Rabbits & Guinea Pigs

Rabbits and Guinea pigs are perfect first pets for your family! They are easy to care for and are cute, friendly pocket pets for the younger members of your family.

However there are some things you need to know before considering a rabbit or guinea pig. From choosing a healthy pocket pet to nutrition and living arrangements, we are here to provide you all the information you need!

General health

General health check up

6 monthly health checks are important to pick up early signs of illness in your pet rabbits and guinea pigs. These small mammals are experts at hiding signs of pain or sickness and catching disease early will make all the difference. Your veterinarian will do a full clinical examination from nose to tail. As one ‘rabbit/guinea pig’ year is equivalent to eight ‘human’ years, a 3-4 monthly veterinary check up is recommended in our geriatric patients (rabbits that are older than 6 years, guinea pigs that are older than 4 years). Included in the health check is a dental check with an oral-scope, and checking for ear mites and fur mites.

Dental care

Dental care is so important in rabbits and guinea pigs. Rabbits and guinea pigs teeth are open-rooted which means that they are constantly growing at an astonishing rate of 3-4 mm per week. Inadequate wear of the teeth can lead to malocclusion, dental spurs, mouth ulcers, and oral pain. This manifests as eating difficulties, going off hay or harder textured veggies, anorexia and weight loss.

Preventing dental disease:

A diet high in fibre (e.g. hay) is essential to help prevent dental disease.
Frequent dental check-ups – at a minimum of every 3- 6 months depending on the state of your pet’s teeth. Ask your vet to perform a dental check-up with oral-scope on your pet now!

Diagnosing and treatment of dental disease available

Dental xrays is so important to investigate for the health of the entire teeth and mouth. Dental examination under anaesthetic allows the vet to do a full oral check without stressing the patient.

We have specialised dental equipment to perform dental treatments like incisor trims, molar trims, extractions, and treatment of dental abscesses.

Blood tests

Blood tests may be recommended to investigate for any underlying illness in a sick rabbit and guinea pig. An annual blood screen is recommended for senior patients on long term medication. This basic blood test looks at kidney and liver function, red blood cell percentage, and hydration status.

A blood test for Encephalitozoon Cuniculi antibodies is recommended for every pet rabbit, especially when preparing to welcome a new rabbit into the household. E. Cuniculi is a parasite that is common in our pet population (52% have been exposed to this parasite) and it causes a latent infection. It is a common cause of neurological, kidney, and ocular diseases.

Neutering

Desexing both male and female rabbits and guinea pigs is important for 3 main reasons:

To prevent unplanned pregnancies
To reduce territorial marking and aggressive behaviour
To prevent reproductive diseases e.g. uterine cancer, cystic ovaries and testicular cancer

Boy rabbits can be desexed from 3-4 months of age, and girl rabbits can be desexed from 4-6 months old and at a weight greater than 1kg.

Guinea pigs can be desexed at 4-6 months old and at a weight greater than 700g.

What’s involved?

Desexing is a day procedure. At our clinic, rabbits and guinea pigs receive fluid therapy during the surgery and pain relief. We use intradermal sutures (under the skin) that they can’t nibble on. Post op checks are complimentary.

We also offer microchipping at time of desexing. Microchipping provides a means of permanent identification of your pet rabbit with your contact details. Microchipping has been crucial to reuniting many an adventurous pets that stray accidently beyond or below the fence line. Rabbits naturally love to dig and are very good at finding escape routes.

Pre operative instructions:

There is no need to fast rabbits and guinea pigs before surgery. In fact fasting can be harmful to their health.
Please pack a lunch box of your pet’s normal food (hay, veggies, fruit, pellets etc) so that we can tempt them to eat after surgery.
We advise keeping bonded pairs of rabbits, and groups of guinea pigs together. They give each other moral support, and this prevents a falling out between the bonded pair/group.

Rabbit housing recommendations

While rabbits and guinea pigs are traditionally housed outside, there has been a move to have them inside where their company can be better enjoyed. Rabbits make great house pets. Rabbits are easily toilet trained and can be very sociable in the house. It is important to bunny proof the house (to prevent them chewing on electrical cords).

If your pet rabbits or guinea pigs are housed outside make sure that their enclosure is insect proof (to reduce the myxomatosis risk to rabbits) and predator proof. Attacks from foxes, feral cats or adventurous dogs are too common tragedies.

Rabbits require at least 4 hours of free exercise in the house or in the garden for mental stimulation and good health.

Rabbit Desexing

Desexing Your Pet Rabbit…here’s what you need to know!

Why?

Rabbits are extremely fertile! The gestation period for a rabbit is only one month long and a female rabbit can give birth to up to 12 young each time she births. Preventing unwanted pregnancy is one of the many reasons we recommend you have your rabbit desexed.

In addition to preventing pregnancy, both male and female rabbits that are not desexed have a higher risk of developing cancer: testicular cancer in males and uterine cancer in females. In some rabbit breeds this chance is between 50-80% by age 5.

