How to Tell a Healthy Rabbit From a Sick One: 12 Daily Checks

Quick answer

Learn how to perform a quick, one-minute morning health check on your rabbit. Be

Because rabbits are prey animals, they instinctively hide signs of illness and pain until they are critically weak. A daily, one-minute morning check—monitoring their responsiveness, posture, appetite, and litter box output—is the single most effective way to catch life-threatening conditions like gastrointestinal stasis early. If your rabbit stops eating or pooping for more than twelve hours, it is a medical emergency that requires immediate veterinary care.

Why it matters

In the wild, a rabbit that looks sick is an easy target for predators. To survive, rabbits evolved to be masters of disguise. Even when suffering from severe dental disease, a painful ear infection, or abdominal cramping, your rabbit will do their absolute best to look perfectly healthy whenever you are watching.

This evolutionary trait makes rabbit ownership uniquely challenging. By the time a rabbit actually "looks" sick to an untrained eye—sitting hunched in a corner, refusing all food, or acting completely limp—their condition has likely progressed to a dangerous stage.

:::key-facts

• Prey Instincts: Rabbits actively mask pain and weakness to avoid attracting predators.
• Rapid Decline: A rabbit's digestive system must keep moving constantly; gastrointestinal stasis can become fatal within 24 hours.
• The Golden Window: Catching subtle shifts in behavior during your morning routine can mean the difference between a simple treatment and emergency critical care.
• Daily Baseline: Knowing your rabbit's unique daily habits is your most powerful diagnostic tool.
  :::

By establishing a rapid, daily head-to-tail check, you train yourself to spot the tiniest deviations from their normal baseline. This proactive approach allows you to intervene during the golden window of treatment, saving your rabbit from unnecessary pain and saving you from costly emergency veterinary bills.

What good looks like

Before you can spot a sick rabbit, you must have a crystal-clear picture of what a healthy, thriving rabbit looks like. A healthy rabbit is alert, curious, and highly motivated by food. Their eyes should be bright, clear, and free of any moisture or crust. Their nose should twitch constantly and remain dry.

When they move, they should do so smoothly, without limping or favoring any limbs. When resting, they should look comfortable—either melted into a relaxed "flop" on their side or tucked into a soft, symmetrical "loaf" with their paws tucked under and their ears relaxed.

Healthy rabbit fecal pellets (left) should be large, round, and fibrous, while abnormal pellets (right) are small, dark, or misshapen.

Perhaps the most important indicator of good health is their digestive output. A healthy rabbit produces hundreds of large, round, uniform fecal pellets every day. These pellets should be dry, light brown to golden-brown, and packed with visible bits of crushed hay. They should crumble easily when crushed and should not have a foul odor.

Step-by-step

To make this process effortless, integrate these twelve checks into your morning feeding routine. It should take no more than sixty seconds once you get the hang of it.

1. The Morning Greeting (Responsiveness)

When you first approach your rabbit's enclosure or room in the morning, observe their immediate reaction. A healthy rabbit should acknowledge your presence. They may hop toward you, stand on their hind legs, or twitch their ears in anticipation of breakfast. If they remain completely still, tucked away in a dark corner, or ignore you entirely, this is your first warning sign.

2. The Posture Check (Body Language)

Look closely at how your rabbit is sitting. A healthy rabbit resting in a "loaf" position looks soft, round, and relaxed. A sick or painful rabbit will often sit in a tight, rigid, hunched posture. Their back may look unusually arched, their head may be pressed flat against the floor, and their eyes may be squinted or tightly shut.

3. The Appetite Test (The Hay Test)

Offer your rabbit a fresh handful of high-quality timothy hay or their favorite leafy green. A healthy rabbit will immediately show interest and begin nibbling. If your rabbit turns their head away, backs up, or ignores a high-value treat like a pellet or a slice of fresh herb, they are signaling that something is wrong.

