Would a bunny bite my little girl?
QMy six-year-old daughter desperately wants a rabbit. Are they suitable pets for children? I heard they can bite and are difficult to look after.
ARabbits are generally thought to be unsuitable as a pet for children, particularly at your daughter’s age. Unfortunately, young children often do not know how to handle them or properly care for them.
As a result, many suffer from poor nutrition, inadequate accommodation as well as health and behavioural problems.
Rabbits are prey species and don’t like being picked up. Children often drop them, causing injury, and they will bite and scratch if frightened.
In the wild, rabbits live in large groups in warrens underground, spending up to 13 hours there.
Of the time they are above ground, 30-70 per cent is spent grazing. They have large ranges too – between 4,000 and 20,000 square metres of grassland.
It is very difficult to provide a comparable lifestyle when they are kept as pets. As a result more than 80 per cent of rabbits in the UK live in miserable accommodation, meaning a solitary hutch that is too small.
Additionally, around half live in solitary confinement, which for highly social animals like rabbits is cruel. They need at least one bonded companion.
Finally, about a third are still fed muesli-type diets, which, again, are totally unsuitable.
These are not insoluble problems for dedicated owners and there is a very good website about rabbit welfare from the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund, providing comprehensive advice.
Visit rabbitwelfare.co.uk.
My one-year-old female bulldog is snoring more than usual lately and it seems to be worse when it is hot and muggy. Can I do anything to help her or does she need to see a vet?
AYou can help in the short term but she will need to see a vet, and quite possibly a specialist too, especially if signs of breathing difficulty are occurring while she is awake. Many owners of brachycephalic (flat-nosed) dogs seem to accept that snoring is what they do.
While it might not be too serious when the dog is asleep, continuous noise warrants investigation. Many flat-nosed dogs have a condition known as brachycephalic airway obstructive syndrome (BOAS). This is a result of breeding over many decades, selecting for a flat face with folds of skin.
Although many people like the appearance of these dogs, their health is frequently severely compromised.
Dogs with BOAS have various congenital defects including narrow nostrils (try breathing through a pinched nose) and an overlong soft palate that intermittently will obstruct the airway.
These problems can in time lead to collapse of the larynx, and many severe cases also have a windpipe that is too narrow. Specialist surgical procedures aim to improve the quality of life as far as possible. Keeping your dog cool in a well-ventilated room during the day will help short term.
Please note, though, that BOAS dogs are extremely susceptible to heat stroke and should not be exercised outside on sunny days.