See full version: 14 Rabbit Facts To Test Your Rabbit Knowledge
Although rabbits and hares are members of the same taxonomic family, Leporidae, they are classified in separate genera. Rabbits are generally smaller than hares, have smaller ears, and can’t run as fast. Their young are born furless with eyes closed, but hares birth young that are furred and have eyes open. more
Well, not all their droppings. Rabbits produce two types of droppings: pellets of dry waste and mucus-covered cecotropes that are packed with nutrients. Rabbits eat the cecotropes for the nutrients. This is usually done at night and taken directly from the anus. This habit is called coprophagy.
Rabbits share some traits of rodents, which initially had them classified in the order Rodentia. But important differences between rabbits and rodents were recognized in the early 1900s. In 1912, J.W. Gidley classified rabbits, hares, and pikas in a separate order, Lagomorpha, instead of the order Rodentia. A key difference between the two orders is that lagomorphs have peg teeth, which are a second set of small incisors behind their front incisors. more
When this normal digestive cycle is disrupted, however, the result is poopy butt. Usually the culprit is poor diet. Does your bunny have access to unlimited fresh timothy hay (or alfalfa if your bunny’s under 7 months)? The core of your rabbit’s diet should be fibrous foods like hay and greens. Fiber is what keeps rabbits’ teeth worn down and their digestive systems healthy. You should also avoid feeding your bunny too many starchy foods like breads, fruit, or other treats. See the article, What to Feed My Rabbit, for a full list of acceptable foods for your rabbit. more
Poopy butt is the less than eloquent term to describe a relatively common issue that affects pet bunnies. Poopy butt is, just as it sounds, a condition where a bunny has fecal matter stuck to his behind. This article will discuss ways to keep your bunny clean and in good digestive health.
Now that you have a clean bunny, you will need to assess the cause of the messy bottom so it doesn’t happen again. In general, rabbits do not suffer from true diarrhea. Instead, the fecal mess you’re probably seeing is uningested cecotropes. Rabbits excrete two different forms of feces. Most people are familiar with the hard, dry fecal pellets that a well-trained bunny will dispense into a litter box. But rabbits also excrete cecotropes, a softer, wetter fecal matter that they normally reingest directly from their behinds. Eating cecotropes, or coprophagy, is a healthy activity for rabbits that helps keep their digestive tracts in balance. In this way, rabbits also glean an optimum amount of nutrients from their food. more
Mobility issues may also cause your rabbit to suffer from poopy butt. Older rabbits, obese rabbits, or those with arthritis, may have a difficult time reaching their bottoms, preventing them from consuming the cecotropes. If your rabbit is overweight, reduce or eliminate pellets from his diet, and provide unlimited timothy hay and fresh greens. For rabbits with arthritis, your rabbit-savvy veterinarian may be able to prescribe an anti-inflammatory drug to help ease the condition. more
The signs and symptoms of ulcerative pododermatitis are usually graded from Grade I to Grade V, depending on the severity of the disease.
Some rabbits develop ulcerative pododermatitis secondary to a bacterial infection, such as that caused by Staphylococcus aureus. Other common infections include Pasteurella multocida, Proteus spp., Bacteroides spp. or Escherichia coli. more
Eating is important during treatment to prevent the weakening of the gastrointestinal system and overgrowth of unfavorable bacteria in the gut. A wide selection of fresh greens, including collard greens, spinach, dandelion greens, parsley, etc. is necessary. [links]
An ultrasound examination can help rule out other causes for pain and discomfort as well, and can provide a better estimate of how extended the infection is, and whether it has invaded the surrounding skin, tissues and joint fluid. here
What about bunnies? Do they have them and are they padded. Of course, rabbits have paws. However, they do not have paw pads. Instead, they have sharp nails beneath them.
Rabbit paws images more
Furthermore, the bottom of your hutch should not be very slippery since these pets use their claws to try and grip the surface as they hop from one place to another. They may slip if it is slippery. [links]
To cushioning themselves against their weight, their feet are completely covered with fur. This is the same reasons why it is recommended to have either a section or the entire part of your rabbit’s hutch covered by a soft solid base. here