Matt Brash B.VET.MED MRCVS
Matthew Brash is one of Britain's most popular TV vets. He has a busy small animal, horse and exotic animal practice based at three sites just outside York. He has particular expertise in domestic rabbits, and has worked as a consultant to Burgess Pet Care for 5 years, and has been involved in the company's National Rabbit Week which has been running for the past three years.
He's a familiar face on television, appearing in the series 'Zoo Vet' which covers Brash's career as a vet in a private practice and his work at Flamingo Land Zoo in North Yorkshire.
Matt assisted Burgess in the development of the Burgess Excel range, paying particular attention to meeting the requirements for an eating plan that was as close to rabbits' natural eating patterns in the wild as possible.
To support Burgess' campaign 'Fight for Fibre' Matt will be fronting an educational campaign this summer, holding interviews on UK local radio, local and national TV on behalf of rabbits everywhere.
"In the wild, rabbits eat a lot of grass and their digestive systems have been adapted especially for a high-fibre diet. A well-balanced food, preferably in nugget form so they cannot pick and choose what they eat as they do with muesli-style foods, will go a long way towards avoiding many common complaints such as gut and dental problems and obesity. Providing plenty of hay is not only important for giving a rabbit the fibre it needs, it also provides emotional stimulation by giving a rabbit something to forage and play in." he says.
"Even if your pet rabbit looks perfectly healthy, get a quick check-up and make sure there are no problems you perhaps haven't spotted," continues Matt. "It is much better to be safe and catch an illness early - by the time your rabbit starts showing obvious symptoms, it may already be too late. And if your rabbit gets a clean bill of health, you can still chat to your vet about diet and care needs and get some advice on things you could do to make sure your rabbit stays healthy for a long time to come."
