The most important part of owning a rabbit is providing it with the best diet possible. Failure to do so results in various diseases including dental disease, intestinal disease and obesity. Rabbits need a diet based on fibre to have good dental and gastrointestinal health.

Ad lib hay or grass should ensure enough fibre is in your bunny’s diet providing he is not overwhelmed by other more tasty treats on offer. This MUST be the major part of your rabbit’s diet.

To supplement the high fibre hay/ grass your rabbit should have access to a small amount of concentrate diet daily. The pellet forms are much better than the mixes as it eliminates selective eating and ensures a more balanced intake. Overfeeding of concentrate diet can lead to obesity and various related problems as well as dental disease.

Green leafy plants eg broccoli, cabbage, parsley, watercress, dandelion can also be given but only in small amounts as they are very low in fibre and also must be introduced slowly to let the gut’s bacteria adapt.

Signs that your rabbit may have dental disease include reduced appetite, a wet coat under the chin due to drooling and reduced faecal output. Intestinal disease may present with anorexia (being off food) and reduced faeces present in hutch due to the guts not moving the contents through. It may also present with soft faeces collecting around the back end due to lack of caecotrophy (ingesting and recycling their faeces which normally produces the hard pellets).

If you see any of these signs then please contact us immediately as early intervention is essential.

There are two diseases affecting rabbits that we can prevent through vaccination. Myxomatosis is a viral infection which is spread through biting insects. Initial signs of infection include swelling of the eyelids and genital area but response to treatment even at this stage is invariably unsuccessful and euthanasia is the only humane option.