A little boy cuddling a British Giant Rabbit

British Giant Rabbit Insurance, Care and Health Advice

The British Giant has been around since the 1940s. They’re a giant breed that can weigh in at a hefty 7 kg. They make great pets, so if you’re looking for a gentle giant to join your family, the British Giant could be for you. This breed guide brings you all the information you need on how to care for this big breed!

British Giant Rabbit Facts

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Type
Giant
Everypaw's breed lifespan icon
Lifespan
4 - 6 years
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Size
Very large
Everypaw's breed weight icon
Weight
6 - 7 kg
Everypaw's breed temperament icon
Temperament
Friendly, affectionate, docile
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Exercise
2 hours 2x a day
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Grooming
Medium maintenance

Is a British Giant Rabbit Right for Me?

There’s no getting away from the fact that the British Giant is big… very big! They need plenty of space to live in and will eat you out of house and home if you’re not prepared. But they’re goo-natured, super friendly and affectionate which means they make great family pets.

A British Giant Rabbit

Life with a British Giant Rabbit

Living with a British Giant is like living with a small dog! They love being with people and enjoy lots of love and attention. They’re not that active and are more than happy to lounge around relaxing and snoozing. They’re happy to interact with children if they’ve been taught how to handle rabbits properly.

Caring for Your British Giant

The British Giant has a big appetite because of their size. It’s really important that your bunny has a constant supply of hay to keep their digestive system working properly. Like any other breed they also enjoy nibbling on fresh grass and vegetables like carrots, sweetcorn, celery and broccoli.

You can feed your rabbit a commercial rabbit food too, but make sure you don’t over feed them. The British Giant can be a bit of a lazy breed and prone to piling on the pounds.

This breed has a medium length thick coat that needs a weekly brush to prevent it from matting. Rabbits are very good at grooming themselves but grooming your rabbit will help remove any loose fur.

Grooming is also a great opportunity to build that special bond with them. When grooming you can also check your rabbit over for any signs of potential health problems. This is a good time to check their ears and teeth are looking tip top too!

With positive reinforcement and rewards you could train your bunny to use a litter tray, come when you call them and fetch toys. If you want to train your rabbit to use a litter tray, make sure it’s big enough for your British Giant. It’s handy to have a couple of them around the house just in case they get caught short.

British Giants, being a bit lazy, can become overweight. They need plenty of exercise to keep them happy and healthy. Make sure you get your bunny up and about having a run, jump and play outside. They’ll need a couple of hours exercise twice a day to prevent weight gain and boredom!

Because of their size, this breed isn’t really suited to being kept in a hutch. If you keep your rabbit outside, they’ll need a much bigger house like a Wendy house or shed. They must have enough room to stretch out fully, hop around freely and stand up on their hind legs.

From their house, they should have free access to a safe, enclosed outdoor run. This means they can go out for some exercise, play and graze on fresh grass whenever they want to.

British Giant Rabbit Insurance

This big thumper of a rabbit loves to roam and need plenty of exercise, so once you’ve planned out their living quarters, it might be time to think about Rabbit Insurance. Everypaw’s Lifetime Bunny Cover has three levels to choose from, and all come with a range of additional benefits to help keep your British Giant on the hop.

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Common British Giant Rabbit Health Problems by Vetstream

Because of their size the British Giant is prone to conditions like sore hocks, obesity and fly strike. As with all breeds they can also suffer from dental problems. Everypaw has teamed up with veterinary experts Vetstream to give you an idea of what to look out for in your British Giant.

This is a condition caused by flies that are attracted to dirty or wet fur. The area most commonly affected is around their bottom. Flies lay eggs on the rabbit. These hatch into maggots that burrow and eat into the rabbit’s skin. This causes serious suffering to the rabbit.

If your British Giant struggles to clean itself because of obesity or other health issues this can cause them to get a dirty bottom which can then lead to fly strike. If it’s caught early fly strike can be treated. Call your vet straight away if you think your rabbit has fly strike.

The British Giant can be a lazy breed prone to obesity. It can be difficult to recognise if your rabbit is overweight, especially if it happens gradually. In many cases it will be your vet who will recognise and point out the problem. If your rabbit becomes overweight, they’ll struggle to exercise and become unfit.

They may also have difficulty grooming themselves, particularly around their backend which can cause more serious problems like dirty bottom and fly strike. Make sure your bunny gets plenty of exercise and a healthy diet to prevent them from getting overweight.

No matter what breed, rabbit’s teeth continue to grow throughout their lifetime. It’s very important that they slowly wear them down by chewing and gnawing. If your rabbit has overgrown teeth, they’ll struggle to eat or drink properly.

Having a constant supply of hay to chew on and rabbit-safe toys to gnaw on will help to wear their teeth down. If you think your rabbit’s teeth look a bit long, they’ll need to see your vet for some dental treatment. Your vet can gently file down the overgrown teeth. In severe cases, this might need to be done every few weeks.

Because of their size, the British Giant is prone to getting sore hocks (the heel of the foot), also known as Pododermatitis. It’s caused by their weight and pressure that’s put on their feet when in contact with the ground. The skin on the feet becomes sore and inflamed which damages the blood supply.

It can lead to deeper inflammation and infection if it’s not spotted and treated early. Sore hocks can be a really difficult problem to get rid of. Prevention is key, so make sure you check their feet regularly, and give them a nice thick, soft layer of bedding on the floor of their enclosure.

Quick British Giant Q&A

Giant breeds don’t live as long as average sized rabbit breeds. Generally the British Giant lives to around 6 years. They can live longer if they’re fit and healthy and are given all the care a breed of this size needs.

The British Giant is a very big breed! They tend to weigh around 6-7 kg, that's around double the weight of an average sized rabbit.

This breed comes in a variety of colours including grey, white, black, blue, brown-grey and opal. They don’t have any markings so are seen in single solid colours.

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

Vetlexicon is the world’s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world’s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.

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