The Tribune

By Dr Basil Clarke Care of Rabbits are naturally gregarious and very reproductive. They are completely herbivorous (eat only plants) and most actively forage in the twilight or nighttime hours. Rabbits make excellent pets. They are relatively easy to care for and can be litter-box trained. Their fastidious nature, unaggressive behavior and quiet manner make them popular house pets. Rabbits live an average of 5 - 10 years. Rabbits reach breading age at approximately 6 months. Pregnancy last 31-32 days and the litter size average 4-10 bunnies. Feeding pet rabbits is easy because nutritionally complete and balanced commercial pellets diets are readily available from your pet store. One of those diets and fresh water are all a pet rabbit requires. Other food items (lettuce, carrots, spinach and apples) can be offered in small amounts daily. Many veterinarians recommend adding pineapple or pina colada yogurt to the diet on a regular basis. Yogurt not only promotes and maintains the normal bacterial flora within the digestive tract, but the pineapple contains an enzyme (papain) that is thought to help dissolve any hair that has been eaten. Rabbits engage in a relatively uncommon but normal behavior when they deliberately eat small, soft moist (often mucus covered) light green fecal pellets directly from the anus. This night feces, are especially rich with protein, vitamins and minerals and occur in the early morning hours and is rarely observed by rabbit owners. Improper handling may cause serious, life threatening injuries. Fractures of the back resulting in paralysis of both hind legs are very common. A rabbit's spine is relatively lightweight and fragile. When a rabbit becomes frightened, it violently struggles by powerfully kicking its back legs. This can result in serious injuries to the back. One should never try to over power a struggling rabbit. Rabbits should never be picked up by their ears. If you are concerned about being scratched by the claws, place a towel over the rabbit's back and wrap it around the body to restrain all four feet. An alternative method of picking up a rabbit involves sliding one hand under its breast bone and grasping both front legs between the fingers. The other hand is then gently worked under the rear quadrant to fully support them as the rabbit is lifted upwards in the same manner as cats are held. Under no circumstances should rabbits be allowed total freedom within the home. Rabbits love to chew and can be very destructive to household furnishings. They can be seriously injured by biting into telephone and electrical cords. Therefore, we recommend that rabbits should be confined to a suitable enclosure when their activity cannot be adequately supervised. Like cats, rabbits can be trained to use a litter-box in the home. All rabbits, even those housed indoors are especially sensitive to high environmental temperatures. So those that are kept outdoors should have adequate shelter to protect them from heat, wind, rain and the cold. There is no present vaccination schedule for rabbits, but it is highly recommended to have your pet rabbit checked by a veterinarian at least 1-2 times a year. Common problems requiring veterinary attention are - Ear Mite Infestation, the Mange, overgrown incisor teeth, overgrown claws, heat stroke, back injuries, Wry Neck (twisting of the neck), Sore Hocks, Hairballs and Respiratory Disease.