You've spent many years with your bunny, nurturing them from a baby rabbit, all the way to adulthood. After many years with your bunny, you’ll know all their little quirks and funny ways. You’ll know when they’re happy, sad, and maybe not feeling so well.

Now your bunny's live a long and healthy life, it's time they're entering their twilight years, it’s even more important to understand how they’re feeling, any potential health issues, and if they need a helping hand as they get older.

It’s comforting to know that there are things you can do to slow the process and make your more comfortable as your rabbit reaches their senior years.

What Makes an Older Bunny

The average rabbit is considered elderly as they reach around 7 or 8 years. But every rabbit is individual and will start showing signs of ageing at different times. Some larger breeds have shorter lifespans and age more quickly.

Rabbits are considered old when they’re only 4 or 5, sometimes younger! While other breeds won’t start slowing down until they’re 9 or 10. Vets commonly see rabbits that are 12 years old, and rabbits as old as 14 have been seen in practice. No matter what breed or age your furry friend is, you’ll need to pay attention to their own specific needs.

Older Rabbit Behaviour

As your bunny ages from being an adult rabbit to a senior rabbit, their behaviour will change. Older rabbits start to become less active, sleep a lot more and cab be more susceptible to health problems. If your bunny lives indoors with you, you may also notice them becoming clingier and more affectionate.

The downside of ageing brings its problems too. Your bunny will still want to use their litter tray, but they can sometimes find getting in and out of them a bit tricky. Accidents can happen, so you may have to adapt the tray to make it easier for them to use it. Getting around generally may be harder for them, so make sure they can still get in and out of their enclosure and get to their food and water easily.

You may find you have to make other little adaptations to their living arrangements to make life easier for them as they get older.

Feeding Your Older Rabbit

It’s more important than ever to make sure your bunny has a healthy diet as they age. As with any rabbit, senior rabbits still need a diet of hay, dark leafy greens, and some pellets. This will promote a healthy digestive system and prevent obesity.

Your bunny may need slightly more pellets now than they did in their younger days to maintain their weight and muscle mass. On the other hand, they may need less, especially if they’re not as active as they used to be. Weigh your bunny regularly to keep an eye on their weight. If they’re losing or gaining weight, you can change the amount of pellets you give them as needed.

A good diet will provide your ageing bunny with all the vitamins and minerals they need. Feeding supplements isn’t generally recommended in rabbits of any age. If you’re unsure about how much or what you should be feeding your older rabbit, your vet will be able to help.

Health Issues in Older Rabbits

Regular grooming, along with health checks at home are still important for your ageing bunny. As well as keeping an eye out for all the usual problems a bunny can suffer from, there are some specific age-related problems that you should also be aware of…

• Arthritis and spondylosis - these degenerative conditions of the joints and spine can both lead to reduced mobility. There are medications to slow down arthritic changes and reduce pain, so get in touch with your vet if you think your bunny would benefit from these.
• Blindness - cataracts are common, but don’t normally cause huge problems. It’s amazing how rabbits quickly adapt to gradually losing their sight. Blind bunnies can still live full and happy lives.
• Cancer - old female rabbits that haven’t been neutered are at risk of reproductive cancer. Spaying female rabbits at a young age is the best way of preventing these types of cancer.
• Deafness - like the rest of us, bunnies can start to lose their hearing as they get older. If you think your rabbit is losing their hearing, be mindful when you go near them. Let them see you when you approach them, so you don’t startle them. As long as you’re gentle and patient with them and spend plenty of time with them, they should continue to live a happy life.
• Dental problems - teeth can become sharp over time and irritate the tongue or cheeks. Overgrowth teeth and dental disease can also be a problem. Having trouble eating, salivating, losing weight, producing fewer dropping, or swelling around the mouth and jaw can all be due to dental problems. An oral exam at your vets may be needed to diagnose the exact problem.
• Dirty bottom - keeping their bottoms clean, may be a problem for your bunny if they’re arthritic or overweight. These problems need to be treated to help the rabbit keep itself clean. In the meantime, you can help keep your bunny clean using some cotton wool and lukewarm water.
• Heart disease - this is quite rare in rabbits, but it can develop later on in life. Signs may include difficulty breathing, hunched-up posture, struggling to move around, loss of appetite, pale or blue gums and lips, weight loss. If you’re at all worried about your ageing bunny, call your vet for advice.
• Kidney/urinary problems - early signs of kidney problems are accidents around the house, going for a pee more often and being more thirsty than usual. Urinary problems like infections, bladder and kidney stones may make a rabbit more prone to kidney failure. It’s important to note any changes in their behaviour and contact your vet if you’re worried.
• Mobility problems - this could be due to weight gain, weakness, or pain from back problems or arthritis. Keeping your rabbit active will help keep them fit and slow this ageing process.
• Obesity - keeping your rabbit on a diet high in fibre (lots of hay) and low in grains, carbohydrates and sugars will help keep off any excess calories. Even though your rabbit is getting old, they still need time out of their enclosure to get regular exercise.
• Overgrown claws - because older rabbits tend to be less active, they may need to have their claws clipped more often if they don’t wear them down naturally. Your vet can help you do this if you don’t feel confident doing it yourself.
• Sore hocks (the heel of the foot) - these may be a problem if the rabbit doesn’t have enough soft bedding in their enclosure. Absorbent bedding that draws urine away from the body, is ideal for older bunnies, especially ones that are overweight or have mobility problems.
• Urine scalding - this is often a problem in bunnies with arthritis and spinal disease. It’s caused by urine accumulating on the skin between the rabbits back legs. It causes irritation and can eventually lead to infection if it’s not caught early. Check your bunny regularly for any early signs of a problem.

