Rabbit runny nose or rhinitis is one of the most common and unpleasant diseases for pets and their owners.

Much has been written about the causes of its occurrence, prevention and treatment methods, however a single, detailed and thorough instruction for the rabbit breeder will not hurt.

Under the symptoms of a runny nose and sneezing common to humans in rabbits Several diseases may be hidden:

• allergic reaction;
• cold;
• Rhinitis is a dangerous infectious disease.

Allergies in rabbits usually occur to food or natural factors. In the vast majority of cases, allergic rhinitis is caused by ordinary dust.

The most dusty food product is hay, from which the rabbit begins to sneeze. It is not recommended to keep cages with rabbits in dusty places, as respiratory system Eared pets are very gentle and often react to unfavorable environmental factors.

The cause of rhinitis in rabbits is an allergy to hay

Getting rid of allergies is not difficult, you just need to protect rabbits from the irritating product, that is, dust. Other causes of allergies are extremely rare, and only specialists study them.

The second source of a runny nose is the common cold.. The reasons for its occurrence are associated with improper care:

• keeping rabbits in damp, cold and drafty areas;
• general weakness of the body caused by a lack of vitamins and a poor diet.

Rabbits most often get colds in early spring and autumn-winter. In the warm season, with proper care, colds are a very rare occurrence.

The cause of rhinitis is infection. It can be transmitted from a sick rabbit to a healthy one. by airborne droplets or through the use of shared utensils. There are known cases of transmission of infection to rabbits from other domestic animals (chickens, dogs).

Weakened immunity, the presence of chronic colds, contacts with others, including foreign animals, are fertile ground for the development and spread of rhinitis.

How does rhinitis develop?

The first symptoms of rhinitis are noticeable within a few days after infection. The presence of the disease can be accurately determined after 5-7 days. Rhinitis can occur in different ways.

The worst case scenario leads to death within 1.5-2 months.

Development is also possible chronic rhinitis . In this case, it is difficult to determine the timing of the disease. Practice knows cases when infected rabbits lived up to 1.5 years, and after slaughter the meat was generally suitable for consumption.

Why is chronic rhinitis dangerous? The danger of chronic rhinitis is that it can develop into pneumonia and lead to complete dysfunction of the bronchi, which leads to the death of the animal. You cannot eat the meat of such a rabbit.

Symptoms of the disease

Sneezing and snot are the first and earliest warning signal.. At the first hint, it is advisable to remove the sick rabbit from its fellows.

However, the appearance of snot is not yet evidence of the appearance of rhinitis. Most likely, we are talking about a cold.

A healthy rabbit has a pale pink nasal mucosa. If it turns red, it increases in size(inflamed), nasal discharge begins to acquire a yellowish, purulent tint, then these are sure signs of rhinitis on initial stage.

Subsequently, even more pronounced symptoms appear, which are noticeable even to a person very far from rabbit farming. Rabbits' cheeks are stained with dried pus.

A sick rabbit begins to scratch its nose assiduously, which is why a characteristic crust appears on it. Holding your breath, wheezing, heat, refusal to eat, weight loss are obvious symptoms of chronic advanced rhinitis.

How to treat snot (infectious rhinitis) in a rabbit

Only a veterinarian can absolutely accurately determine the presence of rhinitis or a common runny nose in a rabbit., for which a blood test is performed. Therefore, treatment always begins with general measures, which are often more effective than medications.

A sick rabbit should be isolated, and all inventory is exposed sanitization. Disinfection is carried out with ordinary boiling water.

If there is formaldehyde in the house, then a 3 percent solution will do a good job of eliminating the infection.

The second point is nutrition. The veterinary pharmacy always has vitamins that a rabbit may lack. Adding them to food, as well as diversifying your diet, will help boost your immunity and increase your chances of recovery.

If the measures taken are not enough and the condition of the sick pet does not improve, then start treatment, what they are suitable for folk remedies and medicines.

There are many treatment methods, so we will focus on the main ones.

Instillation of penicillin or furatsilin. The drugs are accessible and inexpensive; penicillin can be replaced with analogues of its group. A solution of penicillin or furatsilin is pipetted into the rabbit's nose.

The procedure can be repeated 2-3 times a day for 10-12 days. Single dose 10-15 drops.

Since rabbits are not very fond of burying, it is ideal if you have help holding the rabbit tightly, as it is awkward for one person to carry out the entire procedure.

