Infection

The bacteria that cause leptospirosis are spread through the urine of infected animals, which can get into water or soil and can survive there for weeks to months. Humans and animals can become infected through contact with this contaminated urine (or other body fluids, except saliva), water, or soil. The bacteria can enter the body through skin or mucous membranes (eyes, nose, or mouth), especially if the skin is broken from a cut or scratch. Drinking contaminated water can also cause infection. Infected wild and domestic animals may continue to excrete the bacteria into the environment continuously or every once in a while for a few months up to several years.

If your pet has become infected, it most likely came into contact with the bacteria in the environment or was exposed to infected animals. Your pet may have been drinking, swimming, or walking through contaminated water. Because of increased building and development into areas that were previously rural, pets may be exposed to more wildlife, such as possums, rats or deer that are infected with leptospirosis. Dogs also may pass the disease to each other, but this happens very rarely.

Signs and Symptoms

The clinical signs of leptospirosis vary and are nonspecific. Sometimes pets do not have any symptoms. Common clinical signs have been reported in dogs. These include:
•fever
•vomiting
•abdominal pain
•diarrhea
•refusal to eat
•severe weakness and depression
•stiffness
•severe muscle pain

Generally younger animals are more seriously affected than older animals.

If you think your pet may have leptospirosis, contact your veterinarian immediately. Your veterinarian can perform tests to determine whether or not your pet has the disease.

Treatment

If your pet has been confirmed by your veterinarian as having leptospirosis, the appropriate action to take will depend on the nature of contact with your pet. Normal daily activities with your pet will not put you at high risk for leptospirosis infection. Types of contacts that are considered to be high risk include:
•direct or indirect contact with urine, blood, and tissues of your pet during its infection
•assisting in the delivery of newborns from an infected animal.

If you have had these types of high-risk contacts with your pet during the time of its infection, inform your physician. If common symptoms, such as fever, muscle aches, and headaches, occur within 3 weeks after a high-risk exposure, see your physician. Tests can be performed to see if you have this disease.

Leptospirosis is treatable with antibiotics. If an animal is treated early, it may recover more rapidly and any organ damage may be less severe. Other treatment methods, such as dialysis and hydration therapy may be required.

The time between exposure to the bacteria and development of disease is usually 5 to 14 days, but can be as short as a few days or as long as 30 days or more.

Prevention in Pets

To help prevent leptospirosis infection, keep rodent problems (rats, mice, or other animal pests) under control. Rodents can carry and spread the bacteria that causes this disease.

Get your pet vaccinated against leptospirosis. The vaccine does not provide 100% protection. This is because there are many strains (types) of leptospires (the bacteria that causes leptospirosis), and the vaccine does not provide immunity against all strains. It is important to get your pet vaccinated again even if it gets leptospirosis because it can still get infected with a different strain of leptospires.

Pet owners should also take steps to prevent themselves and others from becoming infected with the disease due to an infected pet. The primary mode of transmission of leptospirosis from pets to humans is through direct or indirect contact with contaminated animal tissues, organs, or urine.

In some instances, shedding of leptospires in the urine may persist for as long as 3 months after infection as a result of inadequate or lack of treatment. Always contact your veterinarian and your physician if you have concerns about a possible exposure to an infected animal.

In addition, be sure to follow the below prevention guidelines:

•Do not handle or come in contact with urine, blood, or tissues from your infected pet before it has received proper treatment.
•If you need to have contact with animal tissues or urine, wear protective clothing, such as gloves and boots, especially if you are occupationally at risk (veterinarians, farm workers, and sewer workers).
•As a general rule, always wash your hands after handling your pet or anything that might have your pet’s excrement on it.
•If you are cleaning surfaces that may be contaminated or have urine from an infected pet on them, use an antibacterial cleaning solution or a solution of 1 part household bleach in 10 parts water.
•Make sure that your infected pet takes all of its medicine and follow up with your veterinarian.

What is it?

Canine Cough is an infectious bronchitis of dogs characterised by a harsh, hacking cough that most people describe as sounding like “something stuck in my dog’s throat.” This bronchitis may be of brief duration and mild enough to warrant no treatment at all or it may progress all the way to a life-threatening pneumonia depending on which infectious agents are involved and the immunological strength of the patient. An uncomplicated Canine Cough runs a course of a week or two and entails frequent fits of coughing in a patient who otherwise feels active and normal. Uncomplicated cases do not involve fever or listlessness, just lots of coughing.

• Bordetella bronchiseptica (bacteria)
• Parainfluenza virus
• Adenovirus type 2
• Canine distemper virus
• Canine influenza virus
• Canine herpesvirus (very young puppies)
• Mycoplasma canis (a single-cell organism that is neither virus nor bacterium)
• Canine reovirus.

The classical combination for uncomplicated Canine Cough is infection with parainfluenza or adenovirus Type 2 with Bordetella bronchiseptica. Infections involving the distemper virus or canine influenza are more prone to progessing to pneumonia but pneumonia can readily result in any dog or puppy that is sufficiently young, stressed, or debilitated.

Not sure what a Coughing Dog sounds like?

Dogs can make an assortment of respiratory sounds. Usually a cough is recognizable but it is important to be aware of another sound called a reverse sneeze. The reverse sneeze is often mistaken for a cough, a choking fit, sneezing, retching, or even gasping for breath. In fact, the reverse sneeze represents a post-nasal drip or tickle in the throat. It is considered normal especially for small dogs or dogs and only requires attention if it is felt to be excessive. The point here is to know a cough when you see one. A cough can be dry or productive, meaning it is followed by a gag, swallowing motion, production of foamy mucus (not to be confused with vomiting). Here are some videos that might help.

Coughing Dog (with Productive Cough):

Note: we have received a great deal of email from people who have viewed this video, compared it to what their own dog is doing and concluded their dog has Canine Cough . This video is meant to demonstrate coughing in general. It is important to note that there are many causes of coughing and the nature of the cough does not generally reflect on its cause.
Reverse Sneezing Dog:

A coughing dog that has a poor appetite, fever, and/or listlessness should be evaluated for pneumonia.

How Infection Occurs

An infected dog sheds infectious bacteria and/or viruses in respiratory secretions. These secretions become aerosolised and float in the air where they can be inhaled by a healthy dog. Obviously, crowded housing and suboptimal ventilation play important roles in the likelihood of transmission but organisms may also be transmitted on toys, food bowls or other objects.

Depiction of mucociliary escalator

The normal respiratory tract has substantial safeguards against invading infectious agents. The most important of these is probably what is called the mucociliary escalator. This safeguard consists of tiny hair-like structures called cilia that protrude from the cells lining the respiratory tract and extend into a coat of mucus over them. The cilia beat in a coordinated fashion through the lower and more watery mucus layer called the sol. A thicker mucus layer called the gel floats on top of the sol. Debris, including infectious agents, get trapped in the sticky gel and the cilia move them upward towards the throat where the collection of debris and mucus may be coughed up and/or swallowed.

The mucociliary escalator is damaged by the following:

• shipping stress
• crowding stress
• heavy dust exposure
• cigarette smoke exposure
• infectious agents (as listed previously)
• cold temperature
• poor ventilation.

Without this, a fully functional mucociliary escalator or invading bacteria, especially Bordetella bronchiseptica, the chief agent of Canine Cough , may simply march down the airways unimpeded.

Bordetella bronchiseptica organisms have some tricks of their own as well:

• They are able to bind directly to cilia, rendering them unable to move within 3 hours of contact.
• They secrete substances that disable the immune cells normally responsible for consuming and destroying bacteria.