Both male and female rabbits have a tendency towards aggression and territorial behaviour, including urine spraying as well as inter-rabbit and rabbit-human aggression. Desexing your rabbit reduces these behaviours.

What?

Female Spey

A rabbit spey (ovariohysterectomy) is the complete removal of the ovaries and uterus through an incision made in the middle of the abdomen. The procedure is performed under full general anaesthetic and takes approximately 30-60 minutes to complete. In order to ensure a safe recovery from general anaesthetic, your rabbit will be required to spend the day in hospital.

Male Castration

A rabbit castration (orchiectomy) is the complete removal of the male rabbits testes. Testicles are removed through an incision over each testicle. The procedure is performed under general anaesthetic and requires your rabbit to spend the day in hospital until fully recovered.

Where?

Our surgical procedures take place at our clinic in our sterile surgical theatre.

When?

Rabbits can begin reproducing as young as 4 months of age! We recommend desexing at 5-6 months of age as the average age of sexual maturity is between 6 and 9 months.

How?

Call our clinic during business hours to book your pet in for their desexing procedure (Elective Surgeries are performed Monday – Friday).

Price?

The price of rabbit desexing includes:

Pre-surgical consult with a vet or nurse
The surgical procedure
High quality anaesthesia
IV catheter placement and fluid boluses as needed.
A tattoo in your pets left ear to identify them as desexed, recognised nationwide
Post-operative pain relief

Speak with our reception staff for a specific quotation that has been tailored to your pet.

For information about cat and dog desexing click here.

Diet recommendations

Rabbits and Guinea pigs are herbivores and vast majority of their diet should consist of fresh hay (70-80%) and the rest fresh veggies and grass.

Hay is the most important part of a rabbit and guinea pig’s diet. Hay is a critical source of fibre, which is essential for your pet’s digestive system and helps to grind down their constantly growing teeth and prevent dental disease. Hay is also rich in vitamins A and D, protein and calcium. We find that rabbits tend to prefer oaten hay and guinea pigs prefer meadow hay.

Pellets are considered a dietary supplement or treat and should be limited to 1 teaspoon- 1 tablespoon per pet a day, unless otherwise recommended by your vet.

How do I choose a healthy rabbit?

Feel the rabbit’s body - A healthy rabbit will have a small amount of fat over its ribs and a soft tummy. If the rabbit has ribs that are very easy to feel and a large, bloated tummy it is likely unwell.

Check the rabbits skin and bottom - Rabbits are very clean animals, so if the rabbit is dirty, especially around its bottom, it is a concern. Rabbits can get fleas and mites so part the hair and check for any parasites or skin rashes.

Check the eyes and nose - The eyes should be open, bright and clear and there should be no discharge. There should also be no discharge form the nostrils.

Check the teeth - The front teeth should be even and meet well, and there should be no lumps under the jaw. Lumps under the jaw can be a sign of a tooth root abscess from diseased or damaged back teeth.

The right temperament - A happy rabbit will be bright, alert and interested in meeting you. A rabbit that sits away from the other rabbits and does not want to approach you is not a good choice.

Training your rabbit

Rabbits are highly intelligent animals and can be trained just like dogs and cats! They key is to use positive reinforcement and small amounts of treats, such as good quality rabbit pellet, carrot or parsley.

Toilet Training - Rabbits naturally return to the same place to toilet so they are very easy to toilet train. Use a low litter tray with hay in it and place it near where they eat. Put a few small pieces of rabbit poo in there and your rabbit should start using the tray fairly quickly.

Lead training - A rabbit can be trained to wear a harness and walk on a lead. Choose a soft lightweight harness and make sure it fits properly. Your rabbit will be confused the first time you put it on, so reward them with treats.

Do not try to lead your rabbit the first few times; just get them used to it. Then put the lead on, and make a short trail with treats on the floor and soon they will be following you.

Command training - Your rabbit can be trained to come, stay and jump up just like a dog. Make sure you are clear and consistent. Use the same word each time for each specific command. Use treats to lure the rabbit into the position you want and reward the immediately when they do it. Make sure you reward them every time when they get it right.

Can I keep guinea pigs and rabbits together?

No. Guinea pigs and rabbits should ideally not be housed together. There are
several reasons for this.

Rabbits can carry some diseases that make guinea pigs very sick
Guinea pigs have different food requirements than rabbits
Rabbits can bully guinea pigs, which is very stressful
They do not live together naturally and are not natural companions. In fact, they behave quite differently and will not understand each other

If you have to keep your guinea pig and rabbit together, we suggest:

desexing your rabbit
lots of hard hiding spots for your guinea pig where it can safely get away from your rabbit, ie a spot where if your rabbit jumps on top of the hiding spot, it won’t cave in
ensuring your guinea pig is supplemented with vitamin C
separating your rabbit and guinea pig during feeding, so both have access to good food without any fights

Please remember, all rabbit enclosures should be insect proof to protect against myxomatosis. Rabbits must also be vaccinated against calicivirus.

Will my guinea pig or rabbit get lonely?

