Many of my bunny guardians come into my exam room having really read up. They have found reliable resources on appropriate caging, feeding, and general care. However, some old assumptions still manage to creep in. This is not a full overview of rabbit husbandry and medical care, just some of the pitfalls that even the best bunny owners may not know about.
Carrots – Hey, they’re in all the children’s books about bunnies!
Yea, but no. The occasional baby carrot as a treat may be fine for rabbits that tolerate them (don’t develop soft stools), but carrots are actually high in sugars. Rabbits’ guts were not designed to process sugars well. The body gets confused, tries slowing down the intestines, and that leads to the danger zone. GASTRIC STASIS!* Plus a trip to the emergency room. This warning goes for fruits too. They are not necessary, but might be offered as treats. When it comes to carrots and fruits, just think small.
But my rabbit LOVES bread. And crackers.
Yup, rabbits love carbs. (Don’t we all!) But carbs plus bunnies equals a ticking time bomb (sometimes less than 12 hours). Think carrots and fruits times…well…a lot. Carbs can suddenly shut the gut down, causing a potential disaster. Again, back to gastric stasis, which is a medical emergency. Never feed breads or crackers.
If a flea product is safe for my cat, it must be safe for my rabbit.
There are rabbit-safe flea products that are labeled for cats and dogs. However, not all of these products are okay for your bunny. For example, Frontline, which you can greatly “overdose” in a dog or cat without causing harm, is fatal in rabbits even in small doses. Ask a rabbit-savvy vet before applying any products or giving any medications.
My rabbit is just slowing down because she’s older.
We actually hear this all the time about any pet. Age, it turns out, is not a disease. A rabbit with no health issues should be as active as she was at a year old. Sure, there are those early months of youthful exuberance, but after 6 months or a year, your rabbit should pretty much maintain the same routine. So, if Loppy is slowing down, it’s because something is causing her to slow down. Just for example, rabbits can get arthritis. And we have medications to treat arthritis in rabbits. And many other medical conditions. If you think your rabbit has lost her hop, see your bunny vet.
Again, these some of the misconceptions that even my most educated rabbit clients may hold. The best thing you can do is seek out well-researched articles like the ones available online from House Rabbit Society (www.rabbit.org) and ask a vet who stays current on rabbit health and medical care.
* Gastric stasis, or ileus, is a condition described by slowing or stopping of the gastro-intestinal tract. This is evidenced by a decrease in appetite and/or decrease in size or numbers of stools. This is a painful condition and can lead to death if left untreated.