Because it is common for Bordetella to be accompanied by at least one other infectious agent (such as one of the viruses listed below), Canine Cough is actually a complex of infections rather than infection by one agent.

Classically, dogs get infected when they are kept in a crowded situation with poor air circulation and lots of warm air (i.e., a boarding kennel, vaccination clinic, obedience class, local park, animal shelter, animal hospital waiting room, or grooming parlor). In reality, most causes of coughing that begin acutely in a dog are due to infectious causes and usually represent some form of Canine Cough .

THE INCUBATION PERIOD IS 2 TO 14 DAYS
Dogs are typically sick for 1-2 weeks. Infected dogs shed Bordetella organism for 2-3 months following infection.

How is Diagnosis Made?

Usually the history of exposure to a crowd of dogs within the proper time frame, plus typical examination findings (coughing dog that otherwise feels well) is adequate to make the diagnosis. Radiographs show bronchitis and are particularly helpful in determining if there is a complicating pneumonia.

Recently, PCR (polymerase chain reaction) panels have become available in many reference laboratories. Using technology to amplify the presence of DNA in a swab, the lab is able to test for most of the Canine Cough infectious agents listed. This knowledge is helpful in guiding therapy and understanding expectations.

How is Canine Cough Treated?

Although most cases will go away on their own, we like to think we can hasten recovery with antibiotics to directly kill the Bordetella organism. Canine Cough may be treated with cough suppressants to provide comfort during natural recovery. Alternatively, antibiotics and cough suppressants can be combined.

Prevention through Vaccination

Vaccination is only available for: Bordetella bronchiseptica, canine adenovirus type 2, canine parainfluenza virus, canine distemper, and canine influenza. Infections with other members of the kennel cough complex cannot be prevented. Vaccine against adenovirus type 2, parainfluenza, and canine distemper is generally included in the basic puppy series and subsequent  boosters (the DHPP or  distemper-parvo shot).  For Bordetella bronchiseptica, vaccination can either be given as a separate injection or as a nasal immunization.

Nasal Vaccine
Intranasal vaccination may be given as early as 3 weeks of age and immunity generally lasts 12 to 13 months. The advantage is that the local immunity is stimulated right at the site where the natural infection would try to take hold.

It takes four days to generate a solid immune response after intranasal vaccination, so it is best if vaccination is given at least four days prior to the exposure. Some dogs will have some sneezing or nasal discharge in the week following intranasal vaccination; this should clear up on its own. As a general rule, nasal vaccination provides faster immunity than injectable vaccination.

Injectable Vaccine
Injectable vaccination is a good choice for aggressive dogs who may bite if their muzzle is approached. For puppies, injectable vaccination provides good systemic immunity as long as two doses are given (approximately one month apart) after age 4 months. Boosters are generally given annually. Some dogs experience a small lump under the skin at the injection site. This should resolve without treatment.

VACCINATION IS NOT USEFUL IN A DOG ALREADY INCUBATING KENNEL COUGH.

If boarding is planned and more than 6 months have passed since the last booster shot, ideally the vaccine should be boosted 5 days or more before the start of boarding.

Bordetella bronchiseptica vaccination may not prevent infection. In some cases, vaccination minimises symptoms of illness but does not entirely prevent infection. This is true whether nasal or injectable vaccine is used.

Dogs that have recovered from Bordetella bronchiseptica are typically immune to reinfection for 6 to 12 months.

What if Canine Cough doesn’t Improve?

As previously noted, this infection is generally self-limiting. It should be at least improved partially after one week of treatment. If no improvement has been observed in this time, a re-check exam (possibly including radiographs of the chest) would be a good idea. Failure of Canine Cough to resolve suggests an underlying condition. Canine Cough can activate a previously asymptomatic collapsing trachea or the condition may have progressed to pneumonia.

Diet
Please note that the recommendations for diet in this care sheet are directed towards the pet rabbit and not the production rabbit, such as those raised for meat or fur.  The dietary requirement for rabbits in a production situation differs due to the fact that a more rapid than “normal” weight gain body growth is desired

Normal Rabbit Weight
Unfortunately, what we thought was a normal rabbit weight in the past has often been an overweight rabbit. Obesity is a problem with rabbits that eat a diet too high in calories and that don’t get enough exercise. A healthy rabbit should be slim and sleek. You should be able to feel the  ribs just under the skin without a thick layer of fat. The hindquarters should not have any folds of skin covering or interfering with the digestive tract or urinary openings. The dewlaps in females should not be so large as to interfere with grooming or eating. If you are in doubt about your rabbit’s proper weight, please consult your veterinarian.

Cecotropes
Rabbits are herbivores with a marvellous gastrointestinal (GI) tract that allows them to extract nutrients from a variety of sources. Rabbits were designed to live on a diet composed of large quantities of grasses and leaves. They also graze on flowers and fruits that can be found at different times of the year. Rabbits are successful at making the most out of the food they eat, food that many other animals could not even digest. One of the keys to their success is the production of cecotropes, which are a type of dropping that is eaten by the rabbit directly from the anus and then digested. These droppings are not made up of waste materials but rather are rich in organisms that have come from the area of the intestinal tract called the cecum. These organisms are packed with nutrients such as amino acids (the building blocks of proteins), fatty acids and a variety of vitamins. In order for the rabbit to get these nutrients, the cecotropes, including the organisms, must be eaten and digested. In this way, rabbits can extract the maximum nutrients from low-energy food materials. They literally produce some of their own food!

Healthy rabbits will eat their cecotropes directly from the anus and you will not see these droppings in the cage. If a rabbit has a medical problem that prevents him from reaching the anus, then you may see cecotropes on the cage floor. Cecotropes are elongated, greenish in colour, coated in mucous and have a strong odor. Consult your veterinarian if you see a large number of cecotropes in the cage because your rabbit may be missing vital nutrition. If a rabbit is eating a diet that is too rich in nutrients, such as one that contains mostly commercial pellets, there may normally be a few cecotropes dropped in the cage.

Grass Hay
Grass hay is one of the most important parts of your pet’s food and should make up 80% of their daily diet intake. Hay should be provided at all times in your pet’s cage. Hay is appropriate for all ages of rabbits, starting at weaning. Hay provides a number of important things for your rabbit’s health.

• It is rich in nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and proteins
• Provides “food” for the micro-organisms that make up the cecotropes
• Provides indigestible fibre that promotes healthy motility (movement of contents) of the intestinal tract
• Provides healthy chewing activity to promote proper wear of the teeth (all rabbit teeth grow continuously throughout life)
• Chewing also provides healthy mental activity, which decreases chewing of inappropriate objects such as furniture and wallpaper
• Provides a full feeling in the stomach that is satisfying and may also prevent inappropriate chewing

Remember that rabbits are designed to live primarily on a diet of grasses and leaves, therefore grass hay can provide a good portion of that diet. There are two basic types of hay available: grass and legume.

