Netherland Dwarf Rabbits for Sale

We will cover all care on Netherland dwarf rabbits listed below

  • Netherland dwarf rabbits as pets.
  • ideal rabbit set up and cage, indoor vs outdoor.
  • best substrate/bedding to use and were.
  • Diet, what hay is best, what to feed, treats and what not to feed.
  • Environmental enrichment with hides, and chew toys.
  • Grooming.
  • Mineral and vitamin supplements.
  • Parasite control
  • Netherland dwarf rabbit vs Mini lop.
  • Hygiene
  • Set up check list.
  • Training
  • Health issues.

Netherland Dwarf Rabbit Breeder Sydney

pure netherland dwarf rabbits
Baby Netherland dwarf rabbits in our Petsville store

You may want to consider one of our adult rabbits re homers, we have been re homing rabbits arrive in store from time to time.  These rabbits can make a beautiful pet, as they are re homers the breed may vary, ask us in store if this is for you.  Our Netherland dwarf rabbits we have for sale in our Sydney store are usually about 7 weeks of age.  We will never sell a rabbit younger than this because they could still be suckling at this age.  If you purchase a rabbit that is too young you will need Rabbit milk replacer.  We stock this product at all times.

Netherland Dwarf Rabbits are the smallest pet rabbit available in Australia.  Our purebred Netherland dwarf rabbits typically weigh from 500g to 1.7 kg, which is a similar size to a large male guinea pig. Due to genetic dwarfism Netherland dwarf rabbits have large heads in comparison to their body.

showing the difference between mini mop and netherland dwarf rabbits
above are 3 Netherland dwarf rabbits, bottom left is 3 mini-lop Rabbit and bottom right is a brown Netherland and a black mini lop.
Netherland Dwarf vs Mini Lop

Mini lop rabbits are the second smallest breed of rabbit in Australia, averaging in size from 0.75kg to 2.5kg. Mini lops have large, floppy ears and are known for being the most docile breed of rabbit.

Netherland Dwarf rabbits are the smallest breed of rabbit in Australia, averaging in size from 500g to 1.9 kg. They have very small ears with an inquisitive nature.

In both rabbit breeds, correctly and consistent handling from early age will form a strong bond with their family. When fed a good quality diet and kept in clean enclosure, they grow up quite robust.

Both breeds litter toilet train very well and get along with other pets, like guinea pigs and birds. Some of our rabbit customers have their pets’ free range in the house. Some rabbits living well with cats and dogs. Rabbits, dogs and cats that live together will need to be socialized and supervised.

Rabbits live around 8 years and are hardly enough to withstand gentle cuddles from kids, just be careful with baby rabbits for the first couple of weeks, until they settle in.

Heat stress and too much handling

can cause injury or kill a baby rabbit. Rabbits can also be seen as a prey item, from other animals (wild and domestic).

The Netherland Dwarf and Mini Lop rabbit have the exact same diet requirements mentioned below.

Netherland Dwarf Rabbit and a baby chiahuhua
Well socialized dogs can become great friends with rabbits and be best friends.

Diet for Netherland Dwarf Rabbits

Netherland dwarf Rabbits should be given a high-quality brands rabbit pellets every day. We recommend our premium Petsville, Vetafarm, Selective, Beaphar or Peckish rabbit pellets. Its best to avoid other commercial brands of rabbit food, as they are often unhealthy and can contain harmful additives or waste foods.

We have chosen to stock these products, because they are high quality and great value.

Please make sure you don’t overfeed on pellets; we recommend no more than 10% of your rabbits’ diet should be pellets. Most rabbits will naturally do this, but if you have an overweight rabbit, reduce or make sure your rabbit isn’t eating too much.

Treat (including minimal fruit and veg) should be 10% of total diet. Do not overdo high sugary fruits or vegetables, like carrots. As sugar, even natural sugar isn’t very good for rabbits and can cause issues.

