Rabbit Husbandry for Owners

Overview

Good husbandry is the cornerstone of rabbit health and it is vital that we fully understand how it can affect these delicate creatures. There is a direct correlation between husbandry and welfare which will be explored and explained.

This course will outline the current guidelines for correct husbandry for rabbits including diet and enclosures, and highlight what can happen when these standards are not maintained. It will also focus on the importance of companionship and stress reduction, and cover additional topics such as general handling, grooming and weekly at-home health checks.

The course materials, your course tutor, and the work you cover on the learning forums, will provide constructive advice, and offer tips and tricks along the way, ensuring you know what to do to provide the very best for your rabbit.

At the end of this course, you will have a greater understanding of the importance of husbandry and how to provide the best care for your pet.

This course is suitable for anyone over the age of 16 that has an interest in pet rabbits and has information that can be helpful for potential owners, current owners and veterinary staff. Ideally suited for people with novice and intermediate levels of rabbit knowledge, this first husbandry module provides the foundation information on rabbit care and will also be useful for anyone who wishes to work or volunteer with rabbits in the future.

Syllabus

Course topics covered include:

Purchasing a rabbit

The where, why and how of acquiring rabbits
Tips on how to discern a good from a bad seller
Questions to ask and warning signs to avoid.
We shall also discuss how to decide if rabbits are the right pet for you and why they are not cheap and easy to keep!
The importance of insurance will also be highlighted including what to look for in a policy

Diet and nutrition

An explanation of how the rabbit’s gastro-intestinal system works
An in-depth look into rabbit dietary requirements
The importance of crude fibre
The differences between commercial diets
The dangers of inappropriate foods
The importance of life stage diets
What ‘hindgut fermenter’ means, and the requirement for rabbits to eat their caecotrophs

Enclosures

Indoor and outdoor enclosures
Different set ups
Why the enclosures need to be a certain size
Types of enrichment
The problems associated with unsuitable enclosures

The importance of companionship for rabbits

Why it is vital that rabbits live in bonded, neutered pairs but this is not always easy to do!
The reasons behind them needing a buddy and highlighting why this should only ever be another rabbit and not another species
A brief introduction to behaviour and the importance of bonding (bonding will be explored more fully in a further module)

Stress reduction in rabbits

Why rabbits do not cope well with stress
The types of things that rabbits can find stressful
Some top tips on how to avoid rabbit stress

Handling your rabbit effectively and safely

Why it is vital that you know how to safely and securely handle your rabbits
How to get them used to being handled
A range of different restraint methods (including those which must be avoided)

Weekly at-home health check

Keeping a rabbit health diary
How to carry out a weekly health check, and the important health indictors to monitor

Grooming and coat care

Why it is very important that rabbits are trained to accept grooming from their owners or veterinary professionals.
The best tools to use for a range of breeds and conditions

Learning Outcomes

Resources

Course resources include:

Access to our flexible online learning environment for the duration of the course
Informative narrated lecture/s that can be viewed at any time, and as many times as you like
Interactive, tutor-guided learning forums, and tutor support through the course
Supporting materials, tools and ideas for assisting with and supporting your learning
A certificate of course completion
Access to the course materials for a period after the course
No set times that you need to be online

Course Summary

Course duration: 1 week (4 hours over 7 days)

Course type: Fully supported with interactive online tutor

Tutor: Jo Hinde-Megarity

Suitable for: This course is suitable for anyone over the age of 16 that has an interest in pet rabbits and has information that can be helpful for potential owners, current owners and veterinary staff. Ideally suited for people with novice and intermediate levels of rabbit knowledge, this first husbandry module provides the foundation information on rabbit care and will also be useful for anyone who wishes to work or volunteer with rabbits in the future.

£39.00

See what some of our past learners have said about this course….

“Loved the presentations and the guided discussions were brilliant.”

Emma Hussain

“Great content. Pretty much covered everything you could think of.”

Jen Little

Jo Hinde formed Lagolearn, the first rabbit specific company to provide training to veterinary professionals

Your Tutor

Jo Hinde-Megarity

RVN

Read tutor profile

Complete your purchase

Simply add the courses you wish to book to your shopping cart, also selecting the start dates of your choice. You will then be guided through the secure checkout to complete your purchase.

Fill out the registration form

Once payment is complete, you will receive an email asking for candidate details. Complete the form and submit. We must receive your registration in order to process your enrolment.

When do I start learning?

When you have successfully submitted your candidate registration, you will receive a confirmation message. You will be contacted prior to the course start date with information on how to join the VLE.

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