• Legume hays are made from alfalfa, clover, peas, beans or peanuts. These hays are loaded with nutrients but have more calories, calcium and protein than a house rabbit needs. Feeding only legume hays may lead to GI disorders and obesity and for this reason we do not recommend feeding these hays. If you mix legume hay with grass hay, the rabbit may only pick out the calorie-rich legume hay and thus overload himself with calories, so we do not recommend mixing grass and legume hay. There are now several online sources of grass hay  so even if you live in an area where you cannot get grass hay you should be able to order it online.  A small amount of alfalfa hay used as a treat is fine but not used as the routine hay source for the house rabbit.
• Grass hays are made from timothy, meadow, oat, rye, barley or Bermuda grasses. Grass hay availability varies greatly in different areas of the country and the world. You may only be able to obtain one variety where you live. However, if at all possible, try to feed mixed grass hay or provide two or more individual types. Contrary to some sources it is not necessary to only feed timothy hay and it is much preferable to feed a variety of grass hays if available.  Grass hays are rich in nutrients but provide the lower energy diet appropriate for a house rabbit. These are the healthiest hays to feed. If you have a choice, choose sun-dried hay which has retained more of its nutrients than commercially dried hay. Do not feed straw. Straw is devoid of most nutrients and although it is not harmful in small amounts, it will lead to serious nutritional deficiencies if it is a major part of the rabbit diet.

Sources for hay include veterinary clinics, horse barns, feed stores, pet stores, rabbit clubs and a growing number of online stores. When you buy hay you need to consider the following:

• Buy hay that smells fresh, never buy damp or old hay
• Buy from a reputable source that replenishes the hay frequently
• If you buy from a feed store or horse barn, buy hay that has not been on the top of the pile to prevent contamination with animal or bird droppings.

Hay can be stored at home in a dry place that has good air circulation. Do not close the bag of hay but rather leave it open. Hay can be given to your pet in a variety of ways including in a hay rack attached to the side of the cage, in a box or basket within the cage or exercise area, or even placed in the litter box. Rabbits often pass stools when they are eating and placing some hay in the litter box can help with litter box training. They will not eat soiled hay, so you need not worry about sanitation. Always keep hay in the cage or exercise area and replenish as needed. You can also stuff hay into toilet paper rolls and other hiding areas as a fun way to increase mental exercise associated with foraging for food.  Providing a regular source of grass hay is a major key in preventing many diseases in a pet rabbit.

Green Foods
Green foods are the next most important food in the rabbit’s diet. Green foods provide all the same benefits listed for hay. They also contain a wider variety of micronutrients and, importantly, provide water in the diet. Even though you may be providing a water container in the cage, rabbits do not always drink as much as they should. Feeding green foods forces the rabbit to take in liquid and thus helps promote healthy GI function as well as kidney and bladder function. You will notice that if you feed your pet a lot of green foods, he will drink very little water, which is normal.

*Please note:  It is NEVER appropriate to feed your rabbit a diet comprised primarily of green foods.  The green foods available in the grocery stores do not have enough concentrated calories to sustain a rabbit’s normal body weight when this is the primary source of food.  Even in the wild a rabbit would eat dried grasses and tree and bush leaves to obtain more calories.  Greens are an important addition to the diet, but should never be the total diet.

If your rabbit has never eaten green foods before, it is important to start her on hay first. This will help to make the appropriate changes in the flora of the GI tract, including improving movement and production of cecotropes. In this way you can avoid the problem of soft stools that is occasionally seen when you give greens to a rabbit who has never eaten hay or greens. This is not a dangerous disease; it is only the rabbit’s intestinal tract making changes from its sluggish state to a more active state. However, these soft stools can be messy, so making the change to hay first for a month at minimum will avoid this problem. Greens are appropriate for any age of rabbit if the rabbit is already eating hay on a daily basis as mentioned above.

When selecting and using green foods follow these guidelines:

• Buy (or grow) organic if possible
• Wash any green foods first
• Make sure your rabbit is eating hay well first
• Introduce greens a little at a time over several days and watch the stools for any change
• Feed a variety of green foods daily – a minimum would be three varieties – variety provides a wider range of micronutrients as well as mental stimulation for your pet
• Feed a maximum of about  1 packed cup of green foods per 2 pounds of body weight at least once a day or this amount divided twice a day.

Occasionally you may have a situation where a select green food causes a soft stool. You will know if this is the case within 12 hours of feeding the offending food. If you are feeding a variety of greens and are not sure which one is causing the problem, then feed only one green food every 48 hours until the offending food is identified and then simply remove it from the diet. This is not a dangerous situation, but it can be messy and there is no need to give a food that is causing a problem. There are many green foods from which to choose.

There are a huge variety of green foods that you can offer your pet. You might even consider growing some yourself! This would include grass that you grow in your yard but it can only be used if there have been no pesticides or other chemicals used on it. You might consider growing a patch of grass just for your bunnies. And don¹t throw away those dandelions when you pull them up, if they have not been treated with any chemicals they are an excellent source of nutrition. In general, the darker green a food is, the higher the nutritional value. This is why, for instance, we do not recommend iceberg lettuce. It is not dangerous, but is extremely low in nutritional content. You can use packages of mixed salad greens s if they contain dark coloured greens and are not comprised primarily of iceberg lettuce or romaine lettuce. Please, no salad dressing!

Here are some of the green foods you might consider:

Baby greens
Bok Choy
Borage  Basil
Broccoli (leaves and top)
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage (red, green, Chinese)
Carrot/beet tops
Celery (leaves are good)
Chicory
Collard greens
Dandelion greens (and flower)
Dock
Endive
Escarole
Kale
Leaf lettuce
Mustard greens
Parsley (Italian or flat leaf best)
Radicchio
Romaine lettuce
Swiss chard (any color)
Water cress

Fruits and other Vegetables (Treat Foods)
Depending on the time of year, rabbits in the wild would have access to additional foods such as fruits, vegetables and flowers. Since these items do not make up the majority of the diet, we recommend feeding these treats in limited quantities. Another reason for limiting the amount is because some rabbits like these foods so well that they will eat them to the exclusion of all others, thereby creating a potential for health problems. Foods from this list can be fed daily and you may even wish to use them as part of a reward or training system.

*TIP: Find at least one food in this list that your rabbit likes and feed a small amount daily to check on how good your rabbit’s appetite is.  If your rabbit will not eat her treat food, then there may be other problems brewing and you need to keep a close eye on your pet for health problems.

These treat foods are far healthier (and less expensive) that the commercial treat foods sold for rabbits. Commercial treat foods should generally be avoided because many are loaded with starch and fat and if fed in quantity can cause serious health problems. Read the label on any treat food to make sure the ingredients are not primarily based on grains.  Sticking to natural and healthy treats for your pet is a better alternative.

For treat foods, follow the same guidelines listed above for selecting and using green foods with the exception of the amount. You can feed your pet a total of 1 tablespoon per 2 pounds of body weight per day of any combination of the foods below:

Apple
Bean or alfalfa sprouts
Blackberries
Blueberries
Cactus fruit
Carrots
Cherries
Cranberries
Edible flowers from the garden (organically grown and NOT from a florist) such as roses, nasturtiums, day lilies, pansies and snap dragons
Green or red bell peppers
Kiwi Fruit
Mango
Melons
Papaya
Pea pods (flat, NO peas)
Peach
Pear
Pineapple
Raspberries
Squash

Dried fruit can be used as well, but since it is so concentrated, use only one third the amount as fresh.  Instead of one tablespoon use one teaspoon. We do not recommend feeding bananas and grapes as rabbits sometimes become “addicted” to these foods. If you chose to feed them, watch your pet carefully to ensure that he is also eating sufficient quantities of green foods and hay.

Forbidden Foods
A diet of grass hay and green foods with small amounts of fruits and vegetables contains all the nutrition necessary for the pet rabbit. Unfortunately there are many commercial treat foods sold for rabbits that contain high levels of starch and fat. In addition, some people still feel that it is necessary to feed rabbits high starch foods such as cereals, cakes and cookies. Although a pet rabbit can eat very small amounts of starchy or fatty foods without ill effect, the problem is that people often feed excess amounts because the rabbits eat these foods so greedily. Our recommendation is to completely avoid high starch and/or fat foods for your pet. In this way you will avoid any potential problems these foods can cause, including obesity and serious GI disease. It is always easier to prevent than to treat a disease.

