Rabbit Health

The health of our rabbits is extremely important to us. Over the years we have found some things to protect from outbreaks which can kill or hinder the usefulness of a rabbit.

Snuffles-Caused by Pasteurella Multocida, which is a bacteria which is very persistant. The symptoms are a runny nose with white drainage and sneezing. It does not usually kill the rabbit, but can render them useless, because it is so highly contagious. You cannot show a rabbit that has snuffles, and you should not breed with a rabbit with snuffles. I acquired my first rabbit with snuffles in 2003. She was a white English Angora from New Mexico. I was ignorant at the time, and did not know what a disaster this would produce in my rabbitry. Within 6 months, about 50% of my rabbits, (I only had 35 back then) were infected. I was so upset!!. I put all the infected rabbits outside, and gradually some of them started to get well with the help of LA 200 injections. LA 200 is a tetracycline. ½-¾ cc is the amount I use. It is given subcutaneously, right under their skin. In those early days, they would sometimes become re-infected.

Over the years, I tried new tactics. I have started to vaccinate the rabbits. I use Poly-Bac vaccine from www.jefferscom. I give .25cc SQ to babies after 4 week, and .3 cc to adults. I vaccinate them about 3 times, once per month. I also revaccinate if they get snuffles. I mix 1/2cc tetracycline with .3 cc Poly-bac in the syringe and give it SQ. Then I repeat just the antibiotic for 5-7 days, once per day.

Baytril is also a good antibiotic to use for rabbits. I give .4cc SQ 2x/day x 7-10 days. It can be given orally.

Pneumonia-Pasteurella Multocida can also cause pneumonia in rabbits. They seem fine and then all of a sudden are congested in the lungs and can't breathe very well. An antibiotic injection at this time can save them if administered quickly. I usually use a double dose of 1 cc SQ initially and then a 1/2 cc dose daily for 7 days.

Wry Neck-This is a very scarey condition that can be caused by the Pasteurella Multocida bacteria or other infectious agents. It hits the rabbits at any age. I've seen 3 week old bunnies get it. They start with a little head tilt and get worse until they are contorted and rolling around the cage. It may be an inner ear infection or a type of encephalitis. Sometimes a rabbit will completely recover. At other times, the rabbit will never regain the proper head set. A slight tilt will not incapacitate a rabbit, but a complete tilt will cause contortion and inhibit mobility. I treat rabbits with this condition with LA 200, 1/2cc-3/4 cc x 7 days. I also treat with Ivermec 0.1cc orally x1 dose. Some sources think wry neck may be from mites or worms.

Eye Infections Little bunny eyes are very sensitive to infections. Once I had an entire litter come down with infected eyes before I noticed it. I started treating immediately as soon I found the little swollen, draining eyes. I use Terramycin ophthalmic ointment. I also get this online from www.jeffers.com. It costs about $10.00 per tube. It is a necessity to have around, as the infections are easily cleared up if treated immediately.

Wasting syndrome-(not the true medical term)- What a heartbreaking condition this is! It hits baby bunnies must of the time. It may or may not be accompanied by diarrhea. Clostridium may be the cause. I have lost entire litters from this. Usually just one bunny in a litter will be affected. The bunny just starts losing weight. Usually by the time I notice, it is too late. The bunny gets lethargic and usually quietly dies within about 2 days. I have found that a tiny pinch of powdered Lactobacillus in the water of bunnies will help prevent this. Also, I treat it successfully with Sulmet (Sulfamethazine) solution. I put 2 tablespoons into one gallon and use this for drinking water for the rabbit. It takes weeks to treat this condition. I can usually save the bunnies that I treat. Fresh grass hay given every day helps to develop the bunny intestines and prevent this problem.

Isolation Techniques- Because I am a nurse, I am aware of the importance of good hand washing and isolation procedures as a way of preventing the spread of infections. I discovered early on that the alcohol based hand cleanser works well and I frequently cleanse hands. It took me a while longer to figure out how to utilize isolation for my rabbits even in a small room. I discovered that if I put a tarp or paper feed sacks between my stackable cages this provided an effective isolation device. This way if the rabbit sneezes, the bacterial spray will go only as far as the barrier. I even put barriers between the cages if the rabbits are healthy, which most of them are. I like feed bags best, because they are plentiful, and can be changed frequently.

Disinfection- I usually use Vanodine solution which I purchase from www.bunnyrabbit.com. It is safe for the rabbits and provides good disinfection. Each week, the trays are rinsed clean, sprayed with vanodine solution, and have clean pine shavings added. Some breeders use newspapers, or nothing in the trays. I like the pine, because it has disinfectant properties and I have not felt that it harms the rabbits. Twice a week cleaning and disinfection is necessary during some weather and environments. I also spray with Vanodine solution when I change rabbits from one cage to another, and spray the nest boxes between uses also.