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Rabbit health, illnesses and diseases; symptoms, causes and treatment

General rabbit health information and overviews of rabbit diseases and illnesses, their symptoms, causes and treatments; healthchecks, nursing, diagnosing, rabbit vets, neutering/spaying, grooming and nail clipping.

This section contains general rabbit health information and overviews of the most common rabbit health problems; their symptoms, causes and treatments, along with information on spotting signs of illness, pre and post operative care, syringe feeding, nail clipping, grooming and more.atoz health image

Rabbits are prey creatures and therefore tend to hide signs of illness meaning diagnosis can be tricky.  Their health can also deteriorate very quickly and when in doubt you should always consult a rabbit-savvy vet.

The good news is that most ailments can be prevented simply by taking good care of your rabbit - vaccinate it against VHD and myxomatosis, neuter/spay it, feed it the correct hay based diet and keep its living quarters clean.


  • An abscess is a pocket of fluid and pus caused by bacterial infection. Abscesses are relatively common in domestic rabbits...
  • Bladder or calcium stones and/or sludge can occur when the rabbit is not processing calcium through its kidneys correctly...
  • Bloat is a condition where the stomach becomes stretched by excessive gas content, caused by the bacteria in a rabbit's stomach multiplying excessively as a result of incorrect feeding...
  • Coccidiosis is a disease that affects other animals, usually dogs, as well as rabbits. It is caused by microscopic parasites that live in the intestine...
  • Constipation occurs when there are hard faeces which are difficult for the rabbit to expel. There is a much higher risk of constipation when a rabbit is moulting...
  • Minor cuts and wounds on rabbits are usually inflicted by another rabbit or by collision with a sharp object...
  • The symptoms, causes and treatment of dental disease (malocclusion) in rabbits, commonly known as overgrown teeth...
  • Diagnosing rabbit illnesses can be difficult even for experienced, rabbit-savvy vets and observations from the owner can be very helpful...
  • Diarrhoea is usually caused by another illness but can also be caused by incorrect diet, stress, cold and draughts...
  • E.Cuniculi (Encephalitozoon Cuniculi) is a parasite that lives in the rabbit's body cells. It is estimated that over 50% of domestic rabbits carry this parasite but only a small percentage of these go on to develop problems...
  • Ear mites invade a rabbit's ears, they are also known as canker, are highly contagious and can be very painful and distressing to the rabbit...
  • Enteritis is an inflammation of the intestine caused by a sudden change in diet. It mainly affects very young rabbits between 4 and 8 weeks old...
  • Runny eyes (epiphora) is fairly common in rabbits and has a variety of causes...
  • Fleas are uncommon in rabbits but they can also be infected by dog or cat fleas. Fleas must be treated swiftly...
  • Flystrike (myiasis) is a potentially fatal illness that can affect any rabbit. It occurs when flies lay eggs in a rabbit's fur, usually around its bottom, which then mature into maggots...
  • Probably the most serious, immediate problem a rabbit can have, gut stasis is when the rabbit's digestive system literally shuts down...
  • Rabbits are very clean animals and groom themselves thoroughly several times a day but sometimes they need a little help from us...
  • Hairballs occur when the rabbit has ingested too much hair through grooming. There is a much higher risk of hairballs when the rabbit is moulting...
  • It is important to give your rabbit regular health checks, perhaps once a week in the winter and once every day or so in the summer when they are more at risk of fly related diseases...
  • Heat exhaustion or heat stroke can occur when a rabbit is exposed to high temperatures, even for a short period of time...
  • The most well known rabbit disease, myxomatosis is rife in the wild rabbit population but domestic rabbits can be vaccinated...
  • Neutering male rabbits is essential if you are planning to keep two rabbits together to prevent fighting or breeding. Even if you are not, it is highly recommended for several reasons...
  • Nursing a sick rabbit or caring for a rabbit after an operation can be difficult and should always be done in consultation with a vet...
  • Obesity in rabbits is caused by an incorrect diet that is too high in dry food (commercial rabbit food) and too low in hay...
  • Pasteurella is commonly known as snuffles in rabbits due to its primary symptom of a runny nose. As many of 85% of rabbits carry the bacteria...
  • Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs that often occurs as a complication of another illness, usually Pasteurella (snuffles)...
  • Information from Bunnyhugga readers on calcium problems in their own rabbits, the symptoms, causes and treatment...
  • Information from Bunnyhugga readers on dental disease in their own rabbits, the symptoms, causes and treatment...
  • Information from Bunnyhugga readers on E Cuniculi in their own rabbits, the symptoms, causes and treatment...
  • Information from Bunnyhugga readers on GI Stasis in their own rabbits, the symptoms, causes and treatment...
  • Information from Bunnyhugga readers on runny eyes in their own rabbits, the symptoms, causes and treatment...
  • Information from Bunnyhugga readers on tumours in their own rabbits, the symptoms, causes and treatment...
  • Cheyletiella mites, commonly referred to as skin mites or mange mites, are the most common skin problem seen in rabbits...
