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

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.