Rabbit Health Problems

We have kept rabbits for many years
and have a wealth of experience to share,
as well as some lovely photos of two of our rabbits,
who are still very active and healthy despite being 8 years old!

Your rabbits need to be examined for signs of ill health EVERY day. And you can't watch them and see if they are behaving differently if they are cooped up in a hutch all day!

Check:

that eyes are clear and bright, not runny or with a discharge

the nose should be twitching and not runny

the rabbit is acting normally and not "quiet"

the rear end should be clean

the rabbit is eating and drinking

Wild rabbits do not usually have a problem with overgrown teeth because they forage for the food that will help keep them worn down.

However a domesticated rabbit that is fed on soft food and does not have enough hay in its diet masy suffer from overgrown inscisors. In the worst cases the length of the teeth make it impossible to feed.

Teeth should be checked regularly to make sure they are wearing evenly and should be sharp. The top teeth should slightly overlap the lower ones.

Prevention: make sure your rabbit has enough abrasive food to feed on - hay is the best. Or you can feed it apple twigs or leave wood for it to chew on.

Cure: A trip to the veterinarian to have the teeth trimmed or filed.

Unless they are to be used for breeding,
rabbits should be neutered

Males to calm them down

Females so they do not have phantom pregnancies
and become aggressive

Burrowing in the wild helps to keep a rabbits claws naturally trimmed, but in domesticated rabbits, it is likely they will need trimming every few months.

If done at home, care has to be taken not to cut them too short and into the blood supply (quick), so the job may be best done at the vet's. The advantage of this is that the vet can give your rabbit a health check at the same time.

Prevention: Very difficult to prevent claws becoming overgrown

Cure: Cut the claw straight across using special clippers.

This ear problem may not be noticeable externally. If your rabbit is shaking its head constantly or scratching its ears, it should be examined for canker. The ear may also be inflamed.

As with any infection or problem, you are best to consult a vet to ensure the rabbit gets the right treatment.

Depending on the exact problem, the rabbits can be treated with a powder to get rid of any infestation but their hutch will need thoroughly cleaning and treating too, to make sure re-infestation does not occur.

Vaccinating your rabbits against Myxomatosis and Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (VHD) is very important

In some areas of the UK, where the incidence of Myxomatosis in the wild rabbit population is high, vets may recommend rabbits be vaccinated twice a year.

Myxomatosis is a potentially lethal disease. Over 90% of wild rabbits contracting the disease will die. Recovery is more likely in pet rabbits if given intensive veterinary treatment.

Myxomatosis is spread by direct contact and by insects including mosquitoes, ticks, mites, lice and fleas, which can all carry the disease.

Even if your rabbit doesn't come into contact with other rabbits it is still important to vaccinate. Insect carriers mean the disease can be transmitted over distances and even indoor rabbits are at risk.

Symptoms
The first indications are generally discharge from the eyes and swelling around the head and ears. Within a fews days the eyes maybe swollen shut.

Eating, drinking and breathing is made difficult by the swellings. Lumps or nodules may also develop. The rabbit may also get Snuffles.

The rabbit may die within a few days or several weeks. For those rabbits that do recover, the process may be very slow.

We do not get wild rabbits in our garden. However, we do have a dog who will chase wild rabbits when out walking - if she gets the chance.

The dog could pick up fleas from a rabbit with Myxomatosis and then pass the fleas onto our rabbits. Vaccination does not 100% guarantee our rabbits will not get the disease, but they have more of a chance of surviving if they do.

Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (VHD) was first reported in the UK in 1992. It is spread through direct contact between rabbits and also through contaminated surfaces such as bedding, hutches and clothing. This means both indoor and outdoor rabbits are at risk.

It can survive for 3 months at room temperature. The incubation period is 1-3 days and death usually occurs 12-36 hours after the onset of fever.

Symptoms
Symptoms can include high fever, lethargy, collapse, convulsions, paralysis, breathing difficulties, loss of appetite and bleeding from the nose. In approx 1 in 10 cases there are no obvious symptoms. The rapidness of the development of the disease means that the rabbit may die within 24 hours of becoming ill.

The moment you suspect your rabbit is sick you should take it to a vet. Rabbits are predated animals and they have evolved to stop feeding and allow themselves to die rather than become ill and then be caught by a predator.

This is the reason why when rabbits become sick they can deteriorate very, very quickly.

Prompt treatment by a Vet can make all the difference.

Snuffles is a highly contagious respiratory tract condition, similar to the common cold. The danger is that it may lead to pneumonia.

The most obvious symptoms are:

sneezing

a discharge from the nose

The minute you spot these signs you should isolate the affected rabbit well away from other rabbits and consult your vet. In severe cases, the use of anti-biotics such as penicillin may be effective. However, vets will usually use penecillin as a last resort as it can also cause problems in rabbits.

Constipation may simply be caused by a poor diet, which can be cured by feeding more vegetables.

Diarrhoea may be cured by not giving greens for twenty-four hours. Feed only hay and water.

However, if either of these problems are persistent, severe or combined with other symptoms, both conditions may indicate more serious illness and you MUST consult a Vet.

Flystrike in any animal is a nasty affliction that can be fatal. Yet the act of simply checking the rabbit every day can be enough to stop any potential problems before they take hold.

Flies lay their eggs in soiled fur under the rabbits tail and can be a particular problem for long haired rabbits. The maggots hatch out 12-24 hours later and burrow into the flesh.

Rabbits should be checked for this every day, twice a day in the Summer when flies are more of a problem.

E. Cuniculi is a parasite that is spread through the urine of infected rabbits. A rabbit may contract it at a young age from an infected mother or from cage mates or later in life from an infected companion, who has never shown any symptoms.

The parasite attacks the nervous system and major organs, causing a variety of symptoms including head tilt, liver disease, kidney disease, cataracts, incontinence, loss of function in the legs (back, front, or both), nystagmus (eye twitching), and/or other neurological symptoms.

Source: House Rabbit Network

E. Cuniculi can be diagnosed through a blood test but is often kept in check by a rabbit's immune system and many rabbits that test positive for E. Cuniculi never develop symptoms.

When symptoms do show then if it is caught early enough, Panacur worming treatment can destroy the parasite.

Symptoms to watch for
Symptoms include: head tilt, liver disease, kidney disease, cataracts, incontinence, loss of function in the legs (back, front, or both), nystagmus (eye twitching), and/or other neurological symptoms.

Source: House Rabbit Network

What plants are poisonous to rabbits?

Not all rabbits have the good sense to avoid eating poisonous plants!

Check this list to find out
which plants in your house or garden may be toxic for rabbits