Archive for the ‘Rabbit’ Category

Why do some rabbits need regular dental checks?

Actually, all rabbits need regular dental checks — at least every 6 months! Rabbits are very well adapted to eat rough, coarse vegetation. However, there are a number of things that can go wrong and that need to be detected as early as possible to have the best chance of fixing them.


What types of teeth do rabbits have?

As a result of their lifestyle, rabbits have open rooted teeth. This means that their teeth continue to grow throughout life – so (in theory) they grow back as fast as they are ground down by chewing rough grass or hay.

Rabbits have only 28 teeth – 2 main incisors top and bottom (the big teeth you see at the front), 2 peg teeth (little tiny incisors beside the main top ones), and 22 premolars and molars (the grinders at the back – each side has 6 on the top and 5 on the bottom). Between the two is a diastema – a gap separating the incisors from the premolars.

The incisor teeth are used to cut grass and the molars for chewing it. The incisors, in particular, grow incredibly fast – between 2.0 and 2.4mm per week! This means that any problems can become severe very, very fast, as the teeth keep growing. It is possible, for example, for a massively overgrown incisor to grow round in a circle and embed itself in the skull…


So, what problems can rabbits get?

The most common problem rabbits suffer from is malocclusion – this is where 2 teeth that are supposed to meet in the middle don’t meet quite square, leading to asymmetrical wear. This can result in abnormal overgrowth of the incisors, and sharp spurs, points and edges on the molars that cut the tongue and cheeks when chewing. Although these problems are more common in older rabbits, younger animals may also suffer (this is sometimes called Progressive Syndrome of Acquired Dental Disease, PSADD). The cause is unclear, but it is probably at least partly due to diet – the condition is rare in rabbits who eat mostly hay or grass, but is very common in house-rabbits and those who live on a muesli-style diet.

Other potential problems include tooth infection, which may progress to tooth root abscesses. These occur when the bacteria are able to enter the root of the tooth (often due to either another untreated dental disorder or a fracture of a tooth) and multiply there. This causes severe pain, swelling of the face, and may be fatal if not treated. 


What are the symptoms of dental disease?

Once it becomes severe, symptoms of dental disease are usually obvious – reduction in appetite, selective eating, runny eyes (due to damage to the tear duct), excessive salivation, diarrhoea (due to inadequate chewing causing intestinal upsets) and tooth grinding. In severe cases, the rabbit may stop eating entirely, which is a medical emergency – rabbit guts are intended to work 24/7/365, and if they ever stop it can be very hard to get them started again.


So why does it need checking? Can’t I wait until my rabbit actually has a problem?

By the time the disease has reached this degree of severity, it will require radical treatment to fix it (often involving tooth removal). It is far, far better to check the teeth regularly!


Can I check the teeth at home?

You certainly can – and we encourage it. Check the incisor teeth, if they aren’t lining up, or if they seem uneven or asymmetrical, get your rabbit checked out by your vet. However, the back teeth cannot be checked, even superficially, without special equipment. This is because the diastema (the gap between incisors and premolars) is blocked by an infolding of the cheeks, so you cannot see the premolars or molars from the outside. The only way to check is for your vet to use a scope – a device like a speculum that they can use to part the folds of cheek tissue and look at the surfaces of the teeth. This isn’t perfect – in a conscious rabbit, not every part of every tooth can be seen – but it allows most problems to be detected with no anaesthetic needed.


What can be done if there is a problem?

Most dental problems in rabbits can be managed with dental surgery under anaesthesia to grind down sharp edges and spurs, and burr away overgrown teeth. It is important to remember, though, that because rabbits’ teeth grow so fast, regular repeat treatments often needed – however, severely deformed or overgrown incisors can sometimes be surgically removed so that they don’t grow back (but then you need to watch out for the one opposite!).


If you think your rabbit may have a dental problem, make an appointment and get them checked out. Even if they seem fine, it is important to get their teeth checked at least every six months.

Do rabbits really get womb cancer?

In a nutshell – yes, they do! Any entire doe (unneutered female rabbit) is at risk – the most common is uterine adenocarcinoma and this is a really nasty, aggressive and malignant disease. 

How common is it, really?

There is very good evidence to suggest that it is the most common tumour of female rabbits – roughly 60% of entire female rabbits aged over 3 years will have a tumour growing in their uterus, and by the time they reach 6 years, this may be as high as 80%. Essentially, the evidence suggests that pretty much every female rabbit will develop uterine cancer if they live long enough.