:::video{src="https://storage.googleapis.com/decennium-global.appspot.com/knowledge_assets/care_guides/how-to-tell-a-healthy-rabbit-from-a-sick-one-12-daily-checks/inline-2-1779986248113.mp4" poster="https://storage.googleapis.com/decennium-global.appspot.com/knowledge_assets/care_guides/how-to-tell-a-healthy-rabbit-from-a-sick-one-12-daily-checks/inline-2-still-1779986160731.png" alt="Healthy rabbit chewing green timothy hay rhythmically"}
A healthy rabbit will eagerly chew hay with a steady, rhythmic jaw motion.
:::

4. The Eye Exam (Clarity)

Look directly into your rabbit's eyes. They should be wide, bright, and completely clear. There should be no white, milky discharge, no crustiness in the corners, and no wet fur trailing down their cheeks. The surrounding skin should not be red or swollen.

:::pro-tip
Keep a small penlight near your rabbit's enclosure. A quick shine near (not directly into) their eyes can help you spot early tear-duct blockages or cloudiness in the lens.
:::

5. The Nose Patrol (Dryness)

Observe your rabbit's nose. It should twitch rhythmically and be completely dry. If you notice wetness around the nostrils, matting on the inside of their front paws (from wiping their nose), or hear wet clicking or snuffling sounds when they breathe, they may have an upper respiratory infection.

6. The Ear Inspection (Temperature & Cleanliness)

Gently touch your rabbit's ears. They help regulate the rabbit's body temperature, so they should feel warm to the touch, but not hot or ice-cold. Look inside the ear canal if possible; it should be clean, pink, and free of wax buildup, crust, or debris, which could indicate ear mites.

7. The Chin & Mouth Check (Drool & Teeth)

Run your finger gently under your rabbit's chin. It should feel completely dry. If the fur under their chin or neck is wet, matted, or smells unpleasant, your rabbit is drooling. This is a classic sign of dental disease, such as overgrown molars or sharp enamel spurs cutting into their tongue or cheeks.

:::ask-boo
Why is my rabbit drooling and refusing to eat hay?
:::

8. The Breathing Monitor (Respiratory Rate)

Watch your rabbit's chest and flanks rise and fall. Healthy rabbits breathe quickly (about 30 to 60 breaths per minute), but their breathing should look effortless and silent. If you see their chest heaving dramatically, their nostrils flaring widely, or if they are breathing through an open mouth, this is a severe respiratory emergency.

9. The Coat & Skin Scan (Mites & Wounds)

Run your hands over your rabbit's body. Their coat should be clean, shiny, and smooth. Feel for any unusual lumps, scabs, or bald patches. Pay close attention to the back of their neck and spine; flaky, dandruff-like skin in these areas often points to a walking mites infestation.

10. The Belly Feel (Abdominal Palpation)

If your rabbit is comfortable with being handled, gently place your hands under their abdomen. A healthy rabbit's belly should feel soft, doughy, and completely painless when lightly pressed. If the abdomen feels hard, tight like a balloon, or if your rabbit flinches, grunts, or tries to run away, they may be suffering from painful gas or GI stasis.

11. The Bottom Check (Scent Glands & Cleanliness)

At least once a day, gently lift your rabbit or check their underside. Their rear end must be completely clean and dry. Wet fur, caked-on feces, or urine staining can quickly lead to a deadly condition called flystrike, where flies lay eggs on the soiled skin. Also, check their inguinal scent glands (the small pockets on either side of their genitals) and gently clean out any waxy, smelly buildup with a damp cotton swab.

12. The Litter Box Audit (Poop Quality)

Before you scoop or empty the litter box, inspect the output from the last 24 hours. You want to see a plentiful pile of large, round, dry pellets. If you see very small, dark, hard pellets, misshapen teardrop poops, or pellets strung together by hair, your rabbit's digestive tract is slowing down.

Signs something's wrong

Because rabbits hide their pain, you must learn to recognize their subtle distress signals. A rabbit in pain will not cry out; instead, they communicate through quiet shifts in their behavior and body language.

A hunched posture with squinted eyes is a classic, subtle sign of abdominal pain or illness in rabbits.

One of the most common signs of pain is tooth grinding. While a happy rabbit will gently "purr" by clicking their teeth together softly when petted, a rabbit in pain will grind their teeth loudly, slowly, and rhythmically. This sound is much harsher and can often be heard from several feet away. It is usually accompanied by a tense facial expression and squinted eyes.

