Call a vet now
Flystrike
myiasis
- Maggots in the fur
- Not eating
- Spring
- Summer
- Autumn
- Weaning
- Adults
Rabbit health
What have you noticed in your rabbit? Search by sign, season or age. Every disease says what to do and when to call a vet.
Diseases
How old are your rabbits?
Call a vet now 2
This can’t wait: call a vet immediately.
- Call a vet now
Bloat
gut stasis
- Swollen belly
- Not eating
- Hard breathing
- Spring
- Summer
- Weaning
- Growing
- Adults
See a vet 3
A vet chooses the treatment — don’t give medicines yourself. Until then, give first aid.
- See a vet Contagious
Myxomatosis
- Swollen eyes or head
- Not eating
- Hard breathing
- Spring
- Summer
- Autumn
- All ages
- See a vet Contagious
Mange
sarcoptic mange, fur mites
- Crusty skin, fur loss
- Not eating
- Spring
- Winter
- All ages
- See a vet
Overgrown teeth
malocclusion
- Long teeth, drooling
- Not eating
- All year
- Weaning
- Adults
Care at home 1
Start with care at home and keep watching. If it gets worse, see a vet.
- Care at home
Enteritis
weaning diarrhoea
- Diarrhoea
- Swollen belly
- Not eating
- Spring
- Summer
- Weaning
- Growing
Feed safety
The most dangerous come first. Tap a feed to read the full note.
- Hay every day, as much as they want The base of the diet: it keeps the gut and teeth healthy.
- New feeds over 5–7 days Build up alfalfa, clover and new pellets little by little.
- Nothing wet or mouldy Dewy greens cause bloat, and mould is poisonous.
Never feed 11
Do not feed these at all.
Mouldy hay, grain and feed Mould toxins damage the liver and kill
Mould toxins cause diarrhoea, liver damage, breathing problems and death in rabbits. Throw away at once any feed that is damp, heated, dusty or smells mouldy.
Kind: Hay
Potato tops and green potatoes Solanine causes trembling and diarrhoea and can kill
They contain solanine, which causes drooling, diarrhoea and trembling and can kill. Never feed the tops or green or sprouting tubers.
Kind: Greens
Apricot, cherry, plum and peach branches The leaves and bark release cyanide
The leaves, bark and stones of these trees contain compounds that release cyanide, especially wilted leaves. Keep prunings away from the greens pile and do not feed them to rabbits.
Kind: Branches
Tomato and eggplant leaves and stems The leaves and stems contain poisonous alkaloids
They belong to the nightshade family, and the leaves and stems contain poisonous alkaloids. After clearing the garden, do not give these plants to rabbits or mix them into the greens.
Kind: Greens
Hemlock and water hemlock Looks like dill, but causes paralysis and death
They grow along ditches and in damp places and look like wild carrot or dill, but are extremely poisonous and cause paralysis and death. Never feed any unfamiliar plant with white umbrella-shaped flower heads.
Kind: Greens
Oleander A strong heart poison, dangerous even when dried
A common ornamental shrub in the south; every part contains a strong poison that affects the heart, and it stays dangerous when dried. Never feed it, and keep prunings well away from the rabbitry.
Kind: Branches
Datura (thorn apple) Disturbs the heartbeat and causes paralysis
Common by roads, on waste ground and around manure heaps; it disturbs the heartbeat and causes paralysis. Make sure none gets into cut grass or hay.
Kind: Greens
Poultry, cattle or sheep feed Some medicated additives in it are toxic to rabbits
Do not feed it to rabbits: some coccidiostats and medicated additives in it are toxic to rabbits, and the fibre level is wrong. Use only feed labelled for rabbits.
Kind: Pellets
Cottonseed cake and cottonseed (chigit) Gossypol builds up and damages the heart, liver and fertility
Cheap at the bazaar, but it contains gossypol, which builds up in the body and damages the heart, liver and fertility. Do not feed it to rabbits — use sunflower meal for protein instead.
Kind: Supplements
Buttercup Inflames the mouth and gut and causes convulsions
Found in damp meadows; an acrid substance in the fresh plant inflames the mouth and gut and causes diarrhoea and convulsions. Pick buttercups out when cutting grass.
