Rabbits are fragile animals whose health problems can escalate quickly. The gap between "off their food" and a life-threatening emergency is shorter in rabbits than in most other pets, which is why rabbit owners — and anyone caring for a rabbit in an owner's absence — need a clear understanding of what to watch for and when to act. This guide covers the most common and most serious rabbit illnesses, their warning signs, and what treatment looks like.
1. Gastrointestinal stasis
GI stasis is the most common serious rabbit illness and a leading cause of rabbit death. It occurs when normal gut movement slows significantly or stops, allowing gas and harmful bacteria to build up in the digestive tract. Rabbits have a continuously moving gut that must keep working — unlike most mammals, they cannot vomit to relieve pressure, which means a stalled gut rapidly becomes dangerous.
Symptoms: Reduced or absent droppings, loss of appetite, hunched posture indicating abdominal pain, lethargy, and a distended or hard-feeling abdomen. A rabbit producing fewer droppings than normal is an early warning sign worth taking seriously.
Causes: A diet low in fibre (insufficient hay), stress, dehydration, pain from another condition, or recent surgery.
Treatment: GI stasis is a same-day veterinary emergency. Treatment typically involves fluids, gut motility drugs (such as metoclopramide), pain relief, and critical care feeding while the gut restarts. Do not wait to see if it resolves — a rabbit who has stopped eating and producing droppings for more than a few hours needs immediate veterinary attention.
2. Dental disease
Rabbits' teeth grow continuously throughout their lives. If not worn down naturally through a high-fibre diet — primarily hay — the molars develop sharp spurs that lacerate the cheeks and tongue and prevent normal chewing. The incisors can also become misaligned (malocclusion), which compounds the problem.
Symptoms: Drooling, difficulty chewing or dropping food, weight loss, wet chin, facial swelling, and reduced appetite. A rabbit who becomes selective about what they eat — rejecting harder foods — may be experiencing dental pain.
Causes: Insufficient hay (the abrasive chewing action of hay is what maintains molar surfaces), genetic predisposition in certain breeds, and injury.
Treatment: A rabbit-savvy vet can file or trim overgrown teeth under general anaesthesia. This requires specialist equipment and experience — it is not a procedure for a general practice vet without rabbit expertise. Dental problems typically recur and require ongoing monitoring. A diet built around unlimited hay is the most effective long-term prevention.
3. Respiratory infections (snuffles)
Snuffles is the informal name for upper respiratory infections in rabbits, most commonly caused by the bacterium Pasteurella multocida. It is highly contagious between rabbits and can become chronic, with recurrent flare-ups even after treatment.
Symptoms: Sneezing, thick white or yellow nasal discharge, matted fur on the front paws from repeated nose-wiping, laboured breathing, watery eyes, and head tilt (if the infection spreads to the inner ear).
Causes: Bacterial infection (Pasteurella most commonly, but other bacteria can also cause respiratory illness), stress, poor ventilation, exposure to drafts or damp conditions.
Treatment: Veterinary-prescribed antibiotics, typically over an extended course. The infection can clear but may recur, particularly under stress. Rabbits with chronic snuffles need careful environmental management and regular vet monitoring. Isolate infected rabbits from other rabbits immediately.
4. Flystrike
Flystrike (myiasis) is one of the most rapidly fatal conditions a rabbit can experience and is underappreciated by many rabbit owners as a real risk. Flies — primarily blowflies — are attracted to wet, soiled, or wounded areas around a rabbit's rear end and lay eggs there. The hatching larvae (maggots) burrow into the rabbit's skin and flesh. The condition progresses extremely fast and is fatal within hours if not treated.
Symptoms: Visible maggots in the fur, open wounds around the hindquarters, a foul smell, lethargy, and collapse. By the time visible symptoms appear, the condition is already advanced. Prevention is therefore the only practical strategy.
Causes: A dirty or wet rear end — from diarrhoea, urine scalding, or a wound — attracts flies. Overweight rabbits or those with dental disease may be unable to groom their hindquarters properly, increasing risk. Warm weather (particularly spring through autumn) is when fly activity peaks.
Treatment: Immediate emergency veterinary care. Maggots must be removed under veterinary supervision and the rabbit treated for shock and infection. Prevention: check the rabbit's rear end daily in warmer months, keep bedding dry and clean, treat any underlying conditions that cause loose stools, and consider fly-prevention products designed specifically for rabbits.
5. Parasites — mites and fleas
Ear mites (Psoroptes cuniculi) and fur mites are the most common parasitic issues in rabbits. Fleas can also affect rabbits, though less commonly than in cats or dogs.
Symptoms: Ear mites cause intense head shaking, pawing at the ears, and a thick, crusty buildup inside the ear canal. Fur mites cause dandruff-like flaking across the back and base of the tail, hair loss, and scratching.
Treatment: Vet-prescribed anti-parasitic medication. Critical warning: never use dog or cat flea or mite treatments on rabbits. Many products safe for cats — including permethrin and some spot-on treatments — are toxic and potentially fatal to rabbits. Only use treatments specifically prescribed or approved for rabbits by a vet.
Urinary tract disorders are also worth noting — urinary tract infections, bladder stones, and bladder sludge (often from a high-calcium diet or insufficient water intake) can all affect rabbits. Signs include frequent urination, blood in the urine, and straining to urinate. These require veterinary diagnosis and should not be managed at home.
6. Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease and myxomatosis
RHD (Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease, including the newer RHD2 variant) and myxomatosis are highly contagious viral diseases with very high fatality rates. Both are present in wild rabbit populations and can reach domestic rabbits through indirect contact — via insects, birds, or contaminated clothing and equipment — even in rabbits who never go outdoors.
RHD symptoms: Sudden death (often without prior signs), or fever, collapse, convulsions, and bleeding from the nose, mouth, or rear. Death typically occurs within one to three days.
Myxomatosis symptoms: Severe swelling of the eyes, nose, ears, lips, and genitals; discharge; fever; and progressive organ failure. Most unvaccinated rabbits die within 10 to 14 days.
Prevention: Vaccination is the only reliable protection for both diseases. Vaccination schedules vary by country and available products — in the UK, combination vaccines cover both strains; in other regions, separate vaccines may be required. Speak with a rabbit-experienced vet about the appropriate schedule for your location. There is no effective treatment for either disease once symptoms are established.
Signs of illness to watch for
Because rabbits mask pain and illness as an instinctive survival behavior, owners need to know their individual rabbit's baseline well enough to spot deviations. The most reliably useful indicators:
- Reduced or absent food and water intake
- Reduced or absent droppings, or droppings that are much smaller or softer than usual
- Lethargy or unwillingness to move
- Hunched posture (indicates abdominal pain)
- Grinding teeth (indicates pain)
- Laboured breathing or nasal discharge
- Wet chin or front paws (dental or respiratory)
- Changes in urination — frequency, colour, or straining
- Any wound, wet patch, or debris around the rear end (flystrike risk)
What rabbit sitters need to know
Rabbits are exotic pets with emergency situations that move faster than most owners expect. If you're leaving a rabbit with a pet sitter, the information you leave matters more than it would for a cat or dog.
The two critical briefings: GI stasis is a same-day emergency — if the rabbit stops eating or producing droppings, the sitter needs to call an exotic vet immediately, not wait to see if it resolves. Flystrike can kill within hours in warm weather — the sitter should check the rabbit's rear end daily and know exactly what they're looking for.
Leave the contact details for your rabbit-experienced exotic vet, the nearest 24-hour emergency exotic animal clinic, and your own contact information. Standard emergency vet clinics often do not have the specialist knowledge or equipment to treat rabbit emergencies effectively — finding an exotic vet in advance, rather than in a crisis, is the most important preparation you can make before any travel. Include all medications the rabbit is on, the feeding and hay routine, and what symptoms should trigger an immediate vet call rather than a "wait and see."
Frequently asked questions
1. What are the most common diseases in rabbits?
GI stasis, dental disease, and respiratory infections (snuffles) are the most frequently encountered. Flystrike, ear mites, and urinary tract disorders are also common. RHD and myxomatosis are less common in vaccinated rabbits but carry extremely high fatality rates in unvaccinated ones. GI stasis is the most common cause of sudden death in pet rabbits and the condition owners most need to be able to recognize quickly.
2. What is the 3-3-3 rule for bunnies?
The 3-3-3 rule describes a typical adjustment timeline for rabbits in a new environment: three days to decompress and stop hiding, three weeks to settle into a routine and show their personality, three months to feel fully at home. It applies most directly to newly adopted rabbits but is a useful frame for any significant environmental change. During the first three days particularly, stress-related illness (including GI slowdown) is a real risk, which is why minimizing handling and disturbance in the early adjustment period matters for rabbit health.
3. Can rabbit diseases be treated at home?
Most serious rabbit illnesses cannot be effectively treated at home and should not be attempted. GI stasis, dental disease, flystrike, and respiratory infections all require veterinary diagnosis and treatment. Home management — ensuring hay and water access, maintaining warmth, minimizing stress — can support recovery but does not replace veterinary care. The exception is prevention: a high-fibre diet, daily hygiene checks, vaccination, and regular scooping of the living area are all things owners control at home and that meaningfully reduce illness risk.
4. Are there vaccinations for rabbits?
Yes. Vaccines are available for Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease (including the RHD2 strain) and myxomatosis. These are among the most serious rabbit diseases, with very high fatality rates in unvaccinated animals. Vaccination schedules and available products vary by country — speak with a rabbit-experienced vet about what is appropriate and available in your location. Outdoor and indoor rabbits alike benefit from vaccination, as both diseases can reach domestic rabbits through indirect contact.
5. Why can't I use cat or dog flea treatment on my rabbit?
Many antiparasitic products that are safe for cats and dogs are toxic to rabbits. Permethrin, found in some spot-on flea treatments for dogs, is lethal to rabbits. Several ingredients in cat flea products are also dangerous. Never apply any flea, mite, or parasite treatment to a rabbit that has not been specifically prescribed or approved for use in rabbits by a veterinarian. When in doubt, ask a rabbit-experienced exotic vet rather than assuming safety.
6. How do I find a vet experienced with rabbits?
Search specifically for "exotic animal vet" or "rabbit-savvy vet" in your area rather than relying on a general small animal practice. The Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians (AEMV) maintains a vet locator for the US. In the UK, the Rabbit Welfare Association lists rabbit-savvy practices. Finding this vet and establishing a patient record before an emergency arises is far better than searching for one mid-crisis. This is also the vet contact information that should be at the top of any sitter instructions whenever you travel without your rabbit. 🐇
Rabbits require attentive, informed owners — and attentive, informed sitters. The speed at which conditions like GI stasis and flystrike progress means the difference between a good outcome and a fatal one is often measured in hours. Knowing the signs, having a rabbit-experienced vet already identified, and making sure anyone caring for your rabbit in your absence has the same information is what rabbit ownership requires.
