Rabbit Bedding

If you walk down the small animal aisle of the pet store, you will find several types of pet bedding available.  Which works best?  Can any of them be harmful?  Let's take a closer look:

Timothy Hay

This is your best option.  First, we need to remember that rabbits like to chew, and chew often.  Hay is beneficial to your rabbit's digestive system and it is also something he can eat as much as he'd like. Hay is also soft, making it easy for a rabbit to burrow in and sit on.  You may find other types of hay, but the Timothy variety is the best and is readily available by the bale or bag.

Straw

Straw is a big NO.  Many think it's a lot like hay, but it's not.  Straw is much more ridged than hay, which makes it less comfortable to sit on.  The tough structure can poke your rabbit in the eye, causing damage.  This is just not the best option.

Kitty Litter

Or a litter-like product of any kind.  Another bad option.  Remember: rabbits like to chew, cats do not.  This is not something you want ending up in your rabbit's system.

Softwood/Cedar Chips

Again, something you don't want your little guy chewing.  Depending on the type, some chips may be treated in order to eliminate odor, smell better, etc.  Either way, it's not good for your fuzzy friend.

In my opinion, Timothy hay is by far the best option for your rabbit.  It can be used inside or outdoors, in a litter box or in a hutch and all year long.  Not only is it comfortable but it will help your rabbit's digestive system, making him healthier.

The Ruby Eyed Rabbit

I've been volunteering at my local animal shelter for a while now.  In the past few weeks, we've had a lot of rabbit available for adoption that have white fur and red eyes.  This has lead to the same conversation over and over again:

Adopter: "Is there something wrong with that rabbit?"
Me: "Which one?"
Adopter: "The one with the red eyes, I'm guessing that it's sick.  It's eyes shouldn't be that color."

When I started at the shelter I was told that rabbits with red eyes always seemed to be adopted last.  They said that people typically think the rabbit is sick or evil.  I couldn't believe that anyone would think this.  But the more and more questions I got about the eye color, I figured I should talk about it a little bit.

Rabbits have different eye colors- just like your or I can have brown, blue or green eyes.  Rabbit can have either brown/black, blue or red eyes.  Their eye color is based on their genetics, not their health or "evilness".  Typically, white (or mostly white) rabbits will have red eyes.

It's as simple as that.  Don't shy away from these lovable bunnies!  Kids are typically the most worried about the rabbit's eye color, but once you explain the facts, they usually will be convinced that everything is OK.

Peggy

Spa Day: Cutting Your Rabbit's Nails

Many new rabbit owners believe nail clipping something best left to a vet.  The truth is nail clipping can be quick, easy and preformed by any rabbit owner.  In the wild, rabbits keep their nail trim by digging.  Since domestic rabbits don't have the need nor opportunity to dig as much, their nails will have to be clipped every few months.  If the nails aren't attended to, they can grow enough to curl around each other, sometimes even causing a toe deformity.

Let's start with a little bit of rabbit toe anatomy.

The rabbit toenail.  Steer clear of the quick!

A rabbit's toenail is very different from a human's.  Rabbits have a vein of blood running thru their nail- this is called the quick.  You want to steer clear of the quick so your rabbit doesn't start bleeding.  It is best to cut a safe distance above the quick- you don't need to get very close to the quick in order to cut the nail back to a good length.  Staying away from the quick is trickier for rabbits with dark nails (such as Dante) because it is harder to see.  White nails are much easier.  

There are some tools you will need before you start.  First, a pair of HUMAN toe nail clippers. 

I really dislike the nail clippers sold for rabbits in pet stores.  The way they are designed allows them to "twist" the nail because the sharp parts slide side-by-side like a scissor.  You may have seen this phenomenon if you've ever tried to cut a piece of paper with dull scissors.  The paper ends up in the middle of the scissors with a partial, dull cut.  Human toe nail clippers are big enough for all rabbit breeds and will consistently give a good cut (smaller clippers used for finger nails will probably be too small for your rabbit).  Also, have a jar of Kwik Stop Styptic Powder or a bar of unscented soap.  This will be used in case the quick is cut.

