Vets

You should take your rabbit to the vet for a regular health check and vaccinations. Your vet will also be able to give you lots of advice about rabbit nutrition and general care. Below you will see some general hints and tips on rabbit care.

Common health problems

Excel Rabbits

There are many different health problems that rabbits face, but most can be avoided by regular vaccination and maintaining good diet and lifestyle.

Main conditions
There are four main conditions and some simple preventative measures to keep your pets free from infectious diseases. You should ask your vet for more details and always keep up to date with vaccinations.

Here's a brief guide to the four main conditions. But if you are in any doubt whatsoever, it is vital that you consult your vet as soon as possible.

Myxomatosis
This disease spreads via blood-sucking insects, like fleas. Even house rabbits are not immune, because the disease can be spread by mosquitoes.

Symptoms
Swellings around the head, face, ears, lips and anus.

Effects
Blindness, swelling around the face, disorientation, death.

Action
Rabbits must be vaccinated. See your vet for more details.

Viral Haemorrhagic Disease
A very serious condition which causes internal bleeding and shut down of internal organs. This disease kills - and there is no cure.

Symptoms
Depression, collapse, difficulty in breathing, convulsions, high body temperature, lethargy, bleeding from the nose.

Effects
Death.

Action
Rabbits must be vaccinated. See your vet for more details.

Encephalitozoon cuniculi
A microscopic parasite which affects many internal organs like the kidneys and brain.

Symptoms
As the parasite acts internally, symptoms are manifestations of the internal organs being attacked.

Kidney
Increasing thirst and weight loss.

Brain
Convulsions, tremors, hind limb weakness, coma, loss of balance. Nervous system - urinary incontinence.

Effects
Seizures, kidney disease, hind limb weakness, loss of vision and balance.

Action
A treatment is available from your vet.

Flystrike
A disease which occurs when flies lay their eggs around the rabbit's anus.

Symptoms
Droppings stuck around the bottom (that attract flies), diarrhoea can also be a precursor, wounds around the bottom.

Effects
The eggs hatch into maggots which mature and burrow under the skin making the rabbit extremely ill. Can be fatal.

Pets most at risk at are those suff ering from obesity, dental disease, diarrhoea, arthritis and skin wounds and those living in dirty hutches. The majority of cases are due to flies being attracted to droppings or diarrhoea stuck to the rabbits bottom caused by poor diet (low fibre, high sugar and starch foods).

Action
A preventative measure is available - please ask your vet for more information. However, a good diet of Excel Herbage and Tasty Nuggets taken according to The Excel Feeding Plan, can help to prevent obesity, dental disease and diarrhoea and guard against fly strike. Good hygiene is also vital.

Problems caused by poor diet
There are two major problem areas which can be avoided with a good diet, plenty of exercise and regular health checks.

Dental problems
A rabbit's teeth will continue to grow around 10-12cm a year all its life. Vets say that three-quarters of the rabbits they see have problems with their teeth - the most common problem being overgrown molars and spurs which can cause pain and can prevent your pet from eating.

Problems like these generally develop because rabbits aren't eating enough hay - naturally abrasive fibre-rich food that helps to wear down the teeth. Feeding Excel Herbage combats this problem.

Common symptoms are excessive drooling and loss of appetite. Check your pets' teeth on a weekly basis but you must visit the vet for a dental check every six months as you will be unable to check their back teeth.

Obesity
Rabbits kept as pets are much less active than those which live in the wild, so being overweight is always a risk. Obesity puts pressure on the heart and joints, can create 'bed sores' on the hind legs and may shorten your rabbit's life. Someobese animals find it hard to clean themselves, which canlead to flystrike. But more importantly, if they can't reach their bottoms they can't re-ingest caecotrophs - the sticky droppings they need to eat as an essential aid to survival.

Prevention is better than cure, so ask your vet about your rabbits' ideal weight. Weigh them regularly to make sure they fall into their target weight. All rabbits, but especially those which spend most of their time in hutches, should have as much exercise as possible.

If your rabbits do become overweight, see your vet for advice. A calorie-controlled food, such as Excel Light Tasty Nuggets, may be suggested.

Never withhold food from your pets - your rabbits must have some fibre in their digestive systems at all times. If their digestive systems stop moving, rabbits will die.

Excel Guinea Pigs

There are many different health problems that guinea pigs face, but most can be avoided by good diet and a healthy lifestyle. The rest need quick attention by a vet.

Although there are no specific vaccinations that your guinea pig should have, there are viruses and infectious diseases which can make your pet very unwell. Once they become ill, guinea pigs can deteriorate very quickly, so if you think your pet is off - colour, always see your vet as soon as possible.

