How To Tell If Your Pet Rabbit Is Healthy

Monday, January 8th, 2007 by Elle Woloszuk 0 Comments

0 Comments

According to the House Rabbit Society, rabbits naturally hide pain and sickness because they are at the bottom of the food chain in the wild, and to not do so would show signs of weakness and vulnerability. This is instinctual and is carried over to their human owner as well. That is why it is very important to check your pet rabbit daily for signs of illness or injury.

Your pet rabbit should be very aware of his surroundings and not sit perfectly still, but react to your movements. Touching and petting your pet rabbit gently and regularly is a good way to get to know his natural reaction to you.

According to the Veterinary School at WSU, the first places you should inspect are his eyes and ears. Your pet rabbit’s eyes should be clear, and the ears should be clean and free of discharge or sores.

The bottom of your pet bunny’s feet should not be red, and your pet should give you little reaction when you push lightly on the bottom of his feet. A lot of reaction could indicate pain.

Your pet rabbit’s ears should not be too hot or too cold, and look for loss of balance or head tilt as a sign that something is not right.

Rabbits are very good at hiding symptoms and misleading their owner into thinking they are well, but regularly checking your pet will help you determine his health.