Rabbits Hide Illness Until It Is Nearly Too Late
A prey animal that looks slightly quiet is often a genuine emergency.
Dogs tell you they feel awful. Rabbits do the opposite, because in the wild an obviously unwell rabbit is a meal. By the time a rabbit looks ill it has usually been ill for days.
Not Eating Is an Emergency
A rabbit that has not eaten for twelve hours needs seeing that day, not tomorrow. The gut slows, then stops, and gut stasis becomes life-threatening quickly. This is the single most important thing on this page.
Watch the Output, Not the Rabbit
You will notice changes in droppings long before changes in behaviour. Smaller, fewer, or none at all is the earliest reliable signal you get, and it is worth a daily glance.
Sitting Still Is Not Resting
A rabbit hunched, pressing its abdomen down, not grooming and not moving is in pain. They rarely vocalise. Tooth grinding is another one people miss — a soft grinding is contentment, a loud one is usually pain.
The Vaccination Point
Myxomatosis and RVHD, including RVHD2, are both endemic in Shropshire and both are usually fatal. Indoor rabbits are not safe — myxomatosis is spread by insects that get indoors. The annual combined vaccination is included on all our health plans.