Common Rabbit diseases/conditions to look out for

Your bunny stays with you through thick and thin, so when they need you by their side it’s natural for you to do the same. But as you prepare to support your rabbit in their healing process as they recover from diseases or infections that could catch on to them, the 1st step remains crystal clear – Know what you’re dealing with!

Unlike us humans, it’s not a very common occurrence for animals like rabbits to fall ill very often. So when they do fall sick, it must be addressed right away. In most cases, there is a band of common diseases that rabbits get from time to time.

The following list of diseases are most frequently recorded to affect rabbits:

Snuffles (Pasteurellosis):

While the name suggests something playful, snuffles is nothing to take lightly. This disease is a condition caused by bacteria. Snuffles is a highly contagious so if you are a parent to more than one rabbit you should separate the two temporarily to reduce the risk of spreading it to the other.

Symptoms:

• Runny nose
• Sneezing 
• Redness of eyes

Ear mites (Psoroptes cuniculi):

This is a situation where little bugs set up camp in your bunny long ears feeding off wax and oil present there. This infection is very common and can surface even in spite of a hygienic set up. Ear mites cause a rabbit’s ear to be itchy resulting in irritation. When left untreated, this can also cause further fungal infections.

Symptoms:

• Inflammation of ears
• Head shaking
• Crusting on the outer ear

Overgrowth of teeth (Malocclusion)

It’s no secret that rabbits have unique teeth. However, what many don’t realize until they actually adopt one is that a rabbit’s teeth grow constantly throughout their lives. As you can imagine, this could serve as both a blessing and a curse. If your bunny isn’t getting enough hay or safe wood to keep the teeth trimmed their overgrown teeth can obstruct their meals and cause them discomfort. As this phenomenon is quite common, many rabbits need to be taken to the vet for a yearly filing.

Symptoms:

• Drooling
• Reduced appetite
• Extremely long & curved teeth

All of these conditions can be avoided with careful tending and daily lookouts for the symptoms, but if your rabbit does get any of the above problems don’t panic and get upset as these are very common. Just be sure to detect it early and get your vet’s opinion if the problem persists and before you know it, your bunny will be back to their happy binkying self!