There are things you can do to make your bunny’s life that little bit easier as they get older! Here are a few tips…

Adapt their housing so your older rabbit can get around easily. Use rubber mats or rugs over slippery flooring so it’s easier for them when hopping around. Pop a ramp over steep or deep steps to make getting up and down easier. Lower the entrance to their litter tray if they’re struggling to get in and out.

Keep everything your rabbit needs, like food, water, toys and hiding areas, all within easy reach so they don’t have to hop far to get what they need.

Outdoor bunnies may need extra insulation and bedding to keep them warm and comfortable when it’s cold. Multi-story enclosures may be need adapting so it’s all on ground level to enable them to get around easily. You could start bringing your outdoor bunny indoors, but if you decide to do this, do it gradually so they have time to adjust to their new home.

You may want to take your bunny for more regular vet visits. Maybe increase their yearly check-ups to every 6 months. It’s more likely your vet will catch any signs of illness at an early stage and give you the best advice for your rabbit as they age.

It’s never something we want to think about, but if your ageing bunny becomes particularly ill or struggles too much with day-to-day life, you need to be prepared to say your final goodbyes. Your vet will be able to advise you of all the options, but ultimately you will have to make the final decision.

It’s rare to have to make spur of the moment decisions, but you shouldn’t let your rabbit suffer if they’re in pain and there aren’t any treatment options left for your furry friend. So, talk to all your family and with the help of your vet make the decision together.

Exercise for Older Rabbits

Even though your bunny isn’t as young as they used to be, they still need exercise to prevent them from putting on those extra pounds and to keep their ageing muscles and joints working. Hopefully they’ll still enjoy playing and stretching their legs, even if it’s for much shorter periods than before.

Don’t be surprised if they still enjoy the odd zoomie around the living room too! But, if your bunny isn’t very enthusiastic about getting up and about, you may have to encourage them a bit with their favourite treats and toys.

Keep up with Vaccinations

Vaccinations are more important than ever as your bunny gets older as they can often have a weaker immune system. Always keep their boosters up to date. And if you’ve taken on a senior rabbit and don’t know if they’ve been vaccinated or not, it’s never too late to start a new vaccination programme.

Ageing is inevitable, but there are so many ways you can help your bunny grow old gracefully and in good health for as long as possible. They rely on you to help them out when they start finding things a bit difficult. But your vet is there for you to give you plenty of help and advice if and when you need it.

Everypaw Rabbit Insurance

Here at Everypaw, we want to help you keep your bunny healthy and in tip top shape. So, when it comes to your young rabbit’s care, Everypaw’s Rabbit Insurance could be just the cover to look after your little thumper.

New rabbit policies are available from 8 weeks of age up to 5 years old. As long as your bunny's insured before their 5th birthday, and you don't cancel the policy, we'll continue to look after them all the way through their older years.

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Content provided from Vetstream's Vetlexicon Lapis – www.vetlexicon.com/treat/lapis

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