Examples of high fat and/or starch foods to AVOID include:

Any other grains
Beans (of any kind)
Breads
Cereals
Chocolate
Corn
Nuts
Oats
Peas
Refined sugar
Seeds
Wheat

Commercial Rabbit Pellets
Rabbit pellets should generally only comprise a small portion of a pet rabbit’s diet.  There are much healthier commercial rabbit pellets available now then we had 20 or more years ago; then all the pellets were alfalfa and grain based and although they did successfully produce fast-growing rabbits that put on weight quickly, which was the goal of the commercial rabbit industry, we found they caused a number of serious problems for our pet rabbits.  The idea of producing a uniform and concentrated food source was not a bad idea but when fed to the exclusion of anything else in the diet we see these problems in the pet rabbit:

• High calorie content can lead to obesity – it’s easy to overfeed because the rabbit is always acting “hungry.” Unfortunately the concentrated and small form of the pellets does not lead to a feeling of fullness that a diet based on grass hay can provide.  Even though rabbits should eat to their caloric needs, in captivity with boredom they will overeat pellets if they are provided free choice.
• Low indigestible fibre content can lead to a sluggish GI tract and eventually more serious GI disease, including complete GI shutdown.
• Doesn’t promote normal tooth wear due to the concentrated nature of the food – a couple of chews and the food is pulverized as opposed to the much longer chewing time it takes to break down hay or greens.
• Lack of sufficient chewing activity and a “full feeling” in stomach due to concentrated nature of the food may lead to behavioral problems, such as inappropriate or excessive chewing on furniture, plants, wallboard.  This could be likened to a sense of boredom.  Rabbits in the wild spend a great deal of their day eating. and pellets can be eaten in a few minutes.
• Concentrated, dry nature of pellets may not promote normal water intake, resulting in potential urinary tract disease.  A rabbit’s natural diet would not be this consistently low in moisture.

The recommendation for feeding pellets would be that they comprise ideally 10% of the healthy rabbit’s diet and maximally no more then 20%.  In some cases it may be necessary to feed a higher amount for the following reasons:

• In households where hay cannot be used due to human allergies or unavailability
• To implement a weight gain most often related to a debilitating illness
• When the owners are unable to feed a varied diet of good quality grass hay and a variety of green foods.  Pellets will help to cover some of the trace nutrients that might be missed in a restricted diet.
• For female rabbits that are used for breeding during the pregnancy and nursing period.  They have a high requirement for calories during these times and it may be necessary to increase pellets during this time period or even to feed them free choice.

When selecting a pellet look for the following:

• 18% or higher in fibre
• 2.5% or lower in fat
• 16% or less in protein
• 1.0 % or less in calcium
• Do not buy pellet mixes that also contain seeds, dried fruits or nuts.

The amount to feed a healthy rabbit would be approximately ¼ cup of pellets per 4 lbs of body weight daily.  This can be divided and fed twice a day or all fed once a day.  Pellets can even be fed one by one and used in a training program. I recommend 1/4 maximum for other than giant breeds and 1/8 cup maximum for dwarfs, but even less for each if there are medical issues.

NOTE:  For rabbits that have chronic GI problems or have issues of excessive weight, it may be preferable to completely remove pellets from the diet. Please consult your veterinarian about changing to this type of diet if needed.

Water
Water should always be available and changed daily. A dirty water container can be a breeding ground for bacteria. Use either a water bottle or a heavy bowl that is weighted or secured to the side of the cage so that it does not tip over. Do not use medications or vitamins in the water because your pet may not drink the water if the taste or color is altered. Please remember that if your pet is eating a large quantity of greens that the water consumption may be minimal.

Vitamins/Lactobacillus/Enzymes
Vitamins are not necessary for the healthy rabbit. Rabbits will obtain all the vitamins they need from their cecotropes, grass hay and green foods and small amount of pellets. The misuse of vitamins can cause serious disease. If your pet becomes ill, particularly if he/she is unable to eat the cecotropes, then your veterinarian may prescribe vitamin therapy. Do not use supplemental vitamins in a healthy pet. In addition, rabbits on a healthy diet do not need a salt or mineral block.

Lactobacillus or acidophilus are bacteria found in the GI tracts of a number of different species. In some older texts there was a recommendation to feed rabbits yogurt (which contains active cultures of these organisms) to improve the health of the GI tract. However, there is no benefit to feeding these bacteria to the rabbit because Lactobacillus does not hold an important place in the rabbit GI tract and adult rabbits may not be able to adequately digest dairy products. Other products called probiotics, which contain bacteria more specific to the rabbit GI tract, are available but their benefits are still controversial. A rabbit on a healthy diet of grass hay and green foods should be able to maintain a normal population of bacteria without additional supplementation. We do not recommend the routine use of probiotics in the healthy rabbit.

Some older texts recommend feeding digestive enzymes to rabbits to help dissolve hairballs. This is of no benefit to the rabbit because such products do not dissolve hair and the problem is not the hair anyway.

Environment

Cage
House rabbits should never be kept completely confined to a cage. Exercise is vital for the rabbit’s health. All too often we hear well meaning but poorly informed people describe rabbits as easy to keep because “they can be caged and don’t take up much space!” This idea has led to many rabbits being caged most of their lives with the distinct possibility of developing both physical and behavioral disorders. They are designed to run and jump and move about a large area.

To confine a rabbit exclusively to a cage can cause several problems:

• Obesity – caused most often by a diet too high in calories coupled with a lack of exercise
• Pododermatitis – inflammation of the feet caused by sitting in a damp or dirty environment
• Poor bone density – Rabbits that are continually confined to a small cage can exhibit marked thinning of the bones, which may lead to more easily broken bones when handling
• Poor muscle tone – If the rabbit can’t exercise, the muscles, including the heart, will be underdeveloped and weak
• Gastrointestinal and urinary function – A rabbit that sits all day in the cage with little exercise can develop abnormal elimination habits.
• Behavioral problems – Continually caged rabbits can exhibit a wide range of abnormal behaviors including lethargy, aggression, continual chewing of the cage bars, chewing fur (obsessive grooming), and destruction of the entire contents of the cage.

A cage can be used as a home base for part of the day or it can be open all the time within an exercise area. The cage should allow the rabbit to stand up on his hind legs without hitting the top of the cage, provide a resting area, and have space for a litter box. It should be easy to clean and indestructible, so metal is probably the best choice. The floor can be solid or wire.(I prefer a combination with each type of flooring available.) Keep the cage in a well ventilated, cool area. Basements are often too damp, which can promote respiratory disease. If you must house your pet in a basement, use a dehumidifier and a fan to improve the air quality. The optimum temperature range for a rabbit is 60F to 70F. When the temperature rises into the mid 70s, you may see drooling and a clear nasal discharge. If temperatures reach the upper 80s and beyond, especially if the humidity level is high, there exists a potential for a fatal heat stroke. On hot days when air conditioning is not available, leave a plastic milk jug filled with frozen water in the cage for use as a portable air conditioner.

Rabbits can be caged outdoors if they are provided with a shelter to protect them from rain, heat and cold. In addition, make sure the cage is secure from predators such as dogs, coyotes and raccoons and is kept clean so it won’t attract parasitic insects. In the winter, use straw bedding in the sheltered area for insulation and make sure that the water bowl is changed daily. Your pet can dehydrate rapidly if the water is frozen for more than a day.

