# Common Rabbit Diseases



## JoieDeViveRabbitry (Aug 31, 2009)

Here is a listing of common Rabbit disease and illnesses, their symptoms, and links to more information. I will start this by adding one disease or illness per evening as I am quite busy and this is a big job to gather info and put it here... First up is Snuffles. 

 Snuffles-
 SNUFFLES is an advanced case of severe bacteriological respiratory invasion. It is a permanent bad cold, put in human terms. It will never go away as the bacterium that causes it lodges in the nasal/sinus bones of the rabbit, where it cannot be eradicated with antibiotics (enough to do so would kill the rabbit). Symptoms include any or all of the following that REAPPEAR ON A REGULAR (every 4 - 6 months) basis: sneezing, watery eyes, runny nose, and nasal thick mucus discharge. The symptoms will become more severe as the rabbit experiences stress. The bacterium that is commonly the culprit is Pasteurella Multocida, although other bacteria can trigger "colds". Once the P. Multocida organism has a firm hold in the rabbit's system, and it reigns unchecked, then the rabbit simply loses vitality and slowly fades away. Snuffles can be around a LONG time, and is considered, like AIDS in humans or Feline Leukemia in cats, a chronic condition. While the rabbit is "fading", which can takes years, he is prone to other things cropping up: abscesses on the body (feet and genitals); pneumonia; wry neck (dizziness and crooked posture) and other assorted ills.

There are any number of reasons why a rabbit sneezes, and while only one of them is from a bacterial invasion causing a respiratory response, one has no way of knowing by looking at the rabbit. Finding out what is going on with your sneezing rabbit takes a LONG time. Sneezing spreads large colonies of P. Multocida, as well as Bordatella, another culprit in Snuffles. If you have other rabbits, it is a good idea to quarantine your sneezer and take precautions to lessen the chance of infecting another rabbit.

Snuffles takes a long time to fully develop. In the meantime you have fleeting sneezing/discharge symptoms that crop up when stress occurs. Stress can be excess fright, excess heat, excess cold, excess wind, and excess ammonia from urine, breeding and lactation. These symptoms do NOT have to develop into Snuffles IF, and this is a big if, your rabbit possesses a strong immune system, and you work quickly to make him more comfortable and calm. 

The first time you see any sneezing/nose dripping/eyes watering you should IMMEDATELY (and not tomorrow):
1. Separate bunny from the others. 20 feet minimum. There is some evidence that 10 feet is enough.
2. Bleach all cages and food/water bowls within 10 feet of where bunny was.
3. Set up a separate food source for bunny's feed. Feed the sneezer LAST and change your clothes/wash your hands before you visit another rabbit. Never feed your other rabbits from this food source.
4. Put water soluble Terramycin 343 in his drinking water. This needs to be mixed fresh daily and used for at least 2 weeks, or a full 7 days past any sneezing. If this is not available, use VetRx for Rabbits (herbal mixture that is FABULOUS for stress). I sell it here at Countrywool.
5. Consider using ophthalmic eye ointments for drippy/runny eyes. Two that I keep on hand are Chloramphenicol and Erythromycin. Use one as prescribed by your vet for 2 days, and if the eye does not clear, use the other one.
6. For the full-bombing treatment of suspected bacteria, Enrofloxacin injectible (Baytril), used twice/day for 4 days, will divert the bacteria. Dosages are outlined in RABBIT PRODUCTION by McNitt, Patton, Lukefahr and Cheeke, or check with your vet.

I give each potentially breedable rabbit one chance to get over a sneezing attack. If it goes away with minimal fuss (VetRx in the water and more attention to a calm environment) and stays away for a full 12 months, then the rabbit has, in all probability, a good immune system that is taking care of little negative bacterial invaders well. After all, anyone can sneeze from dust and allergies, and sometimes it takes bacteria triggering the immune system for the body to resist the bacteria, with a week of sneezing as it copes. But, rabbits that need this kind of treatment to STAY symptom free should never, and I repeat, never, be bred. You are diluting the possibility of a healthy and strong immune system for future generations.

