A preliminary survey of the nutrition and health of German pet rabbits

Abstract

This survey aimed to investigate the nutrition and health of German pet rabbits. The questionnaire yielded 82 responses (n = 57 online and n = 25 in-person interviews). Most rabbits were ≥7 years old (32.9%), followed by 3-4 years old (30.5%). The sex ratio was almost 50-50%, and most rabbits were neutered (65.8%). Complete pelleted feed was the most fed concentrate (71.9%) followed by muesli-type mixed feed (11.0%). Most of the rabbits had ad libitum access to hay (95.1%) and received fresh vegetables once a day (45.1%). Some forms of dental disorders were reported in 26 (31.7%) rabbits and mostly on the cheek teeth (20.6%) compared with front teeth (9.5%) or both (3.2%). Of the other diseases and symptoms epiphora (n=12, 13.3%), obesity (n=8, 9.7%), and weight loss (n=7, 7.8%) were the most common. Fisher's exact test did not show a significant association between age (≤ 4 years old, > 4 years old), breed (dwarf or other), sex (male or female) and the number of diagnosed health problems (≤ 3 or more) and forms of diseases or symptoms. Also, the incidence of obesity was not higher in neutered rabbits. The nutrition of the rabbits was reported to be of a high standard. As a limitation of the survey data might show a bias towards committed rabbit owners.