Things to observe when caring for rabbits
Any small changes in a rabbit’s behaviour could indicate a health problem, so it’s important to monitor them closely, and seek immediate veterinary care if anything seems abnormal.
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| Even subtle changes in nostril shape can indicate pain (see below). |
Here is Bunnymad’s list of behavioural checks, with some examples of problems:
· Appetite and drinking:
o Reduced appetite (if in doubt, offer a favourite treat).
o Increased appetite.
o Changes in food preference.
o Excessive or reduced thirst.
o Difficulties trying to eat or drink.
· Droppings and urine:
o Reduced number of dry, spherical droppings.
o Droppings are darker, smaller, misshapen, or tied together like a string of pearls.
o Uneaten caecotrophs (either left on ground or stuck to the rabbit’s rear end).
o Suspicion that rabbit not producing caecotrophs.
o Diarrhoea – watery faeces (not to be confused with uneaten caecotrophs, which are soft clusters).
o Straining/taking a long time to go to toilet.
o Excessive or reduced urination.
o Changes to urine, including sludge or blood.
o Urinating/passing droppings outside their usual toilet area.
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| These droppings are connected by fur – a warning that the rabbits' guts might struggle with fur ingestion, so it's a good idea to encourage them to eat more hay. |
· Breathing:
o Laboured breathing.
o Hyperventilation.
o Gasping.
o Mouth breathing (rabbits are obligate nasal breathers – they should only breathe through their nose, so mouth breathing indicates a severe problem).
· Behaviour towards people:
o Sudden aggression.
o Anxiety or hiding from people.
o Struggling more than usual during handling.
o Not wishing to be touched/flinching when touched.
· Behaviour towards rabbit companion(s):
o Sudden aggression.
o Unfriendly or unwilling to spend time with a companion.
o Appearing scared of companion.
· Activity levels:
o Sudden increase or decrease in activity.
o Lethargy.
o Increase in destructiveness.
· Mobility:
o Walking/hopping abnormally (eg. limping or shuffling).
o Staggering.
o Falling over.
o Moving in tight circles.
o Unable to rear up on back legs.
· Choice of place to rest/sleep:
o Choosing to sleep or rest in a different place from normal, perhaps a remote or hidden spot.
· Body posture:
o Hunched posture.
o Pressing abdomen to ground (a common sign of pain during stasis).
o Writhing/ pulling in sides of abdomen.
o Arching back.
· Ear movement:
o Frequent ear shaking.
o Ear drooping (for up-eared rabbit).
· Unusual movements:
o Wincing.
o Vibrating/jerking movements of body.
· Grooming:
o Excessive grooming.
o Excessive scratching.
o Fur pulling.
o Unable to groom or scratch.
· Grinding teeth:
o Loud grinding (this sign of pain is not to be confused with a gentle chattering of teeth, which is a sign of contentment).
· Sneezing:
o Rapid sneezing over a significant period.
o Intermittent sneezing for more than a day.
· Screaming or squealing:
o Rabbit screams or squeals when in severe pain, but some will squeal if they are in distress.
· Facial expression – The Grimace Scale (developed by the Pain & Animal Welfare Sciences Group (PAWS) at Newcastle University) provides pictures to help owners recognise signs of pain using five features (we recommend you follow the link, to see the photographs illustrating each feature):
o Narrowing of eyes – closing of the eyelid (narrowing of orbital area), a wrinkle may be visible around the eye.
o Cheek flattening – flattening of the cheeks to take on a sunken look, face becomes more angular and less rounded.
o Nostril shape – drawn vertically forming a 'V' rather than 'U' shape, nose tip is moved down towards the chin.
o Whisker change & position – pushed away from face to 'stand on end', stiffen and lose their natural downward curve, increasingly point in the same direction.
o Ear shape & position – become tightly folded/curled (more cylindrical) in shape, rotate from facing source of sound to facing hindquarters, may be held closer to the back or sides of the body.
Always consult a vet as soon as rabbits show any signs of illness, injury, pain, or a change in their behaviour, before it develops into a more serious, potentially fatal problem.
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