Summer Pets Newsletter 2010.

 

 

Focus on Rabbits!

 

I wanted to concentrate on problems we see in rabbits for this newsletter. Rabbits are a very popular pet, and we see them in our practices on a daily basis. Particularly important at this time of year is to watch out for Fly Strike also known as "Myiasis".

 

Myiasis/Fly Strike

 

This is a distressing condition to find your pet rabbit in, and I hope we don't see any cases this summer. (Although we will) Basically flies (Lucilia and Calliphora species) are attracted to a rabbits backside and underside where the fur is dirty, lay their eggs and the resulting larvae (Maggots) burrow their way into the rabbits skin and cause extensive damage and death to the rabbit.

 

Prevention.

• Check your rabbit daily, including tipping on to their backs to check their bottom and tail.
• If your rabbit has a very dirty (faeces or urine soiled) backside, clean it up - soaking in a shallow tub of warm mildly soapy water will do. Then think if there are any of the following causes which have allowed the rabbit to get dirty.

All rabbits should be able to reach around and clean their own fur, and must also eat the "night droppings" or caecotrophs straight from their anus. If this can't be done, soiling is inevitable.

 

Problems causing an inability to clean themselves include, obesity (very common), pain (perhaps due to injury or arthritis), or inability to use their mouths properly because of dental problems (very common).

 

Myiasis can be prevented by good hygiene of the hutch.

 

Myiasis can be prevented by the use of Rear Guard - a product which repels flies, this is applied to the rabbits fur and lasts for 8-10 weeks.

 

Obesity.

 

A rabbit is a "fibrevore" and digests its food by means of fermentation in the hindgut. A rabbits diet should consist of 85% good quality grass or hay. This basically means hay should be present in your rabbits hutch all of the time. 10% of the diet should include dark leafy greens/ fresh vegetables. Only a small proportion therefore is commercial rabbit food, this roughly equates to one tablespoonful a day for the average rabbit (3kg). It is very common for owners to fill the food bowl to the brim daily which allows the rabbit to eat much more than they should of this calorie rich fatty food. As a result the rabbit becomes overweight, (which means they can't clean themselves-see above) and encourages the problem of dental disease. (see below)

 

Dental Disease.

 

Rabbit teeth grow continuously at a rate of 2mm per month for the back teeth (molars) and 2mm per week for the incisors. This is because they need a fresh hard tooth surface to be able to grind down grass for up to 20 hours each day. If this fibre is not available the teeth continue to grow unabated and start to become sharp and cause ulcers in the mouth, which will in turn stop the rabbit eating. It is a vicious circle, as the rabbit eats less because he can't, the teeth grow more, etc. Sharp teeth and ulcers will lead to abscesses, more pain, and ultimately a very thin rabbit in poor condition who will eventually starve to death.
We can correct overgrown teeth by putting the rabbit under general anaesthetic and rasping the teeth back to normal. This may need to be done every 3-4 months. Afterwards it is really important to encourage plenty of fibre in the diet, putting your rabbit out on grass is an excellent way to help this. This may reduce the need for treatments under anaesthetic.
One of the side effects of overgrown teeth is blocked tear ducts in the eyes. This is because the roots of the teeth impinge on the fragile duct and cause scarring. Commonly owners will bring rabbits in for runny eyes, without realising that the cause is ultimately the teeth.

 

Vaccinations.

 

We see myxomatosis regularly in wild rabbits, so if your garden is exposed to wild rabbits there will be a risk of the disease to your pet rabbit. Vaccines are best administered in May/June when most cases of myxomatosis are seen. Immunity is thought to last about 6 months from vaccination, so a booster every 6 months is recommended. As the disease can be transmitted on food/bedding/insects it is best to vaccinate all rabbits including house rabbits.

 

Viral Haemorrhagic Disease can also be vaccinated against, at least 2 weeks must be left between myxo and VHD vaccination. VHD is highly infectious and lethal.

 

Neutering.

 

This is recommended for obvious reasons when keeping several rabbits of opposite sex together and babies aren't wanted! However it will also help behavioural problems in both males and females, prevent cancer of the uterus which is quite common in the female, and can help with house training of the house rabbit as urine spraying due to hormones is stopped.

 

Parasites.

 

Spot on treatments are available to treat external parasites, such as mites. There is no need to routinely worm a rabbit, however worming treatments are available. A common protozoal parasite (lives inside cells in the body) called Encephalitozoon cuniculi is present in at least 50% of the rabbit population, but doesn't always cause problems. In rabbits with a head tilt, loss of balance, seizures or kidney problems, this is likely to be caused by E. cuniculi, and treatment with Panacur Rabbit daily for a month will clear the parasite.

 

Please contact your practice if you need any help or advice on any aspect of rabbit husbandry or medicine.  Thankyou.

 

(NM)

 

 

 

 

 

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