Apart from dogs and cats, Abbey Animal Hospital has also opened its doors to care for rabbits. Rabbits have become an addition to many households as pets. Some of our veterinarians have a special interest in rabbits and would be happy to consult about your rabbit’s health and care. We offer consultations/physical examinations, diagnostic and treatment of common illness as well as spay/neuter services. If your rabbit has a challenging medical condition that would benefit from specialist care we can help arrange referral to the appropriate facility.
I’m considering getting a rabbit, what should I know first?
Rabbits do make good indoor pets. They can be trained and become adorable pets in your household. However, they need a safe, bunny-proof space, litter training and at least 4 hours of exercise each day. Rabbits require a high-fiber diet consisting mostly of hay, in addition to green vegetables. There are many online resources about rabbit care that should be read before making the commitment to a rabbit. We can direct you to trustworthy resources to ensure you are making an informed decision. Rabbits can live 10 years or more with good care, so make sure your family can commit to one for its entire lifetime before bringing one home.
Do I need to vaccinate my pet rabbit?
Prior to June 2022, there were no infections of concern that required vaccination of rabbits in Ontario. In June 2022, Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD) was detected in a household of indoor rabbits. This serious and contagious disease has the potential to become endemic in Ontario. There is no licensed vaccine for RHD in Canada, the vaccine can only be obtained by importation from other counties. We have acquired the Filavac vaccine for RHDV and are excited to be able to offer it to our existing rabbit patients as well as new patients. If you are interested in having your rabbit vaccinated please reach out to us. We prefer email (info@abbeyanimalhospital.ca) for vaccine inquiries so we can send you the relevant details. For more information about RHD see the House Rabbit Society’s information page here: https://rabbit.org/rhdv/.
