Sneha Das Gupta wrote to me, wanting to know how to take care of her rabbits. Here are some dos and don’ts for all of you to follow for your bunnies.

Rabbits drink water and they are not allergic to it. But never wash a rabbit unless it is very dirty or has soiled itself. Rabbits can go into shock if you immerse them in water. They do a very good job of keeping themselves clean and only need help when they are very ill.

If you need to wash your rabbit, fill a bucket with inch-level water. Place a towel at the bottom of the bucket, so that your bunny has some gentle grip. Try to keep the front half of your rabbit out of water so that you can clean only its legs and back. You can use a gentle soap or shampoo.

Rabbits on sale at a market in Alexandria, north of Cairo. (Reuters)

Don’t use a hair dryer. You can use a soft brush to remove excess hair. You should clean your rabbit’s ears regularly with spirits to avoid ear infection. Anti-rabies vaccine should be given once a year. De-worming is very essential at regular intervals. Piperzine and Albendazol are the drugs of choice.

The diet of a rabbit can comprise grass, apple, reddish beetroot, carrot, spinach, wheat grass, hay, banana and almond. If your rabbit has loose motion, Chloramphenicol (enteromycitin) can be administered.

Coat un-coat: Coat development in rabbits is influenced by nutritional, hormonal and environmental factors. Baby rabbits develop their first coat of guard hair and undercoat within a few days. When they are five/six weeks old, the baby coat is replaced with the intermediate coat until they are four/five months old.

In the adult rabbit, shedding follows a seasonal pattern. There are usually two complete coat changes every year. During shedding, there are patches of fur in various stages of growth throughout the rabbit’s body so it’s not unusual for your rabbit to look patchy. Hair loss usually begins from the head and progresses down, towards the neck, back and then stomach.

Chew on this: Chewing is part of a rabbit’s natural behaviour. To keep rabbits engaged and entertained, you may put untreated wood blocks or cardboard in their cages. Bowls, balls and rings made of willow are favourites with rabbits. These can be bought online or from stores. You can also use toilet paper rolls and other chewable cardboard materials that can later be thrown away. Avoid objects with sharp edges, loose parts or soft rubber that rabbits can swallow.

Overgrown teeth are usually limited to incisors in rabbits, but can extend to the molars. Rabbits’ teeth grow constantly throughout their lives. If the teeth are not trimmed, your rabbit may not be able to eat and may even develop mouth ulcers, abscesses and other problems. So, if they are not aligned properly, periodic trimming may be necessary (every three to eight weeks). The proper way to trim a rabbit’s teeth is with a Dremel tool. Anaesthesia may be necessary if the rabbit is very skittish or if the molars need trimming. Nail trimmers may cause dental damage. Not all rabbits need teeth trimming, though.

Appetite loss: If your bunny stops eating, you must find out why within 48 hours. Rabbits, like cats, can have fatal liver problems if they don’t eat. Common conditions that result in a loss of appetite include dental disease, hairballs (rabbits can’t vomit), and low-fibre diet. Less common problems associated with loss of appetite include respiratory, gastrointestinal, uterine, bladder, kidney and middle ear infections along with toxin ingestion.

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