Healthcare
Diseases
How to Recognise When Your Rabbit is Unwell
Rabbits are prey animals and will therefore hide any symptoms when they feel unwell. This is a defence mechanism that remains in domesticated animals from their ancestors; in the wild a predator is more likely to go after an animal that is showing signs of weakness.
This means we need to pay close attention to our rabbit’s habits and ‘body language.’ We want to pick up on any signs of illness early and any change in their usual habits could signal an issue; remember because they will hide symptoms the changes in behaviour are usually very subtle and by the time illness is obvious its usually too late. Subtle signs can include being less active, eating less than normal/not at all or not being excited when food is offered when they usually would be, drinking less or much more than normal for them, their fur isn't as clean as it normally is, sleeping much more, or not being interested in things around them when they are normally inquisitive. This is why it is so important to understand what is 'normal' for your rabbit and to be vigilant for how much they are eating, pooping, how much energy they have and what their normal body positions are on a daily basis.
