HEALTH CHECKLIST FOR

RABBITS
9.12.2019

A regular and thorough rabbit health check is very

important. As flight-animals, rabbits are masters at hiding
health problems
Regular daily interaction and caring for your rabbit contributes to timely detection and treatment
of life-threatening abnormalities, thus enabling the animal to lead an almost pain-free life, or
saving its life.

The following points show which aspects a rabbit owner must pay detailed attention to. They do
not raise, however, the requirement of the completeness!

Health Checklist
 Eyes: Some of the most common problems with
a rabbit's eyes are blocked tear ducts, abscesses
and scratches. Healthy eyes are
o bright and clear
o free of any discharge/secretion
o not red
o not swollen
o not cloudy
o uninjured
o do not protrude
→ Eye problems can be caused by issues in their teeth!
 
  Teeth: In particular, the molar teeth can cause
eye and nose problems with rabbits. In extreme
cases, rabbits can die due to dental problems.
Healthy teeth
o are not too long
o show no misalignment
o are not broken
o are clean
→ Rabbit teeth grow back constantly and always need a healthy abrasion!
 
 Nose: Outflow or secretion from the nose can
have various causes. If the secretion occurs only
on one side, there may be a foreign body in the
affected nostril. However, if both nostrils are
affected, there may be causes that need to be
clarified by a veterinarian (e.g. a cold). A healthy
nose is
o free of discharge
o clear
o without audible breath sounds
→ Jaw issues can cause nasal secretion!
 
 Fur: A healthy rabbit has a shiny coat. Frequent
causes of changes are infections by ectoparasites
or ringworm. Affected rabbits have
o itching
o redness of the skin
 o dandruff
o crusts
o hair loss
o bare patches
o felts
→ Clinical signs of mite infestation often occur only with a weakened
immune system!
 
 Ears: Rabbit ears (especially hanging ears) tend
to abscess and ear mites. A healthy ear is without
o crusts
o sheds
o scab
o odour
o filth
o smallpox
→ Thick smallpox on the ears is an indicator of life-threatening
myxomatosis!
 
 Body: During the regular checks, special
attention must be paid to
o crusts on the skin
o abdominal swelling
o swellings else wear
 o thickenings of skin
o palpable changes in the skin
→ Inflammation and swelling of the body are also typically first signs of life-
threatening myxomatosis!
 
 Backside /Buttocks: Contamination of the anus
of the animal is often caused by being
overweight, old age and diseases (arthrosis). The
animals are no longer able to excrete unwanted
toxins from the anus or have diarrhoea. In the
case of recurring soiling and even more so in the
case of diarrhoea
o the veterinarian should be visited
o it is checked whether fly eggs have settled
in the area
o the rear part must be cleaned carefully
→ The groin glands should also be checked when cleaning the rear part!
 
 Claws: The claws of a rabbit can become too
long very fast. As a result, it comes to painful
deformations and adhesions. Optimal claws
o protrude only a little from the fur (does not
apply to long-haired rabbits)
o do not bend to the side
o do not grow upwards
 
  Urinating: Deviations in normal urination can
indicate urinary tract diseases. Deviations are
o increased urination
o bent posture when urinating
o sounds of pain during urination
o changed colour of urine
→  It is important to always check the urine for blood!
 
 Faeces: The optimal dropping is dark, small,
drop-shaped/round and soft. Deviations in shape,
colour and consistency can have many causes,
e.g. an unbalanced feed composition or diseases.
Please have the veterinarian clarify if the faeces
are
o old/hard
o extremely hairy and not excreted properly
o too soft
o covered with slime
o excreted as diarrhoea
→ In order to be able to exclude intestinal parasites, a regular faecal
examination by the veterinarian is recommended!

Changes of habits
 Eating and drinking habits: Any deviation
from healthy eating and drinking behaviour is an
indicator of an underlying disease. A healthy
rabbit
 o likes to come to the feeding place 
o likes to eat
o usually eats fast
o also eats solid food
o does not drink too much
→ Even if a rabbit eats normally, it can have dental problems!
 
 General behaviour: A sudden change in the
behaviour of the rabbit can be an indication that
the animal is not well, and that it is in pain.
Warning signs are
o an unusually calm behaviour
o sudden aggression
o a curved posture
o apathy
o seclusion
o unnatural movement pattern
→ Aggression can also be an accompanying symptom during sexual
maturity.