Leafy greens that should be 8% of the 10% treats, which includes, carrot tops, celery, Bok choy, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, spinach leaves, endive, Asian greens, parsley, dandelion, coriander, mint, basil, dill.

A small amount of fruit and root vegetables such as carrot, sweet potato, capsicum, and fruit. Yes, carrots are bad for rabbits if fed too much. Fruits are not necessary but if you do blue berries are one of the best for rabbits.

Legumes such as Lucerne, alfalfa or clover shouldn’t be confused as hay. Legumes should be fed as a treat part of your rabbit’s diet. This is because they contain a lot of sugar, protein, calcium and are low in fiber.

Do not feed the following to your rabbit – lettuce, cereal, avocado, onion, garlic, sugar, corn, beans, breads, sweets, chocolate, biscuits, grains, nuts and some garden plants can be toxic to rabbits.

Hay for Netherland dwarf rabbits
Petsville huge selection of rabbit hay, there is actually no wrong choices.

Rabbit hay for sale for our Sydney customers

Hay is an essential part of your Netherland Dwarf rabbit’s diet. This should be available to them at all times and is essential for their digestive system.

Do not confuse straw with hay, rabbits can’t live on straw as it has no nutritional content, straw is only bedding.

The Netherland dwarf rabbit diet needs to be consistent high in fiber and low in carbohydrate and sugars. Changes to the rabbit’s diet, should be made over a period of 2 to 3 weeks. This reduces the chance of digestive upset.

Rabbits as herbivores will graze up to seven hours a day and need a well-balanced plant-based diet.

Our Australian grown hay is world class and some of the best quality hay in the world. All hays mentioned are all high in fiber, but if you have an overweight rabbit you may want to switch to timothy.

At Petsville we stock every type of hay wholesale and there is no right or wrong choice for young rabbits. Some rabbits love variety and some are very picky.

Hay should make up 80% minimum of their total diet. Without the high percentage they will have health issues, as it is an important source of fiber that assists in digestion. Hay should be available for you rabbit all the time.

Never use old hay or hay from a source you do not trust.  Our hay has such a high turnover rate it never has a chance to be anything but fresh.

Recommended hay is oaten hay, meadow, rye and timothy hay or a blended mix of the above.  Don’t get court up in the marketing of overseas hay from the USA and other countries, as they need to gamma ray it with radiation on the way in and often spray it with sugary molasses to convince the bunny to eat it.

We have the best produce in the world right here in Australia and at Petsville we always have Quality Healthy fresh hay in stock for your bunny and a bonus of helping out Australian farmers.  Do not get hay and straw mixed up as straw is a bedding and has no nutritional value.  Hay should be 70 to 80% of the total diet.

Hay feeders Sydney

Below you can see various hay feeders, they are important as you don’t want your rabbit walking all over their food and getting it dirty and they will eat it out as they please.

various hay feeders for Netherland dwarf rabbits
Hay feeders, some of our enclosures come with hay feeders.

The best rabbit pellets.

Rabbit pellets should be 40% of the diet. Quality Rabbit pellets has essential vitamin and minerals that cannot be found in hay or vegetables alone.  Recommended pellets for Netherland dwarf rabbits are Vetafarm Rabbit origin, Selective rabbit pellets, peckish rabbit pellets and Petsville rabbit pellets.  We do stock the generic   Many large supermarket brands despite fancy packaging may be low grade and do not contain the daily requirements for optimum health.  If you are feeding a low-grade diet, we would recommend supplementing the diet with vitamins available in best small animal specialists.  There are some extremely overpriced brands, but these are not only the highest quality, but they won’t break your bank balance.

example of quality pellets for netherland dwarf rabbits
quality pellets to keep your netherland dwarf rabbit in top condition.

Quality pellets keep a Netherland dwarf rabbit in top health. Fruits, herbs and vegetables in moderation such as broccoli, mustard greens, apple, pear, Brussel sprouts, carrots, dandelion leaves, mint, dill, parsley, wheatgrass and pea pods.  Do not feed your rabbit lettuce.

