Rabbits by nature are animals who are always on the defense. They can never show that they are sick, in pain, or injured for fear that a predator would take advantage of their disability and kill them. So, how are you, the bunny parent, able to tell if your pet is ill? It is not easy but that is why you must pay attention to your rabbit's behavior, eating habits, and hygiene.
For starters, I want to suggest that you take a look online or in a phone book to see if there is a local 24 hour emergency animal hospital nearby. While you're at it, check to see if there are vets around you that specialize in rabbits. Many places will say that they have an "exotics" pet doctor, which supposedly includes rabbits in their field of expertise. I personally feel that you should find a place that actually has a rabbit doctor though. It's nice and settling to know that someone has thorough knowledge of your bunny's body and health. Once you find a doctor, schedule an appointment and bring your bun in for a check up, even if you don't think your rabbit is sick. Building a relationship between your rabbit and it's doctor is helpful because your doctor's office will file any info about your bunny. This includes, any health problems, spay/neuter appointments, previous medicines the rabbit took, teeth and nail clipping appointments etc. If there is ever an emergency, call ahead before taking your bunny to the office to make sure your doctor or another "small animals" doctor is present.
• Okay, so let's talk about your bunny's behavior. I've heard a few pet owner's tell me that their bunny acts "weird" sometimes. They'll tell me that their bunny isn't eating, they are pooping different looking poops, chewing everything, etc. My answer to them is usually this response, if your rabbit is acting weird then its one of a few things; it's either bored, sick, annoyed, or just being goofy. I'm going to help you differentiate your bunny's behavior and make sure you're not ignoring your pet's needs for medical treatment or playtime.
• When your rabbit isn't eating or drinking, chances are that its gi-tract/digestive system is slowing down. Sometimes if you put your ear to your bunny's belly you can hear stomach sounds. If you don't hear much movement, then your bun is in trouble. It's very important to make sure that your rabbit's teeth are not mis-aligned. Poor teeth alignment make it hard for your rabbit to chew and swallow its food. Bring your rabbit to the vet immediately. If you aren't able to do this right away, make sure your bunny continues to get water. Get a little syringe and fill it up with water. Push your bunny's cheeks back and squeeze the syringe into your bun's mouth. A little water goes a long way with keeping your bunny alive. If you don't know how to snip your rabbit's teeth, then don't! You could risk splitting them and causing more damage. Do stay by your rabbit's side until you can get an appointment. I would also recommend you visiting this pet education site to better understand and to see illustrations of healthy and poor rabbit teeth.
• Changing your rabbit's diet can cause weird poops, but that doesn't necessarily mean your rabbit is sick. If your rabbit has runny poop or diarrhea then your bunny is sick, and needs to see a doctor. Same thing goes for really smelly thick urine, your bun could have a kidney problem, so get your bun to the doc if your rabbit's health isn't improving.
• If your bunny is chewing everything, then it is either trying to file down its teeth so it can eat, or tell you that you need to play with him/her.
• Rabbits are always seen scratching and grooming themselves but if your bun's head is tilted and it keeps scratching its ear, then it might have a problem. Check your bunny's ear for ear mites. I recommend taking your bun to the doctor if you see mites and feel uncomfortable squirting in some ear drops.
• Check your bun's bottom for "litter rot." If you have an over weight or old bunny then you need to make sure it's bottom is clean or groomed. Litter rot can happen when a rabbit can't reach its behind to groom itself. If you do find some litter rot, I recommend you carefully cutting off some of your bun's hair, and again if you are uncomfortable bring your bunny in to the doctor for a trim.
• Fly strikes are important to watch out for as well. Flies lay their eggs in rabbit feces and then the baby larvae use your bunny as a living host. So be sure to clean your bunny's cage often to avoid fly strikes!
These are only a few problems that rabbits have. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to leave a comment!
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Is My Rabbit Sick? Checking For Signs and Choosing a Doctor
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25 comments:
I've noticed that there have been a few rabbit-only vet clinics poping up around where I live. A lot of vets aren't comfortable treating rabbits because we're not taught very much about them.
Well that's good to hear that there are more rabbit clinics appearing in your area. It is often the case that rabbits aren't really part of a vet's education.
my bunny was very sickly as a baby. an eye infection, skin mites that were making him groom himself to the bone, and then misaligned teeth! i think that last one was the scariest. my vet said that if a bunny doesn't eat or drink within 24 hours it will die!
i really recommend developing a relationship with a small animal vet or rabbit specialist (if you can find one!). when your bunny is sick, s/he is likely to be scared, and it's good to have someone who s/he is familiar with and who is familiar with her/him.
also bundling your bunny can alleviate fear.
and call ahead before bringing your bunny to a 24 hour clinic. often a specialist will be on call, but not present. if you call ahead, your bunny can be treated as soon as possible!
