Rabbits are very hardy creatures and provided the basics are attended to then they rarely fall ill. Good food, fresh hay and regular exercise are usually all that are required to maintain a healthy rabbit. Keep the rabbit’s environment clean and dry and observe what is normal behaviour for your rabbit. As prey animals, rabbits very often do not show symptoms until in the advanced stages of an illness. Very often the only indication of a problem is a change in the animals behaviour, which you will only notice if you observe your rabbit(s) on a regular basis.

As with all animals things can go wrong and most rabbits at some time will suffer from the odd minor ailment. Below are a list of the most common ailments suffered by rabbits. The list is not exhaustive though and new topics along with photographs will be added on a regular basis.

PLEASE NOTE: I am not a vet and any information given below merely reflects my own experience and knowledge. Should you have any doubts please consult a vet or at the very least an experienced, knowledgeable breeder.

Eyes

Eye infections in rabbits are not all that common although they can suffer from a running eye due to a number of factors. As it could be one of a number of causes it is a good idea to eliminate all other possibilities before beginning treatment. If the rabbit is sitting in a draught then it will often get a running eye. Bathe the eye with cooled boiled salt water and move the rabbit to a draught free location.

Occasionally a piece of hay or a shaving may get stuck in the eye. If you can see it then remove the object, bathe as above and apply a drop of eyecream (this can usually be bought over the counter at the chemist). The old fashioned Golden Eye ointment is very good for this.

A diet high in protein (usually a pellet brand) can occasionally cause a running eye(s) so try a lower protein mix and see if this makes a difference.

A more serious problem is if the tear duct becomes blocked. This will require anaesthesia and flushing out by a vet. The cause of the problem should be ascertained as merely flushing the tear duct out will not prevent it from re-blocking.

If the above have been tried and the problem persists then it could possibly be a problem with the back teeth. If these are overgrown or have developed spurs then they put pressure on the underside of the eyeball causing it to water. A vet should be able to advise whether this is the case and offer possible treatment. Be advised that once the teeth have started to overgrow or have developed spurs they will need trimming/filing down by a vet on a regular basis.

Lumps

These are usually attributed to either bites (usually from another rabbit or guinea pig) or abscesses. Bites must be kept clean, dry and disinfected with a suitable antiseptic. Severe, deep puncture wounds may require antibiotics and the occasional stitch. Abscesses should be emptied (if it is very advanced you may need to lance it. You can get a vet to do this for you), disinfected and kept dry. Wound powder can be bought at many pet shops and can be used to keep the wound clean and dry.

Diarrhoea

You should remember that rabbits pass two types of droppings. Hard, round ones that you will see all the time in the hutch and soft, stronger smelling ones (usually passed at night) which are not fully digested and are re-eaten by the rabbit. If you see these they are nothing to worry about and shouldn’t be removed as the rabbit obtains protein and vitamins from them. Sometimes the rabbit may sit in the soft droppings and you may find a hard mass stuck to the underside of the tail which will have to be gently pulled off.

Over feeding the rabbit can cause it to produce an excessive amount of these soft droppings that it cannot eat. In this case the food should be reduced and more hay introduced. An overweight rabbit often has trouble reaching its behind to eat these droppings and you may notice an increasing amount of them in the hutch. The nutrition contained in these is essential to the rabbit and so the animal should be slimmed down to prevent this happening apart from the obvious factor that an overweight animal is not a healthy animal.

Mild diarrhoea does not look like the soft droppings mentioned above as these droppings generally look like bunches of grapes in shape. Often stress, a change in diet, moving to a new home etc may trigger off mild diarrhoea. Too much green food that the rabbit isn’t used to may cause loose droppings. All of the above are easily treated by providing more hay and fibre, reducing green food in the diet temporarily, feeding food that the rabbit is used to and avoiding stress. A few drops of kaolin can be given and try to temp the rabbit with some high fibre foods and cereals. The feeding of astringent plants such as strawberry leaf can be beneficial.

