Giant Continental
Continental Giants are the largest breed of rabbit and originated from the Flemish giant in the 1980's as a meat rabbit. They gained popularity as 'house buns' due to their dog like size and docile personality. They can weigh between 7-10kg.
These big buns have now been bred as purely companion animals as they can get on well in homes with children and other animals. They are very bolshy in nature and can cause a lot of destruction simply due to their size and strength. Due to over breeding they tend to be either extremely chilled and confident or anxious and defensive with no in-between.
With this big bolshy bun comes a lot of care. What are their care needs?
Eyes - 'Cherry eye' which is the prolapse and bulge of the third eyelid is common in giants. Check the eye regularly for good eye health, drops may be needed to keep the eye moist. If the eye sags or the third eyelid gets any more pronounced, have their hearts checked as this can indicate the heart is struggling. Heart attacks and an enlarged heart is common so have the heart regularly checked, catching signs early can save their life.
Feet - These big feet can do big thumps! The pressure on their hocks leads to Pododermatitis so check the feet weekly for signs of sore hocks. Keep them on a surface with lots of rugs and provide large deep litter trays with straw and soft hay where they can rest their hocks. Early signs of Pododermatitis should be treated as soon as possible with antibacterial ointment, aloe gel and soft socks to allow healing. Further trauma to the hocks will require bandaging and more invasive medical treatment. Ensure the nails are clipped every few weeks short as long nails contribute to hock pressure.
Coat - With a thick, dense coat, this requires a lot of maintenance and brushing to prevent matting. Blow into the coat to check for any dry areas and remove undercoat using a comb when it is ready to come out. Tease out matts from the feet and along the sides of the tail. Check their bottom area and neck/chin daily for matting and or dirty areas which can be due to struggling to groom themselves.
Joints - With their size and weight comes more pressure on the joints. Avoid lots of stairs and ensure flooring is soft and grippy as soft surfaces can lead to joint pain and slipped discs. Broken bones are common so ensure no access to icy areas outdoors and always provide landing surfaces such as mats in front of litter trays and on top of hides, below hides. By age 2, arthritis is common so pain relief and anti inflammatories are vital in their later years. Plants which provide these herbal benefits can also be given lifelong.
Diet - This breed thrives on a mainly hay and fresh plant diet. Avoid giving starchy veg and wheat based treats as this can cause weight gain. These buns should not be excessively large carrying lots of fat as this can lead to further strain on their joints and heart. Keep them light and mobile and on a healthy diet. As they can be lazy due to their size, weight gain should be avoided. They do not require vast bowls of feed or more than a standard sized rabbit, they so however need an abundance of hay and grass. Offer plants from a young age that have heart and joint health properties and avoid masses of dry food or barley rings. Provide branches for gnawing on and lots of natural enrichment toys as they love to chew.
These big buns have now been bred as purely companion animals as they can get on well in homes with children and other animals. They are very bolshy in nature and can cause a lot of destruction simply due to their size and strength. Due to over breeding they tend to be either extremely chilled and confident or anxious and defensive with no in-between.
With this big bolshy bun comes a lot of care. What are their care needs?
Eyes - 'Cherry eye' which is the prolapse and bulge of the third eyelid is common in giants. Check the eye regularly for good eye health, drops may be needed to keep the eye moist. If the eye sags or the third eyelid gets any more pronounced, have their hearts checked as this can indicate the heart is struggling. Heart attacks and an enlarged heart is common so have the heart regularly checked, catching signs early can save their life.
Feet - These big feet can do big thumps! The pressure on their hocks leads to Pododermatitis so check the feet weekly for signs of sore hocks. Keep them on a surface with lots of rugs and provide large deep litter trays with straw and soft hay where they can rest their hocks. Early signs of Pododermatitis should be treated as soon as possible with antibacterial ointment, aloe gel and soft socks to allow healing. Further trauma to the hocks will require bandaging and more invasive medical treatment. Ensure the nails are clipped every few weeks short as long nails contribute to hock pressure.
Coat - With a thick, dense coat, this requires a lot of maintenance and brushing to prevent matting. Blow into the coat to check for any dry areas and remove undercoat using a comb when it is ready to come out. Tease out matts from the feet and along the sides of the tail. Check their bottom area and neck/chin daily for matting and or dirty areas which can be due to struggling to groom themselves.
Joints - With their size and weight comes more pressure on the joints. Avoid lots of stairs and ensure flooring is soft and grippy as soft surfaces can lead to joint pain and slipped discs. Broken bones are common so ensure no access to icy areas outdoors and always provide landing surfaces such as mats in front of litter trays and on top of hides, below hides. By age 2, arthritis is common so pain relief and anti inflammatories are vital in their later years. Plants which provide these herbal benefits can also be given lifelong.
Diet - This breed thrives on a mainly hay and fresh plant diet. Avoid giving starchy veg and wheat based treats as this can cause weight gain. These buns should not be excessively large carrying lots of fat as this can lead to further strain on their joints and heart. Keep them light and mobile and on a healthy diet. As they can be lazy due to their size, weight gain should be avoided. They do not require vast bowls of feed or more than a standard sized rabbit, they so however need an abundance of hay and grass. Offer plants from a young age that have heart and joint health properties and avoid masses of dry food or barley rings. Provide branches for gnawing on and lots of natural enrichment toys as they love to chew.