Rabbits are susceptible to a variety of diseases and conditions, including overgrown teeth, decreased fecal pellet production, parasites and cancer. They also tend to hide signs of illness or pain.
Contact me if your rabbit exhibits any abnormal signs, including discharge from the eyes or nose, runny stool, a gurgling stomach, drooling, scratching at the ears, sneezing, tilting of his or her head, develops bald patches in his or her fur, stops eating, appears overly quiet, or shows other abnormal behaviour.
In addition, your rabbit can benefit from regular checkups. Checkups are recommended every 6 months and are vital to evaluating your rabbit’s health and exposing potential problems before they turn into serious, potentially life-threatening conditions. Routine annual wellness blood work will greatly aid in establishing an overall, inside and out, health picture of your rabbit as well as developing a specific blood profile for your individual bunny, which would come in useful should your rabbit fall ill at a future date.
I also strongly suggest that you have your rabbit spayed or neutered. Not only can rabbits potentially give birth once a month, but they can also have up to 14 babies at a time! Even in households with a single rabbit, spaying or neutering has plenty of benefits: It can protect your rabbit from several types of cancer and reduce or eliminate aggression, as well as other undesirable behaviour, such as spraying, mounting, destructive chewing and biting. Spaying or neutering will not change your rabbit’s personality.
If you have any questions about how to best care for your rabbit, I would be happy to discuss proper diet, housing, grooming and handling.