JSPCA PRESS RELEASE

January 2008  

National Rabbit Week - 21st - 27th January 2008

Help support National Rabbit Week!

Every year the JSPCA Animals’ Shelter receives many rabbits and small mammals for re-homing.  National Rabbit Week provides a wonderful opportunity to promote the correct dietary needs of rabbits, in addition to highlighting how to properly address your rabbit's health and husbandry requirements.

Most health problems found in pet rabbits are associated with basic errors of husbandry (particularly feeding), which is a welfare problem, with dental disease, gastro-intestinal problems, obesity and myiasis (“fly strike”) being all too common. Additionally, viral diseases such as Myxomatosis and Viral Haemorrhagic Disease can cause fatal illness, while bacterial and parasitic diseases such as pasteurellosis, coccidiosis and infection with Encephalitozoon cuniculi are a particular problem in breeding and other large colonies of rabbits. 

During National Rabbit Week the JSPCA Animals' Shelter is trying to encourage rabbit owners to visit the Animals' Shelter to pick up information leaflets about rabbit care, including details on nutrition, neutering and the unfortunately very common problem of "fly strike" in rabbits, which is a very unpleasant and distressing condition that can usually occurs in the warmer summer months and can have serious, sometimes even fatal, consequences for rabbits.  Owner education about the needs of rabbits kept as pets is still vital.

Also, if you are considering taking on the responsibility of becoming a pet rabbit owner, please remember to contact the JSPCA Animals' Shelter, as there are very many rescue rabbits desperately looking for new, loving homes.

ENDS