Medical Emergencies
Poorly guinea pigs will often show a set of non-specific symptoms. As soon as you see any of the symptoms on this list, which may be a sign of serious problems, take your guinea pig to the vet as soon as possible:

Refusal to eat or drink; lethargy; difficult or laboured breathing; sneezing; crusty eyes; limping; loss of balance; excessive scratching; hair loss; uncontrollable bleeding; extreme drop in body temperature; diarrhoea; blood present in urine; signs of temporary paralysis.

You should also know that penicillin-based medication is poisonous to guinea pigs.

Problems caused by poor diet
The following problems are often due to poor diet, lack of exercise and lack of general care. They're easily avoided by giving your guinea pigs the right food and plenty of exercise and, most importantly, by carrying out regular health checks.

Dental problems
Your guinea pigs' teeth will continue to grow all their lives and overgrown teeth can be the cause of potentially fatal health problems - typical symptoms are excessive drooling and loss of appetite.

To wear down your guinea pigs' teeth and help to keep them healthy, feed a naturally-abrasive, fibre-rich food like Burgess Excel Herbage or Forage and check their teeth regularly.

Hypovitaminosis C
This condition is more commonly known as scurvy and it stems from a lack of vitamin C. It's something that your guinea pigs can't produce naturally and the result can be lameness, loss of teeth, rough coat, loss of hair, pain on handling and anorexia. So you must be absolutely sure your pets' diet compensates - check that the nugget food you're feeding them has added vitamin C. There are extremely high levels of protected vitamin C in Burgess Excel Tasty Nuggets for Guinea Pigs. Incidentally, this is why you should never feed your guinea pigs on rabbit food - there's nowhere near enough vitamin C in it for a guinea pig's needs.

General problems
Abscesses - guinea pigs are very susceptible to abscesses which can be caused by knocks or fights. Skin complaints - these are very common, particularly mange, which is caused by a mite burrowing under the skin. Look for the symptoms: little raised spots which are itchy and cause your pet to scratch, and that leads to scabs and loss of hair. Always see your vet for a correct diagnosis and treatment.

Excel Chinchilla

It's strange but true: there's a lot about keeping chinchillas healthy that nobody fully understands. But what we do know is that there are no vaccinations that they're supposed to have and that they're less attractive to flies, fleas and mites - all of which is excellent news.

A weekly health check is a good idea - see page 12 for a guide. But there are still some health problems which your chinchillas might have if their diet and living conditions aren't all they should be. Here's a brief guide, but remember: you should take your pets to a vet immediately if you are at all concerned.

Dental problems
Your chinchillas' teeth will continue to grow all their lives and overgrown teeth can be the cause of potentially fatal health problems. A good diet with lots of coarse, high-fibre foods like Burgess Excel Herbage will help along with a supply of wooden chew objects like Burgess Excel Gnaw Sticks.

Excessive drooling and a loss of appetite are sure signs of dental problems, and you should see your vet immediately.

Respiratory problems
There are three signs to look out for. Wheezing or chest difficulties may be a sign of a chest infection or pneumonia. A runny nose is linked to the common cold. Ear discharges or imbalance might mean an ear infection. Chinchillas are also very sensitive to draughts and damp which can lead to colds, so make sure they're protected.

Constipation
Signs to look out for: your chinchillas will look bloated and there will be fewer droppings than usual - and the ones you do find will be smaller and thinner. This is usually caused by stress, pain or a lack of fibre and water, so access to plenty of fresh drinking water and lots of hay, like Excel Herbage is the answer.

Diarrhoea
This is quite a common problem with chinchillas and is usually a sign of over-eating - especially with treats or vegetables. Other causes might be stress, lack of fibre or a simple reaction to some bad food. Avoid feeding any treats if they have diarrhoea.

Bumblefoot
This condition, also called ulcerative pododermatitis, can be identified by ulcers on the feet and can be extremely painful if the ulcers get infected. Make regular checks to make sure the soles of their feet aren't flaky or cracked - if they are, see a vet straight away.

Suitable hutch or cage

For rabbits

The hutch should be tall enough for rabbits to stand on their back legs, and with enough floor area to allow a minimum of three to four hops in any direction.

For guinea pigs

The hutch should be at least five times the guinea pigs' length and at least a foot wide - but as a general rule: the more space, the better.

For chinchillas

The best cages (the bigger the better) are made from wire mesh (which should have a mesh no larger than 15mm x 15mm) which extends across the floor too.

Soft bedding

For rabbits

A lining of newspaper covered with hay, barley straw or dust-free wood chippings helps to absorb urine and keep the hutch comfortable.

For guinea pigs

Use soft wood chippings or shredded paper along with some fresh straw bedding to keep your pets comfortable and warm.

Here is a checklist of items that your customers will need for their pet 'fibrevores'

• Hutch
• Burgess Excel Herbage
• Burgess Excel Tasty Nuggets
• Burgess Excel Nature Snacks
• Ceramic food bowl
• Water bottle
• Pet safe disinfectant
• Tunnels and other toys

For more information on housing, handling and general care of 'fibrevores' visit www.burgesspetcare.co.uk