Am I looking after my Rabbit correctly?

I hope this is in the right section but I would like to know if I am taking adequate care of my female dwarf rabbit.

She lives in an outdoor hutch with a run and sleeping area which is safe from rain and wind, the hutch is about 6 of her long and 4 of her wide by about 1 and a half of her high when she is standing on her back legs. She has a water bottle of about 400mL which I am sure she knows how to drink out of and a plastic food bowl which she constantly knocks over and gets dirty but I clean and refill it every day. The run is 2 thirds the length of the hutch with wire mesh on all sides including the floor and the sleeping area is made of wood.

She has a diet consisting of food pellets, hay/straw, carrots and the occasional apple slice, brocolli and grass. Her litter box has pellets in it made of 100% recycled paper and I have placed it in the corner where she does most of her business. I let her walk around areas with grass and no unknown weeds while I am holding the leash to her rabbit harness and I make sure no predators can get her and I play with her at least twice a day giving her hugs and pats and she is allowed to run around inside the house under supervision.

I have done research on the internet on how to pick her up correctly and which vegetables not to feed her and I know that wood shavings are not suitable for the cage.

She will be taken to the vet for an annual checkup and 6 month checkups after she is 5 years of age. I also make sure there is no loose fur on her that she could swallow and make a hairball with by stroking her and getting rid of shedded fur. She has a tendency to lick my hands as well whether they are clean or dirty. Is this normal?

Thankyou for your time

sounds great, though i am not very experienced

dunno bout the licking, my lola tried to lick a ketchup stain off my shirt last night..:lol:

Sounds like you are doing a good job and doing lots of research

The fact that your bun licks your hands is a good thing, means she loves you :lol:

Do you have her vaccinated? She needs 2 injections, VHD and Myxi, these are very important as the diseases they will protect your bun from are both deadly. More info can be found about them here:

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=52031

I also think that your bun should be having 6 month check ups from when you have her and not just after she is 5 years old. Buns can develop problems quickly and can hide pain well. Having your bunny checked regularly will help combat any problems that arise a lot quicker if they are noticed sooner

It's great that you are spending time checking that she has everthing she needs.

I agree about the vaccinations. They are very important. My rabbits have mixi vaccinations every 6 months and VHD vaccinations once a year. This also means a vet is seeing them regularly and can check their teeth etc at the same time, so it's good for your peace of mind too!

Also, is she neutered? This helps prevent cancer in female rabbits. It also means you can consider getting her another neutered rabbit as a friend sometime in the future, as rabbits like to be kept in pairs where possible.

:wave:

Rowan said:

It's great that you are spending time checking that she has everthing she needs.

I agree about the vaccinations. They are very important. My rabbits have mixi vaccinations every 6 months and VHD vaccinations once a year. This also means a vet is seeing them regularly and can check their teeth etc at the same time, so it's good for your peace of mind too!

Also, is she neutered? This helps prevent cancer in female rabbits. It also means you can consider getting her another neutered rabbit as a friend sometime in the future, as rabbits like to be kept in pairs where possible.

:wave:

Click to expand...

:thumb: I agree with this info too! :wave:

Thanks for the advice

I am hoping to be able to get her neutered soon and vaccinations as well, apparently they introduced a virus over here to kill wild rabbits that are doing something to farm production so she may need some kind of vaccination for that too. I will have to do some more research and ask the vet.

You clearly love Panda immensely and are doing so much to care for her, and find out what is right for her.

KieranW said:

Thanks for the advice

I am hoping to be able to get her neutered soon and vaccinations as well, apparently they introduced a virus over here to kill wild rabbits that are doing something to farm production so she may need some kind of vaccination for that too. I will have to do some more research and ask the vet.

Click to expand...

:wave: Where do you live?