For: Exotic Animal Corner
From: Dr. Zoe Forward
WHAT DO I FEED MY RABBIT?

Rabbits are very special in their dietary needs. There is much confusion over what to feed pet rabbits, and often petstore advice is incomplete, or incorrect. Incorporated here are the current recommendations to keep your pet rabbit healthy.
In general a rabbit's diet should consist of four things:

1. HAY- Most of a rabbit's diet (70-80%) should be a high quality GRASS hay such as Timothy, available for the rabbit to eat 24 hours a day. The hay should smell fresh and have a green color. Moldy or dusty hay should not be fed. Do not feed large quantities of alfalfa hay, because it is too high in calcium for a rabbit.
   
2. PELLETS - A lower percentage (10-20%) of the diet should consist of rabbit pellets that contain a minimum of 18-20% fiber and a maximum of 14-16% protein. Do not buy rabbit food that contains seeds, nuts or starch-rich cereal kibble mixed in (fiesta mixes). You want food that just has green pellets(e.g., Oxbow Bunny Basic, Kaytee Forti-Diet). Feed approximately 1/4 cup of pellets per 4 pounds of body weight of rabbit per day. Pellets should be fresh. Do not purchase more than 6 weeks worth of pellets at a time, because it may spoil. Make sure the expiration date on the rabbit pellet bag is still valid or the pellets may not have enough vitamin content remaining.
   
3. FRESH FOODS - The rest of the diet should consist of fresh, well washed, dark green and yellow vegetables such as parsley, kale, carrot tops, etc. (see list of recommended vegetables below). Stay away from beans and rhubarb. Feed a small salad each day. You can feed fruit daily, but feed no more that 1-2 ounces (2 tablespoons) per 6 lbs. of body weight per day (because high in calories).
   
4. WATER - Water is an extremely important part of your rabbit's diet. Without a constant clean, fresh source of water, your rabbit can die. Sipper water bottles are ideal for rabbits because they do not spill and the rabbits cannot soil the water.

Feeding this diet rather than an all pellet diet or fiesta mix diet reduces the likelihood of hairballs, diarrhea, kidney disease and obesity. Occasional grains, cereals or breads can be offered, but be aware that these foods in excess are associated with fatal diarrheas.

Recommended vegetable choices:

*= Contains vitamin A. Vitamin A is a dietary necessity. Choose one each day from the list that contains Vitamin A.
? = Use sparingly. Healthy, but high in either oxalates or goitrogens and may be toxin in accumulated quantities over a period of time.

Food Supplements? In addition to the above recommended foods, the addition of one papaya enzyme extract tablet (e.g. Oxbow Papaya tablet) daily is recommended to help prevent hairballs.

Supplementation with digestive enzymes (proteases, amylases), acidophilus, or vitamins on a daily basis is unnecessary, if you feed the recommended diet items. There is no evidence that healthy rabbits produce insufficient levels of these enzymes or require probiotic supplements on a regular basis.

Treats? Your cute little bunny is hard to ignore, especially when he sits up and looks so deserving of that special treat. Pet stores sell a selection of rabbit treats, but be careful. Many so-called treats are non-nutritious junk that can cause potential harm to your rabbit. Commercial treats fall into several categories: processed cereal kibble, mueslix (dried seed/fruit/veggie mixes), cereal/veggie blends, and candies/sugars. None confer an advantage over the fresh vegetable, high fiber pellets, and unlimited hay diet! The best snack is fresh vegetables or fruit. When feeding commercially available treats, moderation is the key. One treat a day won't hurt, but if fed too many or if fed only treats, problems will arise.

Processed Cereal kibble diets/treats- These range from "crunchy puffs" to shaped products designed to substitute for pellets. Some contain expensive extras that serve no benefit to your rabbit, such as plant or herbal extracts and freeze dried bacteria. As was mentioned above, supplementation with "digestive enzymes" from treats is unnecessary. The kibble treats tend to be low in fiber and high in fat. They are extremely expensive and come with feeding recommendations destined to give a spayed or neutered house rabbit obesity. The variety of colors and shapes are more for pleasing the human buyer than the rabbit. Again, fresh vegetables, restricted high fiber pellets, and unlimited hay are healthier and easier on your budget.

Mueslix (dried seed/fruit/veggie mixes)- These are diet mixes made of seeds and grain. The bottom line is that these diets are extremely unhealthy for a rabbit and not recommended. These diets are extremely high in fats and carbohydrates (sugar) and usually low in fiber, which is exactly the opposite of what you need to feed your rabbit. Rabbit metabolism is geared for a low fat diet. Rabbits appear to be more sensitive to fat than are humans and in addition to obesity, the excess fat can accumulate in your rabbit's liver and arteries (atherosclerosis). Rabbits fed seed-rich diets are at high risk for fatty liver disease (hepatic lipidosis), which is often fatal. Manufacturers claim that seeds and grains satisfy "the chewing urge". While this is true, it is far safer and cheaper to satisfy that urge with baskets, untreated wood, and cardboard boxes.

