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National Federation of Flemish Giant Rabbit Breeders |
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NFFGRB Site:
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Sweepstakes Points Current Newsletter Membership Application |
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Raising a Flemish Giant as a Pet by Tina Taylor
Upon welcoming Savannah, a four month old Giant into my home, she immediately became queen. A cage with a wire floor would not do; her hocks might develop sores from her ever-increasing weight. She at first shared a home-crafted wood & wire cage with a guinea pig. Savannah's energetic romps soon prompted her to explore, with cage door left open, an even larger animal enclosure. She learned, as many rabbits readily do, to housebreak herself by returning to her own cage for eating, drinking, urinating & defecating. After several weeks of adjusting to her new home, Savanah was deemed healthy for an ovariohysterectomy or spay surgery. Female rabbits are at high risk of developing cancer of the uterus. Spaying a rabbit at four to five months of age removes the ovaries and uterus and thus the risk of developing this serious disease. Neutering (castrating) males at this age also reduces their risk of certain diseases as well as undesirable behavior problems such as aggression and urine spraying. Other health risks in rabbits include: pasteurella bacterial infections (commonly seen as sneezing or eye discharge), coccidial intestinal parasite infections (causing diarrhea), hairball stomach impactions, and broken backs from trauma.
Diet plays a crucial role in helping a rabbit healthy and
preventing
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