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Challenges of indoor living for rabbits and guinea pigs - free John Chitty webinar

I wonder if this will lead to a leaning toward it being ‘ wrong’ to keep Rabbits and GPs indoors…..

I wonder. When I first read it I thought it would be along the lines of chewing furniture, biting wires etc, but now you've raised this I've thought about it some more and GPs aren't normally free-range indoors are they?
 
GPs aren't normally free-range indoors are they?

No

Things that I reckon will be mentioned on the health front ( Rabbits)

Sore Hocks from carpet burn

Ingestion of fabric/ wallpaper (wallpaper paste has fungicide added which is toxic)

Lead poisoning from nibbling skirting boards which might have some old paint on which contains lead.

Electrocution from nibbling electrical wires

Lack of exposure to natural light ( sunshine) leading to VIT D deficiencies and all the subsequent consequences on bone density and dentition.

Central heating- Rabbits are obligate nose breathers, the arid atmosphere central heating can cause can irritate the Rabbit’s nasal passages causing irritation leading to allergic rhinitis and possibly RTIs

If the home has other species of Pet- eg Dogs , Cats, - stress induced gut stasis if introductions are not carried out correctly. Injuries should something awful happen- Rabbits are a prey species, Cats and Dogs are predators.

I can see a real possibility that over time the Rabbit Welfare message will gravitate to outdoor living being best.

Edit- just thought of another one- joint injuries as a result of the lack of good traction from wood/Lino/tiled flooring. Especially baby Bunnies who can sustain serious injuries from charging about on a flooring with poor traction.Hip dislocation in particular.
 
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When I go to sign up it wants to know what vet practice I work in. Is it not available to the likes of us?
 
I wonder if this will lead to a leaning toward it being ‘ wrong’ to keep Rabbits and GPs indoors…..

I would be surprised if the leaning was ever towards not keeping guinea pigs indoors. They are a whole lot less hardy than rabbits when it comes to temperature. In my view they only have an acceptable range of 15 - 25 degrees to stay safe.
 
I would be surprised if the leaning was ever towards not keeping guinea pigs indoors. They are a whole lot less hardy than rabbits when it comes to temperature. In my view they only have an acceptable range of 15 - 25 degrees to stay safe.

My post was just referring to Rabbits, I included GPS in error. I know very little about GPs x
 
My post was just referring to Rabbits, I included GPS in error. I know very little about GPs x

It's kind of interesting how people (not you!) do tend to see their needs as similar. I do wonder whether it will become more or less commonplace for rabbits to be kept indoors, but I expect that over time it will be usual that guinea pigs are.
 
Thanks for sharing this, I've signed up. Will be interesting to see what they lean towards.
Could end up being a very touchy topic [emoji848]

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No

Things that I reckon will be mentioned on the health front ( Rabbits)

Sore Hocks from carpet burn

Ingestion of fabric/ wallpaper (wallpaper paste has fungicide added which is toxic)

Lead poisoning from nibbling skirting boards which might have some old paint on which contains lead.

Electrocution from nibbling electrical wires

Lack of exposure to natural light ( sunshine) leading to VIT D deficiencies and all the subsequent consequences on bone density and dentition.

Central heating- Rabbits are obligate nose breathers, the arid atmosphere central heating can cause can irritate the Rabbit’s nasal passages causing irritation leading to allergic rhinitis and possibly RTIs

If the home has other species of Pet- eg Dogs , Cats, - stress induced gut stasis if introductions are not carried out correctly. Injuries should something awful happen- Rabbits are a prey species, Cats and Dogs are predators.

I can see a real possibility that over time the Rabbit Welfare message will gravitate to outdoor living being best.

Edit- just thought of another one- joint injuries as a result of the lack of good traction from wood/Lino/tiled flooring. Especially baby Bunnies who can sustain serious injuries from charging about on a flooring with poor traction.Hip dislocation in particular.

this is a good list. I've been wondering what they will cover & interested to see if there are any surprises. I've one to add - ingestion of inappropriate foods, also exposure to chemical irritants through household products & toiletries
 
Also, indoor Rabbits cannot graze and forage in a natural way. So a cross against meeting Welfare Needs of expressing natural behaviours as stated in the Animal Welfare Act.

Edit- my IPad went mad and autocorrected indoor Rabbits to Tandoori Rabbits :shock:
 
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