Help, My Rabbit is Ill

As much as you love and care for your bunny there will inevitably be times when she gets ill. Knowing what signs to look out for, and when to take immediate action can be the difference between a full recovery and disaster.

While some rabbit illnesses have obvious symptoms like cuts or a runny nose, many others won't be so obvious. It is important that you know what subtle signs to look out for.

Rabbits can't tell you they are in pain but here are some sure signs that something is wrong and he may be. All of these require immediate vet attention:

Runny Poops or No Poops

Diarrhea is where your bunny's poops are watery and profuse. They are most often caused by some sort of disruption in your rabbit's digestive system.

If your rabbit doesn't produce a stool for 24 hours this could mean she has a blockage in her gastrointestinal (GI) system and needs immediate attention.

Hiding/crouching in her cage doing nothing

Your bunny may hide in a corner, move more slowly, seem edgy or appear unusually hunched when sitting and her eyes may be dull. If your normally outgoing bun does this it could be a number of serious issues.

Check her abdomen (a swollen abdomen may be gas or bloat and needs immediate attention), breathing (check it is not labored or rapid), pulse and heart rate.

Falling/flopping over when trying to walk.

Your bun may have been poisoned or may have damaged her leg and/or spine. Poisoning may be accompanied with foaming at the mouth and/or seizures.

NB: Poisoning can take effect several hours after your bun has eaten the toxic substance so never delay in getting her to a vet as soon as you suspect she may have ingested something she shouldn't have. She may look OK now but go rapidly downhill later.

Not eating and/or drinking for a length of time.

If it's only been a few hours just watch her closely. But if it's over a day then seek help. Rabbits are small creatures that dehydrate very easily so not drinking is serious. They also need to keep a constant flow of food moving through their digestive system so not eating for a length of time is serious as well.

Blood in Urine

Urine color does vary depending on what plants your bun has been eating but blood in her urine is an obvious red and a sign of something that could be potentially life threatening.

Please remember that this isn't an exhaustive list. The most important thing I can stress here is this - you know your bunny better than anyone does. You will know when something isn't quite right with her. Perhaps she always runs to greet you in the morning but today she just sits in a corner of her cage. Don't dismiss it! Yes it may be nothing but bunnies have delicate internal workings and many an owner has had an inkling something was wrong but didn't take action, with disastrous consequences.