To cut your rabbit's nails, flip the rabbit over on your lap. For jumpy rabbits or for owners new to nail clipping, you may want to enlist someone to help you by holding the rabbit while you cut the nails.  REMEMBER: a rabbit has 5 nails on each front foot and 4 on each back foot- 18 total.  One nail at a time, clip the nail down a little, avoiding the quick.  If the nails are very long, it's OK to clip nails a few times until they are an appropriate length.  Watch this quick video on clipping nails:

If you do accidentally cut the quick, put some Kwik Stop to the bleeding nail and apply pressure to the end of the nail.  If you are using a bar of soap, use the entire bar to apply pressure (remember not to put this bar back in the bathroom!).  Continue to apply pressure for a few minutes.  Initially your rabbit will be a bit squirmy, so try to talk to them and keep them relaxed as the blood clots.

Although it might seem difficult the first few times, you will get use to it and become a nail cutting pro in no time!

Peggy and Dante

Mites: An Irritating Pest

Let's face it: we all hate bugs, especially those we cannot easily see.  Rabbits agree with us on this one.  As with any illness or issue, it is best to understand what's going on so that you can quickly diagnose and resolve the issue.

What is it?  Mites are external parasites which are so small, you will see the signs of their presence before you see them.  The two most common types are Cheyletiella parasitivorax and Listrophorus gibbus.  Because of the way their bodies work, they breath through their "skin", a fact that will help us during treatment.  Mites will migrate towards the warmest areas on your rabbit, meaning that you typically will find them either behind the ears on the back of their necks, or in their inner ear.  Since you won't be able to see the mites, you will need to be on the lookout for what they will do to your rabbit. An infected area will have missing and/or patchy fur (if the mites are in a typically furry area).  Also, you will see a dandruff on your rabbit's skin, which is caused by the mites.  Depending on how long the mites have been on your rabbit, you may see some sores near the infected area.  These most likely have been caused by your rabbit scratching at these annoying pests.

A microscopic view of a mite.

These rabbits have been been infected with mites:

Fur Mites- Note the dandruff and missing fur.

Ear Mites

Although finding mites on your rabbits isn't the worse thing that could happen, you will want to quickly deal with them, if for no other reason than the comfort of your rabbit.

How can they get it?  An outdoor rabbit is much more likely to come in contact with mites.  Even an indoor rabbit who gets to hop around in the great outdoors can pick them up.  Other domestic animals that spend time outside, like a dog, may also bring mites inside to a rabbit.  Unlike other parasites, mites do not appear because of unsanitary conditions.  No matter how clean you keep their hutch, a rabbit is still susceptible.

Is it treatable?  Mites are absolutely treatable.  I use mineral oil which is available at any grocery or drug store.  Apply a generous amount of mineral oil on the infected area with a Q-Tip.  Let the mineral oil sit for a few minutes- feel free to take this time to give your rabbit a good petting to keep them calm.  Next, wipe the mineral oil off with a Q-Tip or rag.  Repeat this two or three more times.  Finally, wipe the area off with a little bit of water.  Since the mites breath through their "skin", applying the mineral oil will essentially drown the mites, killing them.  I would apply the same regiment again in a few days, and then in another few days after that.

Is it preventable?  Unfortunately, not really.  As I said earlier, mites are not attracted to unsanitary conditions.  For outdoor rabbits, try to keep trees and brush cleared away from the hutch.  For any rabbit that hops around outside, try to keep them away from bushes or under decks.  The best thing you can do is catch the mites early, frequently checking behind and inside their ears.

Check down in the base of the ear.

Push the ears towards your rabbit's head to see behind the ears.

I'd love to hear about your experiences with your rabbit and mites.  Do you have a home remedy that worked?  

Keeping Cool: How to Make Rabbit Air Conditioner

As the temperature goes up outside, you need to keep your outdoor bunnies comfort in mind.  Always use common sense with outdoor rabbits and heat.  For example, always make sure your rabbit has access to fresh water and keep the hutch in a shady area.  Really hot weather (90 F or higher) means you should probably move your rabbit to an indoor cage which you can keep in a garage or basement.

"Hot" to a rabbit is typically in the 80 F range or higher.  Please keep in mind that wooled breeds will feel warmer sooner than a short-haired breed would.  Also, the temperatures I chose here are relative, based on what the weather in your area typically is.

If your rabbit is outside in hot weather, you can make them "air conditioning" to make the time outside more comfortable.  All you need is an empty 2 liter soda bottle.

