Wellness Checks
I spend quality time with each of our bunnies everyday so anything out of the ordinary would not go long without being noticed. Bunnies, however, are prey animals and are very good about hiding weakness. Something may be bothering your bunny and they may not act much differently. Once a week, I give my rabbits a thorough health check which goes above and beyond what I look for in my daily interactions. I usually do this while I'm grooming as well. Somethings I look for are listed below.
Eyes – A healthy rabbit's eyes should be clear and bright and the tissue surrounding the eye should be a nice healthy pink color. There shouldn't be any discharge or crust build up. Occasionally even a healthy rabbit will get a little eye crust which can be wiped away with a little towel and some warm water.
Ears – You want to check for wax build up and any scratches or flakiness. You can use a cotton ball or gauze with warm water or saline to gently clean ears if needed. Do not attempt to wipe internally. Consult with a veterinarian if you see excessive ear wax as it may be an infection.
Nose – A healthy bunny will have a dry nose with no wetness or discharge. It should also twitch regularly. Listen to your bunny breathing, airways should sound clear and breaths sound effortless.
Teeth – Gently pull the upper and lower lips back to check your bunny's teeth. They should be straight, sharp, and filled down to a good length. The top teeth should overlap the bottoms slightly but if they are too long consult a veterinarian right away.
Fur/Skin – A healthy bunny will have a soft, shiny coat. Check for any loss of fur, matted hair, scabs or bumps. If your bunny goes outside to play, always check for ticks and fleas every time they come in from outside.
Feet – Check toes and hocks for any sign of sores or inflammation. The bottom of feet and paws should be covered in fur and the skin beneath should be pale and not bright pink or red.
Nails – They should be trimmed often and kept short. If they are allowed to grow too long, the quick will grow longer too. This puts your bunny more at risk for infection should a nail break off.
Poop - It should be looked at and inspected everyday. It is the number one tell tale sign that something is wrong with your bunny. Rabbits have two normal types of poop, dry poo balls and grape-like clusters of tiny, moist, poo balls called cecotropes. Cecotropes, are partially digested food that are eliminated and then reingested. They contain essential vitamins and nutrients for your buns health. Most of them will be consumed at night but occasionally extras may be left behind. Abnormal poop to look out for includes no poop, strange shaped poop, string of poop, excess cecotropes, runny cecotropes and diarrhea. Cutting back on treats and pellets and pushing an all hay diet for a few days can get them back on track. As always, with any health concern, it is best to consult with your vet.
Urine - Normal urine can range anywhere in color from yellow to deep orange reddish brown color. It can also be cloudy as rabbits eliminate calcium through their urine. Urine should never be a bright red color or have streaks of red. This is usually indicative of blood coming from the urinary tract. If you suspect blood in urine that means a trip to the vet!
First Aid/Care Kit - A list of great things to have on hand in a pinch!