Basics

Checks
You should check your rabbit each day for any signs of illness, such as a change in appetite or water intake, weight loss, diarrhoea, skin problems, snuffling, dribbling, facial swelling or any change in behaviour.

Under the tail also needs looking at as rabbits are prone to maggot infestations in the summer. So check and wipe this area with a clean damp cloth at least twice a day. Always contact your vet if you are worried about your rabbit.

Teeth
Overgrown teeth cause drooling and a poor appetite. Rabbits need to eat constantly to control their ever-growing teeth, and fibre-rich food like grass and hay are essential for this.

Skin
There are many conditions including ringworm, mites, wounds and bacterial infections that cause skin irritations.

Ringworm can affect people and usually causes a scaly and generally itchy skin.
Mites, however, can cause a very bad skin irritation. Skin wounds can result from fights with cage mates or other animals, such as dogs, cats and foxes.
Hair loss and skin ulcers on the underside of a rabbit's hind limbs can be due to rubbing from a wire mesh floor, or a very damp, wet floor. Bacterial infections are found in rabbits kept in poor housing. All of these conditions need veterinary treatment.

Respiratory problems
These are one of the most common problems seen in rabbits and the signs include a runny nose and runny eyes. A mild respiratory infection can lead to serious pneumonia if a rabbit is stressed.
The causes of stress include a poor environment, pregnancy, feeding young or another illness.
Digestive disturbances
Rabbits are very fastidious about their diet, so remember any dietary changes must be done very gradually. Your vet will be able to advise you about this.

Various different factors cause diarrhoea but poor husbandry, changes in diet, and stress can be involved. You should take your rabbit to the vet if it has diarrhoea but remember that rabbits do produce two types of droppings; a softer sort and a harder pellet type.
The soft, smelly sort is eaten by them, which is quite natural behaviour.

Vaccination
Rabbits can be vaccinated against myxomatosis and viral haemorrhagic disease. These viral diseases are almost invariably fatal, but can be prevented through vaccination. Your vet will be able to advise you about this.

Obesity
This is seen in rabbits and can be due to inappropriate food. It causes problems with grooming and may lead to digestive problems.

Neutering

Female rabbits (does)
Neutering female rabbits prevents unwanted litters, and also eliminates the behaviour associated with sexual hormones, such as nesting, aggression and mood swings.
Neutering also means infections of the uterus will not develop. Cancer of the uterus is one of the most common conditions seen in un-neutered does. It can develop in does over two years old, and up to 80 per cent of rabbits can be affected by the time they reach eight years old.

Male rabbits (bucks)
Neutering bucks eliminates behavioural changes linked to hormones, such as urine spraying and aggression.