Treats are a great way to build trust with your Netherland dwarf rabbit, this is also an excellent way to start training as you can teach your bunny to come when called.

Netherland dwarf rabbit treats
selection of treats of Netherland dwarf rabbits
indoor netherland dwarf rabbit enclosures
indoor rabbit enclosures

Netherland dwarf indoor enclosures with lots of ventilation and an enclosed base sold at Petsville sydney

Space allowances should be adjusted relative to the size of the rabbit, i.e., larger rabbits require more space than smaller rabbits and Netherland dwarf rabbits are the smallest breed of domestic rabbit in Australia and the world.

Netherland dwarf rabbit enclosures for outside
Outside rabbit hutches

Flooring should be constructed and maintained to minimize injury or distress to rabbits. Material should ideally be a solid non-absorbent board.  A plastic base or equivalent that is easy to clean and disinfect such as Vetafarm cage cleaner is recommended. Wooden or absorbent surfaces are not as affective for indoor rabbits.

Netherland dwarf rabbits
Pure bred Netherland dwarf rabbits and one white wooly jersey

Rabbit hutch cleaner is essential as it removes the sticky acid from the bottom of the enclosure.  This acid causes burns on the rabbit’s skin and can cause bad health of death not to mention very uncomfortable.  Rabbit hutch cleaner is always available at Birdsville \ Petsille

Enclosure/Hutch – please consult our Petsville staff in store on enclosure recommendations for a Netherlands dwarf. Both indoor and outdoor enclosure are available.

*Remember – there is no such thing as an enclosure that’s too big.

to show what netherland dwarf rabbits need on the floor of enclosure

Bedding for Netherland dwarf Rabbit

Bedding should be clean and dry. Recommended Substrate/bedding: In an outdoor hutch, straw is recommended. In an indoor enclosure’s straw, dust extracted sawdust, hemp or paper littler bedding are all very good options. Bedding depth can be around 5 to 15 cm.

salt lick for Netherland dwarf rabbits
Salt lick and mineral supplement

Salt licks and Minerals for Rabbits

Salt licks are important for digestion and is important if the food doesn’t contain enough minerals and salt.  This is hard to know the mineral content the pellets and hay contain so it’s safer to supply the salt lick as the rabbit will only use what it needs, and they last a long time.  Salt licks, mineral licks are great for rabbits’ health and well-being. Your rabbit will need this depending on the diet.  Generally, rabbits get most of the salt from hay, but it can vary depending on where the hay is grown and conditions. Salt and minerals are necessary for a rabbit’s diet, but it must be consumed in moderation, which luckily your rabbit will instinctively know when its body needs additional salt.

Vitamin supplement for rabbits

To add that extra bit of health and vitality, Petsville stock small animal vitamin drops that contain concentrated multivitamin and iron source. These supplements keep up their vitamin and mineral levels to keep your rabbit in top healthy condition.

Netherland dwarf Rabbit carrier | Sydney
We stock a huge selection of carriers suitable your bun.

Netherland dwarf suitable carriers

An essential for bunny owners, there are many different styles of carriers available, when choosing a carry cage make sure it will fit a Netherland dwarf rabbit when fully grown.  We recommend every animal Rabbit owner should have a carrier as they come in handy for vet visits, or if you bring them into us for nail clipping or boarding services every rabbit owner needs one for safe transport, also useful for bunny adventures or to hold during enclosure cleans. A cardboard box is not recommended, as they can chew through one very quickly.

Netherland dwarf rabbit toilet training

Did you Netherland dwarf rabbit’s toilet train very well.  Toilet training makes your life much easier.  Even better rabbits are one of the easiest animals to toilet train.  Netherland dwarf rabbits are actually quite clean animals.  In the wild rabbits will go in one area outside their burrow and this is part of the reason they are so easy to toilet train.

Netherland dwarf rabbit litter trays
Litter trays used for Netherland dwarf rabbits.