You may be interested in the following articles on the topic of rabbit diseases:

Adding biomycin to food. Biomycin is an inexpensive and proven drug; after mixing it in warm water, added to eared food.

Standard dose for 1 rabbit 1 mg per day. At serious illnesses the dose is increased by 2-2.5 times. The drug acts quickly, so rabbits will begin to recover within 4-5 days.

Inhalations essential oils or herbal decoction. The course of inhalation lasts up to 7 days. For treatment, decoctions of mint, sage, fennel, thyme, eucalyptus oil, sea buckthorn, lavender, and cloves are used.

When using oil, the dosage is 1 drop per 2 liters of water.

To carry out inhalation, the rabbit must be placed in a small cage. with permeable walls. A saucepan or other container with hot broth is placed next to it (but inaccessible to the rabbit).

The cage and pan are covered (wrapped) so that the rabbit can breathe in vapors. The concentration and temperature of the decoction are tested experimentally.

If the eyes do not sting and the temperature is tolerable, that is best option and for the rabbit. Don't forget about the crack for fresh air.

And the patient can be occupied, for which it is advisable to place a bowl with ordinary water and food in the cage. The frequency of inhalations is 1-2 per day.

After inhalation, nasal discharge will become more abundant.. To alleviate the condition of the rabbit, it is advisable to wipe them with a towel or paper napkin.

There is also a cold inhalation method. It is carried out according to the instructions sold complete with special devices. You can buy such a device at a veterinary pharmacy.

Sea salt vapors are considered very effective for cold inhalations.

For rhinitis, antibiotic injections are also prescribed. Effective drugs there are more than a dozen. However, given the danger of antibiotics for a rabbit, it is advisable to inject them only after a blood test and consultation with a veterinarian.

An invalid diet

There are no restrictions on the diet of a sick rabbit with rhinitis. And here diversify your diet, add vitamins and herbs to it(slightly dried) preferably.

Herbs such as basil, mint, dill, and chamomile will support the rabbit’s immunity. Warm tea made from these herbs can be given as a drink.

A rabbit suffering from a runny nose needs warmth even more than increased nutrition.. Therefore, in the cold season they do this: sick rabbits are taken into a house or other warm buildings.

What to do for prevention

The best way to avoid a runny nose- This the right conditions keeping pets, especially in winter time. A warm room, no drafts, no dampness, vitamins and a varied diet.

As special preventive measures Biomycin is added to food for rabbits (0.5 grams per day per 1 rabbit). Antiviral effect also have dill, mint, chamomile, wormwood, and basil.

To summarize, it should be emphasized that Preventing rhinitis in pets is much easier than treating it later.

Moreover, practice knows a lot of examples when even antibiotics do not help full recovery animals.

Rabbits often have respiratory diseases, such as inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity (rhinitis), bronchitis and inflammation of the lungs and pleura. Young animals are most susceptible to colds.

Causes of respiratory diseases in rabbits

The etiology of respiratory diseases, in addition to colds, can be unfavorable factors, such as inhalation of air containing irritating gases, dust, and mold spores.

Symptoms and types of respiratory diseases in rabbits

Rhinitis in rabbits

Redness of the nasal mucosa, discharge from the nostrils, sneezing.

Bronchitis

General depression, rapid difficulty breathing, wheezing or whistling in the lungs. There may also be discharge from the nostrils and fever.

Pleurisy in rabbits

With pleurisy, there is severe pain when pressing on the chest.

Inflammation of the lungs (pneumonia) in rabbits

Etiology. Most often occurs as a consequence acute bronchitis(inflammation of the bronchi), in which inflammation from the mucous membrane of the bronchi passes directly to the lungs.

Symptoms of pneumonia in rabbits

The affected areas of the lung fill with fluid. No air gets into them. The lungs are filled with blood. It may be difficult for the animal to breathe and shortness of breath occurs. Body temperature rises, cough appears, as well as discharge from the nasal mucosa or purulent fluid. The pulse is increased, the state is depressed, the appetite decreases sharply. Swallowing becomes difficult as inflammation spreads to the pharynx. Pneumonia can occur in acute or chronic form.

Diagnosis and treatment of pneumonia in rabbits

Diagnosis diagnosed on the basis of anamnesis data, clinical signs, laboratory and special research methods.

Treatment. Sick rabbits are placed in warm, dry room, improve nutrition, provide vitamins, keeping the air clean. For nasal discharge, drop a drop into each nostril. antiseptic solution or can be replaced with an antibiotic solution. Along with this they carry out general treatment using anti-inflammatory drugs, antihistamines. Shown intravenous injections antibiotics, calcium supplements, vitamins. If there are signs of intoxication, administer glucose. To reduce fever and pain, antipyretics and painkillers are used. To increase the body's resistance, immunomodulators and immunostimulants are used.

