Longer Life of Senior Rabbit

What to give senior rabbits or other small pets for them to have a longer and more comfortable life? As we know, small mammals are very active animals. It is important to provide a balanced diet and environment to ensure they are well supported and looked after.

For example, the diet of a rabbit should be mainly hay or/and grass (grass if they are gradually used to it), daily fresh vegetables of at least 3 different types. A variety of vegetables such as romaine lettuce, broccoli, celery, cabbage, spring greens, kale, basil, carrot tops garden weeds (such as groundsel, and dandelion), and herbs should be offered. Pelleted food is advised, as a small handful or 20 gr/kg/day. Carrots and fruits should be offered only occasionally as treats. Any other treats like cereals, biscuits, or yoghurt drops should not be offered. As with the small mammal metabolism, it is particularly different from the other companion animals. The diet and the dietary energy content should always adapt to their needs.

Do you know that rabbits’ teeth are cylindrical and have a natural curve as they grow? To maintain the correct crown length and teeth pattern, they need a fibre-rich diet. The wear of their teeth also depends on the abrasiveness of the diet and on the rabbit’s chewing time. Having access to plenty of hays is very important as well to continue maintaining good gut motility and healthy gut fora. The number of nuggets should be reduced if generic rabbit food is used. However, it is now possible to find pelleted food specially formulated for rabbits and rodents; the main focus is to maintain the same or higher level of a fibre of normal pelleted food, reduce the calorie intake to prevent obesity, and the protein level to prevent kidney problems. Rabbit food manufacturers have also supplemented these pelleted foods with natural ingredients\vitamins to target the most common age-related problems.

As the small mammal grows, the risk of developing genital tract disorders increases in the elderly. As an example:

• Female rabbits older than three years of age have an 80% chance to develop uterine adenocarcinoma. Other less common pathologies of the genital tract in female rabbits are uterine hyperplasia and uterine leiomyosarcoma.
• Male rabbits tend to develop testicular tumors such as seminoma and Sertoli cell tumor.

The main clinical signs in female rabbits are haematuria and abdominal enlargement, while male rabbits have enlargement of one or both testicles. Neutering also allows companionship. As rabbits are territorial (especially females), if you neuter only the male, the female can be aggressive towards the companion. And this can become a source of stress for both of them. Treatment and prevention consist of neutering and generally, the prognosis is considered good. Regular check-ups are always recommended to prevent any medical condition that could worsen in the future.

Contact ABVC at info@abvc.ae or call our clinic at 04 340 8601 for more help and support for your ageing rabbit, rodent, or small pets. And check out Rabbit and Guinea Pig Veterinary Care to learn more about small pets and their characteristics.

Written by Dr David Arnau Perez, ABVC Veterinarian

References
Angela M. Lennox (2010) Care of the Geriatric Rabbit. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Exotic Animal Practice Volume 13, Issue 1, Pages 123–133 Molly Varga (2014) Textbook of rabbit medicine, 2nd edition, Butterworth and Heinemann.
John Chity (2014) Problems of the geriatric rabbits. BSAVA Manual of Rabbit medicine by A. Meredith and B. Lord (2014), BSAVA.