Rabbit & Guinea Pig Vets in Australia
Short answer: rabbits and guinea pigs need a vet with exotics or small-mammal experience. Their teeth, gut and anaesthetic needs are very different from cats and dogs. Below are clinics across Australia whose own websites say they treat rabbits and guinea pigs, starting with our home state of Victoria.
Take your rabbit or guinea pig to a vet urgently if they:
- haven’t eaten, or haven’t passed droppings, for about 12 hours
- have a bloated tummy, or are sitting hunched and still
- are breathing with an open mouth or struggling to breathe
- have a head tilt, are falling over, or are limp or cold
- have been attacked by another animal, or have flystrike (maggots)
Rabbits and guinea pigs hide illness well, so don’t “wait and see”. (Source: The Rabbit Doctors.)
Routine care checklist
- Rabbit calicivirus (RHDV) vaccination: from about 10 weeks of age, then a yearly booster. Ask for a vaccine that covers both RHDV1 and RHDV2 (Australian Veterinary Association, RSPCA). There is no myxomatosis vaccine in Australia, so keep rabbits indoors and control mosquitoes and fleas.
- Desexing: the RSPCA recommends desexing rabbits at about 16–20 weeks. Unspayed does have a very high risk of uterine cancer (RSPCA). Guinea pigs can also be desexed by an experienced exotics vet (RSPCA).
- Yearly check-up including teeth. Overgrown teeth are one of the most common problems in both species.
Victoria
| Clinic | Suburb | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| The Unusual Pet Vets – Ferntree Gully | Ferntree Gully | Rabbit and guinea pig focused. Open 7 days. Closest to our Kilsyth store |
| Warranwood Veterinary Centre | Warranwood | Most of their patients are unusual pets, including rabbits and guinea pigs |
| The Rabbit Doctors | Coburg North | Rabbit-focused clinic since 2013, now also guinea pigs |
| Lort Smith – Exotics & Unusual Pets | North Melbourne | Emergency department open 8am–10pm daily |
| Evervet (Pocket Pets) | Prahran, South Yarra, East Melbourne, Hawthorn | Prahran open late on weekdays |
| Clyde Veterinary Hospital | Clyde North | Rabbit and guinea pig dental, desexing and calicivirus vaccination |
| Lynbrook Vet | Lynbrook | Guinea pig care and desexing |
| The Unusual Pet Vets – Peninsula | Frankston | Rabbits and guinea pigs |
| The Unusual Pet Vets – Flemington | Ascot Vale | Rabbits and guinea pigs |
| Bird & Exotic Animal Clinic | Williamstown | Exotics clinic including rabbit dentistry |
New South Wales
| Clinic | Suburb | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney Exotics and Rabbit Vets | Artarmon | Specialist exotic companion mammal vet. After hours via the 24-hour North Shore Veterinary Specialist Centre |
| SASH Avian & Exotics | North Ryde | 24/7 emergency hospital with exotics vets on call |
| The Unusual Pet Vets – Sydney | Waterloo | Open 7 days |
| North Shore Veterinary Hospital | Artarmon | Rabbits and guinea pigs; open 24/7 for emergencies |
Australian Capital Territory
| Clinic | Suburb | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| The Unusual Pet Vets – Canberra | Fyshwick | Open 7 days |
| Brudine Veterinary Practice | Charnwood | Rabbits and guinea pigs among the exotics they treat |
| Canberra Veterinary Hospital | Lyneham | Pocket pets including rabbits and guinea pigs |
Queensland
Pet rabbits are illegal in Queensland, so these clinics are listed for guinea pigs and other small pets.
| Clinic | Suburb | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| The Unusual Pet Vets – Jindalee | Jindalee, Brisbane | Guinea pig desexing and care |
| The Unusual Pet Vets – Chermside | Chermside, Brisbane | Part of the Unusual Pet Vets network |
| Brisbane Bird and Exotics Veterinary Service | Greenslopes, Brisbane | Treats guinea pigs through to reptiles |
| The Unusual Pet Vets – Sunshine Coast | Buderim | Exotics desexing and care |
| Currumbin Valley Bird, Reptile & Exotic Vet Services | Currumbin Valley, Gold Coast | Guinea pigs and small mammals; after-hours emergencies available |
South Australia
| Clinic | Suburb | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| The Unusual Pet Vets – Adelaide | Prospect | Rabbits and guinea pigs. Open 7 days |
| Adelaide Bird & Exotics Vet Centre | Adelaide | Rabbits and guinea pigs; same-day urgent appointments in business hours |
| Vets4Pets | Northern suburbs (several clinics) | Rabbits and guinea pigs; emergency phone line listed |
Western Australia
| Clinic | Suburb | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| The Unusual Pet Vets – Osborne Park | Osborne Park | Exotics-only clinic |
| The Unusual Pet Vets – Murdoch | Murdoch | Part of the Unusual Pet Vets network |
| Little Pet Vet | Bentley | Rabbits, guinea pigs, rats and mice |
| Perth Pet Vet | Jandakot | Rabbits, ferrets and guinea pigs |
Tasmania and Northern Territory
| Clinic | Suburb | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Launceston Exotic Animal Hospital | Riverside, Launceston | Rabbit and guinea pig vaccinations and desexing |
| North Hobart Veterinary Hospital | North Hobart | Rabbit vaccination and desexing |
| Wild North Veterinary Hospital | Winnellie, Darwin | Desexing for rabbits and guinea pigs |
After-hours emergencies
Many 24-hour emergency hospitals see mainly cats and dogs. Before you travel, phone first and ask whether an exotics-experienced vet is on. Confirmed options: Lort Smith, North Melbourne (8am–10pm daily); SASH North Ryde and North Shore Veterinary Specialist Centre, Sydney (24/7); Currumbin Valley, Gold Coast (after-hours exotics).
Going away?
If you’re in Melbourne’s east, our rabbit and guinea pig boarding in Kilsyth keeps diet and routine the same while you’re away.
Clinic details were checked on each clinic’s own website in September 2026. Services and hours change, so always phone before visiting. Bree & Co isn’t affiliated with these clinics. Are you a vet who treats rabbits and guinea pigs? Get in touch to be listed.