The litter trays are designed to go in the corner of the enclosure, this doesn’t matter if it’s an inside or outside enclosure. Use a different substrate that is absorbent than you use for the bottom of the enclosure.  This way the rabbit will identify this as an area to do its business.  At Petsville we have many options for this, popular options are hemp or cats best.  Our Netherland despite being a couple of months old are already starting to toilet train.  As the rabbit is learning and makes a mistake simply place the excrement into the litter tray.  The smell inside the litter tray will also encourage the bunny to go in the right place.  It is this simple to toilet train your bunny.

Grooming Netherland Dwarf Rabbits

Netherland dwarf bunnies are one of the breeds of rabbits that need the least amount of grooming, but they still need some grooming from time to time to remove dead hair, especially when molting.

Netherland dwarf rabbit grooming tools
grooming tools for rabbits at Petsville

Harness training: First thing you will need is a proper harness specifically for Rabbits, Petsville have a number of good quality Rabbit harnesses and leash’s arriving regularly. Never use a collar on a Rabbit.

Start by getting your rabbit used to wearing the harness and leash inside to begin with for a few minutes at a time. Then you can start leaving it on for longer, before you start using the leash indoors. Once they are used to indoor use, you can move outside. Never rush your Rabbit and have realistic expectations. Don’t make the walks too long or daily, just the occasional excursion to a nice grassy area. If you are going to public spaces with your rabbit, be aware of your surrounding and other animals.

Rabbit harnesses are very popular, Rabbits can use them much in the same way a dog can.  Rabbits will enjoy an adventure just like any animal.  Rabbits cannot use a collar like a dog as they would react poorly, but a harness specifically designed for rabbits will fit perfectly.  At petsville we have a variety available.

display of different toys for netherland dwarf rabbits
Rabbit toys, we have a huge selection for our playful customers rabbits.

Important Rabbit Note

Environmental enrichment (toys) keeps your rabbit entertained while you are away and while they are in their enclosure. It also helps prevent behavioral issue down the track, such as chewing and general bad behavior. It will help creates a tamer, friendlier and happier rabbit. Toys need to be rotated regularly so rabbit doesn’t get bored and if the rabbit destroys the toy, it means they like it and should be replaced.

Netherland dwarf rabbit beds and tunnels
rabbit tunnels and beds

This is a fraction of the variety of toys we stock, why??? because rabbits love to play and its very important for their health and wellbeing. Netherland dwarf rabbits should have a variety of different toys to keep their minds active and their teeth warn down. One of the most common issues with rabbits is overgrown teeth which can be easily avoided by supplying toys to chew and play with. Netherland dwarf rabbits are intelligent animals, and they love to play with them. We have such a large part of our store designated to just rabbit toys for a reason, rabbits just want to have fun. Toys also help to keep their teeth trim, which is very important, without toys it’s a matter of time before your rabbits’ teeth over grow and result in very expensive vet bills.

hides for Netherland dwarf rabbits
wooden rabbit hides

Hides and tunnels for Netherland dwarf rabbits.

Wooden hides are the best insulating hide for your rabbit, we do also have plastic hides which are cheaper, but the best is certainly the wooden style as they can also chew on them helping to wear down teeth. When choosing a hide make sure the rabbit can fit inside, as burrowing animals they do like to feel snug. They also love to run through and hide in tunnels. We have a wide variety of wooden and plastic hides. If unsure ask our Petsville team.

Worming:  A baby Netherland dwarf rabbit should be wormed 10 days after bringing them home, once they have settled into the new environment. Worming a rabbit too young or to soon after being moved to a new environment can upset their stomach.

An adult rabbit can worm straight away, even if it has already been wormed, just to be safe.

Rabbits should be wormed 4 times a year.

The common house fly is known to spread a large number of parasitic worms. This happens when a fly lands on another animal feces that maybe infected.  The fly can then fly through a window and lands on your rabbit’s water, food bowl, hay or on your rabbit and infects them.

