Does your rabbit get enough daylight to produce vitamin D?

Just been to the vets and was chatting and she said that many rabbits have a vitamin D deficiency (and therefore calcium deficiency as Vit D is required to absorb it) due to not enough daylight exposure and even outdoor hutch rabbits with that open bit at the front have been found to have low vit D and calcium in winter so is important for rabbits to go out in their runs/daylight even in winter months. This deficiency leads to dental and bone problems and is especially bad in house rabbits and buns that don't get out in runs/daylight enough. She said her garden is a bog in winter so hers have to go on the decking. She also said poor diet contriutes to this (I was commenting on how good the new Pets at Home rabbit feeding leaflet is) and that if more people knew how to feed rabbits properly then there would be a lot less illness in rabbits. In never knew about the Vit D/calcium things - Jiggy was a house rabbit for nearly 6 years before I got him - perhaps that explains his bad dental problems now.

Didn't know that they would have problems with this. I know humans need it and get it through contact with the sun on own skin (which is why some asian woman have a problem in this country in wintertime).

Mine are out every morning from about 8.00 am until it gets dark. So I think they get enough, but a really good post.

It's really interesting. I knew about the vitamin D being needed and maybe house rabbits not getting enough (I've had two house rabbits die quite young and have wondered if their lack of going outdoors contributed in some way).

Artie has had hardly any outdoor time in his life (he used to sunbathe through glass but I don't think that counts for Vit D), he does have a problem with calcium in his bladder that isn't diet related - I wonder if time in the sunshine would help him absorb it. He's seeing FHB next week, I'll try to remember to ask her about this. It really is interesting.

Thanks for that Rachel, really interesting post It's not something I've heard of, but am glad to know it. It'll a fine balance in winter between for housebuns getting cold and getting daylight.

I'm lucky that Berts loves being outside all weathers, and he goes out in winter for some of the day, but thank goodness we have a balcony, as without it, I don't see how he could get daylight.

Even when my buns go on the balcony they are pretty shaded. I'm planning on building them a big pen in my parents back yard so I can take them over there on sunny spring afternoons.

Oh no. Something more to be paranoid about.

Thanks for the info though!

brilliant post, thank you for making us aware of it. However, I don't think this will affect my bunnies as they are nothing but free-range outdoors so get more than enough Vit D in their systems!

George and Gemma haven't been outside since I have had them It just doesn't seem warm enough as they don't have the thick coats my outdoor buns have.

I so hope the weather picks up so I can put them in the garden. Am worried about them lacking vitamin D now.

My outdoor three have access to outside every day and are only shut in their hutch at night. I think they will be OK for vitamin D.

Something else to worry about with the indoor buns.

Oh No - another thing for me to worry about. Daisy hasnt been out for ages. He is refusing to go out since the cats from next door frightened him.

They come into our garden and look in the french windows at him....he is terrified. Since then he wont go out in the garden and hides under his sofa if we open the back door.

We have just invested in some 2m high willow screening which Im hoping will put the cats off coming in (they really are demons), but I suspect the damage is done.

Im not keen to make him go out there unless he wants to bless him but this has worried me.

I wonder if there is a supplement available I can give him?

ElleyMay wrote:
Oh no. Something more to be paranoid about.

EXACTLY what I thought

Although the cynic in me would like to say - humans need vitamin D. However the required amount of vitamin D is absorbed when you walk from your car to your house/work every day - you really only need a very small amount of sun exposure to meet the requirements.

So I would like to think bunnies don't need much if any at all.... both of mine are house bunnies, they get outide 3-4 days a week for 1-3 hours, but it is mostly shaded.

hmmmm

Interesting topic - I am sure that I have read some where that eating a variety of veg will ensure a rabbit has enough vitamin D

I will ask my vet about it again and get more detail when I see her on Weds. She has just done a 4 year postgraduate degree specialising in skin which is where I guess she learnt it from - some of the vets there have also just been on rabbit courses as well so they have the up to date stuff and some may have come from that. But from what she said rabbits need more daylight than humans - hence outdoor hutch rabbits with open wire fronts still getting low vit D levels in the winter if they are not out in runs as well. Will keep you posted on what I find out when I have full clarification/the ins and outs so don't worry in the meantime.

Could you ask her if she has something on-line that she can share with us about it, or has a ref. to other research? Not to put her advice to the test, but I'd like to see the research into it, as nutrition is more than an interest for me

Hiya - have spoke to my vet and she is going to try and find the article on the vet publication she was reading it in and do a copy for me for next weds.

Oh kool, that'd be great, Thanks Rachel

Hmm very good post! I have been thinking about this a lot as the weather has been getting better!

My two are house Bunnies! I live in a maisonette ground floor so I have a bit of land thats useable at the front of my house.. I would need to keep them supervised at all times tho... because of cats and stuff!

Just looking for a nice run at the mo.. that they can use for a few hours a day!
i dodn't know there could be issues with bones and stuff tho.. but thinking on it is fairly logical

Update: My vet has given me one paper article which I have yet to read and she is looking for the original one she had at home.

How fascinating.... in that case I am thrilled that Chance has taken a liking to the great outdoors. He suffers with dental issues.....