My rabbit seems to be acting weird lately. It is almost as though he cant get comfortable. He will lay in a corner and roll over back and forth, but not in a playful way. He is breathing very fast too. I dont know if I could find my way back to this website, as I have looked all over the net for an explination for his sudden change in behavior. If you have any ideas, PLEASE email me. Thanks!
jonesrachelm@hotmail.com
Hello Anonymous, (sent you an email already, but this is for anyone else with this problem)
The behavior of what your rabbit is displaying seems quite disturbing, ESPECIALLY because you're stating that your bun is not doing it in a playful manner. Take your baby to a rabbit vet specialist (not a general vet) ASAP! In the meantime make sure your bun continues to eat and drink and poops normally. Make sure its ears don't have any mites etc. Your bun might have some neurological damage, but I can't be sure, so please take your rabbit in to see a rabbit vet.
Thanks for writing in!
Jen ~ The Rabbit Whisperer
I've noticed my rabbit started to act strange today, it's just laying on the floor..normally it's very active. I'm really scared!
I've noticed my rabbit started to behave strange today. IT'S just laying on the floor and doing nothing. Normally it's very active rabbit. Is something wrong with it?
Hello Anonymous, there could definitely be something wrong with your bun if it's doing NOTHING. You'll have to make some decisions yourself before you decide to take your rabbit to the vet. Is he/she eating, pooping properly, expressing heat exhaustion, uncomfortable? Are you paying enough attention to your rabbit? There are so many factors that can lead to an active rabbit slowing down. If you are very concerned and scared, bring him/her to the vet. Better safe than sorry.
Thank you for the quick answer I'll try to explain myself - well, the rabbit eats, drinks and poops normally, but instead of running around as usual, it sleeps much more, it looks much more tired than usual. I noticed its ears are hot, is it normal?
When my rabbit is acting a bit sluggish and the days are getting hotter, I try to cool off my rabbit. Apply a cool wash cloth to your bunny's ears. Stroke its ears back and forth. Warm ears are definitely a sign that your rabbit could be suffering from heat exhaustion. Try to move your bunny into a cooler section of your house. If your bunny is outside, make sure it is in a shaded area.
Hi everyone, my rabbit is displaying some wierd symptoms. He is refusing to eat his pellets yet continues to eat everything else. He seems to have lost a lot of weight but that could be because he is shedding A LOT of fur. He is acting un-characteristically naughty. He chews everything whenever he is out of his cage. I took him to the vet (who is a bunny specialist) suspecting spurs. The vet confirmed this but said it is only at an early stage and is not enough to bother him. But he still isnt eating his pellets and is chewing?? He's going in for an op on Monday but this hasn't aleviated my fears. Any help would be very much appreciated. Please feel free to email me with anything which you think might help - richardnichols21@hotmail.com
Thanks again for your time and this great site,
Richard and Helen.
Dear Richard and Helen,
Your rabbit might need more hay in his diet because he is shedding so much. Hay helps his digestive tract relieve all that hair he has been licking and swallowing up. Check his teeth just in case there is something wrong. He'll eventually go back to those pellets, once his stomach is a little clear. You'll also might need to play with him more, so he'll stay out of trouble. There are some posts on this site that will teach you how to beat those bunny blues and naughties.
Hello,
My bunny seems to be peeing much less than she should be, she is still eating and drinking normal but her liter pan is hardly wet. Does anyone know What could this be?
Hi~It's been unexpectedly hot in Toronto these days..and i noticed that my Bunny, which is a female Dutch Dwarf, hasn't pooped for 3 days..however, she's eating, drinking and peeing properly. Since her ears are not hot, i assume it's not heat exhaustion,,,If you have any ideas, PLEASE email me~~my email address is adian129@hotmail.com~Thank you very much~!!!!
Lulu
If your rabbit is having a digestive problem and not relieving itself, you need to take your rabbit to the vet as soon as possible! Rabbits need to poop 2 kinds of poop, one that they eat and one that is pure waste. If they are not excreting either that's a serious problem!
i have a female rabbit that is 6 years old. last 2 weeks, she hasnt been as active, and last 2 days doesnt move much. she kinda justs sits there with her head bobbing up and down. today she peed where she was sitting, and i noticed red traces in the urine. she usually goes in her liter box for her business, and lately she's been sitting in her box longer than normal. i took the rabbit to a local vet twice. they gave her antibiotics and thats it.
any ideas?
Hi George,
Your bunny could be suffering from kidney problems. Sometimes rabbit's excrete really red urine, but that's usually to mark their territory. If your rabbit isn't acting normal than she is definitely sick and you may need to seek another vet's opinion on the matter to help your bunny recover.
In the meantime, make sure she is drinking plenty of water and eating plenty of Timothy hay and pellets (or a low calcium diet). No treats for her until she is better.
well, we tried to massage the bunnies belly. she was really hurting and weak. she hardly pooped in the last 24 hours, and didnt drink much. after 10 minutes she passed.
RIP
George, my condolences. It is really unfortunate that there are not enough vets equipped with handling sick rabbits. Again, sorry for your loss.
