A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Abscesses:
Abscesses are pockets of infection. They can be seen or found anywhere on the body and are usually painless. They are commonly found just under the skin. Abscesses usually will occur when there has been an injury or damage to the skin. If you suspect your rabbit has an abscess, you must thake them to you veterinarian.
Symptoms: Lumps in or under the skin.
Cause: Pasteurella bacteria chronically carried in the body, or trauma to the skin.
Treatment: See veterinarian. Remove or drain abscess; and antibiotics.
Prevention: Purchase a rabbit without any history of exposure to Pasteurella; and keep your rabbit's skin healthy and keep them in a clean environment.
Bladder Sludge/Stones:
Symptoms: Urine-wet bottom, urinating more often, lots of accidental urination and some times no signs at all.
Cause: Over weight rabbits or those suffering with Arthritic conditions can some times have problems with empting their bladder fully when they need to leading to a type on rabbit incontinence. Because of the urine being left in the bladder this can develop into calcium crystals which in a healthy rabbit does not cause problems but in a debilitated rabbit it can then cause a thick paste/sludge in the bladder and then develop into bladder stones which are hard and painful to pass in their urine.
Treatment: Bladder stones need to be surgically removed, there need to be pain relief given plenty of fluids by mouth or via IV to flush the rabbits system. Some times a course of antibiotics is advised and the condition must be monitored as it can return rapidly if not monitored. Reducing the amount of Calcium rich foods assists it maintaining the animals health and weight loss is advised in the obese rabbit. Atheretic rabbits should be given pain relief management so they can urinate with out fear of pain. Seek advice from a Vet that is experienced in this disorder as it a difficult one to treat especially with out well informed and experienced veterinary advice.
Prevention: Provide lots course wheaten hay and cut down on food if you rabbit looks like it is becoming overweight.
Calici Virus:
Calici is contracted by the rabbit from other rabbits, insects, birds, rats, mice, animals, humans and clothing. The Calici virus can be brought in on your feet or clothing so if you have been visiting farms or rural areas and even other rabbit breeders quarantine your clothing and disinfect hands etc, before visiting your own rabbits.
Symptoms: Usually the first sign of calici is death with a bloody discharge from the nose, mouth and genitals (but not always present.) The rabbit may show signs just before death that may be lethargic, very thin, trouble breathing and have convulsions this may be only hours before death. It may seem to have a sniffily nose or diarrhoea.
Cause: Virus can be spread from farms or rural areas from other animals such as birds, rats, and mice.
Treatment: No treatment available in my opinion far more humane to euthanize the rabbit concerned and disinfect all rabbit equipment with virus control treatments.
Prevention: Keeping rabbit environs clean and quarantine all new rabbits that may come into your possession. Vaccination is available for VHD in Australia this can be given from 12 weeks of age, it is by injection once a year. There are minor side effects to some rabbits please ask your rabbit health professional for details.
Coccidia:
Coccidia are microscopic parasites that are often found in the intestines of many types of animals. They are the most common parasites of rabbits and can make rabbits ill. Most infections cause by coccidia will cause no symptoms (as there are 12 different types of coccidia), however in some rabbits that are infected, you may see wight loss and diarrhea.
Symptoms: Can be none, diarrhea, poor growth, anorexia, and in severe cases dehydration and death.
Cause: Coccidia is passed from the stool of an infected rabbit to a non-infected rabbit if they eat the infected stool.
Treatment: Antibiotics can be given in the drinking water. Some rabbit pellets also contain a coccidiostat (a drug which controls coccidia), and this may be fed to the rabbits all of the time.
Prevention: Good hygiene; remove infected faeces.
Diarrhoea:
Diarrhoea is not a disease in itself, rather it is a symptom of disease, however rabbits can have diarrhoea even if they do not have a disease, just like humans can. Soft stools, cannot technically be called diarrhoea, although soft stools can still be a symptom of a problem. Diarrhoea is usually a symptom of an intestinal disorder. Rabbits can also be exposed to and carry the viruses that can cause diarrhoea.
Symptoms: Loose or more frequent stools, often lethargy, anorexia, and a staring hair coat.
Cause: Diarrhoea can simple be caused by a change in a rabbits diet, however it may be caused by viruses, bacteria, or even following antibiotic use. Sometimes even stress can cause diarrhoea.
Treatment: No matter what the cause of the diarrhoea is, the treatment is similar. The rabbit should be kept warm and in clean surroundings to prevent spread of any virus (if there is one present). Fluid replacement is important as diarrhoea can lead to dehydration. A probiotic will help keep the balance of the gastrointestinal bacteria normal and antibiotics may be given depending on the cause of the diarrhoea.