Rabbits are bred for their beautiful fur and healthy dietary meat. But in the process of breeding, the owners of these rodents encounter a number of troubles related to their health. Rabbits are very demanding animals to care for, so breeders must carefully monitor the keeping of rabbits and their condition.

Differences between a sick rabbit and a healthy one

Healthy rabbits

Not all diseases are accompanied severe symptoms, but you can see the difference between a sick rabbit and a healthy one. And in order not to lose sight of the first signs of the disease, animals need a systematic examination. This is done before mating, as well as before and after childbirth. After birth, the rabbits are examined daily at first, and then once every 14 days. Most diseases and methods of their treatment are not very serious; the main thing is to prevent the development of complications and take timely measures.

A healthy rabbit is distinguished by its activity and good appetite. The main signs of a healthy animal:

• no discharge from mucous membranes;
• the fur shines;
• breathing rate is about 60 times per minute;
• uniform pulse 120-160 beats per minute;
• temperature 38.5-39.5 degrees.

If the urine or feces changes, this may indicate the onset of the disease. Normal stools are black or dark brown, pea-shaped. The urine should also be dark. Its shade depends on the type of food.

Signs of an unhealthy animal

Each disease has its own features, but there are a number of symptoms that indicate problems in the rabbit’s body. If they appear in an animal, it is necessary to urgently contact a specialist to avoid spreading the disease to other animals and begin treatment in a timely manner.

Many diseases begin with the following symptoms:

• atypical behavior;
• the rabbit lies with its eyes closed;
• the animal breathes heavily and frequently, wants to drink all the time;
• hair loss;
• discharge from the nose or eyes;
• the appearance of formations on the body;
• the animal is paralyzed, it trembles or convulses;
• stool disorder.

Types of diseases in rabbits

Rabbits can suffer from numerous diseases, which can be divided into the following groups:

• invasive;
• infectious;
• non-infectious.

The most common are infectious diseases. They are the most dangerous because an infected animal poses a potential threat to the lives of others.

Non-infectious diseases are mainly associated with poor nutrition, violation of maintenance requirements, and temperature conditions. These include all kinds of bruises and injuries. Non-infectious diseases do not pose a threat to the lives of other animals - a sick rabbit is not contagious.

The disease can develop in two forms: hepatic and intestinal. In the first variant, the disease can last about 50 days, during which the animal has diarrhea and loses weight. The intestinal form is fleeting - the rabbit dies within 10 days.

During the incubation period (2-3 days), the rodent experiences jaundice and the feces contain blood. The age of the sick animal may vary, but the most vulnerable are 2-4 month old rabbits. The disease can be diagnosed only after analyzing stool for the presence of the pathogen.

Coccidosis can be treated in several ways. You can give an animal an iodine solution: for an adult, 100 g of a 0.01% solution per day from the 25th day of pregnancy, then the volume is increased to 200 g per day of a 0.02% solution. Courses are 10 days each. Rabbits are treated according to the same scheme, only the volume of the solution should be 2 times less. The second method is treatment aqueous solution sulfa drugs. Give the rabbit the solution 2 times a day for 5 days.

We talked about this disease in more detail in the article coccidiosis in rabbits, for more information, follow the following link

Cysticercosis

The sick animal is lethargic and has no appetite. Gradually the body becomes weaker and the rabbit dies. When you open it, you can see the affected liver. Multiple blisters are visible on the belly. The disease can be diagnosed using an allergen injected under the skin.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for cysticercosis. You only need to do preventive measures to prevent the spread of the pathogen. If damaged organs by cestodes are found in a dead rabbit, the corpse is destroyed. Dogs other than guard dogs cannot be kept in rabbit farms. Not allowed on the territory stray dogs. As a chemical prophylaxis, 10% mebenvet granulate is added to animal feed for 30-40 days.

Dead rabbit from pasteurellosis

This disease very quickly affects the entire herd if there is a sick animal in the herd. Patients can be of any age. But the source of infection can be not only a sick rabbit, but also contaminated food and care items. Carriers of pasteurellosis are birds and rodents.

When a rabbit gets sick, it experiences a sharp rise in temperature to 41-42 degrees. Their condition is depressed, breathing is rapid. This disease is fast-acting - after 1-3 days the body temperature drops to 33 degrees and the rabbit dies. This disease can also have a chronic form, in which purulent rhinitis appears.