This is the reason rabbits are regularly wormed and it will protect your rabbit, but also the whole family. Humans and other pets can get the same worms.
Worming your rabbit is easy to do, as it’s a solution that goes into your rabbits drinking water, a worming bottle comes with easy-to-use instructions on the label.

Mite, Mange & Flea: Rabbits are very susceptible to mites, mange & fleas. Spraying your animal with lice & mange spray every 12 weeks as a preventative is recommended, as they can be easily transmitted, even if you don’t have any other pets.

Mites and mange are spread by another animal and the common house fly.

Mites and mange spray is simply sprayed evenly on the animal avoiding the eyes, the bottle has easy to use instructions on the label.

Rabbits can also contract fleas and flea treatment can be purchased in store. This is recommended as a monthly treatment.

Netherland Bunny Hygiene

Rabbits live in such close contact with their litter and bedding these must be kept clean and free from toxins. Cleaning your rabbit’s enclosure regularly, with the right non-toxic cleaner, is essential to avoiding unnecessary health problems.

Ammonia in the fumes of urine causes irritation in the nasal passage which makes them more susceptible to infection. Rabbits, unlike other pets have a very acidic urine that will burn them and need a proper disinfect cleaner that is safe for small animals. These cleaners also remove the sticky acidic substance that will accumulate under the bedding. If it is left it will burn the rabbit’s skin. If your enclosure or rabbit gets stinky, you have left it too long between cleans.

Basic checklist of what you should have for a Netherland dwarf.

Quality Rabbit Pellets – Selective Junior (under 6 month), Selective Adult (over 8 months), Peckish, Rabbit Origins, Birdsville Small Animal Mix. We only stock the best.

Hay – Oaten, Ryegrass, Timothy, Pasture or Ryegrass. 70% of their total diet. It is an important source of fiber assisting in digestion.

Salt Lick / Mineral Block – essential for rabbits to have in their enclosure, just in case they are lacking any dietary imbalance and need extra salts or minerals. Rabbits will only use them when they are needed.

Treats – great for training and rewarding your rabbit.

Hay Feeder – helps keep your rabbit hay fresh and prevent it from getting soiled.

Drink Bottle – these guarantee your rabbit has clean water all day long, that has not been pooed in or be tipped over.

Bowls – for pellets and fresh veggies, they need to be not too high and heavy, so they won’t be knocked over.

Litter Tray – for toilet training, need an appropriate size litter tray for your rabbit when it is full grown.

Litter – wood or paper pellet litters are the best and the safest for is rabbits litter trays. The litter in the tray need to be different from the substrate used in the enclosure, so the rabbit can differentiate from the two.

Toys – rabbit are very social and love to lay. A minimum 4 – 6 appropriate toys for chewing, throwing, rolling and general playing is a must.

Hide – a small safe place for your rabbit to hide. These can range from tents, pouches, and hides and are made from a variety of materials and in different sizes. When choosing one, keep in mind how big your rabbit will grow too.

Substrate – straw, sawdust, paper pellets, mini hemp, oz hemp, wood pellets or Kaytee litter. Do not use hay (food) for substrate as it could lead to sickness.

Hutch Cleaner – CSI, Vetafarm, F10 and Aristopet are all rabbit safe, nontoxic disinfectant to remove sticky acidic urine and feces from enclosure. Normal household disinfects can be quite toxic to rabbits.

Wormer – Worming treatment needs to be completed 10 days after bringing your rabbit home and then repeated every 3 months for internal parasites. Simple to use just follow the directions on the bottle.

Mite & Mange – Mite & Mange treatment need to be completed 10 days after purchase and repeated every 3 months to prevent external parasites. Simple to use, point and spray avoid rabbits’ eyes – directions also on the bottle.

 What you may like to consider:

Enclosure stand – stands are available for some indoor enclosures, these are great to lift the enclosure off the ground, to an easy level to interact with your pet.

Spare bowls (food & water) – swap bowls, if normal one gets dirty and need a soak (easy cleaning) or to add an addition food.