Guinea pigs and rabbits are both social creatures. Ideally, keep guinea pigs in small groups with other guinea pigs.

To prevent breeding, keep all girls or all boys or desex your guinea pigs. Most guinea pigs will get on well together. You may need to watch entire males initially to intervene if there is any fighting.

Ensure there are plenty of space and several different places to hide away in to feel safe, when introducing your guinea pigs to each other. Also provide several feeding and watering stations to minimise competition.

If you experience a problem with fighting, it may be beneficial to keep one individual in a smaller cage inside your larger enclosure, so your guinea pigs can get to know each other through the wire. When they seem like they are friendly, start opening the door to the small enclosure when you can supervise any interaction. Eventually, you are likely to be able to leave the piggies alone happy in each other's company.

Rabbits are best kept in bonded pairs. This means a pair of rabbits that get along well without fights or injuries. To succeed in keeping two rabbits together, we recommend

Desexing your rabbits
Purchasing an already bonded pair alternatively you can try 'bunny dating' until they bond
Having an extra large enclosure with many spots to snuggle or hide away
Offering several water and food stations to avoid fights

Rabbits can be more difficult to socialise than guinea pigs. Please contact us if you need more advice on this topic.

What should I feed my guinea pig?

Guinea pigs need roughage in the form of hay as the main part of their diet. This keeps them happy and regular. Fresh water should be available at all times.

It is important to provide 2 biscuits of high-quality hay per day that is mould and parasite free. Hay that has been let outside to become wet and exposed to vermin like wild cats, rodents or birds can result in ill health in your guinea pig. Good hay has a fresh pasture smell and is green tinged in colour. It is tricky to find good hay in urban areas, so you may need to make friends with some farmers. Guinea pigs less than 6 months old also need access to Lucerne hay, which is the dark green coloured hay.

A healthy adult guinea pig also needs 25mg of Vitamin C daily, via high-vitamin C fruit and vegetables or a vitamin C supplment,. Do not use vitamin C supplements in your guinea pig’s water. We recommend the Oxbow Australia brand. A pregnant guinea pig will need about 30 to 40mg/day.

There are also many other “greens” your guinea pig can enjoy, such as fresh, clean , unsprayed grass, milk thistle, dandelion, carrot topis, cucumber, chopped celery (especially th leafy bits), endive and herbs, such as mint and coriander.

Aim for 70% hay, 30% green leafy veggies and some occasional treats, such as apple, banana, cranberry, tomato and watermelon. Avoid too much lettuce varieties, cabbage and fruits as they can make your guinea pig very sick.

Supermarket pellets and mixes are not recommended. If you would like to feed pellets, we recommend the Oxbow brand. Choose an age appropriate pellet variety for your guinea pig and only feed about a tablespoon per day.

Vitamin C requirements in guinea pigs

To meet your guinea pig's daily vitamin C requirements, feed one of the following veggies/fruits daily:

2 heaped tablespoon of chopped red capsicum or kiwi fruit
1/3 cup of kale, parsley, broccoli flowerettes, papaya or pineapple
4 flowerettes of cauliflower
2-3 whole strawberries
½ cup of asian greens, snap peas/peas, red cabbage, turnip greens or rockmelon balls
3 to 4 tablespoons of dried herbs such as tarragon, basil, or oregano
1 and ½ to 2 cups of beet greens or water cress
½ orange or grapefruit

Common health problems in guinea pigs

Guinea pigs have teeth that continue growing throughout their life. They do not suffer from tooth decay like us, but their teeth can overgrow causing pain and eventually death.

Preventing teeth problems:

Ensure your guinea pig has access to and eats good quality hay each day. This will exercise the jaw but also wear the teeth down.
Bring your guinea pig in for a check up twice yearly. Come more frequently if there are health problems like overgrown teeth. Your vet will check for any overgrown teeth that can occur despite roughage from poor alignment.

Don’t forget plenty of exercise to keep your guinea pig’s tummy happy!

If you notice food intake dropping, any drooling or tiredness in your guinea pig, please contact us or your local vet immediately.

My guinea is eating it's own poo! Is this normal?

Coprophagy is a strange word for an even stranger habit of guinea pigs: they eat their own poo! Don’t worry, this doesn't mean you will start seeing your guinea pig grazing away at its pellet droppings in the garden. This would definitely be abnormal!

Instead, guinea pigs have special stools, called caecotrophs, that they eat straight from the anus as they come out. These look darker and are more moist than their usual faecal pellets you normally see; a little like a small blackberry. Caecotrophs are loaded with nutrients for your guinea pig that they would otherwise not get. It is important to leave your guinea pig alone while this is happening.

Please note that if your guinea pig is obese and unable to reach its bottom, it will lose out on this important part of its nutrition. This is very common in the older guinea pig. So keep your guinea pig trim and taught for best health!

More information

Please contact us at Ovens & Kiewa Veterinary Hospital if you'd like any more information.

Serving the pet community of the Alpine Shire Council. The pawfect location for pet parents living in Myrtleford, Kiewa Valley, Ovens Valley and surrounding areas!