Why does it happen?

The rabbit is supremely well evolved to reproduce (left in ideal conditions, a single pair of rabbits could theoretically produce 185,000,000,000 descendants in just 7 years!). However, this means that their reproductive tract is having to “work” really hard. This results in “metaplasia” – chronic changes to the uterine wall associated, it seems, with an environment where the hormone levels are fluctuating relatively rapidly. In time, these changes become more and more pronounced until a “neoplasm”, or cancer, forms.

It’s important to note that whether or not a doe has been bred doesn’t seem to impact her cancer risk. In other words, you cannot protect her from developing uterine cancers by breeding from her, or by not breeding from her.

What are the symptoms?

The nasty thing about tumours in general, and uterine tumours in particular is that there often aren’t any symptoms until fairly late in the course of the disease (by which point it is likely that the cancer has spread to other organs). Often, the first sign is an irregularity in the doe’s oestrus cycle (which you’re unlikely to notice unless you’re trying to breed from her). Sometimes, owners mistake this for the menopause – but unlike humans, rabbits don’t get a menopause and any disruption in their reproductive cycle is seriously abnormal!

Later, symptoms may include weight loss (often despite having a healthy appetite), then blood in the urine or bleeding from the vulva.

Once the tumour spreads to other organs, they too may start to fail (for example, causing kidney or liver disease); but most commonly it spreads to the lungs, resulting in coughing, wheezing or breathlessness.

Eventually, the affected rabbit will die, usually from starvation (as the tumour is eating all her food), internal bleeding, or asphyxiation as her lungs fail.

How bad is it?

Pretty bad. These tumours rapidly spread from the uterus to other abdominal organs, and then to the lungs. If untreated, the average survival time is just over 18 months – but this is from the appearance of the tumour, not from the appearance of clinical symptoms, which usually occur at the end of the disease anyway. Once a rabbit starts showing symptoms, death often occurs within a few months without rapid and radical treatment.

How can it be treated?

The only treatment is complete surgical removal of the uterus and ovaries – and this must be done as early as possible, before the tumour spreads to other organs. Sadly, once that has occurred, there is no effective treatment available.

Is there any way to prevent it?

Yes, there is – spay rabbits as soon as possible after puberty. Without a uterus, she cannot develop uterine cancer! However, earlier is definitely better – about one in 25 does has a tumour by 2 years of age and while these probably aren’t causing any symptoms yet, they may already have started to spread. As a result, and also to improve her temperament (and prevent you being flooded with kits!) we’d recommend spaying at 5-6 months of age.

If you want to talk about your rabbit’s health, call and talk to one of our vets!

Why keeping a rabbit and guinea pig together is not a good idea…

Rabbits and guinea pigs look rather similar and have very similar lifestyles – after all, they’re both small furry pets that eat hay and vegetables. Un-neutered rabbits kept together will often either fight (if the same sex) or multiply uncontrollably (if opposite sexes), but get lonely and pine if left on their own. So surely they make the perfect companions?

Sadly, no. Although it looks like a match made in heaven, if things go wrong it can be closer to hell – for the guinea pig!

So what’s the problem?

There are three good reasons to keep them separately – dietary needs, disease and behaviour.

Dietary Needs:

Although both rabbits and guinea pigs are herbivores (plant eaters), there are significant differences. The most important is that rabbits can make their own Vitamin C – guinea pigs cannot. Without the vitamin in their diet, guinea pigs will get their version of scurvy, becoming listless, getting diarrhoea, losing their hair and ultimately even bleeding to death internally. If you’re keeping them together, you need to feed both on guinea pig food (fortified with Vitamin C), otherwise there is the risk that the rabbit eats the guinea pig’s food, leaving the less appetising (and unfortified) food for the poor guinea pig. Feeding guinea pig food to rabbits isn’t harmful (especially in the short term), but it isn’t a well-balanced diet for them.

Disease:

Both species can carry the same diseases, and transmit them to each other. However, while conditions such as Pasteurella affect both equally, some conditions (like Bordetella bronchiseptica – a cause of kennel cough in dogs) are much, much milder in rabbits (so they appear healthy) but are potentially fatal in guinea pigs.

Behaviour:

This is the most important factor. Guinea pigs and rabbits may look superficially similar to us, but their behaviour and body language is very, very different. To make matters worse, rabbits are (in general) much bigger and stronger than guinea pigs, and can cause severe injury to them – even if thumping in play, the rabbit’s strong hind legs can cripple or kill a guinea pig.  How would you like to live in the same house with a bad tempered gorilla? That’s what it feels like to a guinea pig living with a rabbit!

