BVA | VET GAZETTE | 41
EDUCATING
OWNERS ABOUT
BRITAIN’S MOST
NEGLECTED PET
By Daniella Dos Santos, BVA junior vice president
R
abbits are the third most popular pet in the UK, but
sadly they are also among the most neglected. While
many rabbit owners may know that Bugs Bunny’s
favourite snack, the carrot, should only be fed as an
occasional treat due to its high sugar content, many
myths still prevail around the best food for their pets. Misconceptions
about feeding mean exotics and companion animal vets such
as myself frequently see rabbits suffering from preventable, and
sometimes fatal, health issues like obesity, gut problems, grooming
diffi culty, musculoskeletal and respiratory problems, and dental
disease.
Surveys conducted by the British Veterinary Association (BVA) survey
in the last two years show that inappropriate diet ranks among the top
three animal welfare issues of concern to non-traditional companion
animal vets, with fi ve of the top six rabbit health problems vets see in
practice being attributable to poor diet.
In a joint survey conducted by BVA and the British Veterinary Nursing
Association for the PDSA PAW report this year, vets and vet nurses
estimated that 30 percent of the rabbits they see in their practice
each week are overweight or obese, and a quarter said they felt the
proportion had increased in the last two years.
The most common reasons for excess weight identifi ed by vets and
vet nurses were inappropriate choice of food, a lack of exercise, and
owners’ lack of recognition that their pet was overweight.
These are all very concerning fi gures that point to a very clear and
pressing need for better education among rabbit owners about their
pets’ diet. For the last two years, it has been the chosen topic for Rabbit
Awareness Week, which is supported by a coalition of experts, welfare
charities and veterinary organisations including BVA and the British
Small Animal Veterinary Association. For a full week in June, BVA was
encouraging pet owners to #MoveAwayFromMuesli and shared top
tips to guide pet owners to ensure that they are feeding their pets a
nutritious and balanced diet.
As vets, we are well placed to play a key role in raising awareness
– starting even before someone gets a rabbit via pre-purchase advice
www.petgazette.biz
clinics or relevant information shared through your practice’s social
media channels.
We also know that preventive healthcare in rabbits is a ‘hugely
neglected’ area, as pointed out by the PAW report, so it is important
to maximise conversations around things like proper diet, husbandry
and annual vaccination (for myxomatosis, VHD1 and the relatively
lesser known VHD2) whenever owners do bring in their pets for health
checks.
Client evenings are another good way to inform and educate
owners about the husbandry needs of exotic pets such as rabbits. You
can also order or download leafl ets on rabbit care, prepared by the
Animal Welfare Foundation, to put out in practice waiting rooms.
If you are a general practice companion animal vet with an interest
in rabbit health, consider furthering your knowledge on the species by
undertaking relevant CPD courses. BVA ran a hugely popular session
on rabbit general medicine just earlier this week, so keep an eye out
for future courses.
These are just some of the practical ways in which we, as vets, can
help ensure that pet rabbits lead healthier, happier lives.
October 2018