Vitamins – vitamins are need when lower quality food is being feed or as a top up to the diet.

Rabbit shampoo or dry bath– occasional you may need to bathe your rabbit. Human and other animal shampoo are too acidy on a rabbit’s sensitive skin. We stock Rabbit shampoo & rabbit dry bath.

Treat & Veggies Holders – an additional way of suppling treats and veggies that can make them more interacted for your rabbit and keep them off the ground, reducing waste.

Harness & Lead – added safety when outside with your rabbit from predators and to prevent rabbit from running off. Harness training does take a little time and should never expect your rabbit to take to it straight away.

Bed – For the luxurious Rabbit who likes comfort.

Tunnels – great for rabbits to run through, play and hide.

Play Pen – allows an extra safe place outside their enclosure for indoor and outdoor use.

Synbiotic / Probiotic – Can boost immune system, support digestive function when use daily.

First aid – Spark, Triple C, F10 barrier ointment and heat lights are a few things that can be kept on hand in case of an emergency.

Vaccination/de-sexing Netherlands Netherland dwarf Rabbits

Many vets will recommend vaccinating your rabbit at 12 week of age and to keep it indoor or covered with mosquito net until this is done.

Please talk to your vet about de-sexing your rabbit at the vaccination visit.

There are some new vaccines out now, where you can vaccinate straight away, check on your local vet.

Desexing can also make toilet training rabbits easier.

Teeth Health: Rabbits teeth grow constantly throughout their lives, so having hard wooden toys are very important to wear their teeth down. Overgrown teeth in rabbits are not only painful for them but become an expensive vet bill as vet treatment is the only solution.

Rabbits need toys to chew and the proper high fiber diet to stop their teeth from over.

Handling Netherland dwarf Rabbit

While handling rabbits always support the bottom and hold with 2 hands.

When you first bring your new rabbit home, it is a stressful period for them. Give them a day or two to get use to their new environment. When your rabbit has started to eat and drink, you can start to handle him.

Gently handle regularly, in short intervals, giving the plenty time to rest.

Rabbits can kick, so it’s’ important that they are not dropped causing injury or leading to death. Rabbits in a new home will likely be a bit stand-offish, so it’s important to do plenty of gentle handling to get the rabbit to become used to you and your scent.

Never hold your rabbit by the ears.

Training Netherland dwarf rabbits

Understanding sight, touch and smell is essential before training.

Rabbits are very social intelligent. With understanding and the right approach, you can train them quite easily. Sadly, many people fail to train them, because they have adopted the wrong approach and do not understand the nature of rabbits.

Firstly, you need to understand how a rabbit views and smells the world. As a prey animal, rabbits have eyes on the side of their head. You may notice them bob or move their head around when you approach, this is your rabbit’s way of getting a better view of you.

Rabbits have poor eyesight when looking ahead straight, they can see 360 degrees. This is so, in the wild, they need to be able to run and hide from a predator approaching from any direction.

A rabbit’s sense of smell and whiskers are used to detect anything in its immediate environment more so than sight. A dog will see the treat where a rabbit will smell and feel a treat. Placing treats right under the rabbit’s mouth and nose.

Before touching or patting your rabbit you need to calmly let the rabbit see and smell you, this will greatly improve your bonding allowing your rabbit to be calm as this will verify that you are a friend and not a predator.

Once you have been verified, then give your rabbit a treat and give your rabbit plenty of cuddles and snuggles, as they love affection once they feel safe.

Devoting a little time every day to training your rabbit will get best results. 2 sessions a day of at least 5 minutes of training your rabbit using your rabbits’ Favorite treats.\

Petsville have a huge selection of rabbit treats.

Have an organized area that you want the training and behavior to occur.

For example: If you want your rabbit to leap onto your lap when called.

Step 1 – Give your rabbit a reward every time it comes to you.

Step 2 – When it’s mastered step 1, give the rabbit a reward when he comes to you and stands up with his front legs on your legs.

