A black and white Dutch Rabbit sitting in leaves with its paws up

Dutch Rabbit Insurance, Care and Health Advice

The Dutch rabbit, also known as the Brabender or Hollander, is a very distinctive breed. Their markings are bold and bright. All colours have a white blaze down their face, with white front feet, white neck, back and shoulders. If you’re looking for a Dutch to join your family, this breed guide will help you decide if it’s the right choice for you.

Dutch Rabbit Facts

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Type
Standard
Everypaw's breed lifespan icon
Lifespan
5 - 8 years
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Size
Small - medium
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Weight
2 - 2.5 kg
Everypaw's breed temperament icon
Temperament
Intelligent, sociable, playful
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Exercise
2 hours 2x a day
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Grooming
Low maintenance

Is a Dutch Rabbit Right for Me?

Dutch rabbits are a popular breed that’s gentle, calm and easy-going. They’re intelligent, affectionate, sociable and love to be around people. Because of all these lovely traits, they make great family pet rabbits. If you’re looking for a bunny that’s just as happy lounging on the sofa as they are playing with their favourite toys, then a Dutch should fit the bill.

A black and white Dutch Rabbit

Life with a Dutch Rabbit

The Dutch rabbit is well known for being very easy going with a wonderful temperament. Like wild rabbits they’re very sociable and enjoy living in groups in large open areas where they can run and play. Give your bunny lots of attention, and the space and time for plenty of exercise to make sure they’re happy and content.

Caring for Your Dutch

Like all rabbit breeds, the Dutch rabbit needs a diet high in fibre. This should include lots of high-quality fresh hay and grass. They also enjoy fresh vegetables and fruits. Some fruits can be high in sugar, so they shouldn’t eat too much. Fruit can be fed as an occasional treat! If your bunny is fed hay, grass and vegetables, they probably won’t need to be fed a dry rabbit feed.

But, if you do want to give them some mix or pellets, make sure you don’t overfeed them. This can lead to weight and other health problems.

Dutch rabbits have quite a short dense coat which doesn’t need much grooming. A quick groom once a week will help keep their coat in good condition. Grooming also helps you and your bunny to build a close bond. You can also take the opportunity to give your bunny a quick check over while you’re grooming them for signs of any health problems.

Keep an eye out for fleas and skin problems, check their eyes and bum are clean, and that their teeth or nails aren’t getting too long. If you start grooming your rabbit from a youngster, they’ll soon get used to it and will enjoy the experience.

Dutch rabbits are an intelligent breed so are quite easy to train, especially when it comes to house training. You can house train a bunny at any age, but if you start when they’re young, they’ll soon get the hang of it. With some positive rewards you can teach your bunny to do lots of things. Why not try teaching them to come to call, play fetch, spin, or give a high five!

Exercise is important for lots of reasons. It helps to keep your bunny fit and healthy and keep naughty behaviour at bay. Make sure your rabbit has lots of toys to play with, chew toys and places to run, play and hide. Spending time playing with your rabbit will help them get the exercise they need.

If you can let your rabbit have a run and play outside for a couple of hours twice a day, or even longer, they’ll be much happier and healthy for it. Make sure their outside enclosure is secure, so they’re kept safe from unwelcome garden predators. If you can stay outside with them, that would be ideal!

A fawn and white Dutch Rabbit in a garden

Dutch Rabbit Insurance

Everypaw’s Rabbit Insurance could be the ideal cover for your little bunny. There are 3 levels of Lifetime cover to choose from, so you can find the right level cover to suit you and your Dutch. £1,000, £2,000 or £3,000, it’s up to you.

Everypaw isn’t just there to help with vet fees, we’re also here for your Rabbit’s health, care and well-being too. If you every have any concerns, or just need a little advice, our Petcall vet team are available 24/7.

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Common Dutch Rabbit Health Problems by Vetstream

Like other breeds, the Dutch can be prone to some health problems. Rabbits commonly suffer from dental, eye and skin problems. We’ve joined up with veterinary experts Vetstream to help you spot any potential problems.