So, new rabbits get quarantined for a full 6 weeks before they are mingled with your herd. Rabbits to be considered for breeding should be observed for a full 12 months, through a year of changing seasons and conditions, to see how their immune system is coping. Rabbits that show signs of developing Snuffles should be considered pet quality and kept away from other rabbits and breeding stock. But, after all is said and done, I have known pet rabbits with Snuffles who lived until the age of 6 when kept inside and treated carefully when a "cold" surfaced. So, single bunny pet owners can offer a fine life to a Snuffly bunny.

 Next... GI Stasis.


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## JoieDeViveRabbitry (Sep 3, 2009)

GI Stasis-

 This cannot be said any better and easy to understand than this link:

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.htm 

 I have had first hand experience with this scary illness and it comes on very suddenly and can go from bunny just being "off" to bunny being dead VERY quickly.

 My French Angora buck suddenly fell ill with this a couple of months ago. I noticed one morning when I went out to feed my buns that my buck hadn't touched yesterdays pellets or hay.
 I looked under his cage and saw NO fresh droppings.
 I then took him out of his cage and noticed that he had dropped a ton of weight in what must have been three days since I had last really taken him out. He was nearly skin and bones and I panicked. He is usually a placcid rabbit but I could see death in his eyes and he is valuable.
 I rushed him inside and started doing all the research I could find on his symptoms. I checked his teeth and mouth, they were fine, I checked his water bottle to be sure it was working and there were no rough edges that were huting him, it was fine. I looked him over for injuries, there was nothing. He was shorn down pretty short so I didn't exactly think Wool Block but knew it was a possibility.
 I came up with GI Stasis and it just fit perfectly.
 I immeadiately put him on his back and listened to his gut, there was NO sound which is BAD.
*I started doing deep abdominal massage in a circular motion, as deep as he would comfortably stand it. I did it for an hour and a half until I got him farting and finally passing several small dry and hard poops.* 
* I then gave him one dropper full of Over The Counter Baby Gas Drops, I had Mylicon brand. I massaged some more. His gut sounds returned. * I offered him some water, which he started to drink. 
 A little while later I returned him to his cage with a fresh water bottle, band new fresh hay, and *2 tablespoons of canned pumpkin *in a dish because I could not get him to eat pineapple or papaya.
 Within three hours he was back to his old self and was eating/drinking/pooping/peeing normally. It took three weeks to get the weight back on him.
 I was lucky, HE was lucky I was home. If I had been out he would have died.


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## JoieDeViveRabbitry (Sep 6, 2009)

Coccidiosis-

Coccidiosis (often shorted to Cocci, pronounced Cock- See) in rabbits is caused by a single celled organism called Protozoa.
There are nine types of Cocci that can affect rabbits and 8 of them affect the intestines, 1 affects the liver.
 Chickens, Cats, and Dogs as well as other animals can also be affected by Cocci, but it is a different species. 
 Young rabbits are often hit the hardest by this, while older ones usually have some immunity.

 Causes-
 Often seen in dirty hutches and cages, the rabbits get Cocci from ingesting the eggs of the parasite from licking their feet, eating off the cage floor, even eating contaminated greens or hay from another source.
 Adult rabbits can also be symptom free carriers of Cocci, shedding the eggs in their feces. The eggs can survive for over a year and thrive in warm and humid conditions.

 Symptoms-
Sudden loss of weight.
Diarhhea, sometimes with blood.
Pot Belly look.
Sitting hunched in cage with feet forward.
Litless, ill, or "off" attitude.
Some mild cases and carriers show no symptoms.

 Treatment-
 "Corid powder or a liquid solution available at feeds stores -- Sulfamethoxide (or some similar sulfa drug normally labeled for cocci in chickens) and put it in the water bottle for 7 days, then stop for 7 days and then do it again for 7 more days. The procedure needs to be done every 6 months. And cannot be administered to pregnant does. But lactating does are fine. This antibiotic is also used for a rabbit that may get upper respiratory (common cold) for 2-3 weeks straight. "
From: http://www.freewebs.com/tandthollands/newbunnycare.htm

 Also-
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Protozoal_diseases/coccidiosis_general.PDF


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