Rabbits

Catherine Gose, CVT

Do Rabbit’s Nails Need to be Cut?A rabbit’s nails can grow quickly and will need to be trimmed if they are kept as pets. In the wild, rabbits are active and constantly on the move–as they run and jump their toenails are naturally worn down by the terrain of their environment. Wild rabbits also spend much of their time foraging for food and digging their burrows, also naturally wearing down...

Melissa Witherell, DVM

What is Myxomatosis in Rabbits?Myxomatosis is caused by the Myxoma virus, a member of the Pox Virus family, like Chicken pox in people. Myxomatosis is a lethal disease of domestic and wild European rabbits with a 99% mortality rate. It is endemic (regularly occurring) in jungle rabbits in Central and South America and in bush rabbits in California. The Myxoma virus in rabbits is also found in...

Melissa Witherell, DVM

Many pet parents are surprised to learn that pet rabbits weren’t evaluated for vaccinations until 2021. If you are a new pet parent or existing pet parent to a rabbit, it’s important to know your rabbit’s vaccination status, vaccines available, and preventing diseases in your rabbit. Do Rabbits Need to be Vaccinated?With the rise of new diseases, vaccination of pet rabbits is becoming...

Melissa Witherell, DVM

The following content may contain Chewy links. PetMD is operated by Chewy. Rabbits are active, intelligent, and social animals. They require a suitable living environment, a healthy diet, fresh water, social interactions, and the ability to behave like a rabbit. Rabbits need appropriate space to perform their normal behaviors—rabbits should be able to run, hop, stand on their hind legs, dig,...

Melissa Witherell, DVM

What is Pododermatitis in Rabbits?Pododermatitis means inflammation of the feet. This is a fairly common condition in rabbits at any age or gender, so it is essential to know what signs to watch out for and what preventative measures you can take to prevent it. Unlike cats, dogs, and humans, rabbits do not have a foot pad or thick musculature on their feet and hock/ankle bottoms. They have very...

Laurie Hess, DVM, DABVP

Like human infants, rabbits are very oral creatures, meaning they like to put anything and everything into their mouths to check things out. Unfortunately, also like babies, they put inappropriate (and sometimes dangerous!) things in their mouths that can potentially hurt or even kill them. One of the most inappropriate objects rabbits sometimes chew on? Electric cords. If the cord isn’t live...