Rex Rabbit Care??

I know nothing about Rex rabbits really.

Just wondered if they require any special care etc... I know I've read lots about them getting sore hocks but is there anything other potential health/care issues with them?

Thanks

They need their nails trimmed regularly, because they tend to have long nails and dark nails you can only risk giving them a little trim (don't want to cut the quick).

Also if they live with long haired rabbits, you have to watch they don't ingest any fur they groom them, as I hear they can have a problem with this.

I love Rex buns... ah well maybe one day I'll have one!

Rexes are not a lot different from anyother rabbit rearly. One thing that springs to mind is sore hocks. This is caused by not a dense covering of fur on the soles of the feet. If you do not give a soft bedding then it can cause pressure pionts. These can remove the remaining hair and cause open wounds. Once this has happened its the devils own job to heal them and at worst can ulcerate. You should be able to see if your rex will be prone to this by looking at the soles of his back feet to see if hes got any bald patches. val

taylor v 109 said:

Rexes are not a lot different from anyother rabbit rearly. One thing that springs to mind is sore hocks. This is caused by not a dense covering of fur on the soles of the feet. If you do not give a soft bedding then it can cause pressure pionts. These can remove the remaining hair and cause open wounds. Once this has happened its the devils own job to heal them and at worst can ulcerate. You should be able to see if your rex will be prone to this by looking at the soles of his back feet to see if hes got any bald patches. val

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Would they be ok with a hutch run combo on a patio?

I've had my rexy girls for nearly 5 years now and I haven't found any obvious health problems with them. In the summer I house them in a hutch within a grass run so I can let them out all day while I am home, and in the winter they move onto the patio with a small run attached to their hutch and a few hours in their portable grass run every day. I've never had any problems with sore hocks with their life style but if they were permanently on concrete they might be more prone to sore hocks. :?

All my rexes are on soft beeding when there indoors when they go outside they do go on slabs,but have some blankets to sit on,id imagine being housed on patios,all the time they feet would get quite bad
claude has really bad feet,lilacs are not too bad and shadows are fine
The only probs i have found,are sore hocks,there quite prone to putting weight on,there nails grow really quicky i cut them every 3 weeks and claude has had alot of gassy tummy probs

bunny_burrows said:

I've had my rexy girls for nearly 5 years now and I haven't found any obvious health problems with them. In the summer I house them in a hutch within a grass run so I can let them out all day while I am home, and in the winter they move onto the patio with a small run attached to their hutch and a few hours in their portable grass run every day. I've never had any problems with sore hocks with their life style but if they were permanently on concrete they might be more prone to sore hocks. :?

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Thank you :wink:

Rexes are my fave Breed I confess!!

As already mentioned they are VERY prone to Sore Hocks. I believe (from personal experience not scientific PROOF) that they do have a more delicate GI tract than non-Rexes. Ingestion of fur from a non-Rex companion can be a real problem.
Orange Rexes, in particular, appear prone to very poor eyesight. This being the result of intensive 'inbreeding' to get the 'perfect' coat.... :roll: :x Often the eyesight problem goes undiagnosed and the Bun is just seen as 'aggressive' or 'very nervous'.......
They are also more likely to get 'stressed' with changes in environment or day-to-day routine.

Janex

Thank you Jane :wink:

I've got two rexes and have to say, they possibly have the sweetest temperment! The second we got Suki she was curious and affectionate and she was only 8 weeks. She is a complete sweetheart and today made my day with her greeting! I'd been at work all day and was feeling knackered but had to put the buns in, she came bounding over to see me and looked excited! It really cheered me up.

Jack's-Jane said:

They are also more likely to get 'stressed' with changes in environment or day-to-day routine.

Janex

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Oh Jane thankyou! This point is very true as my Millie gets very stressed if she is away from home or I change her routine and stops eating, twice I really thought I was going to loose her so I'd really keep and eye on this point! :thumb: (Although her sister Ruby never seems bothered by change which is strange, different personalities I surpose! :? ).

I don't think Zion knows he is a rex at all. He is the most laid back bunny and although he went a bit quiet in the car on the way to the vets, once he was there he was exploring all over the place and had a wale of a time (the vet told me to put him down). He is incredibly affectionate and energetic and will jump onto the sofa for a long cuddle quite often.

I haven't seen any hock problems on him and he lives in a hutch combo on grass but does run around the garden, tiled kitchen floor, carpet and suede effect sofas :lol:

I haven't noticed any GI probs either. So far I have found one squishy poo (which I got when I picked him up so he probably didn't have a chance to eat it). I have tried him with lots of new foods and he seems to have a stomach of steel so far.

They're fab rabbits. My vet said to me they're less likely to encounter teeth problems as their skulls replcate that of wild bunnies and are much more forward facing and so gives their jaws more room. Of course there are exceptions to this.

So are you getting a rex then Sue?

Shiv

ShivyRex said:

So are you getting a rex then Sue?

Shiv

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Not me, my 4 are enough for me..... my friend saw the two on the free ads and asked me to find out about their care