Annual Health Check 

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When you take your rabbits to the vet for their annual vaccination is a perfect time for them to have an overall annual health check too. As prey animals a rabbit can hide symptoms of illness and you may miss subtle signs until the problem is quite advanced.

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Many people do not necessarily see an exotic vet for their rabbits (we would always recommend registering with an exotic vet practice); so, we decided to write a brief list of what should be checked by your rabbits’ vet at this time and why.

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As best practice a ‘Nose to Tail’ annual vet check should include:

1. Teeth – front teeth should be looked at as well as using a scope for the back teeth to check for spurs, spikes and misalignment; if your rabbits will tolerate the scope, some won’t and may need a sedative to enable the vet to be sure there are no issues

2. Fingers run along the jaw line to check for abscesses

3. Face shape checked for asymmetry

4. Eyes – checked for discharge, discolouration, swelling, etc

5. Ears – should ALWAYS be checked with a scope if the rabbit will tolerate this; some won’t and you need to decide with your vet if you should force the issue. This ear check is especially important for lop eared rabbits

6. Heart and lungs listened to with a stethoscope

7. Abdomen (tummy) felt for softness and listened to with a stethoscope to check for the presence of normal gut sounds

8. Genitals checked visually – for gender identification, soreness and hygiene reasons

9. Weight check

10.  Nails and coat should be checked too to ensure there are no matts, mites or sores in the fur and that the nails are not too long.

 

Further explanation of why each of these checks are important

1. A rabbit’s teeth never stop growing so it is important they are given the correct diet to wear the teeth down. Spikes on teeth will cause painful sores in the mouth which will result in them not eating as normal. Brachycephalic rabbits, because of their face shape (flat faced), are more often diagnosed with a misalignment of their teeth requiring dental intervention.

2. Jaw abscesses can often be felt before any symptoms are noticed.

3. An asymmetrical face on a rabbit can be a sign of facial nerve paralysis which sometimes occurs after a dental or ear infection. Dwarf breeds and lop ear breeds tend to be at increased risk of developing facial nerve paresis (weakness) and paralysis.

4. Weepy eyes in a rabbit can be as a result of an infection, dental issue or a blocked tear duct. It is important not to ignore this symptom.

5. There are many ear issues that a rabbit can have that will often start with no symptoms whatsoever until something is seriously wrong. Lop eared rabbits, because of the shape of their ears which is not a natural shape but purely bred for making the rabbit look ‘cute’ and therefore more marketable, are particularly susceptible to ear problems. These ear issues sometimes result in extensive inner ear surgery which is incredibly expensive and not always successful not to mention incredibly painful for the rabbit.

6. Heart and lung issues can be picked up early if listened to with a stethoscope resulting in a better outcome for the rabbit.

7. Abdomen (tummy) should feel soft and there should be good gut sounds throughout, a rabbit going into GI stasis may present with a bloated or solid feeling abdomen and a reduction or lack of normal gut sounds. This is an emergency situation and can also be a secondary symptom to other health issues.

8. Genitals checked visually – for gender identification, soreness and hygiene reasons. Often young rabbits can be mis sexed and unfortunately, once they are of an age and the hormones kick in, fighting and / or unwanted litters can occur. A dirty bottom is NOT normal in a rabbit and is a result of them being overweight, arthritic and / or fed the wrong diet – we at YRR do not feed shop bought vegetables to the rabbits in our care.

9. A weight check is an important baseline reading to understand if your rabbits are of a normal weight for their breed and age, and also a requirement for the correct dosage of medication.

10. Nails that are too long can be painful for a rabbit and can start twisting and growing in an unusual direction causing walking issues and joint and / or spinal problems.
    Rabbits can have a condition called Cheyletiellosis, also known as ‘walking dandruff’. Usually appearing as large white flakes of skin which can be found over their shoulders, just above the tail, over the back and hind end of your pet. You may also see hair loss especially behind the neck and between the shoulder blades. Matted fur on rabbits can be very painful as their skin is incredibly thin and can be caught up inside the matted area. Please do not attempt to cut chunks of matted fur out unless you know what you are doing!