, and constantly review it and strive to improve it. All rabbits undergoing anaesthesia at Thameswood have an intravenous catheter placed in an ear vein, which enables us to administer intravenous fluids or drugs to deepen or lighten the anaesthetic rapidly if necessary. All rabbits are also intubated; this means they have a tube inserted into their airway which allows us to provide them with an exact mixture of oxygen and anaesthetic gas, and enables us to help them to breathe if necessary. Rabbits are also routinely given a combination of pain-relieving medication that ensures they are as comfortable as possible, and a drug called ranitidine is given which helps to maintain their gut motility and prevent post-operative problems.