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My parents have had rabbits since before I've been alive (35) years, but recently, they have been living shorter and shorter. My parents feed them a healthy diet, of organic vegetables, like carrots, kale, green stuff (i'm not exactly sure if it's kale, but it's something green, not lettuce), papaya pills for hairballs, and the rabbits are always at the vet. Their current remaining rabbit has been having tooth problems, and tehy remove a tooth today, and notice that she has throat cancer, and there's nothing they can do, so she's going to die pretty soon. I love the bunny, and all the ones in the past, but I'm so sick of these short life spans, and my parents have only been giving them healthier and healthier stuff. THeir longest living rabbit lived 8 or so years, and that was in the era of just rabbit pellets....
I don't want to see them get another rabbit and it dies after 3 years and spending thousands in vet bills besides the insurance they have..
I'd prefer them to get a cat. At least they live a while.
If your parents are set on having rabbits they may simply need a little education. It sounds like they are not feeding the rabbits properly. Rabbits need hay regularly. Also, there are certain vegetables, kale being one of them, that should only be provided sparingly or the oxolates build up and become toxic. The House Rabbit Society is a great resource...I learned a lot from them when I adopted my two rabbits. Here is a link to their page on diet:
Well, you could talk to them about a cat - but it is a very different animal to a rabbit.
I would suggest if they're going to buy/ acquire another bunny that they check out the parents of it and get a hardy breed of bunny as well.
I think it sounds like they've had bad luck - if the vet hasn't been able to suggest remedies then it's a fundamental problem with the rabbits in question.
If they have gotten all their bunnies from the same source I would absolutely recommend they don't get their next one from the same place.
I wish them good luck.
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