Rinse out any remaining soda with water.  Fill the bottle 3/4 of the way with tap water.  Place in the freezer overnight.  Remove in the morning and place in your rabbit's hutch.  Your rabbit will be able to stay cool by laying close.  When it cools down in the evening, remove the bottle from the hutch, place in a disposable plastic bag and place back in the freezer.  Remove and discard bad before placing in the hutch.  No need to refresh the water in the bottle!

It's best to have 2 bottles so you can alternate them on very hot days.  Also, smaller bottles are perfect for carrying cages on the way to shows.

Keep an eye on your outdoor rabbits!  Remember- if you want to turn on the air conditioning, your rabbit is probably hot, too!

Peggy and Dante

Does Your Rabbit Have (a) Class?

My favorite part of raising rabbits was showing them.  I always enjoyed the show environment and I’m sad that I’ve spent so much time away from it.  I would like to talk today about some basic show terminology.  When registering your rabbit for a show, you’re going to be asked which class the rabbit should be entered in.  This can be confusing if you are unfamiliar with the show system.  Let’s try break it down.

If I were to register my rabbit Dante in a show, I would say that he is a Havana Black Senior Buck.

Havana Black Senior Buck

Here, “Havana” refers to the breed of the rabbit.  Other examples of a breed would be Netherland Dwarf and Jersey Wooly.  This is the most general category a rabbit can fall under.

Havana Black Senior Buck

The next category we look at is a bit more complicated because it depends on the breed.  This category (“black” in the example above) refers to the coloring of the rabbit.  Depending on the breed, the coloring can be divided up by variety, group or classification.

A variety is a specific color of rabbit.  Havanas are shown in varieties, hence me using “black” to describe Dante’s class.  Other varieties would include blue and chocolate.  A group is a set of varieties with similar characteristics that get shown together.  For example, Jersey Woolies are shown in groups.  When the agouti group is called to the show table, chestnut, chinchilla, opal and squirrel varieties would all come up at the same time.  Lop and angora breeds are typically shown in classifications.   This system of categorizing coloring brings together even more colors to the table at the same time.  Angora breeds are shown as either “white” or “colored” whereas lops are shown as “solid” or “broken”.  There are also some breeds that only have one acceptable color, and therefore all shown together.  In this case, the variety would be omitted all together.  The Rhinelander breed only has one color pattern and are thus are not divided by coloring.

Havana Black Senior Buck

I know it seems like a lot of information so far, but I promise that it will get easier from here.  “Senior” refers to the age of the rabbit.  There are four possible categories: pre-junior, junior, intermediate, and senior.  A pre-junior class would only be seen in larger breeds and described as a rabbit under three months of age.  Junior refers to a rabbit under six months of age (or between three and six months for larger breeds).  An intermediate class is only seen in larger breeds of rabbit, where time to maturity is longer than in smaller breeds.  A larger breed rabbit between six and eight months would fall into this category.  A senior is a rabbit over six months (for smaller breeds) or eight months (for larger breeds).

Havana Black Senior Buck

The final classification is the sex of the rabbit.  Buck refers to a male rabbit and doe is a female rabbit.  That was easy.

Here are some additional examples of show classifications:

American Fuzzy Lop Solid Senior Doe

Palomino Golden Intermediate Buck

Dwarf Hotot Junior Doe

Now that you’re a pro- what’s your rabbit’s show class?

Peggy

Sore Hocks- The Unlucky Rabbit's Foot

What is it?  Sore hocks is a condition that occurs when a rabbit’s foot fur wears off, causing the skin to be exposed and get sore.  The condition is found primarily on the heals of the back feet, although it can also be found on the front feet.

Dante's fully furred feet.  This is what they should look like.

Sore hocks. Notice the open wounds on the feet.

How can they get it? If your rabbit’s cage has a wired bottom, they are more likely to rub the fur off of their foot.  Breeds with characteristically short fur (such as the Rex and Mini Rex) are more likely to wear their foot pads down because, frankly, there is less fur to lose.  Heavier breeds of rabbit are also prone to sore hocks.

Is it treatable? Yes.  First, move the rabbit to a cage without a wire bottom, or add carpet squares or hay to the wired cage.  This temporality stops the cause of the sore hocks.  (When you do this, you will need to be extra diligent in cleaning the cage to keep it sanitary- you want to make sure any open sores do not become infected.  Throwing out old carpet squares and replacing them with new ones is the best way.)  You can add some ointment (same ointment we would use, found at any drugstore) to the sore and wrap the foot in gauze using medical tape.  Depending on the activity level of your rabbit, the bandage you apply to the foot may come off rather quickly.  Try to keep the bandage on the foot and keep the cage as clean as possible.

