Senior Rabbit Care

[JackWabbit13]

Hey guys, I had a question that is a little sad for me. Jumping Jack is almost 9. I hear Holland Lops live about 10 years. So I figure she’s well past being a senior, and has roughly a year, maybe two if I’m lucky, left

With all my other animals, when they get to this stage of life, I tend to focus less on their nutrition and the unpleasant aspects of their care (not all, but some), as they have lived long and happy lives. I focus more on making them happy. A little extra treat here and there. If they like something that they probably shouldn’t eat, but won’t kill them, let them have it. Spend a bit extra on something they’ll enjoy. Don’t worry about what messes will be made, just focus on the enjoyment they’ll have. Etc., etc., etc.

I’ve been giving Jumping Jack some extra dried fruit chips here and there (she loves banana), a little extra salad on random occasions, and sometimes don’t bother leveling out the pellet scoop and give her that extra bit. She seems to enjoy it, and I want her final years to be happy

Obviously she will still be getting checkups, getting her nails trimmed, being kept away from danger, etc. She doesn’t enjoy them, but they’re necessary

I believe she is mostly blind. I think she can see colors (as far as seeing colors goes for rabbits), but just blurry blobs of it instead of a prominent shape. She will (on rare occasions) seem confused and scared of almost everything, leading me to believe she might have dementia. We had a cat who had dementia and similar episodes in his final few months of life

So what do you guys think of all this? Is there anything you would do if you were me, or anything you already do for your senior bunnies?

Also, I have been giving Jumping Jack hay cubes as I currently don’t have a feeder (she got stuck in the last one, and I figured that it was time for it to go). The primary ingredient is Timothy hay, but the secondary (and only other) ingredient is alfalfa hay. Is this fine? She seems to really enjoy them (as incredibly loud it can be at night, gnawing on those things), and I guess it goes back to how I was saying that I focus more on enjoyment than nutrition at this age

[DanaNM]

I wouldn’t go too closely of the age range for the breed specifically. If she is in good health you could have several more years with her (my Bun Jovi just turned 14… he’s not a holland lop but is around the same size as one).

For seniors the main things to pay attention to are digestion, weight, and mobility. Some seniors have trouble keeping weight on, so they may benefit from supplemental feeding of critical care or another recovery food. Or they may gain weight due to less activity, so then they need to have less treats etc. If a bun is overweight, it puts more strain on their joints and can make arthritis worse, so I would just be careful with giving too much extra food.

Some of my seniors have gotten more sensitive tummies as they aged and were less able to tolerate fruit and other treats (they would get excess cecals whenever they had fruit), so keep an eye on her poops. They also can start to have trouble accessing their cecals due to arthritis, so sometimes need help with that.

If she starts showing signs of arthritis, you can use a lower sided litter box. It’s also good to make sure all flooring is soft but grippy, so their legs aren’t slipping so much. I also took away things that would encourage the bun to jump from high spaces to reduce joint impacts.

There a range of joint supplements for rabbits now, so you can also try incorporating those if you suspect arthritis is starting. If it gets noticeable, she would benefit from daily pain management (usually metacam, with others added in for severe cases).

As for hay cubes, they are good a treat but are not a suitable substitute for regular hay. Hay is important for so many things: teeth, digestion, enrichment and boredom prevention. You can just pile up hay in her litter box rather than using a feeder (that’s what I do with one of my pairs). Remember, food is not the only way to show love, and too much of a good thing can be a bad thing for bunnies!

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[mia]

Speak to your vet about the age issue to get specific advice based on your bun’s history. Some of what I’ve done, and things I’ve been advised to do, are not commonly recommended things, but are what my buns need based on their medical history and personality.

My vet actually recommended junior pellets for the alfalfa, extra nutrition and yummier (my older buns are on the lightweight side).

 

[LBJ10]

As long as she is tolerating the extra treats, I don’t see any harm. If she is having trouble keeping weight on, then extra pellets are not a bad thing either. I would just continue to monitor things and make adjustments as needed.

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