found rabbit

Question
I recent found a rabbit that had been injured, he is better now and we have decided to keep him, do rabbits needs shots like dogs, is there anything that i really need to do  to take good care of him. We got him a cage with a hutch and have been feeding him pellets and bananas. Can you bath them? Do they need vitamins? He is gray and weighs about 3 pounds, his eyes are black, do you know what breed he might be? I live in a very small town and our local vet said she doesn't know anything about rabbits and the closest vet who would is 125 miles away, does he need to go to the vet on a regular basis?

Answer
Hi Melissa

Rabbits don't need shots and generally only need one health check-up per year.  If they become ill or stop eating or have any other health issues they may need to be seen more often.  The best thing to do is to take him in for an exam so that you have a relationship with this vet that is 125 miles away.  Then if anything happens in the future you will already have an established relationship and they will know about your little guy.

It is impossible to say what kind of rabbit he is but if he is full grown he is probably a dwarf of some type.  Dwarfs generally don't get any bigger than 3 pounds.  If he isn't full grown yet he could be just about anything.  It is most likely that he is a mix of some sort.  I can't think of any breed off hand that is gray with black eyes.

He will also need a good variety of vegetables in his diet.  Most commercial pellets are ok and provide adequate nutrients but they are generally made for meat production animals and are meant to make a rabbit gain weight rapidly so they can be taken to market.  House and pet rabbits need a good mixture of safe veggies and some small amounts of fruit to maintain their health.

Here is a list from the HRS that talks about proper diet.

http://www.rabbit.org/care/index.html

Good luck and Bless you for taking in this little guy.  He most likely would not have made it without your help.  He is a very lucky little fellow.

If you need anything else please let me know.

Sincerely,

Pam