At autopsy, numerous hemorrhages of all internal organs are noted in a sick animal. The spleen is significantly enlarged, and there may be dead areas on the liver.

Pasteurellosis is treated with antibiotics - biomycin, chloramphenicol, etc. As a preventive measure, rabbits are vaccinated.

The skins of sick animals are disinfected, and their entrails are disposed of. Meat can be eaten as long as it is thoroughly checked.

Rabbit with myxomatosis

One of the most dangerous diseases of rabbits. It comes in 2 forms: nodular and edematous. The first form is characterized by the appearance of small nodules that grow to the size of a pea and cover the body. The edematous form manifests itself in the form of small edemas, which combine over time into one large edema.

All these formations are called mixotes. The most common places for their appearance are the head, anus and genitals. Another characteristic symptom– inflammation of the membrane of the eye. The animal takes on an ugly appearance and dies after 7-10 days. Treatments for of this disease No. At the first signs of myxomatosis, the veterinary service should be notified. The sick animal must be disposed of, and the clothes of the person who had contact with it must be disinfected. Feces must be buried to a depth of at least a meter.

Fascioliasis

This disease has acute and chronic forms. An infected rabbit has a high temperature, increased heart rate and breathing, and swollen eyelids. There is also swelling of the abdomen and the space under the jaw. The chronic form is also characterized by dryness and brittleness of some areas of the fur. Yellowness appears on the mucous membranes of the eyes and mouth.

The causative agent of the disease is the helminth trematode Fasclola hepatica. To diagnose the presence of a pathogen, carry out laboratory analysis feces

The liver infected with fascioliasis is boiled to disinfect it or disposed of at a cattle burial ground.

Listeriosis

Both rabbits and humans can become infected with this disease. Pregnant rabbits are especially at risk for this disease. Having appeared once, this disease can befall rabbits every year for many years. The carriers of the infection are fleas, ticks, and lice.

The pathogen can survive in soil, grain, and water for several years. Breeding sites are also varied: water, milk, organs of corpses, soil, etc. In nature, many rodents are reservoirs of listeriosis.

Basically, the disease has an acute and hyperacute form. As a result of its development, up to half of the herd dies. When opening a dead animal, you can notice changes in the liver - it is dark red in color, enlarged, with scattered white necrotic nodules. The lymph nodes are also enlarged.

Diagnosing the disease in adults is not difficult. Only pregnant rabbits leave. Dead animals are cremated or buried 1 meter deep. Bedding and leftover food are also burned. The cages where sick animals lived are thoroughly disinfected. Only non-pregnant individuals are treated with antibiotics. But the result is ineffective, and the treated rabbit remains a dangerous source of infection for others. That's why best prevention- destruction of the animal.

Tularemia

Only a veterinarian can identify this disease. It does not always have clear signs, and is in many ways similar to staphlococcosis. When tularemia occurs in a latent form, then external signs impossible to notice.

At first inflammatory process spreads on The lymph nodes, on which abscesses appear over time, and subsequently they can burst. As a rule, sick animals die. But those who survive tularemia develop lasting immunity.

The causative agent of the disease can only be identified through bacteriological analysis of the material. When opening a dead animal, you can observe an increase in various glands (pelvic, cervical, axillary, lymph nodes), which are filled with blood. The tissue around the glands is swollen. The spleen, liver, lungs, and abdomen are covered with small pustules.

To prevent illness, it is necessary to follow sanitation rules. Regularly destroy mice and rats on the farm, fight blood-sucking insects. It is imperative to use protective clothing and disinfect your hands. Open animals only with gloves. If there are animals on the farm with tularemia, a 20-day quarantine is required. Rabbits that are only suspected of having the disease should also be isolated. The corpses and skins of deceased individuals are disposed of.

Infectious rhinitis

With rhinitis, a rabbit develops serous discharge from the nose, then mucus. He sneezes and scratches his nose often.

Treat the animal with furatsilin 1% mixed penicillin (20,000 units per 1 mg). Instill the mixture 2 times a day. Ecmonovocillin can be used as a treatment by diluting the drug with boiled water 1:2 or with a NaCl solution. Place 5-6 drops into the nostrils.

Read about this disease in more detail in the article, in it you will find the main symptoms, causes and methods of treatment.