Because the body language is different, they don’t communicate effectively; this can lead to the rabbit becoming frustrated, and they may attack or bully the guinea pig. Rabbits like to groom each other and enjoy close company; guinea pigs generally prefer to keep themselves to themselves – even if the rabbit’s being friendly, the guinea pig may feel harassed (like the gorilla insisting on looking for insects in your hair when you just want to watch TV…)!

This confusion can also lead to other mistakes – it is very common for male rabbits to try to mate with female and male guinea pigs, to the injury of the poor guinea pig (who was happily pottering about his normal life when suddenly jumped and mounted by a large, heavy, randy buck). This isn’t just unpleasant for the guinea pig (remember the gorilla) but potentially dangerous – it is sadly quite possible for a guinea pig’s back to be broken during the attempted mating.

Bottom line – rabbits and guinea pigs aren’t really compatible!

Mine have always got on fine together!

If you’ve got a guinea pig and a rabbit who already live together happily without any issues, it’s usually because they got to know each other when very young, have adapted to each other, and are fairly good-natured to begin with. It is vitally important, however, to make sure the guinea pigs have a refuge area to hide away in – a pipe, pen or box with an entrance large enough for them but too small for the rabbit. If you see that they are spending all their time in the refuge, it may be that life is not as harmonious as it looks on the surface…

But we’ve always kept them together…

Lots of small children play with matches without burning themselves, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. It’s the same with rabbits and guinea pigs!

So should they be kept on their own?

Definitely not! Both should have company – but of their own species. Neutering of rabbits is a routine procedure nowadays (and if you’re not planning to breed is really important for health in does (females) who are prone to all sorts of nasty gynaecological conditions). Neutered rabbits cannot breed, and are much less likely to fight, but can communicate, groom each other and run and play together. Meanwhile, the guinea pigs can live together and get on with their life unmolested!

How can veterinary nurses help with preventative health?

Veterinary nurses play a large role in helping and advising pet owners with the care and well-being of their animals. We are proud of our veterinary nursing team at Goddard Veterinary Group, and the passion they have for the health of your pets. Part of that role includes advising on preventative healthcare – keeping your pets in the best health before problems arise.


Diet

There are so many diets on the market for pets it is really difficult to know where to begin! Our nurses can advise you on the best diets for your pet’s specific breed, age and the recommended feeding amount.

If your pet is overweight and should ideally be fed a smaller amount or given a calorie reduced diet, our nurses will be happy to advise and weigh them. They can further advise on maintaining their weight, when they reach their target.

Preventing obesity in pets can help lengthen their lives and dramatically reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and joint pain, among other conditions.

Fleas and worms

Almost every pet will end up with these critters at some point in their lives. Preventing them is much better than having your pet playing host to them. If you suspect your pet has fleas for example, our nurses can take a look at their coats and search for tell-tale signs.

Worms, of course, are a lot more difficult. However, there are symptoms that can point to a worm problem. Goddard’s veterinary nurses can explain the life-cycle of these parasites, and the best ways to avoid having both your pet and your home infested with them.

When it comes to fleas and worms it really is worth preventing them – the cost of treating a skin condition caused by fleas for example, far outweighs the price of flea treatment!

Vaccinations

Although it is our vets that vaccinate your animals, our nurses can give you advice and guidance on the types of diseases that pets can be vaccinated against. No one wants to have a pet with a potentially life-threatening disease, and vaccination can prevent that from happening.

Nails

It is our senior pets that we find can have a problem with their toenails, simply because they won’t tend to wear them down as easily as younger pets. Senior pets are normally less active, often choosing softer ground to walk on, whereas a puppy that tears about on all types of ground will have a pedicure naturally! This is why preventing nails from overgrowing and making your pet uncomfortable is important. Our nurses can check your pet’s toenails and trim them if necessary.

It’s not just dogs either, cats too can have this problem especially if they have gone off using the scratch post. Our nurses will also make sure the dew claws are a comfortable length, in extreme cases these can curl around and dig into the pad, even leading to infection.

Microchipping

As of April 2016 all dogs over age of eight weeks in the UK, are required by law to have a microchip.  These tiny devices, about the size of a grain of rice, can help you and your pet to be reunited if they happen to get lost. A microchip is also a requirement for a pet passport.

No responsible owner would want to lose their pet and our nurses can help advise about microchipping, preventing this from happening. At present there is no law about cats being microchipped, but we strongly advise this is well – in fact almost any animal species could be microchipped!