  • Sore hocks are a relatively common problem, especially in house rabbits. As domestic rabbits are usually kept on hard surfaces, their toenails cannot dig in to the ground...
  • Spaying female rabbits is very important for health reasons. The chance of uterine cancer in females over the age of 5 is approximately 80%...
  • "Sticky bottom" syndrome occurs when the fur around the rabbit's bottom becomes caked with soft droppings and is usually caused by poor diet...
  • Tonic Immobility (TI) is a state of motor inhibition that can occur in prey animals as a last defence against a predator, therefore it is stressful to rabbits and is not recommended...
  • The field of rabbit medicine has grown considerably in recent years and finding an experienced rabbit vet may mean the difference between life and death...
  • VHD is widespread in the wild rabbit population but is easily preventable by vaccination for domestic rabbits...
  • An abscess is a pocket of fluid and pus caused by bacterial infection. Abscesses are relatively common in domestic rabbits...
  • Bladder or calcium stones and/or sludge can occur when the rabbit is not processing calcium through its kidneys correctly...
  • Bloat is a condition where the stomach becomes stretched by excessive gas content, caused by the bacteria in a rabbit's stomach multiplying excessively as a result of incorrect feeding...
  • Coccidiosis is a disease that affects other animals, usually dogs, as well as rabbits. It is caused by microscopic parasites that live in the intestine...
  • Constipation occurs when there are hard faeces which are difficult for the rabbit to expel. There is a much higher risk of constipation when a rabbit is moulting...
  • Minor cuts and wounds on rabbits are usually inflicted by another rabbit or by collision with a sharp object...
  • The symptoms, causes and treatment of dental disease (malocclusion) in rabbits, commonly known as overgrown teeth...
  • Diagnosing rabbit illnesses can be difficult even for experienced, rabbit-savvy vets and observations from the owner can be very helpful...
  • Diarrhoea is usually caused by another illness but can also be caused by incorrect diet, stress, cold and draughts...
  • E.Cuniculi (Encephalitozoon Cuniculi) is a parasite that lives in the rabbit's body cells. It is estimated that over 50% of domestic rabbits carry this parasite but only a small percentage of these go on to develop problems...
  • Ear mites invade a rabbit's ears, they are also known as canker, are highly contagious and can be very painful and distressing to the rabbit...
  • Enteritis is an inflammation of the intestine caused by a sudden change in diet. It mainly affects very young rabbits between 4 and 8 weeks old...
  • Runny eyes (epiphora) is fairly common in rabbits and has a variety of causes...
  • Fleas are uncommon in rabbits but they can also be infected by dog or cat fleas. Fleas must be treated swiftly...
  • Flystrike (myiasis) is a potentially fatal illness that can affect any rabbit. It occurs when flies lay eggs in a rabbit's fur, usually around its bottom, which then mature into maggots...
  • Probably the most serious, immediate problem a rabbit can have, gut stasis is when the rabbit's digestive system literally shuts down...
  • Rabbits are very clean animals and groom themselves thoroughly several times a day but sometimes they need a little help from us...
  • Hairballs occur when the rabbit has ingested too much hair through grooming. There is a much higher risk of hairballs when the rabbit is moulting...
  • It is important to give your rabbit regular health checks, perhaps once a week in the winter and once every day or so in the summer when they are more at risk of fly related diseases...
  • Heat exhaustion or heat stroke can occur when a rabbit is exposed to high temperatures, even for a short period of time...
          • The most well known rabbit disease, myxomatosis is rife in the wild rabbit population but domestic rabbits can be vaccinated...
          • Neutering male rabbits is essential if you are planning to keep two rabbits together to prevent fighting or breeding. Even if you are not, it is highly recommended for several reasons...
          • Nursing a sick rabbit or caring for a rabbit after an operation can be difficult and should always be done in consultation with a vet...
          • Obesity in rabbits is caused by an incorrect diet that is too high in dry food (commercial rabbit food) and too low in hay...
          • Pasteurella is commonly known as snuffles in rabbits due to its primary symptom of a runny nose. As many of 85% of rabbits carry the bacteria...
          • Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs that often occurs as a complication of another illness, usually Pasteurella (snuffles)...
            • Cheyletiella mites, commonly referred to as skin mites or mange mites, are the most common skin problem seen in rabbits...
            • Sore hocks are a relatively common problem, especially in house rabbits. As domestic rabbits are usually kept on hard surfaces, their toenails cannot dig in to the ground...
            • Spaying female rabbits is very important for health reasons. The chance of uterine cancer in females over the age of 5 is approximately 80%...
            • "Sticky bottom" syndrome occurs when the fur around the rabbit's bottom becomes caked with soft droppings and is usually caused by poor diet...
              • The field of rabbit medicine has grown considerably in recent years and finding an experienced rabbit vet may mean the difference between life and death...
              • VHD is widespread in the wild rabbit population but is easily preventable by vaccination for domestic rabbits...

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