Your rabbit’s health record: what to note, which visits to plan

Identity

Name, date of birth, breed or type, colour, sex, microchip number if they have one, a recent photo.

Vaccines

The date, the vaccine used and the date of the next booster: myxomatosis and rabbit haemorrhagic disease.

Teeth

The dates of check-ups, any filing or extractions, and what the vet found.

Weight

Weigh-ins, at least once a month: weight loss is often the first sign of a problem.

Neutering

The date of the operation and how the recovery went.

Treatments

The medicines and parasite treatments given, with how long for, and any they reacted badly to.

Contacts

Your vet, ideally one experienced with rabbits, and the nearest out-of-hours vet.

• On arrivalA first full health check, as the MSD Veterinary Manual advises, to assess their general health and teeth.
• At least every yearA full health check and the vaccine booster.
• About every 6 monthsA check of the back teeth, which can only be seen at the surgery, as the Scottish Government’s pet rabbit welfare guidance recommends.
• Every month, at homeA weigh-in noted down, and a quick look at the front teeth, eyes, ears and bottom.

In England, the law requires dogs to be microchipped, and cats too since 10 June 2024. There is no such requirement for rabbits: the Scottish SPCA confirms it is not a legal requirement, but strongly recommends it.

The Scottish Government’s pet rabbit welfare guidance also advises having your rabbit microchipped and keeping your details up to date: it is the surest way to prove they are yours and to be contacted if they are found. Vets and rescue centres routinely scan lost rabbits. Ask your vet about it.

GOV.UK’s guidance on taking a pet abroad, with its animal health certificate, covers dogs, cats and ferrets only. For a rabbit, check the destination country’s rules several weeks before you leave, and take their health record with you.

Think about the journey home too: according to GOV.UK, a pet rabbit brought into Great Britain from outside the EU must go into quarantine for 4 months. Check the current rules on GOV.UK before you book.

With a rabbit, health often comes down to small everyday details: a slightly smaller appetite, smaller droppings, a few grams lost. A shared record, where everyone notes what they have seen, lets you put these together and show them to your vet.

MyArk keeps your rabbit’s health record on the iPhone of everyone you invite: vaccines, treatments, check-ups and weigh-ins, with no time limit, even without a subscription.

• Past vaccines, treatments and dental checks
• Upcoming reminders, sent to everyone in the household
• The weight chart and your vet’s contact details
• With MyArk Complete, a PDF export for the vet or the boarding service