| Rabbit Diseases (con't) INTERNAL PARASITES
Coccidiosis (Internal):
Symptoms: Diarrhea; poor rate of weight gain; poor fur/flesh condition; pot bellied; poor resistance to other diseases; other secondary infections.
Treatment: Use a coccidiostat on a regular basis as medicated water or feed additive; recommend rotating medications such as sulphaquinoxaline with other coccidiostats (using a vet’s advice).
Prevention: Cleanliness; self cleaning hutches; use of automatic waterers and feeders; wire brushing of cage floors on a routine basis; prevention of food, water, and environmental contamination.
We have found problems with store bought animals that were sharing food and water dishes, as some of them came to us. We have also treated rabbits that have come to us from less than sanitary places.
NON-INFECTIOUS CONDITIONS
Fur Chewing:
Symptoms: Chewing of Fur on certain areas of the body; rabbit or other animals in the pen can chew fur.
Treatment: Identify the cause if possible; add straw or hay to the diet to increase fiber; remove fur chewer from the pen. Adding 5 lbs. Of Magnesium Oxide per ton of feed may also help.
Prevention: High fiber rations and the addition of magnesium oxide to the diet.
Bun-Bun came to us with this problem, which in his case seems to be more of a nervous problem than anything else. He is very active and friendly, but doesn’t care for the hay very much. However, he loves the fresh greens. We added the Magnesium Oxide to his feed; his fur has been slowly growing back.
Hair Blockage (Fur Ball; Fur Block)
Symptoms: Intermittent diarrhea; poor appetite or no appetite at all; loss of weight; moulting; pulling fur; ‘string of pearls’ in the stool.
Treatment: Daily dosing with ½ teaspoon of mineral oil for 3 straight days; repeat once a week; consult your vet as necessary. Surgery might be needed if the blockage is too severe.
Prevention: weekly, small doses of Vaseline/mineral oil for animals that are susceptible; use of papaya tablets may help.
Several of our rabbits (including Trixie) have dealt with this problem; it is not unusual. You might want to watch those who are moulting or have very thick coats. We like to give chunked papaya tablets, which they like, to their feed. Plenty of fiber also helps, as does pineapple chunks or you could mix the juice in their water.
Fighting:
Symptoms: Aggressive behavior; chewing on each other while together in the same hutch, breaking skin or pulling out the other’s fur.
Treatment: Relieve overcrowding (remember 1 square foot per pound of rabbit inside of the hutch); cage cleanliness; fresh adequate food/water; Speutering animals.
Prevention: proper bonding; the best combination is a fixed couple of buck/doe
We would often see the fighting right when the kits are coming ‘of age’ (sexual maturity) at about 6 months. We often keep most of or rabbits separate from each other since they are pedigree animals and cannot be fixed to ‘show’. We have seen successful bonding, however, with some of our clients, such as with Blue and Delta. It is inadvisable to separate a bonded pair.
Red Urine:
Symptoms: Red colored urine that does not contain ‘clots/flecks’; may be seen during the winter or when trays are being used inside the hutch, which makes the condition easily seen.
Treatment: Not a disease.
Prevention: More common when rabbit is on a high legume hay diet.
We have seen this before; the condition went on its own. If concerned, consult your vet.
‘Young Doe Death Syndrome’:
Symptoms: Does die suddenly at 1-2 weeks after kindling or from inconsistent causes. Usually happens to first time mother, but can happen to older does.
Treatment: no specific treatment due to acute nature of condition, but supportive care can include fluids and glucose. Seek assistance from your vet immediately.
Prevention: Do not let does get overweight; supportive care of does when off feed to prevent death.
We feel that in the case of Babette’s passing, it was a similar situation. She was 15 lb. (should have been 13 lb. maximum), this was her first litter, Lucky was unusually large, and she suddenly passed on with no signs of trouble.
Fetal Giantism
Symptoms: Difficult birth (distoxia) with unusually large kits in a small litter (one-two babies); Doe straining on the nest pushing the feti out; bloody discharge from vulva area.
Treatment: C-Section; Manual assistance; help from your rabbit savvy vet.
Prevention: Do not allow your doe to get overweight (see ARBA Standard of Perfection for approximate weight recommendation); select does used to having larger litters.
Lucky was a case of Fetal Giantism. He only had the one littermate of usual size; who was a stillbirth.
In general allowing a rabbit to get overweight is not a good idea, since it can contribute to heart disease, as well as the fetal giantism if you are breeding you rabbits. A rule of thumb that we use is to feel for your rabbit’s spine; if you cannot clearly feel the spine, most likely the rabbit is overweight.
Prepared by Nefer for educational purposes Gander Gab 2007
Photo By Nightbird Enchanted |
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