Exercise Area
It is vital to the health of your pet to provide an exercise area where your rabbit can roam for a few hours every day. The easiest way to accomplish this is to use exercise fencing panels sold for dogs. These can be found at most pet stores. Buy fencing that is at least three feet high for small and medium rabbits and four feet high for giant breeds. These panels are easily put together with metal pins and can be configured to any size or shape needed. The pen keeps your bunny away from furniture, electrical cords and toxic materials.

The pen can also be used outside as a moveable enclosure to allow your pet access to grassy areas. Never leave a rabbit outside in a pen unsupervised because dogs, cats and raccoons may be able to knock down the fencing or climb over it and harm your pet. Indoors, if you need to protect the floor under the pen you can use a sheet of no-wax flooring, which is available at most hardware stores. It can be easily cleaned and rolled up when not in use.
If you are going to allow your pet free access to your house you need to bunny-proof it. Block all escape routes, cover or block access to electrical, phone and computer cords, cover furniture to protect it from the rabbit’s teeth and claws and remove access to toxic plants, rodenticides, insecticides and other toxic materials.

Litter Box
Rabbits can be litter box trained relatively easily. When beginning training, confine your pet in a small area, either in a cage or a blocked off section of the room, and place a litter box in the corner; try to pick the corner your pet has already used for her toilet. Make sure the sides of the box are low enough so your pet can get in and out easily. It is helpful to put some droppings in the litter box. Some people have also found it helpful to put some hay in the box to encourage defecation there as rabbits usually pass stool while they are eating. In exercise areas, provide one more litter box then the number of rabbits you have and put newspaper or plastic under the litter box to protect your floors from accidents.
Pelleted litter makes the best bedding and is preferred over wood shavings, corncob and kitty litter. Pelleted litters are non-toxic and digestible if eaten, draw moisture away from the surface which keeps it drier, control odor well and can be composted. Do not use clay or clumping kitty litter. We have had cases where rabbit ate these products and died from an intestinal impaction. There are a wide variety of pelleted beddings available through pet stores, veterinarians and rabbit clubs.

Rest/Hide Area
The ancestors of our pet rabbits would have spent a good portion of their day in protected underground burrows. Our pet rabbits retain the same need to have a protected area in which they feel safe and secure. Some rabbits are content to sit in a box full of hay, others like a completely enclosed box in which to hide. Try providing places to hide, such as untreated wicker or straw baskets, litter pans or other shallow boxes filled with hay, cardboard boxes with an entrance hole and the bottom removed, or large cardboard tubes.

Use your imagination! If the cage has a wire floor, provide a solid area on which the pet can rest. Use material that is washable or disposable and absorbent. Some examples might be fake fleece (not long fur) found in fabric stores or absorbent baby blankets (not terry cloth towels). Do not use carpet squares because they are not absorbent, they are abrasive to the feet, and they can not be thoroughly cleaned. (Also carpet can be eaten, which is the number one cause of obstruction.)

Toys
Rabbits get a fair amount of mental exercise from their diet of grass hay and green foods, but additional toys are appreciated. Rabbits like to chew, so give them branches from untreated trees (dry the wood for at least a month to prevent any adverse reactions to the sap), wooden chew toys designed for birds, or unfinished unpainted wicker or straw baskets. They like things that make noise such as keys on an unbreakable key holder, empty plastic or metal cans, hard plastic baby toys and jar lids. They like things that both move and can be chewed such as toilet paper or paper towel rolls, small empty cardboard cartons and small piles of shredded paper.  To make a toy more interesting, you can hide in it healthy treats, as described in the diet section, or stuff hay in hiding areas, toilet paper rolls and old tissue boxes.  Giving the rabbit a sense that he or she is foraging for food is an excellent mental activity. They like air-filled balls they can nose around.

Handling

There are a number of ways to pick up your pet depending on how calm she is and her size. The main thing to remember is to always support the hindquarters to prevent serious spinal injuries. Rabbit backbones are fragile and can fracture if the hind legs are allowed to dangle and the animal then gives one strong kick. Unfortunately these injuries are usually permanent and frequently result in euthanasia, so prevention is the best policy. Never pick up a bunny by her sensitive ears because it’s painful and totally unnecessary! It is better to grasp the loose skin over the shoulders or scoop up under the chest and then place your other hand under the back legs to lift your bunny from the floor. Work near the floor when first learning to handle your pet so that if she jumps out of your arms there isn’t a chance for a fall.

Ask your veterinarian or an experienced rabbit handler about other methods used to handle rabbits. Some restraint methods are particularly useful when your rabbit needs to be medicated. Wrapping your pet securely in a towel is one easy method and your veterinarian can instruct you on the proper procedure.

Medical Problems

We have many handouts available that cover medical problems encountered by pet rabbits in detail. I encourage you to ask your veterinarian for information on a specific topic that interests you. As mentioned before, the number one group of diseases that we see in rabbits is caused by an inappropriate diet and is often preventable. The following is a brief discussion of a few of the medical conditions that you should be aware of.

Spay/Castration
Uterine adenocarcinoma is a malignant cancer that can affect female rabbits over two years of age (although it’s been seen in rabbits as young as  18-month). The best prevention for this disease is to remove the reproductive organs (ovaries and uterus) in a surgical procedure commonly called a spay. The procedure can be performed in females over four months of age. Spaying a rabbit also prevents pregnancy and can help control some aggressive behaviour.

Male rabbits can also develop disease of the reproductive organs (the testicles) but with much less frequency than females. However, some male rabbits have a tendency to become aggressive in their adolescence (8-18 months of age) and can also start spraying urine on vertical surfaces outside the toilet area to mark their territory. Surgical removal of the testicles, called castration, can control these behaviours if it is done before the behaviour occurs or shortly thereafter. Male rabbits can be neutered anytime after four months of age.

Dental Disease
Dental disease can be the result of a variety of factors including trauma to the face, genetics (jaw is too short or malformed such as seen in the lop-eared breeds of rabbits), nutritional disease, infectious disease and diet. Rabbit ancestors ate a diet that was tough and abrasive, therefore they developed teeth that grew throughout their lives. Without this constant dental growth, the teeth would wear down quickly and the rabbit would be unable to eat and eventually die. Any condition that causes a rabbit’s teeth to be worn down improperly or causes mal-alignment can result in serious dental disease.

The best prevention for dental disease is a healthy diet including grass hay and green foods. But even with this good diet, some rabbits develop disease due to other factors, particularly genetics. The treatment of dental disease is based on the cause and severity of illness. Your rabbit should have a dental examination performed by a veterinarian at least once a year. You should never attempt to trim a rabbit’s overgrown teeth without consulting your veterinarian. An improperly performed tooth trim can lead to serious dental disease.

Loss of Appetite
Rabbits are little eating machines and if you notice that your pet has changed his eating habits, there is cause for concern. The most common reason a rabbit stops eating is in response to pain. If every day you give a small amount of a healthy treat that your rabbit loves, as outlined in the Diet Section, you will quickly know when your rabbit’s appetite is changing. The rule of thumb regarding the seriousness of the loss of appetite is:

• Loss of appetite but otherwise acting normal should be investigated within 48 hours. Some rabbits may go through a slow down and then pick up again in a day. The key here is that the rabbit is still active and alert, and is still producing stools
• Loss of appetite accompanied by obvious lethargy or depression should be considered an emergency and should be investigated immediately. This can be a sign of an intestinal obstruction or toxin ingestion. Another important sign is that no stools are being produced.