Is it preventable?  Yes, sore hocks is completely preventable.  It is best to catch sore hocks early.  In the early  stage, you will see that your rabbits foot fur is starting to wear or has worn off.  As it progresses, you will see the skin appear inflamed.  If the condition is allowed to worsen, you will then see scabs or open wounds on the feet.  If you regularly check your rabbit’s feet, it is likely you’ll never see the condition progress too far.  Keep hay, towels or other soft materials in your rabbit's cage so they have a place to get away from the wired portion of the cage.


Simple prevention steps will allow your rabbit to always put their best foot forward!


Peggy and Dante

Bottle vs. Bowl: Which is Better?

When it comes to watering your rabbit, there are two basic options: bowl or bottle.  Both will work, however there are some things you should consider.

First, a bowl is easily knocked over by an active rabbit (intentionally or unintentionally).  This will result in you filling up the bowl several times a day, especially if you have a rabbit that likes to play with his bowl.  If your rabbit lives inside the house, you will also need to clean all of the spilled water off the floor.

Second, no matter how clean you keep your rabbit and its cage there is always going to be hair and other dirt flying around (especially if you keep your bunny outside).  This leads to potential contamination of your rabbit’s water supply, which opens up the possibility of health issues.  A bottle provides protection to the water supply.  The volume of water that can be held in a bottle is greater than what you will be able to put in a bowl, which is good especially on hot summer days.  A typical bottle holds about 32 oz of water, where a bowl will hold about 12 oz.

Dante posing next to his water bottle.

A positive note on bowls.  Bowls aren’t all bad, especially during the winter (if your rabbit lives outside).  If you live in an area where freezing temperatures are normal, you’ll quickly find that the water will freeze quicker than you’ll be able to keep up with it.  Thawing out a water bottle can be extremely time consuming, especially if you only have one and can't alternate between two.  Thawing a bowl takes mere minutes.  Also, a bottle is more likely to break when the water freezes and expands.  When the weather gets cold, I tend to swap the bottle for the bowl, to make things easier on myself and to ensure my rabbit will have as much access to water as possible.

The cleanest and easiest way to water your rabbit is to use a water bottle.  I would recommend having two (a backup for when your primary one freezes in the middle of January).  A bowl can work, but you need to make sure you keep up with maintaining fresh water for your rabbit.

Dante’s Story

For my first blog post, I decided it would be best to give everyone a proper introduction to the man who will be helping me with this blog; my rabbit, Dante!  Dante is about six years old and I believe he is a black Havana.  The reason I am unsure about these very basic facts is because I found him scared and alone in a goat pen.

It seemed one of the first questions asked when someone wanted to get to know you during those first few days of college was, “Can you tell me something interesting about yourself?”  To most people, the fact that I showed rabbits was interesting (if not downright weird).  When I brought it up, I always got a lot of follow up questions.  My closest friends continued to ask questions after the initial “get-to-know-you” time, so I thought it would be a good idea to take them to a nearby show to let them see what it was all about.

We took off on Saturday morning, driving about 3 hours to get to the show that was being held at the county’s fairgrounds.  We walked around the rabbit show for some time and then decided to walk around the rest of the fairgrounds.  While walking through the empty goat pens, something caught my attention and I turned to find a small rabbit, shaking and covered in dry clumps of mud.  Obviously a domestic rabbit, I decided to approach him and scoop him up.  Since the show was going on in the next building over, I figured he had gotten loose from his cage.  I picked him up and went back to the show building to try to find his owner.

I told the show superintendents what had happened and they made a series of announcements that went unanswered.  Finally, the superintendent told me, “Well, I guess you have yourself a rabbit!”  I was not prepared for this, especially since I wasn’t allowed to have a rabbit in the dorms.  We drove home, acquired a cage and kept Dante a secret until Fall Break, when I was able to take him home to a hutch in my parent’s backyard.  Now, after year of dorm and apartment living, I finally have a space in a backyard to put a hutch for Dante.  After all these years, I’m excited that the rabbit I rescued will finally be coming to live with me.