Prevention: Gradual diet changes, proper diet, and keeping cages and hutches clean.
Ear Mites:
Ear mites are caused by a contagious, microscopic, spider-like insect. It is easy to tell if a rabbit has ear mite as the rabbit will have a lot of crusty material in his outer ears. Rabbits, which have ear mites commonly scratch at their ears and shake their heads a lot. Ear mite should be checked out by a veterinarian.
Symptoms: Flacky discharge in the ears, ears will be red and inflamed, as well as the rabbit scratching at its ears.
Cause: Rabbits become infested with the ear mites (Psoroptes cuniculi), this usually occurs when your rabbit comes in contact with another rabbit that is infected with ear mite, however cats can be a carrier for this particular type of ear mite.
Treatment: The rabbit can be given a course of injections from your veterinarian. Rabbits who are in contact with each other should also be treated, and the environment in which they live in should be sprayed with an environmental flea spray as the female mites are known to survive up to several weeks away from the host, which can cause re-infestation.
Prevention: Keep rabbits which are infested with ear mite away from other rabbits.
Fur Mites:
The rabbit fir mite is contagious and can be passed on to other rabbits, animals and even humans. Fur mites can go un-noticed as the rabbit may not show any symptoms, however, the rabbits skin may dry out. A veterinarian is the best way to diagnose fur mites as a scraping of the skin may be neededand be checked under a microscope to determine the diagnosis. Once diagosed your veterinarian may teart your rabbit with injections or a medicated dip to kill the mites.
Symptoms: Dandruff, dry skin, hair loss, scaly skin, and itching.
Cause: Rabbits become infested with fur mite (Cheyletiella parasitovorax).
Treatment: Possible course of injections from you veterinarian, or possibly the use of a medicated dip.
Prevention: Keep your rabbit away from infected animals, and if your rabbit has fur mites keep it away from all other animals to prevent the spread of fur mites.
Gastric Stasis:
A condition seen in rabbits where the gastrointestinal system becomes stagnant meaning it seems that the stomach stops moving/working. The food then sits in the stomach and can ferment and become very gassy and the rabbit becomes bloated some times they can urinate but not do poos and other times you may see bouts of watery poo. This condition can also be as a result of a hair ball in the intestines stopping the movement of food through the stomach. Stress can also cause GI stasis and Veterinary Practitioners are usually mystified by the cause of GI.
Symptoms: Rabbits with GI often become lethargic because of the tummy pain involved and will not move around the cage or area they are in. They stop eating in most cases and sometimes put their front feet into a water bowl if near by to cool themselves as they sometimes have a temperature. Their stomach feels hard and swollen and sometimes you can feel the organs as hard stones. The stomach can also sound hollow or sound watery when you move the rabbit from side to side.
Cause: Hairballs, Stress of any type, Changes in diet.
Treatment: Veterinary treatment is always advised as one must suspect an impaction of gastric material. This is a very painful condition and pain relief must be the first response in treatment then Rehydration of the rabbit must always be considered and fluids will assist in the movement of the impaction and encourage the stomach to move. The use of GI drugs to encourage stomach movement can be given. GI treatment may need a week of intensive nursing of the rabbit and is never guaranteed. The rabbit may be left with permanent stomach damage and be left weak. IV OR IM fluids are the quickest form of fluid replacement.
Prevention: Prevention can be as simple as more fibre in the diet, hay should be given daily with long hair breeds I recommend feeding pineapple once a week as the acid enzymes breaks down any fur that may cause fur block and it’s good for Vitamin C.
Hairballs/Trichobezoars:
Rabbits can ingest loose hair that has been shed or as they groom, which can group together in the stomach to form a clump or ball. With rabbits they are unable to vomit, which means they have difficulty removing the hairball unlike cats, which are able to vomit the hairball up. Unfortunately with rabbits nothing can pass a large hairball stuck at the end of the stomach, therefore, hairballs can be potentially a very serious problem in rabbits. A rabbit which has a hairball is most likely to eat less, drink more and possibly even lose weight. The rabbit may no pass any droppings and may also become reluctant to move.
Symptoms: May not have any symptoms or anorexia; progressive weight loss; increased water consumption; fewer or no droppings; reluctancy to move.
Cause: Lack of fibre in diet, stress, boredom, little exercise, all of which slows down the rabbits gastrointestinal tract, as a rabbits digestive system should always be in a constant state of movement.
Treatment: Medical treatment from a veterinarian, pineapple or pineapple juice, possibly surgical removal of the hairball.