Respiratory Signs
Rabbits can exhibit sneezing, coughing and excess tearing. Not all these signs are related to respiratory disease. Common environmental causes include perfumes, sprays, cooking fumes, ammonia fumes from accumulated urine in toilet area, fabric softener on bedding, dust, poor air circulation, damp environment and hot environment. Dental disease can also cause signs that may mimic respiratory disease, such as excessive tearing that stains the eyes. Please consult your veterinarian if your pet is showing these signs.

Diarrhoea
True diarrhoea, where all the stool being passed is purely liquid, is rare in the pet rabbit eating a healthy diet. More commonly we see a situation where the rabbit has both normal and soft pudding-like stools in the toilet area. This is not diarrhoea, but a problem with GI motility usually caused by an inappropriate diet.

If you should notice true diarrhea in your pet, you should consider it an emergency situation and consult your veterinarian immediately.

Urinary Disease
The normal color of rabbit urine can range from yellow to dark orange-red. The color comes from plant pigments in the food or from normal pigments produced in the wall of the bladder. The urine can be clear or cloudy with a white precipitate. The white precipitate is excess calcium excreted through the urine. Rabbits can develop disease of the bladder or kidneys and may exhibit signs such as blood in the urine, straining to urinate, inappropriate or frequent urination, or the complete inability to urinate. If your pet is exhibiting any of these signs, consult your veterinarian immediately.

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How Infection Occurs

In cats, there are three ways by which infection with Toxocara cati occurs:

• Consuming infective worm eggs from soil in the environment, generally through normal grooming.
• Nursing from a mother cat that was herself infected in late ate pregnancy; most kittens are infected this way.
• Consuming a prey animal – usually a rodent – that is carrying developing worms.

Note: dogs cannot be infected with Toxocara cati. They have their own roundworm: Toxocara canis.

Life as a Roundworm

Toxocara cati has one of the most amazing life cycles in the animal kingdom. It is crucial to understand this life cycle if effective treatment is to be pursued.

Step One: Toxocara eggs are passed in the host’s feces. If a fecal sample is tested, the eggs can be detected. The embryonic worm develops in the outdoor environment for one month before it becomes able to infect a new host. This will take about a month for the egg to become infective. However, if the conditions are not favourable, eggs can remain infective for months to years.

Step Two: The egg the second stage larva is picked up orally by a cat or by some other animal. The egg hatches in the new host’s intestinal tract and the young worm burrows its way out of the intestinal tract to enclose in the host’s other body tissues. If the new host is a cat, the life cycle proceeds. If the new host is a member of another species, such as a rodent, the larvae wait until the new host is eaten by a cat. These prey animals that carry worm larvae are called paratenic hosts. The cat is called the definitive host.

Step Three: These second stage larvae can remain encysted happily for years. If the host is a cat, though, most larvae waste no time encysting and continue their migration straight to the lungs. The majority of the incoming larvae have reached the cat’s lungs by the third day post-infection. Those larvae that do stay behind encysted do so in the cat’s liver. Once they get to the lung, they develop into third stage larvae and burrow into the small airways, ultimately travelling upward towards the host’s throat. A heavy infection can produce a serious pneumonia. When they get to the upper airways, they generate coughing. The worms are coughed up into the host’s throat where they are swallowed, thus entering the intestinal tract for the second time in their development.

If the host is a nursing mother, second stage larvae can migrate to the mammary gland instead of the lung. Kittens can thus be infected by drinking their mother’s milk. Larvae that had encysted in the liver and gone dormant will re-awaken during the host’s pregnancy, continuing their migration just in time to infect the nursing kittens. In this way, a well dewormed mother cat can still find herself infecting her kittens.

Step Four: Once back in the intestine, the larvae complete their maturation and begin to mate. The first eggs are laid about one week after the fourth stage larvae have arrived in the intestine and about 4 to 5 weeks after infection has first occurred. From here the cycle repeats.

Why is Infection Bad?

Roundworm infection can have numerous negative effects. It is a common cause of diarrhea in young animals and can cause vomiting as well. Sometimes the worms are vomited up, which can be alarming because they can be quite large with females reaching lengths of up to seven inches. The worms consume the host’s food and can lead to unthriftiness and a classical pot-bellied appearance. Heavy infections can lead to pneumonia as the worms migrate and, if there are enough worms, the intestine can become obstructed.

How do we know if our Cat is Infected?

You may not know and this is one of the arguments in favour of regular deworming. Regular deworming is especially recommended for cats that hunt and might consume the flesh of hosts carrying worm larvae. Kittens are frequently simply assumed to be infected and automatically dewormed.

Toxocara egg

Of course, there are ways to find out if your pet is infected. If a cat or kitten vomits up a worm, there is a good chance this is a roundworm, especially in a kitten. Roundworms are long, white and described as looking like spaghetti. Tapeworms can also be vomited up but these are flat and obviously segmented. If you are not sure what type of worm you are seeing, take it to your vet for them to identify it for you.There are numerous deworming products available and all are very effective. Some are over the counter and some are prescription. Many flea control prevention products provide a monthly deworming, which is especially helpful in minimizing environmental contamination.There are two important concepts to keep in mind about deworming. Medications essentially anaesthetise the worm so that it lets go of its grip on the host’s intestine and it passes out with the stool. Once it has been passed, it cannot survive in the environment and dies.This means that you will likely see the worms when they pass so be prepared as they can be quite long and may still be alive and moving when you see them.The other concept stems from the fact that larvae in migration cannot be killed by most deworming products. After the worms are cleared from the intestine, they will be replaced by new worms completing their migration. This means that a second, and sometimes even a third deworming is needed to keep the intestine clear. The follow-up deworming is generally given several weeks following the first deworming to allow for migrating worms to arrive in the intestine where they are vulnerable.Do not forget your follow-up deworming.  

The Basics

Your home can hold a lot of unrecognised dangers for your pet. Many common food items or household products can sicken or even kill animals. However, a few simple precautions can help keep your pet safe.

Animals react to substances in food and medicines completely differently than people do, so just because something doesn’t make a person sick doesn’t mean it is okay for a pet. Also, most pets are much smaller than people, so what may seem like a harmless amount of a food or drug can make them really ill.

Pets are curious, so if something smells good, they’ll eat it. If they can get into a container, they will. Be aware of what substances may be toxic to your pet, and store and use them safely.

Chocolate

If you suspect that your pet has consumed any amount of any chocolate, call your vet. However, not all chocolate is equally dangerous to pets. In general, the darker the chocolate, the more toxic it is to animals. Dark chocolate is the most dangerous because it contains the highest concentration of a substance called methylxanthine. Pets that eat too much of this substance can have vomiting, diarrohea, excessive thirst and urination, hyperactivity, and, in severe cases, abnormal heart rhythms, tremors, and seizures.

Other Food

It is generally not a good idea to give your pet table food. Many human foods can cause digestive upset, which can be severe. Also, several common ingredients in human food can be toxic to pets. Just a few are:

• Avocados
• Grapes and raisins
• Macadamia nuts
• Onions, garlic, and chives
• Xylitol (a common sugar-free sweetener, often found in chewing gum and commercial baked goods, that can cause life-threatening liver failure)
• Yeast dough
• Some beverages, such as coffee and alcohol, can also be poisonous to pets.
• Grapes are sometimes recommended as treats for dogs; however, cases of serious kidney damage related to eating grapes have been reported. Raisins have also been reported to be toxic to dogs.

