Persistent Diarrhea In Rabbits

My male rabbit has had diarrhea for about a week and has hardly eaten or drunk anything in that time and now I am very worried - what can I do?

You must take your rabbit to a vet as soon as possible. Rabbits which have suffered from diarrhea for a prolonged time are not as easy to treat as if you had taken him straight to the vet, because by now he will be severely dehydrated and under-nourished.

There are a number of causes of diarrhea, some of which can be transmitted to humans. Diarrhea is nearly always the result of a bacterial or fungal agent, in which case there is almost certainly staining around the bottom. Alternatively, it can be caused by stress. Has anything in his environment changed in the last few weeks? Is there someone new giving him unwanted attention?

In rarer cases, a virus called Viral haemorrhagic disease (VHD) is responsible. This can often be fatal which is why any rabbit displaying signs of diarrhea should always see their vet immediately.