Nice Weather - Can Be Nasty for Rabbits | Seasons | Rabbits

By now all thoughts of winter have faded into the distance and balmy evenings are spent by the barbeque. The conversation quickly turns to who has recently emigrated to Australia, and to sport. Amongst all the fun there are a few things to do to make your rabbits’ lives better.

During the summer it's important to make sure that your pets are cool, have ample water, and aren't at increased risk of fly strike

Your rabbit may well have a good amount of grass in its diet already but if it doesn't, make sure you introduce it slowly. A sudden change in diet can make itself all too apparent by giving your rabbit diarrhoea.

Make sure that you check your rabbits twice a day in the summer heat. Apart from the usual daily and weekly routines try to check their body from end to end twice every day for any unusual signs. In particular, thoroughly clean any faeces that has collected around their rear end, as a dirty behind can leave rabbits susceptible to flystrike - flies, especially greenbottles can be a very nasty parasite. They lay their eggs and within a matter of hours they will hatch into larvae. Not too bad so far, but... after a few days they will start to feed on your rabbit by burrowing into the skin. Clean your rabbits’ lavatory each day. If your rabbit and housing are clean then a rabbit's natural grooming habits will go a long way to stopping this problem.

Check the rabbits’ water supply daily. Not only will your rabbits drink more but it will evaporate as well, so extra vigilance is needed.

Shade. Position the shade so that the rabbits have an area of shade outside for midday lounging.