Expat Community > China

DoctorsBecknStone
Joined 2010
Posts: 18

Rabbit pets in China.

13 years ago

Rabbits are wonderful pets and, as such, need a wonderful veterinarian! Dr. Stone is renowned in Beijing as a rabbit specialist.

Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha found in several parts of the world. There are 8 different genera in the family classified as rabbits.
The male is called a buck and the female is a doe; a young rabbit is a kit.

Rabbits are herbivores feeding on grass, forbs and leafy weeds. These plants contain a large amount of cellulose, which means that a rabbit’s hind gut is specially adapted to digest this polysaccharide.

Rabbits have a high reproductive rate. The breeding season for most rabbits lasts 9 months, from February to October. In Australia & New Zealand breeding season is late July to late January. Normal gestation is about 30 days.

Rabbits are the third most common pet in China, and whilst they are a fabulous pet they are not necessarily a fabulous patient. This is simply because of their specialized hind gut; the bacteria is easily disrupted by the antibiotics that veterinarians commonly use.

Approximately 70% of all problems found with rabbits are associated with their dentition.
A rabbit's teeth continually grow and unless they are fed a sufficiently fibrous diet these teeth are not worn down leading to teeth problems, eye problems and gut problems.

Modern rabbit diets are designed to be tasty and commonly have too much protein and
not enough fiber. Ask your vet for advice.

Whilst rabbits make very good house pets if they are kept in cages it is important to get it right; don't over feed, ensure good hygiene and if you are to use a wire mesh floor then ensure that there is a deep straw/ wood chip litter. A flat wooden floor to the cage is best.

Whilst there are vaccines for Myxomatosis and Hemorrhagic Gastro- Enteritis (HGE) neither of these infections are seen in China. It is of interest to note that both of these viral infections were made by man to control the rabbit populations.

Rabbits can carry rabies without showing symptoms hence vaccination is advisable and whilst no rabies vaccinations are licensed for use in rabbits, problems are very rarely seen.

Question: My rabbit produces soft poo and hard poo. Is this normal?

Yes it is normal and essential.

Rabbits are hindgut digesters. This means that most of their digestion takes place in their large intestines.

In rabbits the cecum is about 10 times bigger than the stomach and it along with the large intestine makes up roughly 40% of the rabbit's digestive tract.

The unique musculature of the cecum allows the intestinal tract of the rabbit to separate fibrous material from more digestible material; the fibrous material is passed as feces, while the more nutritious material is encased in a mucous lining as a cecotrope.

These wetter damper feces are high in minerals, vitamins and proteins
that are necessary to the rabbit's health.

Rabbits eat these to meet their nutritional requirements; the mucous coating allows the nutrients to pass through the acidic stomach for digestion in the intestines.

Happy Year of the Rabbit.

Warm regards

Tony

Dr. Anthony David Beck, BVetMed MRCVS
Doctors Beck & Stone Pet Health Care Center
[email protected]
www.vetinChina.com
www.facebook.com/pages/Doctors-Beck-Stone/112354722153741
www.youtube.com/user/DoctorsBecknStone
http://twitter.com/#!/DrBecknStone

Contact information:

Doctors Beck & Stone - Central Business District (CBD)
Reception: +86 10 8776 6346
Opening hours 9am to 9pm Mon - Sun, consultations by appointment.
3 Hao Lou B-104, Hou Xian Dai Cheng, Bai Zi Yuan, Bai Zi Wan Lu, Chaoyang Qu, Beijing, 100022

Doctors Beck & Stone - Shunyi
Reception: +86 10 8046 2886 or +86 10 8046 2235
Opening hours 9am to 7pm Mon - Sun, consultations by appointment.
Shop LB05, Euro Plaza, #99 Yu Xiang Road, Tianzhu Town, Shunyi District, Beijing, 101300

If you have an emergency outside of regular opening hours please call:
English speakers: +86-135 0103 0572
Chinese speakers: +86-139 1185 2572

We have ambulances for collection and drop off of your pet. Please call us to arrange.

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Expat Community > China

Rabbit pets in China.

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