Health & Nutrition


This page will consist of articles written by rabbit people.
We hope these will be of some value to you.
We will start with a general article from me, then progress from there.



Water, Water, Water... What can I say , but Plenty of clean fresh water. Just like people, nutrition is the key to health, and is extremely important for our furry friends. Water is the most important need. I try to water mine at least twice a day. This is even more important in the winter, as a rabbit can not maintain it body temperature when they are dehydrated. In the winter time I use very warm water. I know that this freezes faster but, the rabbits drink more of it at a time, and it warms them from the inside... just like coffee, or hot chocolate does for us. A rabbit can drink in a few minutes, enough water to sustain life for a 24 hour period, and if you water at least twice a day it gives them the edge to help maintain their condition too.
Most rabbit pellets on the market today do an adequate job. The main thing you want to remember is the age of the feed you are getting. Pelleted feed has a very short shelf life. This is due to the heating process used to develope the pellet. As feed gets older it loses some of it's nutritional value.
I look for certain things in my pelleted feed. I look for a lower protein, ideally about a 15-16%, and a high fiber. I use a minimum of 22% fiber. For me this does a couple of things. It gives me a harder firmer flesh on my rabbits, and seems to help prevent several health related problems like, soft stool, fur or wool block, and enteritis. I always use a quality feed that maintains a consistant formula. Some feeds will change ingredients to keep costs down. It is like everything else in life... You get what you pay for.
I raise Havanas, Mini Lops, Silver Martens, and now Lionheads, along with New Zealands. I have no problem getting the "New Zealands" up to the maximum senior weight, or keeping the smaller breeds down to their desired weight. I do free feed my whole herd. They have food in front of them 24 hours a day. Most people feed a measured amount daily, but I have found free feeding works well for me.
Like many others, I do suppliment my pellets from time to time. Everyone in the barn gets a very good quality "grass" hay every other day. I do not feed alfalfa, as I think it distorts the protein level too much. I have hooked "tuna" cans in each of my cages for a "Treat" cup. The treat I use is high in fiber, and fat.
I always explain my feeding program to new breeders so that they get off to a good start. The biggest thing I stress is moderation in treats. I give them a written list of appropriate treats such as: rolled oats, cracked corn(winter only), sunflower seeds, rolled barley, and or additives such as Doc's Enhancer, or Showbloom. I discourage the use of fresh greens and fruits. If they insist on feeding these, I explain that these are very rich and can upset the digestive tract, then I ask them how many apples thay can eat before getting a tummy ache. I ask them to then compare their size to that of the rabbit and feed accordingly. As with all treats,
A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY!!
1-2 tablespoons of the seed or grain is more then enough, and a "grape"size portion for fruit or veggie is plenty.

Remember that the feed is nutritionally complete, and too many treats can throw off that balanced diet.
Rabbits love their treats, and become quite excited when they hear the bucket. When I do treats, I take a minute to run my hand over each and every rabbit from nose to tail. The animals get used to this, and become quite docile as a result. It gives me a chance to reconfirm with touch what my eyes tell me about their condition, and general health. I will repeat one thing... without plenty of water, the best feeding program in the world won't do you any good.
When new buyers come to my place, I always send them home with a couple of gallons of water and 5-10 pounds of feed to make the adjustment to a new home easier on the rabbit. The most often asked question I get from people just starting out is about diseases and medications. At this point I pull out the "Official Guidebook to Raising Rabbits" from the A.R.B.A, and show them the chapter on diseases. I explain that they can get this book FREE with a 1 year membership, along with the "Domestic Rabbit" magazine. "This is my Rabbit owner's manual". I always give them a membership application at this time, and encourage them to join the A.R.B.A. This is an easy way to cover the main diseases, because you have the reference right in front of you.
I use a preventative maintenence program for my herd. I treat every 3 months for coccidiosis, using a sulfa drug like "Sulquin 6-50". I also treat twice a year for external, and internal parasites. Using a tyberculin syringe I give Ivermectin. About the only other medications I use are Kaopectate, and oxytocin. The first will cure most cases of lose stool, and the latter is useful with does who have a hard time delivering their young, and those that do not drop their milk.
Please cunsult your vet before using any drugs.
I try not to use antibotics. I do not treat snuffles, because at this time there is no cure for it. You can treat the symptoms only, but the disease remains, and since it is so contagious, I deal with it harshly. I cull any and all animals that develope it. This may sound hard, but I would rather sacrifice one or two animals, then have it spread through my whole herd.
At this point I will attempt to cover some of the most common health conditions, and give the treatments that seem to work for me. Please remember...this is my opinion, and everyone has their own techniques that work for them. If you have any questions or comments please e-mail me.
Weepy eye (infection in the eye) I use a triple antibotic eye salve and administer 2-3 times daily
Sore Hocks(sores on bottoms of feet) I use "Monostat 7" this kills any yeast or fungus that causes a secondary infection. I treat twice a day.
Ear & Fur mites(external parasites) I treat with Ivermectin subqutanious injections.
This is also the same thing I do for internal parasites.
Coccidiosis(another type of internal parasite) I treat this with a sulfa drug like Sulquin 6-50.
Abcesses(infected local areas under the skin) These are about the only time I use antibiotics. I lance and drain the abcess. I clean it out thoroughly with a surgical scrub, then I rinse the inside with an antibiotic. I then treat the animal with a course of antibiotics for 5-7 days.

This article was written and copyrighted by Susan Origer 2000

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