Flemish Giant lifespan

Question
Hi, I was wondering what you have found to be an average lifespan for purebred Flemish Giants. Do they typically live a shorter life due to giant size? I owned a pedigreed purebred Flemish male who passed away this week at only 2 years 4 months old. I know you don't discuss house rabbits per se, but I would very much like to know if pure Flemish are predisposed to any particular conditions, such as heart failure, etc? thank you

Answer
Hi Karen,

I'm sorry you lost your pet.  2yo is quite young for a Flemish.  Was he showing any signs of sickness before he died?

I've known Flemish to live to 10+ years.  A friend had a pet who died at 15.  The average lifespan would be around 5 - 10 years depending on it's genetic makeup and the conditions in which it was kept.

There are so many things that act as variables to a rabbit's life.  Was he over weight?  What was his diet like?  Did he get plenty of exercise?   Flemish are not prone to heart failure per se, but like any species it can happen and it can also be genetic.  

Do you know if any members of his family background were prone to short lives?  Was there a history of heart failure or any other organ complaint?

It's impossible to even guess at what the cause of your rabbit's death was and without an autopsy being carried out the chances of finding out are pretty slim.

The only complaint that Flemish and other giant breeds are predisposed to is sore hocks.  This is a disease that involves infected wounds that appear on the rabbits hocks.  These are usually caused by dirty cages and wire floors.  The giant breeds being heavier, put more weight on their hocks and since they are usually less hairy than their commercial bred cousins they get the sores.  This complaint is not normally fatal, but can cause immense pain from the abcesses that form and from the infected wounds and should be treated by a vet.  The only way this could be fatal is through blood poisoning or gangrene, but you would certainly know if your rabbit had either of those complaints. The symptoms would be extremely obvious.

In short, Flemish Giants are not predisposed to anything fatal that any other rabbit wouldn't get.  Like with any other living thing, sometimes it's just pure luck.  The most we can do for our rabbits is give them a good life while they are here and this includes: a good diet, a clean draught proof pen, plenty of exercise, veterinary attention when necessary and love and attention from it's human.  

Cheers

Hi Karen,

Thanks for the feedback.  My guess is that the eucalyptus would be the cause.  It's very toxic to just about anything. Even Koalas only eat certain species and then only younger leaves (toxins aren't as concentrated when young).

I hope you have better luck with your next Flemish, they are lovely animals.

Cheers!