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Whatever husbandry practices you have adopted, the most important thing you can do for your rabbits' health is to observe and handle them every day. Touching their bodies is just as important as monitoring their behavior.
Your hands will let you know about any changes in body condition and you'll spot lumps or injuries early. It's not as time consuming as you might think. Before long they become used to the physical attention and you get used to tending them.
After that, the routine is short and sweet.
Even when you feel that you don't have the time to pick them up, observing them (aside from feeding) every day is paramount. Looking them over for several minutes will give you the information that you need to recognize normal, individual habits -- and signal when something is amiss.
Watch how your rabbits eat, drink, and move about in their hutches. Look at their eyes and coats for any changes. One day you may notice a full bowl of food inside the hutch of a rabbit that's normally a chow hound and a red flag will be raised immediately.
Watch for Signs of Pain or Illness in Your Rabbits
Whether you're raising rabbits for wool, meat, show, vermicomposting, or pet; all of these signs can signal trouble for any rabbit breed you're raising on your homestead. The list below discusses some commons signs of illness. However, these should be treated as warning signs, as not every symptom by itself means that a rabbit is ill. If you notice one or more of these signs it warrants a closer look.
- Lack of interest in food or water
- Consuming food slower than usual or dropping food from the mouth while trying to eat
- Grinding teeth
- Extreme weight loss for no apparent reason
- Unusually aggressive behavior
- Ragged-looking coat
- Manure caked on bottom
- Unusual sitting position (such as leaning back on its hind feet)
- Lethargic (looking depressed) -- you may notice that its not curious about its surroundings anymore.
- Eye or nose discharge
- Little or no droppings
- Dried and caked fur on the inside of its front paws
- Facing the corner of the cage, hiding, or sitting in a “hunched” position (if this is unusual behavior for the rabbit)
- Rapid breathing or signs of labored breathing
- Mouth is wet with saliva
- Grunting or whining when moving or being handled
- Eye dullness (as opposed to bright)
- Diarrhea
- Difficulty moving or moving very slowly (or not at all)
- Head tilting (loss of balance)
While watching for signs of illness in your rabbits, keep in mind that prey animals instinctually tend to hide any symptoms of pain or signs of distress. Prey animals in the wild that show signs of weakness quickly grabs unwanted attention by predators and becomes someone's dinner.
Because domestic rabbits still carry the same instinct, it's extremely easy to miss signs that they are distressed. In fact, sometimes by the time a rabbit shows symptoms of illness they may be in the later stages of the problem.
This is why many veterinarians only get the chance to practice medicine on a handful of rabbits (if that many) each year. Veterinary appointments that are arranged for the following day are often too late. Those that observe and handle their herd every day may catch every health issue much earlier than those who stop at just filling food dishes and water bottles.
Medical Disclaimer: This article is for informational use only. It's not in any way meant to be a replacement for professional medical care. If you suspect your animal is in danger because of illness or injury, it's the sole responsibility of the owner to seek medical attention and advice from a veterinary professional immediately.
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