What Are the Most Common Diseases in Rabbits?

Gut stasis, dental disease, flystrike, myxomatosis, rabbit haemorrhagic disease, E. cuniculi and sore hocks are the conditions UK rabbit vets see most often. Most of them trace back to the same two things, which are how much hay a rabbit eats and how quickly an owner notices that something has changed. The illnesses that kill fastest have the least dramatic symptoms, which is why a daily check of the food bowl and the back end matters so much.

1. Gut Stasis, the One That Kills Fastest

Gut stasis is when the gut slows down or stops moving, and it counts as an emergency rather than a wait-and-see problem. A rabbit that has refused food for several hours, or has produced no droppings overnight, should be seen by a vet that same day.

A rabbit in stasis typically sits hunched with its belly pressed to the floor, grinds its teeth and hides in a corner instead of coming over for food. Droppings get smaller and fewer, and some rabbits stop passing them altogether. Low fibre is behind most cases, because a bowl of muesli or too many pellets fills a rabbit up without giving the gut the long fibre it needs. PDSA notes that a reduced appetite can also come from stomach ulcers, urine infections or a respiratory infection, so the underlying cause is worth investigating properly. Keeping a constant supply of fresh meadow hay in the rack is the single most useful thing you can do, and it is not a job for home remedies or leftover medicine.

2. Dental Disease, the Hidden Cause Behind a Lot of It

Rabbit teeth keep growing for life, so they depend on constant chewing to wear down. When a rabbit eats too little hay, the back molars grow sharp spurs that cut into the tongue and cheeks, and the rabbit quietly eats less as a result.

Drooling is usually the first sign owners notice, along with a wet chin, food dropped from the mouth and weight loss in a rabbit that still seems keen at feeding time. A weepy eye on one side can mean a tooth root is pressing on the tear duct. Only a vet can examine rabbit teeth properly, and nobody should try clipping or filing them at home. Alongside hay, rabbit-safe chew toys give the front teeth something legitimate to work on.

3. Flystrike, the Warm-Weather Emergency

Flystrike happens when flies lay eggs on damp or soiled fur around a rabbit's back end, and the maggots that hatch begin feeding on the skin. It can move from a few eggs to a deep wound within hours, and the risk runs from spring through to early autumn.

The RSPCA advises checking that area every day in warm weather. A rabbit at risk will often twist round to bite at its rear, become restless, or develop a smell that was not there yesterday. Overweight, older and long-haired rabbits find it harder to keep themselves clean, so they need the closest watching. If you do find maggots, ring the vet straight away instead of trying to pick them off, and keep a pet-safe antiseptic spray such as Leucillin for minor grazes only. A hutch with a fitted rain cover keeps bedding drier through a wet spell, which removes the conditions flies look for.

4. Myxomatosis

The RSPCA describes myxomatosis as widespread in British wild rabbits, and it spreads through fleas, mites and mosquitoes as well as direct contact. That means a rabbit which never leaves the house can still catch it.

Signs include swellings around the head, face and ears that can close the eyes and make eating and drinking difficult. NOAH, the National Office of Animal Health, notes that the disease is frequently fatal in unvaccinated rabbits, while the RSPCA says vaccinated rabbits tend to develop a milder form and recover well when they reach a vet quickly. Prevention means the annual vaccination, flea control with a spot-on licensed for rabbits rather than a borrowed dog or cat product, and prompt removal of any ticks with a tick twister.

5. Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease, also called RHD, RVHD or VHD, is endemic in British wild rabbits and comes in two strains. According to the RSPCA, RHD2 has been present in the UK since 2013 and can infect rabbits of any age.

NOAH states that death can follow a fever within 12 to 36 hours, and that an owner's first clue is often a rabbit found dead with no earlier sign of illness. Where symptoms are visible at all they include depression or collapse, difficulty breathing, a fever and bleeding from the nose. There is no specific treatment once a rabbit is infected, which is why the RSPCA treats vaccination as essential. The RSPCA also says a combination vaccine covering myxomatosis, RHD1 and RHD2 can be given from five weeks old, with a booster every 12 months. The virus travels on shoes and clothing, so wash your hands after visiting anywhere with rabbits.

6. E. cuniculi

E. cuniculi is a microscopic parasite that damages the brain, kidneys and eyes. PDSA points out that many rabbits carry it with no symptoms at all, and that stress or another illness is often what triggers a flare-up.

A rabbit with an active infection may develop a head tilt, lose its balance, roll onto its side or flick its head repeatedly, and cataracts in one or both eyes are another common clue. Treatment works better the sooner it starts, so a head tilt is a same-day call to the vet. The parasite spreads through urine, so clean bowls and housing with a rabbit-safe disinfectant and keep a new rabbit apart from your existing one until the vet is happy with its health.

7. Sore Hocks

Sore hocks, or pododermatitis, are open and infected patches on the soles of the back feet, and they are painful enough to change the way a rabbit moves. They develop when a rabbit's weight presses on a hard surface, particularly if the flooring is wire or the bedding is thin and damp.

A rabbit with sore hocks shifts its weight from foot to foot, sits differently and becomes reluctant to hop. The skin on the heel goes bald, then red, then scabbed. An infected hock needs a vet, because it usually requires cleaning along with pain relief and sometimes antibiotics. Prevention is mostly about housing, with solid flooring instead of wire, deep bedding, a healthy weight and enough room to move. A solid-floored playpen attached to the hutch gives a rabbit a flat, soft surface to exercise on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Verdict

Most of the diseases on this list come back to two habits, and neither of them costs much. Feeding unlimited hay keeps the teeth worn down and the gut moving, which heads off gut stasis and dental disease together. Checking the food bowl and the back end once a day catches flystrike and the start of an illness while there is still something you can do about it.

Vaccination covers the two viruses that have no cure, and it fits naturally into the annual check. If you take one thing away from this guide, make it this: a rabbit that stops eating is not being fussy, and it needs a vet the same day. Keeping a basic pet first aid kit ready makes that trip easier when it happens.