Recognizing pain in your rabbit

Knowing if your rabbit is in pain can help prevent illnesses or other medical problems from developing into severe or fatal conditions. Since rabbits are low on the food chain, it is an instinct with them to try to hide any condition that indicates weakness such as pain or illness. It is not as easy to tell when a rabbit is in pain as with a dog or cat that may cry or whimper when in pain. However, there are certain signs that a rabbit will display when in pain that will inform an attentive owner of pain or illness.

Signs of Pain
• Excessive Chewing
• Excessive Licking
• Snapping or Biting
• Grunting when approached
• Uneven gait when walking
• Apathetic Attitude or Behavior
• Disinterest in Eating or Drinking

An owner must take into consideration their rabbit's prior attitude and behavior when looking at signs of pain, as well as whether the rabbit is exhibiting more than one sign. For instance, some rabbits grunt everytime you enter their hutch. This is a form of defending the hutch and therefore, not a sign of pain. However, if your rabbit has never grunted at you before this would indicate something is not right. If your rabbit also exhibits an apathetic behavior when it is normally very outgoing, then this is probably an indication of pain.

If you think your rabbit is in pain, talk to a rabbit veterinarian right away. Make sure you give them all the details such as, "My bunny is grunting and biting at me and he never used to do that. He also spends alot of time staring at the back of his hutch now too." Even though these don't sound like important facts, a rabbit trained veterinarian will know that these are signs of pain and discomfort in your rabbit and should make an appointment right away.

In many cases, pain may cause a rabbit to stop eating which will bring on GI Stasis, another medical problem that could be fatal to rabbits. Diagnosing and treating the pain and it's cause is essential to your bunny’s health.

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