One thing you may hear our nurses and vets reiterate, is keeping your contact details up to date for the microchip, especially if you move home!

Teeth

Our nurses can give all sorts of advice about preventative health when it comes to your pet’s teeth. From brushing techniques to dental products, they can help advise on keeping your pet’s teeth pearly white. Dental health is very important as poor teeth can affect other parts of the body, including major organs, through infection and toxins in the bloodstream.

Pets even at the age of 4-5 years can start to suffer with dental disease, so it’s very important to get the advice as early as possible on helping to keep their teeth sparkling!

With advice from our team of nurses (and vets) on preventative health, your pets can really benefit. Be sure to ask us if any health aspect of your pet worries you — we’ll be happy to help.


Don’t forget Goddard Veterinary Group’s healthcare plan, ProActive Pets. The scheme provides discounts on your pet’s preventative healthcare, allowing you to spread the cost throughout the year.

Can your veterinary nurses really help with my pet’s weight?

One of the many tasks that Goddard veterinary nurses can help you with is advice and guidance on your pet’s weight. Of course, humans can adjust their diets and eat healthily (or try to) but our four-legged friends rely on us to help keep them trim and a good weight. 

The problems with portly pets.

The news, it seems, is full of the problems with overweight humans and the health risks obesity carries. The same applies to our pets, having an overweight pet seriously increases the risk factor in a number of health conditions, including:

?     Arthritis and joint problems from carrying excess weight

?     Heart disease from the heart muscle having to work harder

?     Liver disease from Fatty Liver Syndrome

?     Cystitis

?     Diabetes

Also noticeable may be the pet’s fur, seemingly unkempt, even matted – this is because overweight pets have trouble reaching the parts they used to when grooming themselves. All this amounts to a very unhappy pet that can have a shortened lifespan.

Is there an ideal weight for my pet?

Having an ideal weight for your pet is not a simple as choosing a figure and sticking into that. Every pet is different! As an example, there are guidelines to say a cat should weigh around 4 to 6 kilograms or a Border collie no more than 20 kilograms. These are just guidelines as even pets of the same breed can be different, it is not so much an ideal weight as more a healthy weight! Factors including the sex of the animal also need taking into account – something our nurses will do during an initial weight check.

How do your nurses check a pet is a healthy weight?

Our nurses (and vets) use a system called a body condition score, This is because there is one healthy shape associated with many species.

During your pet’s weight check, our nurses will demonstrate how to check your pet’s body condition and the shape to look for. It is very simple and just means running your hands over their chest and back. Pets that have an ideal body condition will be able to have their rib cage felt easily with the tips of the fingers. That area should just have a slight fat layer covering, with the outline of one or two ribs possibly showing. Our nurses will also explain the shape of your pet from above and the side, and what you should be looking for.

How do I know my pets on the right diet?

That is another article in itself! There are hundreds of diets on the market for pets, including breed specific formulas. Ensuring that your pet gets the correct nutrition of carbohydrate, protein, fats, vitamins and minerals can be really difficult. If your pet is a rabbit, the correct amount of quality grass and hay also needs to be added to the equation.

The veterinary nursing teams at Goddard vets, are more than happy to assess your pet’s body score and talk to you about their dietary needs.

It is not a cliche about any species that has too many calories and not enough exercise – they will become fat! Pets can also become quite fussy eaters. How many different diets have you tried to feed your pets? Cats that totally ignore the food that they ate happily a few days before, or rabbits fed a muesli type mix that choose the tastiest and normally most unhealthiest bits to eat first. Our advice extends to them all.

And talking of exercise…

Pets can burn off those calories with a good amount of exercise. With dogs this is normally easy as they are usually happy to go for a walk or run, but with cats or bunnies it’s more difficult.

Some owners are brave and will put their cat or rabbit on a lead – but they are very much the minority, that means the best way for them to exercise is through play.

How many toys are there for cats and rabbits? Look around any pet store and there are shelves full of them. Cats love to chase and pounce using their natural hunting instinct and any ‘toy-prey’ will do – even paper balls. Rabbits like to climb, use tunnels, and even have their own toys. It’s up to owners to encourage them – and our nurses will support you with ideas and tips.

Keeping your pets at a healthy weight includes everything above and our nurses and vets are happy to support you with advice on weight and managing your pet when it comes to nutrition. Call your local surgery for more information and let’s help keep Britain’s pets healthy!