Keeping your rabbit and guinea pig happy and healthy as we head into spring
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Keeping your rabbit and guinea pig happy and healthy as we head into spring
As we wave goodbye to winter and the days get warmer, it’s a great opportunity to let your rabbits and guinea pigs roam in the garden, helping to improve their quality of life. However, the change of season can also bring challenges we need to keep in mind - to ensure our small pets are kept safe.
How can we help our small animals if they’re spending more time outside?
Grooming and hygiene
Sunny spring days see the garden return to life, with plants blooming and insects emerging. With rabbits in particular, this brings the risk of a condition known as fly strike. This occurs when flies lay their eggs in moist or dirty fur around your pet’s back end. The eggs hatch into larvae (also known as maggots) and begin to eat the animal’s flesh. It’s a very unpleasant and often fatal condition which can develop quickly. Rabbits or guinea pigs who are overweight, have a long coat, dental disease or are unwell will be especially at risk as they may not groom themselves efficiently.
Steps which can help reduce the risk of fly strike include:
Twice daily checks on your pet, ensuring they are not soiled.
Daily grooming for pets who may struggle to do it themselves due to age, illness, or coat length.
Daily removal of soiled bedding from the hutch.
A cautionary approach with new additions to the diet plus the quantity of leafy greens offered. Loose stools will attract more flies to the hutch or cage.
Twice weekly disinfection of the hutch using a pet-safe product.
If you’re concerned your pet may have fly strike, contact your veterinary practice right away.
A safe space to graze
Where possible, your rabbits and guinea pigs should have access to an outdoor exercise area, preferably with grazing on a lawn. If you don’t have a lawn, grass can be grown in trays - growing more than one tray will allow rotation and the grass can regrow.
Even indoor pets will benefit from the opportunity to exercise outside when the weather is milder, just make sure your outdoor space is fully secure. A rabbit or guinea pig run should prevent your pets escaping beyond the garden and also be predator proof to ensure neighbourhood cats or wildlife, such as birds of prey, cannot reach them. Rabbits and guinea pigs are prey animals and require hides, shelters or tunnels inside the run to help them to feel safe and secure.
Avoiding poisonous plants
Remember to be on the lookout for any hazardous plants your pet may have access to - there’s a long list of poisonous plants commonly found in our gardens. As a rule of thumb, avoid access to evergreens, anything growing from a bulb, ivy, lilies, plants with berries or those which produce fruits with a stone. If you’re ever in doubt about the safety of a particular plant, simply prevent your pet from eating it. If you do identify hazardous plants in your garden, consider removing them, fencing them off, or using a secure run situated a safe distance away.
Poisonous plants usually need to be consumed in large quantities to cause a serious problem, with plants from the yew and nightshade family the most likely culprits for causing serious illness. The most common symptom when a rabbit or guinea pig ingests a hazardous plant is digestive upset. If you suspect your pet has eaten a poisonous plant, contact your vet straight away.
How can we enrich the lives of our pets when the weather is warmer?
Foraging for food
Foraging for food is something that our pets would spend the majority of their time doing in the wild and we can simulate this by encouraging them to work for their food. Fresh foods can be hidden in outdoor enclosures or runs, making use of tunnels or hides, and tubes can be stuffed with hay and fresh herbs to encourage your pet to find the added treats.
Playing with toys
Toys can add an element of novelty to your pet’s enclosure or hutch and allow you to alter their environment. Providing toys and rotating them regularly allows your rabbit or guinea pig to explore different textures and scent mark items. Toys such as woven balls made from willow and other similar natural materials are very popular and can also be nibbled safely. Tunnels are also a good option for both rabbits and guinea pigs who both naturally live in burrows.
Mental stimulation
Help to boost your pet’s mental stimulation by providing food puzzles such as treat balls or mazes. Puzzles challenge your pet to work out how to get at the food and can be used to feed a small amount of their daily dry ration alongside their hay.
Safe chews
Safe chews offer a positive outlet for gnawing which helps to keep the ever-growing incisor teeth in check. Chews are often wood based. Small branches from a pesticide-free apple tree could also be offered.
Supporting our small pets in springtime
There are many ways in which we can improve the quality of our small pet’s lives, and of course this is an important part of our responsibility to them. The change in season is an opportunity to re-evaluate our pet’s welfare and ensure they too enjoy spring.
Our favourite small animal Rosewood products for spring:
Dr. Laura Waring has been in clinical practice for over 10 years. She began in mixed practice dealing with farm equine and small animal patients but has focused on small animals for the past few years. She particularly enjoys surgery and the variety that each day brings. Dr Laura has published research on wildlife during the course of her studies and won the Morris Animal Foundation Wildlife Second Prize and the Royal Veterinary College Prize for Epidemiology. She has a loyal Labrador who is a fantastic companion.
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