Summer bunnies — keeping rabbits happy and healthy in hot weather
Abstract
With the warmer weather approaching rabbits are at risk from a number of problems. Hannah Wiltshire explains how rabbits can be helped to stay healthy through the summer months.
With summer on the horizon and plans for the warmer weather underway, it's worth owners taking a few simple steps to make sure their rabbits enjoy the season as much as they do.
Warmer weather can mean more flies which seek out mucky areas to lay their eggs. The hatching maggots love warm dirty areas and if they hatch on the rabbit or small pet's body they can literally eat them alive, causing terrible damage to their skin. This is ‘fly strike’ and sadly, the majority of small pets presented to veterinary surgeons with this condition do not survive.
Luckily, there are preventative measures that can be taken to protect rabbits from this nasty condition. Rabbits should be checked at least two or three times a day to ensure they and their living areas are clean. It is especially important to check their rear end and for matted fur, abscesses and open wounds, which may also attract flies.
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