 

Severe diarrhoea caused by coccidia can be caused by an intestinal parasite known as Eimeria spp.which can be picked up from mum, contaminated food and water or from faeces on the hutch floor. The incidence is increased by stress, overcrowding in the hutch and poor sanitation. A preventative treatment twice a year is a good idea. Symptoms include severe diarrhoea, swollen belly, sloshing sound heard if the rabbit is gently shaken and resting the feet in the water bowl. If treatment is not given the animal will die. Sulphur based drugs will help to reduce the number of organisms and scrupulous hygiene is need to eradicate the eggs from the hutch and prevent cross contamination.

More severe diarrhoea requires immediate attention. It is advisable to seek the attention of a vet if you are not experienced in dealing with this condition. If this is not possible (e.g. it is the middle of the night) you will need to start treatment yourself. Getting fluids into the rabbit is VITAL. Rehydration sachets such as those available for children with diarrhoea are ideal. Make them up as indicated and for every kilo of body weight the rabbit must have at least 50ml of fluid every 24 hours plus extra for all that it loses in the diarrhoea. Kaolin and morphine can be given in small amounts.

Should there be any jelly produced either on its own or with the diarrhoea then this is a sign of mucoid enteritis and is very serious and needs veterinary attention IMMEDIATELY. The abdomen will become very swollen, jelly will be produced and as above a sloshy sound can be heard. As above if you are unable to obtain veterinary treatment immediately then the following treatment for bloat can be attempted. Please be advised that at his stage the prognosis is poor. Stress, poor sanitation and over crowding can contribute to this disease. It is very common in pre-weaned and post-weaned rabbits and as yet no specific cause has been isolated.

 

 Bloat / No Droppings / Off Colour

If the rabbit looks off colour and is not eating then this must be attended to at once. Examine the rabbit and its surroundings for any sign of a possible cause. Try to temp the rabbit to eat with its favourite vegetable/treat. If you are unable to ascertain what the problem is then take the rabbit to a vet. A rabbit should not be allowed to go for longer than a day without eating as this is a sign of something more seriously wrong.

If the rabbit is not passing any droppings and feels a little bloated then this is very serious and again if not experienced in such matters veterinary attention should be sought immediately. This happens when something causes inflammation of the gut and for various reason the entire gut stops moving. If this is not re-started as soon as possible then the outlook is poor and the majority of rabbits exhibiting advanced stages of these symptoms will die. A blockage (possibly a furball) may be the cause and once this gets to an advanced stage this will need surgically removing. Long haired or fluffy rabbits should be regularly groomed to remove excess hair so the rabbit doesn’t swallow it when grooming itself and a high fibre diet provided to keep its gut healthy. If you suspect the beginning of a furball (fur can usually be seen in the droppings prior to other symptoms) then provide plenty of fibre and give pineapple juice with a little laxative (such as lactulose or hairball remedy) to help break down the mass and pass it. Exercise and a high fibre diet along with thorough grooming will prevent the re-occurrence of a hairball. If any other object causes the blockage then this will need surgically removing (after confirmation by an X-ray).

Shorthaired rabbits in general do not get furballs and the problem is generally down to something else. Once the gut stops moving the rabbit becomes lethargic and stops eating and drinking. Without intervention it soon become dehydrated which makes it feel even less inclined to eat or drink and death will soon follow. The gut contents will dry out and the rabbit will at this stage be in considerable pain and will sit in a corner hunched up with its eyes half shut possibly grinding its teeth. Tooth grinding is an indication of pain and immediate veterinary attention should e sought as certain drugs are needed to re-start the gut, rehydrate the rabbit and ease the pain.

Again if you are unable to get to the vet straight away you should make every attempt to rehydrate the rabbit, try to get it eating and make it exercise. If the rabbit refuses to move then gentle heat and massage may help ease the pain and mobilise the gut. If the rabbit is unwilling to eat then try the following:

Vegetable based baby food (or pureed veg or veg juice), laxative, pineapple juice, high fibre pellets soaked in water. Baby colic remedies and gripe water are also helpful in relieving gas.