Kind: Greens
Onion and garlic Can damage red blood cells and cause anaemia
Plants of the onion family can damage red blood cells and cause anaemia. Do not give them to rabbits as food or as a home remedy.
Kind: Vegetables
With care 22
Only in small amounts, or prepared the right way.
Fresh alfalfa (green beda) Wet or too much causes bloat — wilt it and build up slowly
Very nutritious, but wet or in large amounts it causes bloat. Wilt it in shade for a few hours after cutting, never feed it with dew or rain on it, and build up the amount gradually over 5–7 days.
Kind: Greens
Straw (wheat or barley) Low in nutrients — bedding and extra fibre, not a main feed
Low in nutrients, so it cannot be the main feed, but it works as bedding and extra fibre. Use only clean, dry straw with no mould.
Kind: Hay
Barley Crushed, in a grain mix — too much causes diarrhoea and obesity
One of the most practical feed grains in Uzbekistan; feed it crushed or rolled as part of a grain mix. It does not replace hay — too much grain leads to diarrhoea and obesity.
Kind: Grain
Wheat Crushed, and a smaller share of the mix than barley
Feed it crushed and as a smaller share of the grain mix than barley. Choose clean, dry grain with no mould or insects.
Kind: Grain
Maize (corn) A small share, dry only — mouldy maize is very dangerous
High in energy but low in protein and fibre, so keep it a small share of the grain mix, mainly for fattening. Feed only dry, crushed grain — toxins in mouldy maize are very dangerous to rabbits.
Kind: Grain
Oats The gentlest grain, but only in moderation alongside hay
Its higher fibre makes it the gentlest grain for rabbits, but little is grown in Uzbekistan and barley can replace it. Like other grains, feed it in moderation alongside hay.
Kind: Grain
Show all (22)
Wheat bran (kepak) Feed wet mash straight away — sour bran causes poisoning
Add it to the grain mix and dampen it slightly to cut dust, but feed wet mash straight away and remove leftovers. Sour or mouldy bran causes diarrhoea and poisoning.
Kind: Grain
Sunflower meal and cake (kunjara) A protein source — only as a small part of the grain mix
The main protein source for a home-made grain mix; feed it as a small part of the mix, never on its own. It should smell fresh, not rancid, and have no mould.
Kind: Supplements
Carrot Sugary — a few pieces a day is enough
A useful juicy feed in winter, but sugary — a few pieces a day is enough. Feed washed, dried, sound carrots; the tops are fine too.
Kind: Vegetables
Red beetroot Too much loosens droppings; red urine is harmless
Fine in small amounts; too much loosens the droppings. Red-coloured urine afterwards is harmless; the leaves are high in oxalates, so give those sparingly too.
Kind: Vegetables
Sugar beet and fodder beet Chopped, a little at a time; never frozen or rotten
Fodder beet is given chopped, a little at a time, as a winter juicy feed; sugar beet is sweeter, so give even less. Never feed frozen, rotten or heated-in-the-pile beets.
Kind: Vegetables
Cabbage Can cause bloat — start with a small piece
It can cause bloat: start with a small piece and give only dry, fresh leaves. Do not give it to newly weaned kits.
Kind: Vegetables
Boiled potato Boiled and a little only; raw or green potato is poisonous
Only for fattening, in small amounts, boiled with the cooking water thrown away. Raw, green or sprouting potatoes are poisonous because of solanine.
Kind: Vegetables
Apple A small piece, without the core and seeds
Give a small piece as a treat and remove the core with the seeds. Do not feed rotten or fermenting windfalls.
Kind: Fruit
Watermelon and melon rinds Watery and sweet — too much causes diarrhoea
Fine in small amounts in summer, but they are watery and sweet, so too much causes diarrhoea. Feed only fresh, unfermented rinds and remove leftovers.
Kind: Fruit
Grape leaves and vines Vineyards are often sprayed — only from unsprayed vines
Leaves and vines can be fed fresh or dried, but vineyards are often sprayed with copper sulphate and pesticides. Use only unsprayed vines and introduce them gradually; give the grapes themselves only in small amounts.