Another red flag is a sudden change in litter box habits. If a perfectly litter-trained rabbit suddenly starts urinating or defecating right outside their box, or if they stop using it entirely, they may be experiencing joint pain from arthritis, a urinary tract infection, or abdominal discomfort that makes hopping into the box painful.

:::ask-boo
How can I tell the difference between happy rabbit teeth purring and painful tooth grinding?
:::

When to call your vet

When dealing with rabbits, time is your enemy. Their fragile systems can deteriorate with shocking speed. You should contact an exotic animal veterinarian immediately if you notice any of the following emergency signs:

• Inappetence: Your rabbit has refused all food, including high-value treats, for more than 8 to 12 hours.
• No Poop: You notice a complete absence of fecal pellets in the litter box for 12 hours.
• Extreme Lethargy: Your rabbit is limp, unresponsive, or refuses to stand up.
• Mouth Breathing: Rabbits are obligate nasal breathers; breathing through the mouth means they are suffocating.
• Head Tilt: Your rabbit's head is tilted permanently to one side, or they are losing their balance and rolling over.
• Flystrike: You see any maggots, eggs, or open, raw wounds around their rear end.

:::video{src="https://storage.googleapis.com/decennium-global.appspot.com/knowledge_assets/care_guides/how-to-tell-a-healthy-rabbit-from-a-sick-one-12-daily-checks/inline-4-1779986389029.mp4" poster="https://storage.googleapis.com/decennium-global.appspot.com/knowledge_assets/care_guides/how-to-tell-a-healthy-rabbit-from-a-sick-one-12-daily-checks/inline-4-still-1779986303435.png" alt="Rabbit exhibiting head tilt vestibular symptoms"}
A sudden head tilt is a neurological emergency often caused by ear infections or parasites.
:::

:::warning
If your rabbit's abdomen feels hard and bloated, and they are stretching their body flat on the floor in obvious distress, do not wait. This is a sign of acute gastrointestinal blockage or severe gas, which can be fatal within hours. Go to an emergency exotic vet immediately.
:::

Common mistakes

One of the most frequent mistakes rabbit owners make is adopting a "wait and see" attitude. While a dog or cat might recover from a missed meal on their own, a rabbit's gut cannot afford to stop moving. Waiting even 24 hours to see if your rabbit's appetite returns can result in irreversible GI stasis or liver damage.

Another common error is confusing normal cecotropes with diarrhea. Cecotropes are special, nutrient-rich droppings that look like tiny, shiny bunches of grapes. Rabbits must eat these directly from their bottom to stay healthy. If you find squashed, smelly, dark material in the cage, it is often because your rabbit is producing too many cecotropes (usually due to a diet too rich in pellets or sugar) or is too obese or arthritic to reach them. True diarrhea is watery, liquid, and is a life-threatening emergency in rabbits.

Finally, many owners neglect the daily bottom check, assuming that because the rabbit looks clean from above, everything is fine underneath. Long-haired breeds, elderly rabbits, and overweight rabbits are highly prone to getting feces matted in their fur, which can attract flies within minutes during warm weather.

Gently cradling your rabbit allows you to safely check their bottom and clean their scent glands daily.

Quick FAQs

How many times a day should a healthy rabbit poop?

A healthy rabbit should produce between 200 and 300 fecal pellets every single day. If you notice a sudden drop in the quantity of poop, or if the pellets become significantly smaller and harder, it is a clear warning sign that their digestive system is slowing down.

Why are my rabbit's ears cold?

Cold ears can simply mean your rabbit is in a cool room, as they use their ears to regulate their body temperature. However, if cold ears are accompanied by lethargy, a hunched posture, or a refusal to eat, it can indicate that your rabbit is going into shock or suffering from hypothermia due to systemic illness. Warm them gently with a towel-wrapped warm water bottle and contact your vet.

What does a healthy rabbit belly feel like?

A healthy rabbit's belly should feel soft, pliable, and doughy, like a soft loaf of bread. It should not feel hard, tight, or distended like a balloon, and your rabbit should not show any signs of discomfort, grunting, or tension when you gently press their sides.