How to Keep Your Rabbit Healthy

Rabbits are delicate creatures and require a lot of care. It's important that you bond with your rabbit and get to know his habits and behavior, as well as the contours of his body, so you can recognize changes immediately. Rabbits generally hide symptoms of illness until it's too late to save them, but if you know your rabbit well, you will have a better chance of keeping him healthy.

Instructions

1. Check your rabbit everyday, so you will get to know him and be able to recognize any changes immediately.

2. Check his eyes for clearness and no discharge.

3. Check his ears (inside and outside) to make sure there's no flaking, no sores or discoloration or bumps.

4. Check his paws and toenails to make sure his toenails are the correct length (ask your vet to show you how to determine length and how to trim your rabbit's toenails.)

5. Check his teeth to make sure they're correctly aligned and that none of them are broken. You will only be able to view his front teeth because rabbit molars are very deep in the mouth. Your vet will have to check the molars periodically (approximately once or twice a year during your rabbit's well bunny check) to make sure they're correctly aligned.

6. Feel your rabbit's fur as you pet him, checking for any unexplained lumps.

7. Make sure he has no cuts or bruises on his body.

8. Check his genitals to make sure the area is clean and dry; if it isn't, you may need to give him a spot bath. Ask your veterinarian to show you how to do this safely and only use a very small amount of gentle soap, so you can easily rinse it out of your rabbit's fur.

9. Watch your rabbit hop about the room and play: look for odd behavior like constantly switching position, refusing to lie down, or straining when using the litterbox.

10. Take your rabbit to the veterinarian immediately, if you suspect an illness because several illnesses that affect rabbits can kill them within minutes.

Tips & Warnings

• In the case of rabbits, it's better to be safe than sorry. Take your rabbit to the veterinarian immediately if you suspect an illness or think something isn't right.

• Ask your veterinarian to let you be an active partner in your rabbit's care: ask questions, make suggestions, and read as much as you can, so you can learn about all the information that's available on rabbit care.

• Check out the House Rabbit Society's web site (http://www.rabbit.org) to become familiar with which medications are safe for rabbits. Only a select few are.