Dental Malocclusion happens when a rabbit’s top and bottom teeth don’t line up properly. Rabbit’s teeth grow continuously, so it’s very important that they slowly wear them down by chewing and gnawing. Wearing the teeth down happens naturally if the teeth line up properly. But, if they don’t, they can become overgrown. 

Rabbits with overgrown teeth will struggle to eat or drink properly. If your bunny suffers from Malocclusion, they will need to visit your vet for regular dental treatment. Your vet will gently file down the teeth under an anaesthetic. In severe cases, this might need to be done every 2-3 weeks.
 

Parasites are a common problem for all rabbit breeds. Luckily, both fleas and mites can be easily prevented and treated. Heavy flea infestations can be life-threatening for rabbits, so early detection and quick treatment is very important.

Prevention is easy using a rabbit-safe medication to reduce the risk of an infestation - cat and dog flea treatments can be fatal to rabbits, so don’t use those! Your vet will be happy to give you advice on the best treatment for your bunny.

Mites can cause itching and hair loss but can be treated with an injection or a spot-on treatment. Ear mites can be particularly troublesome, so make sure you check your rabbit’s ears regularly for any signs. Psoroptes cuniculi is a common rabbit mite that can irritate the lining of the ear.

If you notice any scabs or crusting inside your rabbits ear you should get your bunny checked out by your vet. Other signs of ear canker include headshaking, ear flapping and scratching. It can be easily treated with medication if it’s spotted early.

Rabbits have a particularly sensitive digestive tract. This is why they need lots of fibre in their diet. It keeps their gut moving. Gastric stasis happens when the gut stops moving or gets blocked. Illness, pain or stress can trigger this problem. Signs of stasis are gradual.

You might notice your bunny isn’t eating as much and is less active. They might start producing smaller droppings and less often. Eventually your bunny will stop eating and drinking, won’t pass any droppings at all and won’t want to move.

You might also notice your bunny grinding its teeth which is a sign of pain. Stasis is a very serious condition, so you MUST get advice from your vet straight away if you think your rabbit is suffering from stasis.

Snuffles is a condition that every bunny owner wants to avoid. It’s a term used for a rabbit suffering from runny eyes, runny nose and sneezing. It’s often caused by a bacterial infection and is common in bunnies that also have dental problems. This is because the tooth root lies close to the tear duct as it drains from the corner of the eye to the nose. If the tear ducts become blocked stopping normal tear drainage this allows bacteria to grow. 

Snuffles can also be triggered by the build-up of fumes from urine. It’s also thought that some types of wood bedding like cedar can irritate their eyes which could possibly cause snuffles too. If a rabbit develops snuffles, it’s usually a problem that they’ll suffer with for the rest of their lives. 

Prevention is the name of the game! Avoid any dental issues by providing your rabbit with a healthy, balanced diet, and make sure your rabbit's housing is well ventilated and cleaned twice a day. 
 

Quick Dutch Q&A

The Dutch rabbit is one of the oldest and most popular breeds of domesticated rabbit. It’s well known for its characteristic white and dark colour pattern. Despite their name, they actually originate from the UK and not the Netherlands like you might think!

In the 1600s rabbits were brought over from Belgium to England. Some of these were a breed called the Petit Brabancon. The Dutch rabbit originates from this Belgian breed.

Dutch bunnies have a pretty average life expectancy of around 8 years old. But, as with most rabbit breeds, they can live longer if health is on their side.

This breed doesn’t get too big. They usually grow to the size of an average rabbit weighing in at around 2.5 kg but can weigh more.

Yes! Dutch bunnies are very sociable and love other bunny and human company. They’re gentle, calm and easy-going, all traits we love from our bunnies.

That’s All You Need to Know About Dutch Rabbits

This popular bunny breed has a fantastic personality making them great family pets. They’re very sociable and love nothing more than running around the garden playing with their favourite toys. Exercise, a healthy diet and a quick groom every week will keep them looking and feeling great. But don’t forget to keep an eye out for common bunny health issues and call your vet if you have any concerns.

Content provided from Vetstream's Vetlexicon Lapis – www.vetlexicon.com/treat/lapis

Vetlexicon is the world’s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world’s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.

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