Step 3 – When it’s mastered step 2, give your rabbit a reward when it reaches even higher.

Step 4 – When it’s mastered step 3, encourage him to jump into your lap for his treat.

Always make sure you give your rabbit a treat immediately when your rabbit has performed what was asked.

If you give your rabbit a reward when they have done something else that you have not asked, then you will be re-enforcing the wrong behavior. Always use the same commands so your rabbit doesn’t get confused, such as sit, stay, come or up. As rabbits love affection it’s good to add praise when they are receiving their treat.

Some people use clicker training, Petsville have clicker trainers in stock almost always.

As your rabbit gets better with following instruction you can reduce the amounts of treats, but it is always good to continue treats from time to time to re-enforce the desired behavior.

General care and grooming: Rabbits have beautiful fluffy coats and should be brushed once a week. As they grow, they will gradually lose their baby fur and acquire an adult coat. It’s recommended to groom with a wire brush to remove patches of fur when they molt.

You may want to give your rabbit a bath from time to time, make sure you only bath them with rabbit safe shampoo that has the correct PH, as human, dog and cat shampoo can harm their sensitive skin.

Health issues or changes in your Rabbit

If you ever notice a change in behavior, appearance, off their food, quiet, lethargic, wheezing, runny nose, runny eyes, drooling, skinny you need to take act.

    • Hairballs: Rabbits ingest fur as they groom themself and hairballs can accumulate in the stomach, which can cause gastrointestinal stasis. Avoid this by making sure rabbits have a high fiber diet with quality hay mentioned above. The fur should have no problems passing through the digestion tract. Regular brushing will help avoid this problem.
    • Loneliness: A scientific study has shown that lonely rabbits are more likely to die and live a much shorter life, so give your rabbit lots of affection and love. Even if you have a rabbit that doesn’t like to be touched, they still will love out of the cage time and space to exercise. Also provide them with plenty of toys to entertain themselves.
    • Fly Strike: Not common in Australia but can affected outdoor rabbits. It is a condition where flies bite the rabbit making it uncomfortable and itchy. Fly’s may also lay eggs, developing into maggots inside the wound. This can be prevented and Petsville stocks a product to get rid of fly’s that is animal safe or bringing your rabbit inside.
    • Overgrown teeth or claws: If you follow our guide on diet and toys its very unlikely you will have issues with teeth. Our Petsville team can check your rabbits’ teeth and claws if you ask us. We offer a rabbit nail trimming service 7 days a week in our Petsville store. Teeth correction must be done by a vet. Overgrown or crooked teeth can be cause by trauma, poor diet or a lack of toys for your rabbit to chew on.
    • Coat dandruff or fur loss: a sign your rabbit has mites or less commonly fleas. A regular mite, lice and flea treatment will prevent this, mentioned above.
    • Weight loss: Could be caused by the above overgrown teeth or a whole host of reasons including cancer, neurological disease, starvation, trauma, stomach ulcers, injury, kidney failure, tumors, dental disease, poisoning, respiratory disease to name a few.
    • Sore hocks: sore feet or underside can happen from unsuitable flooring or not using small animal cage cleaner as the acid from a rabbit’s urine can burn them underneath.
    • Head tilt: can happen from a stroke or a protozoan infection, trauma, cancer, intoxication from consuming something that hasn’t agreed with them. The good news is with proper treatment many rabbits with head tilt can go on to lead a long and happy life.
    • Difficulty breathing also known as the snuffles. Us not a cold, as rabbits do not get the human cold. Signs of the snuffles is wheezing (respiratory infection) with runny eyes the discharge can be white in color and jelly like.
    • Diarrhea or soft poo: Sometimes what looks like diarrhea could actually be loosely formed cecotropes. Cecotropes are not feces, but are rabbit made nutrients that your rabbit eats. It may seem gross to us, but this is normal for rabbits. The cecotropes are produced in the cecum in between the large and small intestines. By consuming their poo, rabbit can extract vitamin B from the cecotropes, which they are unable to produce themself. Loose cecotropes looks like smelly, mucous poo and clings to their bottom or tail. Unfortunately, this can make them difficult to eat and un-appealing for the rabbit. Loose cecotropes can be caused by change in diet, a diet too high in carbohydrates, too low in fiber, too high in fiber, too much water–rich vegetables, too much sugar-rich fruit and veg or too much grain. Diarrhea could be the other reason. Diarrhea can be a worry and can lead to dehydration, diarrhea has a number of causes including but not limited to change of diet, improper diet, stress, too many pellets, viral, antibiotics, bacterial, parasitic, fungal, metabolic diseases, Human borne digestive viruses and bacteria and insufficient fiber. A product called Herbivore crittacare helps support a sick or injured rabbit, we do stock this product at all times.
    • Sudden Death Syndrome – Small animals are more susceptible to sudden death syndrome. There are many reasons why this can happen including but not limited to fright, being spooked, heart attack, stroke, nightmare or nightfright.  Often when an animal that has passed of sudden death a full necropsy report from a vet will come back showing no reason as to why the animal has passed.  Sudden death can occur with any animal especially small ones. Unfortunately, one cannot guarantee life of any creature tomorrow as it is a living being and not a toaster.  By following this full page, you have the best chance possible in keeping your pet happy and healthy.

