Like any other pet animal, rabbits also fall victim to various types of rabbit diseases and illnesses during their lifetime. Some could be due to genetic factors, some because of other environmental factors, and some are contracted from other rabbits. In either case, it is necessary to spot the signs in time so your pet will have the best chance to recover from whatever ails them. We have rounded up 5 of the most common rabbit diseases and their symptoms to help you recognize when your rabbit needs medical help.
Gastrointestinal (GI) Stasis
GI stasis is the feared, quite common rabbit diseases. however, if not treated, it can quickly become fatal. An important fact about GI stasis is that you need to know how to recognize this sneaky but deadly disease! GI stasis is a phenomenon in which the gut microbiome of a rabbit is imbalanced, hence lacking enough good bacteria within the tract to aid them in digesting food properly. As a result, their intestines slow down. Therefore, hair ingested when self-grooming forms a ball that can block their intestines and fatally cause stasis — this is why many people think that causes a hairball blockage when stasis precedes it.
These are the chief symptoms of GI stasis: gas, diarrhea, lethargy, and teeth grinding combined with a hunched posture—the last indicator tells you that your rabbit is in pain. Contact your vet ASAP if you notice any of the above.
The best way to prevent gastrointestinal stasis is to keep your pet’s digestive system in good working order—making sure the greater percentage of their diet consists of quality hay. It also pays to ensure that their teeth are in check, as any sort of dental pain or discomfort would directly affect their diet and in that case is a contributory factor to gastrointestinal stasis.
Overgrown Teeth
Unlike most animals, rabbits’ teeth never stop growing. That’s right, your pet bunny’s teeth will be growing for as long as they live. However, it can turn into a problem if they are not kept down constantly. One of the many reasons rabbits need a diet rich in hay is because chewing on the roughage assists in keeping a bunny’s teeth in check by slowly grinding them down. Knowing that the teeth of rabbits can grow up to 4-5 inches per year, if your pet ingests a major proportion of soft pellets or leafy greens and doesn’t eat huge quantities of coarse hay daily, then severe problems could easily arise in no time. Now, if a rabbit’s teeth are overgrown, this is very painful for the rabbit—the teeth cut into their gums, cheeks, or tongue or can form an abscess at the root. Either way, you will begin to notice that your rabbit drools way too much and loses his or her appetite—to the point where your rabbit will also lose stool and GI stasis. That is to say, if ignored, it might become deadly for your bunny.
These are best prevented by making sure your pet gets a diet rich in grass hay and regular tooth checks. Once overgrown, there is nothing else to do but get them to a veterinarian that specializes in rabbits, so they can put the rabbit under anesthesia and trim the teeth down.
Head Tilt or Rabbit Vestibular Disease
Rabbit Vestibular Disease is also known as Head Tilt. If you happen to notice that your bunny keeps tilting their head towards one side, then do not just ignore the gesture, for it would likely mean a serious health issue is setting in and causing the animal to tilt its head. This can be usually caused by one of two things: either bacterial infection or even parasitic infestation. In the first case, the rabbit suffers from an inner ear infection which has grown more serious. The ear canal will be full of puss and your rabbit will tilt their head, flicker their eyes, be dizzy, and lose an appetite. When it’s a problem with parasites then it is caused by a protozoan known as Encephalitozoon cuniculi. This microscopic parasite infects the brain and the central nervous system, leading to a lot of neurological symptoms: head tilt, rabbit vestibular disease, seizures, tremors, paralysis or weakness in hind limbs, eye abnormalities, and so on.
Whatever the cause is, both rabbit diseases that cause torticollis are curable when timely diagnosed. Anti-inflammatory drugs are a must in both cases and are used in association with antibiotics or anti-parasitics depending on your pet’s particular problem.
Myxomatosis
This viral rabbit disease is, unfortunately, both highly contagious and often fatal. It is passed on via fleas, mosquitoes, or from one rabbit to another – if they are in close contact and immunocompromised. Some symptoms of myxomatosis include swelling, redness or ulcers around the eyes, nose, and genital area, discharge from the eyes and nose, breathing difficulties, and loss of appetite – to mention but a few of the most easily noticeable. Because there is no cure for myxomatosis, if these rabbit diseases is at an advanced stage, then supportive care or euthanasia is the only course of action because the bunny will not recover.
Luckily, even though myxomatosis isn’t treatable or curable, it is completely preventable. Even if a vaccinated rabbit catches this disease, it is only in a mild form that is fully treatable and won’t cause severe issues and death as it would in an unvaccinated bunny.
Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus (RHDV, Calicivirus)
As the name indicates, this infectious disease attacks a rabbit’s inner organs and causes hemorrhaging which results in a fatal outcome. And if that wasn’t horrible enough, rabbit calicivirus is highly contagious, as it can be transferred through mosquitoes and flies; contact with infected rabbits or droppings – even other animals and humans can bring rabbit hemorrhagic disease to the house and infect the bunny. In fact, in countries like Australia and New Zealand, RHDV strains are introduced into the wild to maintain the populations of wild rabbits since they are considered pests locally.
Although no treatment or cure might help a rabbit that has been infected with rabbit hemorrhagic disease, there is a yearly vaccine available that can keep your pet safe. Vaccination of your rabbit is very important, to control rabbit diseases, especially if you live in an area using RHDV to control rabbit populations in the wild, but also in other countries, because this viral disease may sometimes spread fast and easily with fatal results.
Rabbit Kidney Disease
One of the serious diseases concerning rabbits is Rabbit Kidney Disease. It can develop in so many ways, including renal failure, nephritis, and stones. The diseases are a product of several factors together, including poor diet, dehydration, and bacterial infection. Common signs and symptoms include lethargy, weight loss, increased thirst, and changes in urination. Early diagnosis is very essential in starting effective treatment, which might include fluid therapy to replace lost fluids or dietary adjustment. Medication may be aimed at controlling the symptoms or the underlying causes of the rabbit diseases.
A balanced diet with plenty of fresh water available at all times, combined with a clean living environment, will go a long way in preventing kidney rabbit diseases. Regular check-ups with a veterinarian can identify early signs of a kidney problem so that intervention can take place quickly. Staying up to date on the symptoms of kidney disease and being proactive with your rabbit’s care significantly minimize the chances of this frequently deadly rabbit diseases.