Myxomatosis is commonly called mixi, and is a disease which affects rabbits. It is caused by the Myxoma virus. First observed in Uruguay in the late 1800s, it was deliberately introduced into Australia in 1950 in an attempt to control rabbit infestation and population there. It was introduced illegally to France in 1952 and as a result spread to the rest of Europe.

Effects: At first, normally the disease is visible by lumps (myxomata) and puffiness around the head and genitals. It then may progress to acute conjunctivitis and possibly blindness; however, this also may be the first indication of the disease. The rabbits become listless, lose appetite, and develop a fever. Secondary bacterial infections occur in most cases which cause pneumonia and purulent inflammation of the lumps. In typical cases where the rabbit has no resistance, death takes an average of 13 days.

Dental Problems

Rabbits are herbivores and should have a diet comprising of a wide variety of vegetation from succulent to tough, dry material.    All of the rabbit's teeth grow continuously throughout its life to compensate for the pronounced wear created by long periods of chewing on abrasive foods.

Signs of Tooth Problems

Rabbit not eating/losing weight  is a common finding because of the pain of either a tooth spur causing an ulcer of the cheek or tongue, an elongated tooth root or because the teeth are so out of alignment the rabbit can't pick up or chew food. There are many other causes of loss of appetite.

Rabbit is becoming selective over food - as rabbits start to develop malocclusion of the teeth or dental pain they may stop eating certain items such as carrots, pellets and occasionally hay. They will continue to eat soft foods like fruits and some leafy greens, but cannot eat the harder foods.

Dropping food out of the mouth - The rabbit still tries to eat, but can't completely chew the food and some of it falls back out of the mouth.

Rabbit has runny eyes - This is a common sign of dental disease that involves the upper incisors. The tip of the upper incisor root is in close proximity to the tear duct. Inflammation or elongation of the root can partially or totally block the tear duct. The tear gland will still produce tears but they spill over onto the face as opposed to going down the duct. The corners of the eyes appear wet or accumulate a crusty white material that is an accumulation of salt and mucous. Secondary bacterial infections cause inflammation of the tear duct as well as the production of pus.

Rabbit has a runny nose - If the roots of the upper incisors are inflamed or elongated there may be irritation to the sinuses and with resultant nasal drainage. This can be difficult to differentiate from true upper respiratory disease, and it is essential to have a high detail x-ray to aid in the diagnosis.

Rabbit is dribbling - This can happen because of pain or the inability of the rabbit to properly close its mouth due to overgrown teeth. The saliva accumulates on the fur in the corners of the mouth, the chin and the dewlap. Other causes of excessive salivation include overheating, eating something that has an unpleasant taste, foreign bodies in the mouth and extreme general weakness.

Rabbit is grinding its teeth - This is more often seen with abdominal discomfort, but some people have noted that rabbits with dental disease may grind their teeth more frequently. Occasional tooth grinding can be normal, but if it is heard continuously there may be a problem.

You should always take your rabbit to your local vets if you have any concerns.