Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD)
Rabbit Health Guides · Emergencies
Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHDV2): Signs, How It Spreads & What To Do Tonight
If you are reading about rabbit hemorrhagic disease, a rabbit-experienced veterinarian is the best first step. This guide explains patterns owners commonly see. It does not diagnose or prescribe.
Rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) is a highly contagious and often fatal viral disease of rabbits. It is caused by rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus, a calicivirus. The strain now found across much of the United States, RHDV2, affects both domestic and wild rabbits.
RHDV2 has been confirmed in many states since 2020, including Arizona and much of the Southwest, often in wild rabbits and hares first. Every rabbit owner should know the signs and the biosecurity basics.
Important: If your rabbit dies suddenly or shows fever, bleeding from the nose or mouth, or sudden weakness, call your vet before you go in so the clinic can protect other rabbits. If RHD is suspected, your vet will contact animal health authorities, as it is a reportable disease.
What Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Is
A Fast-Acting Virus
Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus attacks the liver and blood vessels and causes internal bleeding. Many rabbits die within a day or two of the first signs, sometimes with no warning.
RHDV1 and RHDV2
The original strain (RHDV1) mainly affected adult domestic rabbits. RHDV2 can affect rabbits of all ages, including young kits, and also infects wild rabbits and hares.
Not a Risk to People
RHD does not infect humans, dogs, or cats. However, people, pets, and objects can carry the virus to rabbits.
How Owners Spot RHD
RHD can be hard to spot because it moves so fast. Some rabbits are simply found dead.
Sudden Death
A rabbit that was healthy the day before is found dead, sometimes with a little blood at the nose or mouth.
Fever and Dullness
High fever, lethargy, not eating, and reluctance to move.
Bleeding
Bleeding from the nose, mouth, or rear, or blood in urine or droppings.
Breathing and Nerve Signs
Labored breathing, bluish lips, unsteadiness, seizures, or collapse.
How Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Spreads
RHDV2 spreads easily and is very hardy: it can survive for months in the environment and in dead rabbits.
Direct Contact
Contact with infected rabbits, their urine, droppings, or body fluids, or with carcasses of rabbits that died from RHD.
On People and Objects
Shoes, clothing, hands, cages, carriers, bowls, and vehicles can carry the virus from outdoors or another rabbit home.
Hay, Greens, and Grass
Forage, hay, or greens from areas where infected wild rabbits live can be contaminated.
Insects and Animals
Flies, fleas, mosquitoes, and predators or scavengers (including dogs and cats that roam outdoors) can carry the virus.
Biosecurity and Vaccination at Home
Ask Your Vet About Vaccination
An RHDV2 vaccine is available for pet rabbits in the United States through veterinarians. Your vet can advise on timing and boosters for your rabbit.
Keep the Virus Outside
Keep rabbits indoors or in secure, insect-screened areas; remove shoes before entering the rabbit area; wash hands before and after handling; and do not let rabbits graze where wild rabbits visit.
Source Hay and Greens Carefully
Buy hay from trusted sources and wash greens. Avoid picking forage from areas with wild rabbits.
Quarantine and Cleaning
Quarantine new rabbits, avoid sharing equipment between rabbit homes, and clean with a disinfectant proven to kill RHDV, such as properly diluted household bleach or accelerated hydrogen peroxide, following your vet’s advice and the label.
What To Do Tonight
Prevention now
No signs: talk to your vet about RHDV2 vaccination, keep rabbits indoors or screened, and follow the biosecurity steps above.
Suspected RHD / urgent
Sudden death, bleeding, fever, or collapse: call your vet immediately. There is no specific cure; treatment is supportive care in the clinic.
Related Rabbit Health Guides
Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD) FAQ
Is there a vaccine for rabbit hemorrhagic disease?
Yes. An RHDV2 vaccine is available for pet rabbits in the United States through veterinarians. Ask your vet whether it is right for your rabbit.
Can indoor rabbits get RHDV2?
Yes. The virus can be carried indoors on shoes, clothes, hay, and insects, so biosecurity matters for indoor rabbits too.
Can people, dogs, or cats catch rabbit hemorrhagic disease?
No. Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus does not infect people, dogs, or cats, but they can carry it on their bodies to rabbits.
Is RHD treatable?
There is no specific cure. Veterinary care focuses on supportive treatment, and prevention through vaccination and biosecurity is the main protection.
Who do I tell if I find dead wild rabbits?
Do not touch them with bare hands. Report clusters of dead wild rabbits to your state wildlife agency or state veterinarian.
Is this Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD) guide a substitute for a vet visit?
No. It is educational only. A veterinarian familiar with rabbits should guide diagnosis and any treatment.
Can I work out a medication dose from this page?
No. Never calculate doses from product concentrations or internet pages. Rabbits need doses set by a veterinarian for the individual animal.