Rabbit Health and Diseases and How to Minimize Major Stresses

October 17, 2023 Agric4Profits

When considering rabbit health and diseases, the healthy rabbit may become unhealthy and diseased if exposed to stress and disease organism. It is the responsibility of the rabbit keeper to maintain a healthy rabbit that is not stressed and in whose environment there are as few disease organisms as possible.

Signs of a Healthy Rabbit

To understand the diseased rabbit you should know a healthy one very well through the signs of a healthy rabbit and this include:

Normal eating and drinking. Self–grooming.

Alertness, interest and curiosity.

Shiny, smooth, lean fur, especially on the front paws and around the anus. A normal temperature of 37ºC-39.5ºC.

Normal silent breathing; 40-65 breath per minute. Clear bright eyes without discharge.

Clear nostrils without discharge.

Normal caecotrophy, no soft faeces on the hutch floor. Gaining weight or, if an adult maintaining its weight.

Conditions that make a rabbit susceptible to disease include:

Insufficient water. Insufficient food.

Toxic or poisonous food.

An unbalanced diet is deficient in energy, protein, minerals or vitamins. High fibre-only foods that can cause the rabbit to ‘blow-up’ like a ball; Sour dirty foods that cause diarrhoea.

Dirty hutches and badly ventilated hutches that promote an increase in the number of disease organisms.

Stress is any challenge to any system of the rabbit system for example its temperature control system, its digestive system, and its normal behaviour pattern. Pregnancy, giving birth, lactation, weaning and mating are all periods of natural and unavoidable stress.

How to Minimize Major Stresses

Correct hutch design-windproof and waterproof; Correct placement of the hutch;

Routine management steps to avoid heat stress; Avoidance of overcrowding in hutches; Exclusion of dogs, snakes and noisy visitors; an adequate well balanced diet;

Overall good management, particularly ensuring clean dry floors and sufficient bedding.

In conclusion, there are several bacterial, viral and parasitic diseases that can affect rabbits. It is the responsibility of the rabbit keeper to maintain a healthy rabbit that is not stressed and in whose environment there are as few disease organisms as possible.

Signs of a healthy rabbi are normal eating and drinking, self -grooming, alertness, interest and curiosity, shiny, smooth, lean fur, especially on the front paws and around the anus, a normal temperature of 37ºC-39.5ºC, normal silent.

Breathing; 40-65 breathe per minute, clear bright eyes without discharge, clear nostrils without discharge, normal caecotrophy, no soft faeces on the hutch. Floor, gaining weight or, if an adult maintaining its weight.

Conditions that make a rabbit susceptible to the disease are Insufficient water, insufficient food, toxic or poisonous food, an unbalanced diet deficient in energy, protein, minerals or vitamins, high fibre-only foods that can cause the rabbit to ‘blow-up’ like a ball, sour dirty foods that cause diarrhea, dirty hutches and badly ventilated hutches that promote an increase in the number of disease organisms.

Preventive measures for common diseases include sanitation of Waterers, and feeders every few days. Wash and disinfect cages when they become empty, and separate any sick animal from the healthy ones.

There are several bacterial, viral and parasitic diseases that can affect rabbits. It is the responsibility of the rabbit keeper to maintain a healthy rabbit that is not stressed and in whose environment there are as few disease organisms as possible.