Prevention: High fibre diet (hay, straw, pellets), plenty of opportunity for physical activity, regular hair clips for rabbits with longer coats and a low-stress environment.
Hairloss:
Hairloss can be caused by many things in rabbits. Some reasons relate to normal behaviour of rabbits and not to a medical illness or condition. Rabbits may pull out the hair of other rabbits to show their sominance. Pregnant does will also pluck out their own fur to build a nest for their litter. It has also been noted that some rabbits on low-fibre diets also pull their hair out. Other causes can be fur mites (see fur mite description), ringworm, wounds, and infections.
Symptoms: Thinning of hair, and patches of baldness.
Cause: Behavioural reasons, mites or parasites, singworm, and wounds.
Treatment: This depends on the cause of the hairloss, but usually there isn't a treatment if there is a behavioural cause.
Prevention: Good clean environments and health care.
Head Tilt/ Vestiblitis:
Symptoms: Sudden rolling to one side, head tilted to one side, unable to stand with out falling over, rapid eye movements.
Cause: Inflammation of the vestibular nerve, this nerve is responsible for balance and runs through the middle and inner ear of rabbits. The inflammation can be caused by one of three things. 1. inner.middle ear infection with no external signs. 2. Protozoan parasites invading the inner ear canal. 3. Ideopthic Vestibular Disease.
Treatment: Supportive care by keeping the rabbit in a padded, small and safe environment. Hand feeding and watering. Medications including a range of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antivetigo drugs, antibiotics andantiprotazoal preparations. Physio therapy 2 times a day to work the leg and body muscles along with massage will also benefit the animal. Experienced rabbit veterinary advice is needed so ask your rabbit vet if they have treated the disorder before and what success they have had before going to them, many rabbits dies with the incorrect treatment.
Prevention: Hygenic living conditions.
Malocclusion:
Malocclusion is a misalignment of the teeth, where the top teeth do not line up with the bottom teeth. Malocclusion is usually a breeding issue as adult rabbits with misaligned teeth can pass this trait on to the kits. Rabbit teeth can grow 10 to 12cm a year, therefore if the teeth are not worn down, they can overgrow. If they overgrow it leads to twists and turns of the teeth as they get longer which then interferes with the rabbit's ability to eat properly.
Symptoms: Noticeably overgrown teeth, or teeth that do not line up properly. Rabbit may also dribble constantly.
Cause: Hereditary defect in the alignment of the teeth. Can also occur when teeth have been damaged by possibly a fall or even chewing on a wire cage.
Treatment: Trim teeth regularly to allow teeth to gorw in a normal position/direction. Teeth can also be filed.
Prevention: If rabbits have a history of malocclusion, do not breed with them.
Myxomatosis:
Is a viral disease that is contracted by rabbits from the bites of insects most commonly fleas, mosquitoes and flies. It can also be brought in by other rabbits already infected and walked in by animals and humans.
Symptoms: The symptoms of this disease that are most commonly observed are swollen red eyes and some times nose and swollen genitals in my experience of assisting other rabbit breeders with mixi in their rabbit herd there is 7 days of these symptoms some times looking quite mild and then the animal dies.
Cause: In Australia we are not allowed the use of the vaccine to vaccinate our pet rabbits and each year government authorities release the disease into the wild rabbit population and then it is carried to pet rabbits via those insect pests mentioned above. Myxomatosis is a virus called poxvirus there are some of the opinion the virus is only carried by insects but a friend had mixi come into her herd via a baby rabbit purchased from a pet shop she thought it had red eyes because of the bedding at the pet shop and the result was 1/3 of her herd dieing of mixi. The incubation period is 5-14 days to visible symptoms.
Treatment: In my opinion there is no sure treatment for the disease in Australia with no success reported to me of long healthy life of the rabbit patient. The kindest thing to do is to euthanize the animal effected.
Prevention: In my opinion the use of insect barriers to control pests that may be infected is the only method of controlling the disease. Putting fly wire on hutches and rabbit living space. Clean poo free environment. Citronella candles and electronic insect reppellers are also easy and available. There are also Homeopathic Myxomotosis treatments available from some Veterinary Practices that seem to work very well and many breeders advocate these.
Pododermatitis:
refer to Sore Hocks.
Red Urine:
Red urine is not actually a disease, however it is a common conern for rabbit owners. The urine may appear red in colour due to a large amount of the plant pigment called porphyrin. This is completely normal and there is no need to be concerned. In most rabbits the normal yellow colour will return within a day or so. However, it is possible to have two or more rabbits to have exactly the same amounts of food and one to have red-coloured urine and one to have a normal yellow colour.
Reproductive Tract Disease:
These are frequently seen in female rabbits,
e.g.. Uterine Cancer, Uterine infections, Polyps, Cysts.
