09/09/2026
🐇🩺 IDENTIFICATION OF COMMON RABBIT DISEASES
Recognizing health problems early can save your rabbits and prevent losses in your rabbitry. Here are common rabbit diseases and conditions farmers should learn to recognize:
1. COCCIDIOSIS
Signs: Loss of appetite, weight loss, diarrhea, dehydration, rough coat, weakness, swollen abdomen, and poor growth. Liver coccidiosis may cause an enlarged abdomen and jaundice.
2. SNUFFLES / BACTERIAL RESPIRATORY INFECTION
Signs: Frequent sneezing, nasal discharge, wet or crusty nose, watery eyes, noisy breathing, difficulty breathing, and reduced appetite.
3. PASTEURELLOSIS
Signs: Thick nasal discharge, sneezing, difficulty breathing, pneumonia, head shaking, eye discharge, and reduced appetite. Severe cases can lead to sudden death.
4. ENTERITIS / ENTERIC DISEASE
Signs: Diarrhea, soft or abnormal f***s, bloating, dehydration, loss of appetite, weakness, and sudden deterioration—especially in young rabbits.
5. RABBIT HEMORRHAGIC DISEASE (RHD)
Signs: Sudden death, fever, weakness, loss of appetite, breathing difficulty, bleeding from the nose or other openings, and neurological signs. Some rabbits may die with very few visible warning signs.
6. MYXOMATOSIS
Signs: Swelling around the eyes, nose and ge***al area, swollen eyelids, skin nodules, nasal discharge, lethargy, and difficulty breathing.
7. EAR MITES
Signs: Head shaking, frequent scratching of the ears, thick brown crusts inside the ears, inflamed ear canals, and discomfort when the ears are touched.
8. MANGE / SKIN MITES
Signs: Intense itching, hair loss, crusty skin, scaling, redness, and lesions around the face, ears, nose, or other body parts.
9. FLYSTRIKE
Signs: Restlessness, excessive licking or biting around the rear, foul odor, wet or dirty fur around the tail, visible maggots, weakness, and rapid deterioration.
10. DENTAL DISEASE / OVERGROWN TEETH
Signs: Drooling, wet chin, difficulty eating, dropping food while chewing, weight loss, selective eat