I have noticed our bunny is losing all its hair from its ears but I can't see any flakey skin suggesting mites etc. Also when out of his hutch he is happy running around by himself but really hates to be picked up and runs away when you try to pick him up. Is this normal as I read about other bunnies who happily sit with there owners and pets.
Hello Anonymous,
Your bunny could be either infested with some sort of parasite or could be suffering from allergies. Please take your bun to the vet!
It is completely normal for rabbits not wanting to be picked up. The less the better, they have fragile bone structures and are very ticklish.
I have had experience with sick rabbits and thought I should post what I know in case it might help others.
I had one rabbit named Kibbles who died very suddenly. In hindsight, I realize that he was acting "depressed" for a couple days before he died. I should have paid attention to the change in his behavior. He wasn't too interested in treats, and when I would pet him he acted like he didn't care. His eyes were squinty and blinky. I really regret that I didn't know the signs. RIP Kibbles.
I also have a netherland dwarf named Theodore. I almost lost him once. He started pooping tiny tiny little poops, then they stopped altogether. By the time I realized he was in trouble, he had already stopped pooping.
If you see your bunny's poops begin to change in size, quantity or consistency, change their litter and clean their cage as often as possible so you can monitor them. (And see a vet, of course.)
Unfortunately, I couldn't afford to go to a vet. I tried to offer him everything I knew he liked so I could get him to eat. But he wouldn't eat. That day, he began acting like he was in real pain. He was getting up and flopping down on his tummy over and over again. I picked him up and he was shakey, and would occasionally grind his teeth, but not the way he does when he is content. It was much harder and louder.
He was flopping down in my lap, and tossing about, and I had to come to terms that I was going to lose him. It was so terrible seeing him suffer. I considered putting him out of his misery, but was afraid to do it.
I put him in his cage and covered him so he would have some privacy. After about a half hour, I'd had enough! If he wasn't going to die, then I had to do something.
The first concern was his pain. The second concern was that he apparently was blocked in his digestive tract. The third concern was water.
I took a quarter of a children's aspirin, part of a digestive enzyme pill and some acidophilus powder and crushed/mixed it with a small amount of petromalt.
Using a syringe, I forced him to take the slurry. I am sure it tasted awful, so a followed it with a cc of water.
I continued giving him a small amount of water with a syringe every hour, and a couple times a day I fed him a small amount of his pellet feed, mixed with water and heated and mashed.
Every few hours I gave him more of the aspirin/enzyme/acidophilus medicine.
I massaged his tummy gently each time I picked him up.
Over the course of several days of nursing him, his tight tummy became soft and doughy again, then eventually I began to see some of the tiny little poops, then he started eating and drinking on his own and making normal sized poops.
Theodore is still with me. If you can take your rabbit to the vet, then you absolutely must. But if you really can't, or the vet is not open, then maybe these tips will help someone get through an emergency as they await professional help.
Thanks for posting Amber! Your bunny was suffering from "the silent killer" otherwise known as GI Stasis. If left untreated, your bunny will surely die immediately. This is why paying attention to your bunny's social and eating behaviors are so important.
Those tips that you mentioned are suggestions that are similar to what's on rabbit.org's website. Only if you absolutely cannot get your rabbit to see the vet in time, should you do what is recommended on that site. Belly massages and water are crucial to keeping your bunny alive. Massaging helps relieve gas in the bunny's abdomen and water keeps the rabbit hydrated. Force feeding is also necessary if its been too long since your rabbit last ate. Mix water and timothy hay pellets in a bowl and mash it up. Keep that food and water syringe handy, for that will be the only way to get any supplements into your bunny's system!
I have a 4 month old miniature bunny, but at about 2 months old I noticed that he breathes funny. He cage is indoor so whenever I walked past I just assumed that it was because he wanted to get out, but now he does it all the time, in or out the the cage. He has also started sneezing a fair bit although he still eats and drinks just fine. He plays and runs like a normal rabbit but the only way i can describe his breathing is as though someone with a cold and blocked nose was trying to force air out of their nose. Is it the same for my bunny? what do i do?
One of my bunnies seems to get sick about every 3 months with the same issue. He has been diagnosed with stasis 3 times this year alone and he's only 2 and 1/2 years old. I don't know what to do. I've limited his treats and I only give him fresh vegetables, hay and pellets. He does chew on everything he can get his mouth on, such as paper from the yellow pages or tearing up a cardboard box, but his brother does the same thing and has yet gotten sick. I'm not sure if he has major blockage or what. It's starting to cost me alot of money just for the rabbit vet to tell me what I already now know. Plus when I take him they claim they can't find anything majorly wrong with him except the stasis, so they give him his medicine and send him on his way. I've informed them that he constantly keeps having this problem, but they find nothing else wrong. I don't know if he needs surgery or if I just have a sick bunny, but the cost is adding up. I love him too much to let him go, but I can't afford to keep taking him to the rabbit vet everytime he gets this way. Is there anything I could do to take care of him myself since I know what's wrong with him? Any helpful suggestions or solutions are greatly appreciated!!
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