Heat Prostration

Also known as heatstroke.

Rabbits can tolerate very cold temperatures but are not so adept at dealing with the heat. Primarily because they have a fur coat and also because in the wild they would just retreat down a burrow into the cool. Overweight, pregnant or lactating does and long haired rabbits are more prone to heatstroke. To avoid this situate the hutch in a cool shaded location and always ensure the rabbit has fresh drinking water.

Symptoms: quick breathing (possibly panting), drooling, lying stretched out with no attempt to move, wetness around the mouth and nose

Treatment: Submerge the rabbit in lukewarm water (not cold as the shock can stop the rabbit’s heart). Syringe cool water into the rabbits mouth and move the hutch to a more suitable location. The use of a fan in sheds can also be useful.

Vent Disease

Also known as syphilis

This is very different to hutch burn which is merely inflammation of the vent region due to sitting in soiled shavings. This can easily be treated by keeping the hutch clean and dry and bathing the area with a mild disinfectant and applying a topical antiseptic.

Vent disease is actually a sexually transmitted disease (can be transmitted through mating and kindling) caused by a bacteria the most common being Treponema cuniculi. This is very similar to cold sores in humans with regard to how it is spread and carried in the bloodstream. It is a very contagious disease and is easily spread so always check animals thoughrily when purchasing (although they may still carry it without showing symptoms) and before mating.

Symptoms: Red swollen vent with blister like swellings or may have crusted over to give scabs. These may be seen in the nose, mouth and paws where the rabbit has cleaned its vent and spread the bacteria.

Treatment: Penicilin topically will clear up the sores but will not eradicate the bacteria from the bloodstream. The rabbit will still carry the disease and it will re-appear when ever the rabbit is under stress, when mating or kindling etc. To totally eradicate bacteria penicillin injections are required on a weekly basis for three consecutive weeks.

 Torticullosis

Also known as wry neck

This when the rabbit holds its head over to one side. The symptoms may appear gradually but in general the onset is quite rapid. This is often due to the bacteria which cause respiratory infections such as Pasteurella spp migrating up into the inner ear and causing an infection. This affects the balance of the rabbit and it is unable to hold its head in the correct position.

There are several other but more unusual causes such as a stroke, trauma from a fall, meningitis (very rare), some worm infestation (encephalitozoonosis) can migrate and infect certain areas of the brain which control balance causing this problem and some cancers.

Symptoms: Head cocked to one side, spinning round and round in the hutch, trouble moving in a steady fashion.

Treatment: Obviously as there are a number of causes it is difficult to know which treatment to try. Treating the most common cause (respiratory infections) is done by the use of antibiotics. Their use is prolonged and the animal may always have a tilted head even if treatment is successful. Sometime treatment needs to be continued for several months and the problem can reoccur at a later date.

Intestinal Parasites

A rabbit can carry intestinal parasite such as tape worms, pin worms, coccidiosis etc quite happily all its life with no ill effects. Should these multiply or the rabbit’s immune system is subdued then they can cause problems.

Symptoms: Weight loss, inability to gain weight, diarrhoea, persistent ‘worrying’ of the vent region and also the visible signs of the worms and their eggs.

Treatment: Treatment depends on the particular type of worm involved so a vet is usually needed to determine this. A good preventative apart from scrupulous hygiene is to worm your animals as part of your general maintenance routine. Twice a year is usually sufficient.

External Parasites

There are a whole host of parasites that can live on the outside of the rabbit. These can be very minor and require no treatment such as hay mites and they can range to the life threatening as seen in cases of flystrike. Rabbits can also harbour fleas, ear mites, mange mites, ticks and warbles. Most of these can be prevented by the twice yearly application of an invermection solution either orally, sub-cutaneously or by dropping on the back of the neck.

Mites in excessive numbers may cause intense itching and patches of bald, flaky skin which can develop into open sores if left. Warbles are fly larvea which have hatched from fly eggs laid under the skin. The larvae can usually be seen moving around inside the hole.