In general, do not store or leave food meant for you and your family in a place where your pet may be able to get to it. Take special care during holiday seasons and festive occasions, when it is very easy to become distracted and leave food or drinks on a counter or coffee table.

Medicines

Never give your pet a medicine meant for people unless you’ve been told to by a veterinary professional. Many common over-the-counter drugs can be extremely toxic to pets. Don’t leave medicine bottles out where pets can reach them (a determined dog can chew through a childproof cap), and pick up any dropped pills immediately. Use the same caution with dietary supplements or with products you buy at a health food store.

Cleaning Products

Read the warning labels on the household cleaning products you use, and store as directed.

Outdoor Hazards

If you have a garage, shed, or garden, you probably have at least some of the following:

Plants: Learn which plants can be toxic to pets and under what circumstances. Tomatoes, for example, are in the nightshade family. Many lilies, flowers, and common ornamental shrubs can be toxic.

Pest poisons: Poisons meant to kill rodents, insects, or weeds are very common causes of poisoning in pets. Be very careful how you apply and store any poisons around your home.

Garden products: Cocoa mulch, fertilizers, and compost piles are also unsafe for pets. Make sure any mulch or fertilizer you apply to your yard is safe for pets to play in (and possibly eat). Keep your pet out of areas treated with toxic products. Compost piles can grow bacteria and fungi that are highly toxic to pets, so if you have a compost pile, make sure your pet cannot get into it, and don’t compost dairy or meat items.

Garage chemicals: Any chemical in your garage can be dangerous to pets. Antifreeze, in particular, can be deadly. Store all chemicals out of reach of your pet (just as you would for children), and carefully mop up any spills.

In an Emergency…

If your pet does eat something he or she shouldn’t, time is critical. Call your vet  immediately and be prepared to describe the following:

• What your pet ate
• How long ago
• How much

If possible, bring some of the substance, including any available packaging, with you if you are asked to bring your pet in for an examination.

The fires are stoked and we can all guess who is likely to be next to the fire on these cold evenings…yes, your cat! Elderly cats have some important health issues that need to be monitored to ensure a long and healthy life.

Common Ailments

Dental disease is common problem in old cats. Unlike us, they don’t clean their teeth daily and over time can get build up of tartar. This can lead to gum disease and recession and eventually tooth loss. This process is reversible if caught early enough. Signs that your cat might have teeth issues include:

Arthritis is also seen in cats, although it is commonly thought to be an old dog’s disease. Arthritic cats have difficulty turning to groom themselves and are less active. They stop being able to jump up as high as they were able to or fall when attempting to jump and end up climbing up. There is treatment available for this condition to help your elderly cat cope with this debilitating condition.

Most elderly cats have some form of kidney disease. It is a very common complaint in an older cat. Clinical signs of kidney insufficiency and/or failure include increased thirst as the kidneys are no longer able to absorb water from the urine. The urine becomes very dilute and so the cat will urininate more frequently and in larger volumes. The litter tray will become very full, very quickly. Although there is no cure, there are diets and drugs available which can help support and stabilize the diseased kidney.

Hormonal diseases include hyperthyroidism, due to an over active thyroid gland, and diabetes. Again, these diseases can be treated with both drugs and dietary management.

 How can you help your aged cat?

Even small differences can make a big difference to their quality of life.

• Feed good quality Senior cat food, eg, Iams Senior, Hills Active Longevity, Hills Mature, Royal Canin Senior.
• Help them groom with a good brush every few days – they will really enjoy this time with you.
• Have their food at floor level, or give them a ramp to get up to higher places.
• Have their food and bed closer so they don’t have to travel long distances between their bed, food and littler tray, if they use one.
• Regular check ups with your local vet

New Zealand can also be proud to be the very first country in the world to do away with the older much less accurate “hip scoring” system. This will happen on 1st January 2014. The reason is simple: the old system just wasn’t getting results. Sincere efforts by vets and dog breeders over many decades, trying to use the old hip scoring to improve the hips of many breeds of dogs, have led to very disappointing results to say the least.

Why is hip dysplasia a problem? Canine Hip Dysplasia is a genetic problem leading to too much laxity (“looseness”) of the hip joint. Loose hips lead to osteoarthritis of the hip joint. Tight hips don’t. Almost all greyhounds have very tight hips and as a result they almost never get hip arthritis. Hip dysplasia is the commonest orthopaedic disease in dogs. It afflicts literally millions of dogs each year, so this is a huge problem. As well as the suffering caused, CHD every year costs owners and breeders millions of dollars in veterinary care, shortened work longevity, and reduced performance.

The occurrence of CHD is well documented in the large and giant breed dogs, but there is also evidence that CHD is prevalent in many small and toy breeds as well as in cats. In some breeds of dog, more than 50% of dogs are afflicted.

The old hip scoring methods may have failed, but the PennHIP method has proved that it is up to the task. It is validated by many scientific studies. This is great news for dogs!

Dog breeders can now find out which are the best parents to breed from, to reduce the risk of hip dysplasia in the offspring. Over time this has the potential to entirely eliminate this debilitating orthopaedic disease.

If you’re thinking of getting a new puppy, especially of a medium to large breed, ask the person you’re getting it from if they’ve had the
parents PennHIP-tested. We hope that all dog breeders in New Zealand will do the right thing and embrace the new PennHIP test. After January next year, it will still be possible for breeders to get the old hip-scoring done in Australia. Our concern is that this will not benefit dogs, and will only prolong the time taken to eradicate this disease.
The person with the most influence is the paying customer, and that’s you! Insist on PennHIP!

Clearly, the greatest advances can be made through selective breeding in the future. But this doesn’t help your dog now. If you have your dog PennHIP tested and the result is that your dog has loose hips, what can you do? It has been shown that the single most effective ‘treatment’ is to keep your dog slim throughout its life. Of course this will prevent many other diseases as well, which is great! But it has been proven that keeping your dog with CHD lean will significantly delay the onset and the severity of arthritis.

We hope you will be as excited as us about this. Please ask us about this if you would like more information or would like to get your dog “PennHIP’ed”.

We look forward to a brighter future for the canine world!

Rabbit Ancestors

Let’s take a look at the behavior of the ancestor of the domestic rabbit, the European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus. The normal territorial space of an adult of this species is about two acres but may be even larger if food is in short supply. This is the area over which the rabbit would wander each day to feed and to look for mates. We know that rabbits require large volumes of high-fiber food that necessitate traveling great distances each day, particularly during winter months. In addition, rabbits are anatomically designed to be able to move at great speed in order to elude predators. Observe the powerful back legs built to run and leap.

So, we take this beautiful, graceful animal that is designed to range over a large area, at times even at great speed, and put it in a cage that is 24 x 24 x 18H for most or all of its life and expect it to thrive and do well. Some people would say that they are happy in their cage because the European rabbit spends part of the day in the extensive burrows they dig underground and the cage represents that secure burrow space. Ah, but they don’t spend all day in the burrow, they need to exercise all their muscles, including the heart, strengthen their bones, burn fat and stimulate internal organ function which can scarcely be done when confined to a small space. In addition, rabbits can develop behavioral and medical problems when they are confined continuously to a small cage.

Some people argue that the domestic rabbit is content in its cage environment because they reproduce successfully in small cages. The internal drive to reproduce is extremely strong in rabbits because they are a prey animal and in the wild, much of a rabbit’s family will be eaten by other animals as part of the natural food cycle, therefore they must keep replacing the losses. If minimum requirements of food and shelter are met, the rabbit will reproduce if allowed to because he must! But minimum requirements are not necessarily synonymous with a long, healthy life and humane living conditions!

