The Hay Experts Top 10 Spring Tips

The Hay Experts Top 10 Spring Tips to help your rabbit enjoy Spring
(and avoid those nasty Spring related issues!)

Hello Spring!

After a long winter, the onset of spring is mostly a joyous time. New life, new growth, and hopefully warmer days! 

Of all the seasons, the change from winter to spring is the most significant and can cause problems if the potential effects of these changes are not planned for. We experience more calls to our Animal Medicines Adviser regarding digestive issues during spring, for example, and many rescues receive more calls for assistance for broken-down bonds as another example.

Some of the issues are obvious, others less so, and we hope our Top 10 Spring Tips will serve as a timely reminder and help you and your little ones get the most out of this glorious season!

Most spring plants, such as snowdrops, crocus, and daffodils, are toxic to rabbits and others. As a general rule, anything that flowers from a bulb in spring is not safe for your little ones!

Oh, the joy of fresh spring grass! It’s one of the best things about spring, if you’re a rabbit or guinea pig - but remember, spring grass is young and rich in nutrients, and chances are if your little ones eat too much too soon, it may upset their tummies. This is also true of many fresh greens too. Diarrhoea and bloating are common this time of the year—and to be avoided! 

It’s better to feed a little for a few days or a week, until you know your little ones’ tummies have adjusted, and increase the amount slowly.

The start of spring triggers a significant moult in rabbits and others; the arrival of warmer days triggers their snuggly and downy winter warmth to be shed naturally. Depending on temperature, and number of warm/cold days, this may happen all of a sudden or be quite stop/start. You may find a few loose tufts or fur coming off in great handfuls!

Either way, daily brushing will help remove any loose fur and save your little one from ingesting it. Too much fur in the digestive system can cause issues and even a blockage in severe cases.

Not every furry likes to be groomed, but even teasing out a bit of fur while they sleep will help, and associating brushing with a few tasty treats will also help. Stroking with a slightly moist (not wet!) hand will remove a good quantity of fur too!

Keep an eye on your little ones’ poop, as this will tell you much about their overall health. Changes in size, quantity, colour, firmness, and crumbliness (!) are an indication of how well the digestive system is working. A ‘string of pearls’ where the poos are all linked by fur rather than being separate little ‘currants’ is the clearest indication possible that fur is being ingested and may become problematic.

The very best way of helping minimise any issues from fur ingestion and possible digestive upset is to ensure your rabbit or guinea pig is eating lots of hay. The coarse, indigestible fibre within the hay is what keeps the digestive system working efficiently, and the daily food intake should be around 80-85% good quality hay.

So keep the daily food intake balanced and ensure hay is the main course, with pellets, vegetables, and treats very much the side dishes! Our Animal Medicines Advisor is on hand if you have any questions about hay or diet. 

In addition to hay, good water intake will really help your little ones cope with moulting, as water helps to keep the digestive system working efficiently alongside the fibre from hay. Studies have shown that rabbits drink more and achieve better hydration when drinking from a bowl than a bottle.

If you’re not sure which your little ones prefer, why not offer both bottle and bowl?

Spring is the time when everybun can go a little crazy! And it’s the same for other species too—March Madness, as it’s called, can be a challenging time as hormones begin to flow and relationship bonds tested. Even settled neutered pairs can get a bit frisky and grumpy with each other, so if you do see a few behavioural changes, consider adding more toys and foraging activities to keep them a little more busy. Adding Pet Remedy to their environment may also help with calmness.

With spring comes babies (and in rabbit world, any time of the year can be baby time!). So if your little ones are not yet neutered, this should be a priority. Rescues are overflowing, and neutering also prevents uterine and testicular cancers as well as tumours, which are alarmingly common in unneutered rabbits and others.

With the arrival of spring and warmer weather, flying or crawling pests will arrive in quantity. They spread diseases (such as myxomatosis and RHD—now in 3 forms), cause skin issues (courtesy of fleas and mites), and also the dreaded myiasis (flystrike), thanks to the live flesh eating green bottle fly. So check your vaccinations and speak with your vet about the new 2024/2025 strain of RHD. 

Our Animal Medicines Advisor is on hand to offer advice on fleas and mites (cat/dog flea products must NOT be used on rabbits or other small animals) and can offer advice on flystrike prevention too

As foxes and other predators hunt more widely to feed their young, the risks to garden-based pets increase significantly. Never leave your little ones ‘out and about’ at any time of the year unsupervised, and ensure they reside within a predator-proof environment at all times. Don’t forget the risk from the sky is just as real as it is from the ground!

Sadly, there is usually an increase in hutch thefts at this time of year, so ensure your external enclosure is both securely locked and anchored so it cannot be broken into or just taken away.

Taking a few extra precautions and being aware of possible issues will help you and your little ones make the most of this wonderful season—and with even more sunshine due in the summer, it really is a wonderful time of the year!

And don’t forget, we’re here to help if you have any queries—we're only a call or a message away!