If you are not sure how to tell what a healthy rabbit looks like and unsure how to perform a visual health check, we will happily show you. Please bring your rabbit into Petsville and wait at the front counter near the entry. We do not charge to do a visual health check, as this is a great skill set for any rabbit owner to have and can increase your ability in spotting if your rabbit is not 100%.

How to Visual Health check on Netherland dwarf rabbit

A rabbit visual health check starts with a pat from the rabbit’s head to tail. If you feel ribs and bones, then the rabbit is skinny and that is a big red flag. Also, check your rabbits’ eyes, nose and mouth, there should be no discharge or mucus coming out of any of them.

We do stock some basic medications, but we are not vets. We have been dealing with rabbits for a long time and are our team are skilled in doing visual health checks.

Antibiotics for rabbits should only be prescribed by a vet for rabbits. We also have a list of vets listed at the bottom of this page, as they can do a whole series of tests to pick up something for a rabbit that is asymptomatic.

Please be aware our animals are not DNA sexed. Whilst we may give our expert opinion on the sex of a bunny to the best of our ability, and we are pretty good at it.  We also are happy to show/educate you how we sex our rabbits as well, but please remember this is not a guarantee, as young rabbits can be hard to sex.

 

Boarding is available throughout the year, please go to petsvillehotel.com for all bookings. Click on link for details on Rabbit Boarding

Don’t hesitate to come and see us in store if you have any concerns, or question and bring you rabbit for us to see.

Netherland Dwarf breeder Sydney

Our private Breeders source the highest quality rabbits, our goal is to supply our customers with quality well natured rabbits that are true to the breed.  Our breeders work with us to make sure that the stock as a high genetic diversity so there is no inbreeding to produce healthy kit or kittens as possible.  All our livestock, we recommend always getting a health check. An experienced vet completes your rabbit’s health check and vaccination should be discussed at this time.  Our Netherland dwarf come with a free health check at approved experienced veterinarian.

Are you ready to be a Rabbit Guardian?

Recommended Vets in the Sydney area

SASH

Small Animal Specialist

Hospital 02 (9190 6806)

Level 1, 1 Richardson place North Ryde

 

The Wild Vet

1300 9453 838

22A Bridge Road, Glebe

 

SERV

02 9436 4884

57-63 Herbert St Artarmon

 

Southern Cross Vet

02 9516 0234

60 Princes Hwy, St Peters

 

Carlingford Animal Hospital

02 9871 6036

772 Pennant Hills Road Carlingford

Birdexoticsvet

995 Bourke Street waterloo Sydney NSW 2017