Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Rabbits, Oryctolagos cuniculus, rapidly increases as pets. During the right circumstances, rabbits are friendly, social and playful. A rabbit who shows an abnormal behavior should always be examined by a veterinary, though there is almost always a medical problem.

This essay is a result of a literature studie with the aim to find the prophylactic measures that may give pet rabbits a more healthy life. Rabbits have got a lot of common health problems, including dental, skin and gastrointestinal problems. Many of them can be prevented by appropriate housing conditions and by offering a natural diet, consisting of grass or hay and clean water.

Depending on what country you live in, it is also possible to vaccinate rabbits against two different diseases, myxomatosis and rabbit heamorrhagic disease. This should be done once a year. To prevent diseases in the reproductive organs and unwanted litters, or if rabbits are hold together, owners might want to castrate them. Other prophylactic measures found in dogs for example, such as routinely worming, is not recommended for rabbits. Many of the recommended prophylactic measures, such as the diet and the cage, can be seen in the Swedish law. Therefor, only by the owner following the law, rabbits in Sweden should be prevented from some of their common health problems.