Fly eggs laid on the skin will very quickly hatch into maggots which will eat their way into the flesh of the rabbit in very little time. Apart from the tissue destruction they secrete several chemicals to anaestetise the area so that they cannot be felt and this has a toxic effect on the rabbit. The prognosis for an advanced stage of flystrike is extremely poor..

Ear mites can cause painful crusts to develop in the ears and the animal may be seen to constantly scratch its ears and shake its head.

Treatment: Ticks and maggots can be removed manually and warbles can be suffocated and then gently removed with tweezers (remove the entire larvae as any remnants can cause infection and also release a toxin.) Flush the wound out and ensure it is kept empty and dry.

Ear mites can be suffocated by a few drops of paraffin oil and ivermectin used to kill the mites. Removal of the crusts should not be attempted as this will cause a lot of pain. These will eventually drop off after treatment has commenced.

Pasteurella Multocida Infection

Also known as Snuffles

This is caused by the bacteria pasteurella multocida although other bacteria may contribute to the condition such as bordatella bronchiseptica. This bacteria is carried by nearly every rabbit but in very low numbers and of a low virulent strain. Very few rabbits show clinical signs of the disease as they are happily able to live with it. Provided the animal is healthy then it may never exhibit symptoms. Should a rabbit be under stress or be exposed to a strain that it has not previously met then the bacteria may multiply and symptoms can be seen.

 
Symptoms:

Sneezing, nasal discharge (colour may vary but usually thick white), congestion of the chest ( may include wheezing), sniffling sound (congested nasal passages). If left untreated then this can spread and lead to pneumonia, abscesses in the brain and other organs, middle ear infection (causing head tilt) and severe upper respiratory tract infection. Left untreated the animal will die. Pasteurella spp. can cause and contribute to a wide range of diseases, some of which may not show up in your stock until a later date and so it a particularly nasty problem to deal with. Extreme caution should be exercised when buying stock . Check the nose region and front paws thoughrily and listen for signs of the disease in any of the rabbits in the breeders shed

Treatment: This disease is highly contagious and any rabbit exhibiting these symptoms should be removed from the shed or where any other rabbits are kept. Fresh air (especially a very cold frost) will help along with strong antibiotics. Long term treatment is required and even though the symptoms may have cleared up the rabbit will remain a carrier with the disease cropping up again at times of stress. Many breeders will not even attempt to treat snuffles due to its contageous nature and the difficulty in treating it.

Mastitis

This is seen in lactating does and is an inflammation of the teats. The infection is caused primarily by bacteria such as pasteurella spp., streptococcus sp.and staphylococcus sp. The infection is acquired when the bacteria travel up the duct in the teat due to unsanitary conditions, and also trauma to the teat by over enthusiastic youngsters.

Symptoms: swelling of the teat and surrounding area, hot teats, abscess formation around the teat, discharge from the teat (may be blood stained or yellow in colour). As the infection progresses the rabbit may develop a fever and lose its appetite. She will stop feeding any kits and appear lifeless. If left untreated the infection will spread to the bloodstream leading to septicaemia and death.

Treatment: Immediate veterinary attention and strong antibiotics. As the doe will have stopped feeding the young they may need fostering if very young or providing a bowl of milk for them to feed themselves if nearly weaned.

Moist Dermatitis

Known as Slobbers

The area of fur around the mouth and neck (particularly the dewlap in does) is permanently damp or even wet. If this is prolonged then an infection may set in and dermatitis will develop. The underlying cause must be found before the dermatitis can be allowed to dry up. One of the most common causes is an abscess in the mouth usually on a tooth. This needs veterinary treatment.

In overweight rabbits or does with very large dewlaps the fur may get damp through sweating and may not get the chance to dry out. Water bowls may also add to the rabbit as the rabbit allows its ‘chins’ to rest in the bowl. Substitute the bowl for a bottle and in excessive dewlaps a reduction operation may be a possible solution.

In warm weather beware of flies laying their eggs in these moist places.