Kind: Branches
Clover Young or wet clover causes bloat — wilt it first
Nutritious, but young, wet or excessive clover causes bloat, just like alfalfa. Wilt it, mix it with other greens and introduce it gradually.
Kind: Greens
Purslane High in oxalates and water — not the main green
Common in gardens and fields and fine in small amounts. It is high in oxalates and very watery, so do not make it the main green — wilt it and mix it with other plants.
Kind: Greens
Field bindweed Large amounts can cause diarrhoea and colic
Common in fields; a little mixed into hay or grass is not dangerous, but its alkaloids can cause diarrhoea and colic in larger amounts. Do not feed it on its own in quantity.
Kind: Greens
Bread and dried bread Not recommended: lots of starch and salt, no fibre
Not recommended: it is high in starch and salt with no fibre, and causes diarrhoea and obesity. If given at all, only a very little well-dried bread — never mouldy bread.
Kind: Grain
Feed-grade chalk A little for calcium — feed-grade chalk only, never building chalk
Added in small amounts to the grain mix as a calcium source, especially on grain-heavy rations; rabbits eating plenty of alfalfa may not need extra calcium. Use only feed-grade chalk — building chalk, lime and whitewash mixes are not suitable.
Kind: Supplements
Salt and salt lick Needed in small amounts, too much is poisonous — always give water
Needed in small amounts: hang a plain salt lick in the cage or add a little table salt to the grain mix. Too much salt is poisonous, so clean water must always be available.
Kind: Supplements
Safe 11
Clean, dry and mould-free; bring in anything new gradually.
Alfalfa hay (dried beda) Rich in protein and calcium — best for nursing does and growing kits
Rich in protein and calcium, and especially good for nursing does and growing kits. It should be green and sweet-smelling with no dust or mould; adult rabbits can have it mixed with grass hay.
Kind: Hay
Grass hay The base of the diet: unlimited every day, for gut and teeth
The foundation of the diet: give it without limit every day to keep the gut and teeth healthy. It should be dry, greenish and free of dust and mould; never feed damp or heated hay.
Kind: Hay
Rabbit pellets (rabbit kombikorm) Balanced rabbit feed — switch brands over 5–7 days
Complete feed made specifically for rabbits is convenient and balanced. Switch to a new brand gradually over 5–7 days, check the expiry date and for mould, and keep feeding hay as well.
Kind: Pellets
Pumpkin A good juicy feed in autumn and winter — raw, chopped, in moderation
A good juicy feed in autumn and winter; give it raw, chopped and in moderation. Do not feed rotten or mouldy pumpkin.
Kind: Vegetables
Mulberry leaves and branches (tut) Safe and nutritious, fresh or dried for winter
Safe and nutritious for rabbits, fed fresh or dried for winter. Introduce it gradually like any new feed, and do not use trees that have been sprayed.
Kind: Branches
Willow branches and leaves Great for gnawing, wears the teeth down
Safe and excellent for gnawing, which wears the teeth down; feed them fresh or dried. Do not use dusty roadside trees or trees treated with chemicals.
Kind: Branches
Show all (11)
Poplar branches and leaves Rabbits eat it readily; it can be dried for winter
Rabbits eat them readily, and they can be dried with the leaves on for winter. Introduce them gradually and avoid roadside trees.
Kind: Branches
Apple and pear branches Good for gnawing — only from unsprayed trees
Safe and useful for gnawing, and a helpful extra feed in winter. Use only branches from trees that have not been sprayed recently.
Kind: Branches
Dandelion A rabbit favourite — leaves, flowers and stems
Safe and a rabbit favourite; the leaves, flowers and stems can all be fed. Give it dry and slightly wilted, and do not pick it by roads or on sprayed ground.
Kind: Greens
Plantain (broadleaf) A safe medicinal herb, mixed with other greens
A safe medicinal herb to feed mixed with other greens. Pick it from clean places and give it dry.
Kind: Greens
Stinging nettle Rich in vitamins — wilt it so it no longer stings
Rich in vitamins and especially useful in spring. Wilt it for a few hours or dry it so it no longer stings, then feed it.
Kind: Greens