Pneumonia

The main factors causing illness, are drafts, sudden changes in temperature, high humidity. Diagnosing it is not difficult:

• lack of appetite;
• high temperature (up to 42 degrees);
• presence of wheezing when breathing;
• discharge from the nostrils.

If these signs are present, the animal is placed in comfortable, draft-free conditions with optimal humidity and temperature. Give him intensive nutrition and treat him with antibiotics. Give him as much to drink as possible.

Poisoning

First, you should change the food and give the rabbit plenty to drink. Make rice or oat broth. They have absorbent properties.

Disease Prevention

Inspection of adults and small rabbits should be regular. This makes it possible to notice signs of the disease in time and effectively fight it. First of all, symptoms appear on the mucous membranes, so special attention is given to them.

Vaccination

After baby rabbits are weaned from their mother, their immunity weakens over time and they become more susceptible to disease. For the purpose of prevention against the most dangerous diseases, they were developed. The most common vaccinations are: against VGBV and against myxomatosis. The first is done mainly starting from 1.5 months of age. Immunity lasts 6-9 months, then revaccination is necessary. Today, complex vaccines have been developed that protect the animal from several diseases simultaneously.

Vaccinations must be carried out following certain rules. Follow the vaccination schedule, purchase the vaccine from reliable places, and monitor its expiration date. The animal must be absolutely healthy before vaccination. There is no point in vaccinating a sick rabbit against this disease - it will be ineffective.

A rabbit is no less susceptible to many things than a person. dangerous diseases. Therefore, for an animal to be useful, it requires careful care and attentive attention. At the slightest sign of change in his behavior or appearance measures need to be taken.

INFECTIONAL RINITIS

What is the danger of infectious rhinitis or contagious runny nose in rabbits?

Signs of rhinitis.

Rhinitis is very dangerous and insidious disease. You will recognize a rabbit with rhinitis by its sneezing, by the way it rubs its nose with its paws, trying to eliminate unpleasant symptoms and clear the nasal openings of dried serous secretions. If the disease has progressed relatively far, a mucous secretion is released from the nose. At the initial stage of the disease, the rabbit breeder is not always able to recognize the fact that rhinitis carriers are already parasitizing in the animal’s body. Nasal discharge is not so abundant and may appear only periodically. Be sure to check the paws. First of all, mucus accumulates on them, which causes hairs to stick together (combing). When the disease becomes obvious, rabbits begin to instinctively breathe through their mouths, trying to eliminate the lack of air entering their lungs. In many cases, the lesion spreads to the eyes, which begin to water profusely and redness of the eyelids occurs.

• If rabbits long time not treated, the disease may become chronic or severe form. In the first option, the disease affects only the nasopharynx and can be mild, but remember that the animal still continues to be a source of spread of microbes and can cause disease in still healthy individuals. In addition, the commercial quality of rabbits is noticeably reduced.
• At severe form diseases rabbits die. Some earlier, others later, on average after a month and a half. Before this, their body temperature rises, they begin to wheeze (the lungs are affected), become inactive, lose appetite and become exhausted.

Causes of the disease.

Rabbits are most often susceptible to this disease due to damage to the nasal mucosa, for example during a fight. In this case, seemingly harmless bacteria (there are several types: Pasteurella multocida, Bordetella bronchiseptica and Staphylococcus aureus), constantly present in the nasal cavity, begin their harmful effects, penetrating deep into the animal’s body through microcracks and scratches of the inflamed mucous membrane. Having sensed their prey, the microbes become even more active and begin to multiply in the body of the sick rabbit at high speed, which causes rapid illness pet

How does rhinitis progress?

If the rabbit is not treated, then the further development of the disease depends on the immunity of each individual animal. Some rabbits can get sick without any visible consequences. In other animals, the disease can develop into a sluggish form and become chronic. Their general condition can be mistakenly considered normal, since their appetite is completely restored, their activity and behavior do not indicate a latent illness. And finally, in a third of rabbits the disease progresses, spreading deeper and deeper, right down to the pleura and lower parts of the lungs. Vitally violated important functions, first of all, breathing. Wheezing becomes audible, and body temperature rises greatly. Rabbits lose their appetite, which leads to refusal of food and further exhaustion. Such an animal is no longer able to resist the disease and will face death.

How the disease is transmitted.