RABBITS DO NOT HAVE PERIODS OR BLOOD SPOTING WHEN IN SEASON SO SEE A VET IF
THERE IS ANY BLOOD DISCHARGE.
Symptoms: Bloody urine, Bleeding from the vulva, GI Stasis, abdominal pain and some times no signs at all.
Cause: Cancer of the uterus is very common, 82% of female rabbits in a survey done in the USA on female rabbits experience it. If a bacterial infection from growth or infection ruptures or enters the blood system, this can kill your rabbit e.g. blood poisoning. Plus the cancer itself.
Treatment: The best treatment is preventative treatment and that is to spay/desex your pet rabbits by the age of 5 months, this eliminates the organs that may become diseased. Uterine cancer can develop in rabbits as young as 2 years and once it develops it can spread to other organs. If you bunny is not desexed get an X-ray of the Uterus and lungs prior to desexing to determine if your bunny has the disease and if it has spread as Euthanasia may be kinder of bunny if it already has cancer. Rabbits can also get breast cancer which is reduced by desexing your female rabbit as the hormones are reduced and there for the probability of getting this form of cancer.
Prevention: Desexing.
Respiratory Disease:
The most common caise of disease in the nose, airways, and lungs is an infection due to the Pasturella bacteria, (see Pasturella). Pasturella is not the only bateria that can cause infection within the respiratory system of rabbits. Other bacteria such as Bordetella bronchiseptica can cause damage to the respiratory tract of not just rabbits, but also dogs, cats, and guinea pigs. When rabbits are infected with the Bordetella bateria, they have a discharge from the nose and can also develop pneumonia. Ususally once a rabbit has been exposed to Bordetella the infection is often complicated by other bacteria as well, such as pasturella. If you suspect that your rabbit may have respiratory diease take it to your veterinarian as soon as possible.
Symptoms: Nasal discharge, snuffles, having to work harder to breathe (faster or heavier breathing).
Cause: A simple bacterial infection, or an allergy. However, there may be a more serious cause such as heart disease.
Treatment: Antibiotics can be used to treat a bacterial infection, or corticosteroids and antihistamines for an allergy. If the cause is heart related there are heart medications that can be taken.
Prevention: Keep your rabbit away from other rabbits or animals that may be infected by Pasturella, Bordetella, or any other bacteria.
Sore Hocks:
The hock of a rabbit is the equivalent to a humans ankle. Hocks can be irritated when a rabbit site on poor flooring as the area below the hock can become inflamed. This can lead to a bacterial infection where an ulcer may occur. Sore hocks can also be caused by frequent thumping of the hind legs. If the hock ulcerates you may see a discharge. If you suspect your rabbit has sore hock then take them to a veterinarian as this condition can be very difficult to treat once it has been left untreated for a while. The veterinarian may also decide to take a radiograph to make sure there is not bone damge under the ulcerated skin.
Symptoms: Ulcerated and reddened skin around the hock area, stained hair, and scabbing on or around the hocks.
Cause: Any rough surface can cause rubbing on the back of the hocks. frequent thumping of the hind legs, small cages. House rabbits that run around inside can similarly suffer from carpet burn.
Treatment: Clean wounds, antibiotics, also bedding in the hutch should be kept as soft as possible.
Prevention: Supply adequate room in hutches and cages, keep hutches clean and have soft surfaces within the cages.
Trichobezoars:
refer to Hairballs.
Urinary Incontinence:
Viral Haemorrhagic Disease:
refer to Calici Virus.
Weepy Eyes - Chronic
Weepy eyes are often related to dental problems and should always be fully investigated by a Vet.
Symptoms: Decreased appetite, weepy wet eyes including puss or clear discharge, GI stasis, Drooling, swollen jaw / eyes area, bulging eye/s and even in some cases no obvious signs apart from weight loss.
Cause: In some cases it is the diet being insufficient in fibre, that then causes the teeth to become overgrown. This can lead to the teeth growing into the cheeks or tongue. The teeth can also abscess causing swellings to the jaw and cheek and this can effect the tear ducts causing the eye to weep and the tear duct to become congested and or infected.
Treatment: X-rays of the head / skull need to be taken to assess the problem. Surgery for tooth removal, abscess removal/drainage may be required, flushing of the tear ducts if they are not permanently damaged and a course of antibiotics may also be required.
Prevention: Make sure that your rabbits teeth are kept in good shape.
All information on this page is for reference only, for diagnosis and treatment of all condtions/illnesses please consult your veterinarian.
Copyright © Wildwood Rabbit Stud 2007