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Creature Comforts

Fun facts about rabbits

Katy the bunny, left, and Shelley the cat are both pretty laid-back and quite photogenic.

“It’s got … TEETH!”

While the killer rabbit from “Monty Python and The Holy Grail” was a fearsome foe with abnormally large, pointy teeth and the ability to fly through the air and viciously attack with lightning speed and deadly accuracy, real-life rabbits ordinarily are much more mild-mannered.

While rabbits do possess sharp, large, chisel-like incisors, and they certainly can bite if they feel the need, I’m pretty sure there have been no reported deaths from rabbit attacks (domesticated or wild) EVER.

Former President Jimmy Carter once was famously pursued by a seemingly crazed rabbit while he was out on a rowboat, but he easily defended himself with an oar, and no injuries were reported (human or rabbit). Also, there have been no reports of a crazed, swimming rabbit bothering anyone since, so I think we’re all safe.

Regarding rabbits’ teeth, it’s important to know that they are very different from dog or cat teeth, not only in their overall shape and number, but in that they are “constantly emerging” teeth. That is, rabbit teeth grow continuously, for the life of the animal.

As long as each upper tooth has a corresponding lower tooth to grind against, and the mouth is in perfect alignment, all is copacetic. But, if anything gets a bit off-kilter, big problems emerge.

Rabbits that do not wear their teeth down evenly through normal chewing will develop malocclusions (mis-aligned teeth.) This causes teeth to become overgrown, creates difficulty chewing and eating and eventually causes death. Because rabbits have a small, narrow mouth and continuously growing teeth, rabbit dentistry essentially is a specialty in veterinary medicine — a challenging one, to be sure. Fortunately, because of the constant grinding-down and growth of rabbit teeth, cavities and chipped teeth are not an issue, and brushing is unnecessary. Rabbits given the proper diet rarely have dental problems.

Thinking inside the box

Rabbits can be trained to use a litterbox.

“Let them eat cake.” Not.

Rabbits will eat cake, but definitely should not eat cake. Same goes for cookies, crackers or other starchy things. There are lots of things rabbits love to eat, but that are very bad for them. Unfortunately, it is easy to find foods or treats marketed for rabbits that contain very unhealthy ingredients.

The mainstay of the healthy rabbit diet is grass and grass hay. This is a key to good health for a variety of reasons. Grass hays, like Timothy, orchard or Bermuda, are chock full of fiber, and are lower fat than legume hays like alfalfa. The high fiber is important for proper digestion, nutrition and proper wearing of the teeth. Rabbits should be offered a fresh pile of grass hay every day, and they should nibble this intermittently through the whole day.

Pelleted foods should be offered in small, measured quantities, and should never contain nuts, fruits, seeds, or “yogurt drops” (which basically are sugar candies). While Timothy pellets are best, alfalfa pelleted diets are the most commonly available.

Storage of hay and pelleted foods must be done carefully to avoid the growth of mold or contamination with insects or rodents. Buying smaller quantities of these foods rather than buying in bulk will serve to keep them fresher and save space for storage.

Rabbits enjoy nibbling fresh grass and weeds (no pesticides/herbicides) and also like small treats of fresh salad greens, carrots, celery, broccoli, radishes, apples, grapes, berries, even fresh pineapple. Caution must be used with any treats given in excess — these can cause diarrhea, which can be very serious for rabbits.

When taking rabbits outside, or choosing more exotic fruits or veggies to offer them, use caution. Many of our ornamental or garden plants and some wild-growing plants are toxic, and can cause illness or death to the unsuspecting rabbit. Check out the “House Rabbit Society” webpage for helpful information on all things pet rabbit, including safe foods and dietary recommendations.

EEEEEW! Number

1, 1.5 and 2

1. Because of their herbivorous, mostly hay diet, rabbits produce cloudy, brownish urine. This is normal.

2. Rabbits eat their own poo. Seriously. What’s more — they must do this or they will quickly become malnourished. Rabbits have specialized stomachs that help them extract nutrients from grass and hay — something we humans can’t do. But in order for rabbits to accomplish this, they need a second pass at their food. Unlike cows, they cannot regurgitate and chew “cud” to help digestion, so instead, they create “night feces” which are elongated, light green, a bit softer and larger than the ones most folks with rabbits are used to cleaning up. The “night feces” are consumed by the rabbit directly from its anus (not making this up) usually at night. These fecal pellets only are “half-done”, so if No. 1 is pee, and No. 2 is poo, these are No. 1.5 — they are “pre-digested” during their first pass through the rabbit’s GI tract, but on the second pass, all the viable nutrition is extracted, and the dry, small, spherical fecal droppings one finds at the bottom of the cage or in the rabbit’s litterbox are produced. If a rabbit owner is finding “night feces” in the rabbit’s enclosure, they should consider this to be a problem, and seek a veterinarian’s advice.

“Dogs and cats

living together — mass hysteria!”

While it is possible for rabbits to live in harmony with other animals like well-behaved dogs and cats, much caution must be exercised, as rabbits are prey species, and they know it. My dachshunds think of rabbits as fun to chase and delicious to eat, and so there is no chance of us having pet rabbits anytime soon. The Dread Pirate Roberts said to Westley in The Princess Bride, “Goodnight, Westley, good work. Sleep well. I’ll most likely kill you in the morning.” And this pretty much sums up how a rabbit cohabiting with dachshunds (particularly my Miriam) would feel.

A rabbit living among untrustworthy potential predators has a good reason to be nervous and feel chronic stress — not a healthy existence.

So, before deciding to bring a pet rabbit into the home, keep one thing in mind: dogs and cats living together with bunnies is a potential recipe for “mass hysteria.”

Daverio is a veterinarian at Williamsport West Veterinary Hospital. Her column is published every other Sunday in the Lifestyle section. She can be reached at life@sungazette.com.

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