Problems Caused by Lack of Exercise

Obesity
Obesity can be caused by a number of factors, but the two most common are a diet too high in calories for daily need and a lack of exercise. Just as in humans, if a rabbit sits around all day and moves just enough to take care of minimal daily requirements such as eating, grooming, defecating and urinating, he isn’t going to burn many calories, nor is he going to build muscle tissue. Obesity puts undue stress on the cardiovascular system, can result in pododermatitis (inflammation of the foot) stresses the vertebrae as well as making the rabbit feel sluggish. Large folds of fat can develop around the rectal area or in the dewlap that interfere with normal grooming and prevent eating the nutrient-rich cecotropes. If cecotropes aren’t eaten, the result can be nutritional deficiencies. An inability to groom properly can lead to a constantly soiled rectal area and subsequent skin disease. The cure for obesity is to keep your rabbit on a healthy diet of grass hay and fresh foods, strictly limit commercial pellets and avoid high starch or sugar foods.

Pododermatitis (Sore Hock)
Pododermatitis is a condition where the skin on the underside of the feet becomes inflamed resulting in ulcerations that can range from superficial to deep enough to involve bone. This condition can be caused by several factors, but the two most common are obesity and damp flooring. Wire cage floors have often been implicated as a cause of pododermatitis, but this alone rarely causes a problem. In addition, there is a genetic disposition to this condition in breeds of rabbits, such as the Rex or Mini Rex, where the fur on the underside of the foot is too thin to afford sufficient protection.

Obesity can contribute to foot disease because of the excessive weight being carried by the feet resulting in unusual wear on the footpads. In addition, if the rabbit is so fat that he can’t clean itself, urine and stool can collect on the hindquarters and feet and result in inflammatory skin disease.

A continually damp floor caused by urine or water in the cage or litter box (where rabbits often like to sit) is a contributing factor to the development of pododermatitis. If a rabbit is confined to a small cage he often has no choice but to sit in a wet area. Urine, in particular, is caustic and can result in serious burns and ulceration of the feet.

In the wild, rabbits are exposed to a wide variety of surfaces from hard packed ground or rocks to soft grass. It is important to provide some soft areas in addition to the normal wire or solid flooring. Squares of fake fur or fleece work well because they are absorbent, washable and non-toxic to the rabbit. We do not recommend using carpet squares because they are not washable, and in some cases are more abrasive then the regular flooring. Use absorbent pelleted bedding in the litter box rather then kitty litter. Pelleted bedding pulls moisture away from the surface, which keeps the feet dry. In addition, pelleted bedding is non-toxic, eatable, and compostable. Kitty litter is not only abrasive, but some rabbits will eat it and can develop a fatal intestinal impaction.

Poor Bone Density
Animals, as well as humans, who do not get sufficient exercise can develop osteoporosis (thinning of the bone). It is well known in humans that the best natural method to prevent osteoporosis is regular weight-bearing exercises. Rabbits who are continually confined to a small cage can exhibit marked thinning of the bones. Osteoporosis results in a spine or long bones that can break easily when the rabbit is handled, leaps off a high surface or runs or jumps rapidly. It has been my observation that the rabbits whose backs are fractured during normal handling are usually those that were never allowed normal exercise. Daily exercise is vital to the production of healthy bones.

Poor Muscle Tone
Obviously if the rabbit can’t exercise, the muscles will be underdeveloped and weak. This can lead to an inability to move properly. The most important muscle is the heart. If the heart muscle is weak, the rabbit will be unable to tolerate stressful situations that occur, such as a child or a curious puppy that chases the rabbit when he is let out to play. Rabbits in the wild do not ordinarily drop dead when being chased by a predator. They are superb athletes and can move rapidly, sometimes for great distances, to find shelter. This type of behavior is part of their normal daily routine.

However, if you take a rabbit that sits in a cage day after day and then let him out and force him to run around the room rapidly, he may faint or even die of cardiac failure. It would be the same as taking a couch potato-type person and suddenly make him run a marathon at high speed. His heart couldn’t take the stress and he would collapse. Therefore, exercise will help your rabbit develop a healthy cardiovascular system and be able to withstand inevitable stressful situations successfully.

Gastrointestinal and Urinary Function
A rabbit who sits all day in the cage with little exercise can develop abnormal elimination habits. Rabbits that exercise routinely will urinate and defecate frequently, which is good for the urinary and digestive systems. Holding urine or stool may contribute to a variety of conditions such as gastrointestinal shutdown and concentrated sludgy urine.

Behavioral Problems
Behavioral problems in rabbits, as in other creatures, are complex. However, I have observed a number of problems resolve when rabbits are taken out of the caged environment and allowed more freedom in an area with environmental stimulants such as toys and hiding areas. It is not scientifically correct to place a human name on a rabbit ‘emotion’ but one can only imagine that rabbits who are caged all the time are bored. What do they have to do but sleep, move a couple of steps and eat or drink, move a couple of steps and defecate or urinate? Continually caged rabbits can exhibit a wide range of abnormal behaviors including lethargy, aggression, continual chewing of the cage bars (sometimes leading to incisor damage), chewing fur (obsessive grooming), and destruction of the entire contents of the cage.

Certainly these behaviors can also be seen in rabbits that are not caged, however, we find that rabbits exhibiting these behaviors often improve in a more open environment. The destructive behavior and fur pulling decreases when they are given constructive toys and a place to play. We have also seen many lethargic rabbits bloom into delightful playful creatures and seen aggressive rabbits become calmer when allowed more freedom.

Ways to Encourage Exercise

• Exercise Pen – An easy way to provide an open exercise area for your pet is to use dog exercise fencing that comes in panels, often called an x pen, that can be connected together in many shapes. These panels can be used indoors or out to provide a safe exercise area.
• Short Periods of Confinement - Some rabbits who have free access to very large areas 24/7 sometimes become floor potatoes and just hang out in their favorite spot. For these bunnies it can be helpful to make their area smaller for a few hours a day and then release them back to the larger area to explore again.
• Toys – Provide various objects in the environment your rabbit can interact with. Large cardboard tubes to run through (found at hardware stores) and cardboard boxes to jump on and play in are easy and inexpensive. Put wadded pieces of newspaper in the box and cut a hole in the side to make a nest to arrange. Move objects around daily to promote more movement as they investigate. Even small changes will prompt curiosity!
• Foraging – Hide the daily pellet allotment or a few pieces of dried fruit or vegetable in crumbled pieces of newspaper or toilet paper or paper towel tubes with the ends folded shut and distribute these around the exercise area. Put unfinished baskets (no paint or varnish) stuffed with hay around the area so they can root around and have a healthy snack.
• Digging Box – Take a large cat litter box about 15 x 15 x 12 high and put many layers of newspaper in the bottom and then put in some crumpled sheets of newspaper on top. A bunny can spend days to weeks working on this project of shredding and tearing. A white bunny may end up with a grey nose and feet but he will be happy!
• Elderly rabbits - For elderly rabbits or rabbits who may not be able to move great distances, you can encourage exercise by picking them up and moving them carefully some distance from their home base and let them gradually make their way home with some treats along the way (see foraging above for some ideas!).
• Get on the floor! Get on the floor with your bunny and play with various objects. Just being on the floor with her will encourage investigation and movement. Move from place to place around the room and entice your bunny to visit you with healthy treats.
• Train your bunny - Consider training your bunny to do some movement behaviors. There are several Internet sites now available with information and books and videos to teach you how to train your rabbit using positive reinforcement methods.