Cereal/veggie blend- These are grain products which may be supplemented with dehydrated vegetables, and shaped into a form which mimics the vegetable product. There is no advantage to feeding these over real vegetables. The main ingredient of these products is often not vegetables, but cereal. These treats/diets are too high in carbohydrate content and rob your rabbit of important fiber. These products also tout the vitamins that are added back (due to processing); real vegetables will supply as much if not more, and it's less expensive.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON RABBITS: Visit the House Rabbit Society of America website: http://www.rabbit.org

*Special thanks to the House Rabbit Society (www.rabbit.org), Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine and the Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine for providing information that was used to compile this information.

MICROCHIPS

You look around and suddenly realize that your dog is gone. She was there just a moment ago. You can feel your heart racing as you call her and look everywhere-you miss her smiling face and wagging tail as she comes back to you. You walk the neighborhood calling her name and asking friends to watch out for her.

Then you go into functional mode. First, call the animal shelter; anyone who finds a lost dog should contact the shelter. Was she stolen? It happens, right here in our area. Did she wander far away to the next county? Is she hurt? Did someone take her to a veterinarian?

Someone asks you "is she microchipped?" Oh yeah, you've heard of that, it's a small rice grain size device painlessly implanted under her skin that can be read by scanners in all animal shelters and veterinary hospitals. The chip enables an owner to be found anywhere in the country. It can't be lost like tags on a collar.

You say- "no, she's not microchipped". But you remember when your veterinarian discussed this with you. You were in a "hurry that day" or it seemed like "just another thing to do" or "the cost didn't seem worth it". What would you give right now to relive that decision? Your best friend is lost and you want her back safe with you. You would do anything to have her head in your lap tonight.

I have witnessed this moment many times. My clients, friends and even staff members have lived this experience. I have also seen many pets reunited with their owners, weeks or months after they were lost, hundreds of miles away, when the only thing that could have made this miracle happen was the microchip. Owners and staff have shed tears of joy in my veterinary hospital, when a pet and their people are in each other's arms again.

Don't live to regret this particular moment of decision, ask our staff about microchipping for your dog or cat. Do it today.

Wally Diehl, DVM

For more information visit:
www.24petwatch.com

WHY THE CONCERN ABOUT RABIES?

--Eight rabid raccoons in Orange county between March-April 2005!
--Two stray cats test positive for rabies in Durham county between September-November 2004!

Rabies virus infects the central nervous system in all warm-blooded animals and people, causing encephalopathy and ultimately death. Early symptoms of rabies in humans are nonspecific, consisting of fever, headache, and general malaise. As the disease progresses, neurological symptoms appear and may include insomnia, anxiety, confusion, slight or partial paralysis, excitation, hallucinations, agitation, hypersalivation, difficulty swallowing, and hydrophobia (fear of water). Death usually occurs within days of the onset of symptoms.

Rabies is transmitted by the saliva of an infected host to an uninfected animal, usually through a bite. All domestic pets are susceptible to rabies, but most especially dogs, cats, and ferrets. Our beloved pet can acquire rabies from a bite from a rabid pet or wild animal. The wild animals of primary concern include raccoons, skunks, bats, foxes and coyotes. If unvaccinated and then bitten by a rabid animal, our pet would incubate the infection over a period of several days to months before showing any signs if illness. Once signs of illness are present in our pet, it is contagious and could then transmit rabies to us or other animals. Most animals die within 5 to 7 days of showing any sign of rabies.

Common signs of rabies in an animal: 1)daytime activity when normally active only at night (e.g., a raccoon or bat out in the daytime); 2) staggering, weakness, or paralysis; 3) inability or reluctance to eat or drink; 4) drooling or frothing at the mouth; 5) abnormal behavior, obvious neurological derangement, or seizures.

The only way to confirm rabies infection in an animal is post-mortem (after the animal is dead) by a test that requires brain tissue (direct fluorescent antibody test). There are no blood tests available to confirm an active rabies infection before death in animals. There is no cure for this disease. This disease can be prevented through regular vaccination.

There are several things you can do to protect your pet from rabies. First, we recommend a thorough annual physical examination and keep the rabies vaccination up to date! It is the law that all dogs, cats, and ferrets must be vaccinated in North Carolina. Second, keep your pets under direct supervision, especially when outdoors. All ferrets should be housed indoors. Third, spay or neuter your pets to help reduced the number of unwanted pets that may not be properly cared for or vaccinated regularly; and making your intact male or female pet less likely to wander away from home in search of a mate. Finally, report all stray animals to Animal Control since these animals may be unvaccinated or ill.

For more information on rabies please visit the CDC website: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies/Ques&Ans/q&a.htm

To report a stray animal to Animal Control phone:
Carrboro 918-7418
Chapel Hill 967-7383
Orange County 245-2075
Durham County 560-0630