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Rabbits: Wellness Tips & Signs of Illness

Thelmo and Louise: Healthy adopteesThelmo and Louise: Healthy adopteesRabbits should all be evaluated for a post purchase exam immediately after you purchase or adopt your new companion. During this exam, our doctors and staff will examine your pet for any obvious signs of physical illness, teach you how to properly feed and care for your rabbit in ways the pet stores can not, and offer you appropriate testing to ensure your new investment is happy and healthy. We will recommend appropriate spaying or neutering to prevent disease, unwanted pregnancies, and destructive behaviors. Our goal here is to help set you and your pet up for a long, happy life of good health and preventative medicine.

After their initial exam, rabbits should be examined at least on an annual basis. During these exams we get the opportunity to answer any questions you may have about your rabbit’s health over the year. We will examine your pet to evaluate any changes that may be important such as weight changes, hair/skin abnormalities, or any irregular growths that may be important to detect. We are often able to find subtle problems that you can not at home. This allows us to prevent illness and disease, educate you on changes you may need to make at home to improve your rabbit’s health, and share with you any new advances we have learned during the year in rabbit medicine.

If during the year, your rabbit exhibits any of these signs of illness, we would strongly recommend scheduling an exam with one of our specialists:

Signs of illness

If during the year, your rabbit exhibits any of these signs of illness, we would strongly recommend scheduling an exam with one of our specialists:

    Hair loss
  • Itching
  • Decreased appetite
  • Increase in urination
  • Increased drinking or thirst
  • Difficulty eating or change in food preferences
  • Drooling
  • Change in color of urine
  • Change in fecal production, color, or size
  • Limping
  • Raspy or loud breathing
  • Wheezing
  • Discharge from the eyes or nose
  • Growths on the skin
  • Decrease in activity
  • Overgrown toenails
  • Sleeping more
  • Bulging eye or eyes
  • Swelling of the feet or face
  • Head tilt
  • Feces (poop) or urine stuck to fur
  • Abnormal smell
  • Head shaking
  • Wax or debris in the ear
  • Overgrown or cracked teeth
  • Grinding teeth

Signs of Illness Requiring Emergency Treatment

If your rabbit exhibits any of these signs or experiences any of these events, your pet may be having an emergency and you should call us right away:

  • Not eating (anorexia)
  • Not producing feces
  • Bleeding
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Bloated abdomen
  • Inability to stand
  • Straining to urinate or unable to urinate
  • Diarrhea
  • Over-heating
  • Trauma