Health

Health Checking: To make sure your rabbit is always living a healthy, happy life, it is highly recommended that you perform regular health checks. Here is a list of things you should look out for:

Eyes: Your bunny's eyes should appear bold, bright, and well-focused. Signs of ill health include spots or specks on the eyes, weeping eyes, a filming or milky appearance over the cornea, or a discharge from the eyes.

Ears: Look out for mites, wax build-up, and flaky pieces in the ears. These are all signs of illnesses.

Nose: Make sure there is no snot or creamy discharge on or near the nose. Discharge from the nose (and/or the eyes) usually signals 'snuffles', or pasteurellosis which is a very infectious bacterial infection of the upper respiratory tract. A rabbit with snuffles should be taken to a vet immediately and treated with antibiotics.

Front Paws: Check the front paws for matting or roughened fur. If your rabbit's nose is running, then he/she will use his front paws to wipe away the discharge.

Teeth: Make sure your rabbit's front teeth (the incisors) are properly aligned. If they are misaligned, then your rabbit has a condition called 'malocclusion'. When the incisors are not properly lined up, they will not grind each other down, and the constantly-growing teeth will eventually prevent the rabbit from eating.

Genital: Inspect your rabbit's genital and anus for soreness or swelling. Also look for faeces which may be stuck to the fur, and remove them. If the faeces have dried and are stuck, then run warm water over it, and gently ease them off. If this fails, then you may have to trim the fur which the faeces are stuck to.

Maintenance:

Rabbits are generally healthy, hardy creatures that are easy to take care of. However, there are some things that must be done to keep your bunny in top condition. Below is a list of things you should do to keep your pet healthy.

Clipping claws: Rabbit's nails grow continuously, and so they must be clipped on a regular basis. The length of time in between clippings can vary greatly, depending on what breed of rabbit you have, and the environment in which your bunny lives. Rex rabbits tend to need their claws clipped more frequently than other types of rabbits. As a general guide, most rabbits will need their claws clipped about once a month. If a rabbit's claws are not clipped often enough, they will put extra pressure on the foot, and will grow so long that they get caught in cracks, and break off, causing a lot of unnecessary bleeding and pain to your bunny.

Click here to find out more about clipping your rabbit's claws, and to see some step-by-step pictures.

Grooming: How often you will need to groom your rabbit will depend on what breed he/she is. Breeds with long wooled fur (such as English Angora, French Angora, and Jersey Wooly) will need grooming once a week to once a fortnight. Long-haired rabbits with a naturally matt-free coat (such as Cashmere Lop and Swiss Fox) will generally only need grooming once in a while, or when they are in a moult. Short haired rabbits (such as Mini Lop and Netherland Dwarf) will normally need grooming when they are in a moult, and the same goes for rex coated rabbits (such as Rex, Mini Rex, and Plush Lop).

To find out more information about grooming, and to see some step-by-step pictures, click here.