STRESS

Rabbits are prey animals and are subject to significant stress-induced catecholamine release, which can lead to rapid changes in heart and respiratory rates and patterns. Even with proper handling, an apparently healthy rabbit can suddenly die due to catecholamine release! Stress can also have a negative impact on the gastro-intestinal tract (see below).

BEHAVIOR

Sexually mature intact males and females tend to be the most aggressive and often mark their territory with urine. Rabbits love to chew, especially on paper (including wallpaper), wood (including molding and furniture), and electric cords. Rooms need to be "rabbit-proofed" for both the rabbit’s safety and the owner’s sanity. We do not recommend any unsupervised freedom. Avoid corncob and kitty litter that can be ingested and lead to impaction.

ANATOMY

Rabbits have a very narrow, deep oral cavity which makes it difficult to intubate their trachea for anesthetic procedures. Because of a small lung field, abnormalities involving even small portions of pulmonary tissue can seriously affect respiration. Rabbits are obligate nasal breathers (they have to breathe through their nose); open-mouthed breathing signals severe dyspnea (difficulty breathing) and is a very poor prognostic indicator.

The skeleton of a rabbit is relatively fragile which makes it susceptible to spinal fractures or luxations during struggling or kicking. A single kick or thump of the rabbit’s strong rear limbs can cause significant injury. Gentle downward pressure can be applied over the rabbit’s dorsum and hindquarters until the animal is calm. Stroking the area between the rabbit’s eyes or covering the eyes may help. When lifting a rabbit, slip one hand under the thorax and support the hindquarters with the other hand. You never hold a rabbit by its ears!

Rabbits are susceptible to heat stroke because they cannot effectively sweat or pant. If caged outdoors, your rabbit needs to have access to plenty of shade and water. On excessively hot days the rabbit should be moved indoors or into an area with a fan or other means of air coolant. Outdoor rabbits also need to be checked daily for any open sores that flies can lay eggs in.

Sexual maturity occurs in rabbits between 4 and 9 months of age. We recommend that females be spayed because they have a high incidence of uterine cancer. Neutering will help male rabbits with aggression. Female rabbits nurse kits only once or twice daily.

GASTROINTESTINAL SYSTEM AND NUTRITION

Rabbits are unable to vomit, therefore, fasting prior to anesthesia is not necessary. Rabbits excrete fiber and vitamin-rich pellets during the first four hours after eating and these softer nutrient-rich cecotropes are then consumed.

Rabbits are extremely dependent upon the health of their intestinal tract for their overall body health. All animals have a normal, ‘resident’ population of bacteria in their intestinal tract. These ‘good’ bacteria help to break down substances and also keep out the ‘bad’ bacteria. Any sudden changes in diet, stress, infection, anesthesia/surgical procedures, and antibiotics can have a negative impact on the normal gastrointestinal flora, allowing for overgrowth of ‘bad’ bacteria (gram negative and anaerobic bacteria). This sudden change in intestinal bacteria can potentially result in GI stasis (the intestinal tract stops working) or a fatal enterotoxemia (infection). Other symptoms are anorexia (not eating), lethargy, and diarrhea.

Some rabbits will develop hairballs due to inappropriate diet or excessive grooming. The fecal pellets will progressively get smaller in size and also smaller in quantity. Eventually the rabbit will stop eating and become lethargic. Aggressive medical therapy can usually solve the problem. However, this condition can be fatal and sometimes surgical intervention is necessary. Some owners will give their rabbits papain daily as a preventive. It is a natural enzyme that breaks down hair fibers. It can be found in health food stores.

Inappropriate diet can cause numerous health problems. Rabbits require a diet high in fiber for their intestinal tract to function properly. Fresh hay (timothy) should be offered free choice daily (in unlimited quantities). The majority of their diet should be composed of fresh greens and pellets. Fruits should be limited and diets high in starch should be avoided because they can promote enteritis. Any changes made to the diet should be in small quantity and slowly over a period of time.

When providing water in a sipper bottle, you need to check daily to make sure that it is not plugged and that the rabbit is able to get water from it. Some rabbits will plug the sipper end with food.

ANTIBIOTICS

Inappropriate antibiotic use is one of the most common causes of anorexia (not eating) and, in severe cases, can result in a fatal enterotoxemia. Antibiotics to AVOID include amoxicillin, clavamox, ampicillin, cephalosporin, clindamycin, erythromycin and lincomycin.

Some rabbits are so sensitive that it is possible for them to have problems even when given the appropriate antibiotic. Any antibiotic that causes anorexia or diarrhea should be discontinued.

When giving antibiotics, you need to supplement your rabbit with lactobacillus bacteria. These can be administered in pet formulations (bene-bac) from the pet store or you can give your rabbit yogurt (make sure that the label reads "contains live cultures of acidophilus). These bacteria need to be given at the same time as antibiotic treatment and also for 7 to 10 days after cessation of antibiotics. We recommend that this bacteria supplement be given any time that your rabbit undergoes a stressful incident.

SUMMARY

Rabbits make wonderful pets but they are very delicate animals. We strongly recommend a physical examination every six months so that we can detect problems before they become serious. As stated above, rabbits do not do well with stress, surgery, infection, or antibiotics. However, sometimes we are left with no choice. Please do not hesitate to call should you have any concerns or questions.

Note: This article is provided by Claws & Paws Veterinary Hospital® for informational purposes only.