Sick rabbits, their remains and even droppings are a source of infection throughout the farm. If they are not isolated in time, the result can be disastrous. There are also known cases of infection with rhinitis during mating of rabbits belonging to different farms. The disease is also easily transmitted through the hands of the rabbit breeder, feed, and cleaning equipment. Sometimes a pregnant rabbit starts to get sick with infectious rhinitis, but she doesn’t raise her hand to kill her. Practice shows that born rabbits do not necessarily inherit the mother’s disease. Some or even all of them are separated immediately after birth and placed with another female, they develop and grow safely. Although unsuccessful options for the development of such scenarios are also known. If not in this moment another pregnant rabbit can be weaned after five days and transferred to artificial feeding from a pipette. After breastfeeding, be sure to quarantine for a month.

Precautions when buying rabbits.

I would especially like to dwell on the transmission of the disease during the purchase and sale of animals in markets. IN Lately There has been a sharp increase in cases where unscrupulous sellers are trying to get rid of sick rabbits that are already in an advanced stage. They are first treated, brought into decent shape and taken to the market. There were also facts of sale of “rhinitis” rabbits brought from Europe and even from “native” nurseries. Since the rabbit is not yet dying, it is burdensome to treat it, and it is a pity to slaughter it (especially when it is purebred), it can wander from one owner to another for quite a long time. This may be due to a general sharp increase in the spread of the disease. The statistics are such that over the past six months the number of requests to my website regarding rhinitis has increased several times. Their number even exceeded requests regarding the traditionally “popular” myxomatosis, VGBK and coccidiosis.

When buying a rabbit, grab it by the ears and withers at the same time and turn it over on its back. As a rule, this will not cause a negative reaction from the animal and it will lie calmly. Close your nostrils one at a time and carefully check for at least a minute for any deposits or snot. Breathing should be free, without tension. There should be no wheezing. Don't listen to the seller's soothing comments. If you have the slightest suspicion, apply your ear and listen to the rabbit's lungs. I am writing in such detail because of the increasing number of cases of sick eared animals being sold.

Pathological changes.

Many rabbit breeders use a necropsy of a deceased animal to determine the cause of its death. Therefore, I will give the main signs of infectious rhinitis.

• An accumulation of nasal secretions is usually found in the nasal cavity; its mucous membrane is thickened and reddened.
• If you cut into the trachea, you will almost certainly find small blood vessels heavily engorged with blood. Often the walls are covered with mucous and purulent discharge.
• In the lungs, swelling of the organ, individual small or larger compactions of a darker color (mosaic), and their general marbling are visible. In other cases, abscesses are observed. They can be individual or cluster-shaped, surrounded by dense capsules. There is pus inside the abscess.

When the disease is advanced, the abscess covers a large area of ​​the lung, opens itself, and pus fills the surrounding space. When opening it is felt bad smell. In severely advanced cases, the lungs (sometimes only one) are almost completely decomposed.

Prevention of rhinitis.

What can you do to protect your household as much as possible from a contagious runny nose? First of all, regularly examine your pets, pay attention to their paws, even if the rabbit is apparently healthy and active. At the slightest comb, sound the alarm. I advise you to do the control as often as possible, but at least once a week. Check and eliminate the causes of colds in rabbits. These are, first of all, drafts, dirty air, saturated with dust, hypothermia in winter. Try to avoid direct contact between your rabbits and rabbits from other farms; wash your hands thoroughly before feeding your pets. Keep all newly acquired animals in quarantine for at least a month. Support high immunity rabbits, do not expose them to stress, observe daily caloric intake when feeding, do not allow even temporary starvation or lack of vitamins. Observe sanitary standards square and cubic dimensions of cages (enclosures), remove sharp objects from them, do not allow your rabbits to fight. Regularly disinfect cells, equipment and queen cells according to the schedule, always during epidemics, after illnesses or deaths, and also before the next replenishment of the farm. Boil the corpses of dead animals for at least an hour before feeding them to dogs, or better yet, burn them and bury them. The bacteria are quite tenacious and can remain viable in the ground for up to 3 months. Remove manure away from cages.

From a person who is sick viral infection, for example, a rabbit cannot become infected with the flu (and vice versa), since it has a different gene code, and therefore its own specific viruses. But bacteria don’t care who they attack. Therefore, if your illness is associated with them, assign your assistant to care for the rabbits for a while or use a gauze bandage (respirator)

Regarding the vaccine and preventive vaccinations, then for rabbits they are still under development (Streptoblastolysin). I have already indicated above that there are several types of rhinitis pathogens and this greatly complicates the work of biologists. Vaccination would be justified if purchasing an expensive purebred individual. Although other animals (pigs, chickens) in large farms are necessarily given them. There are vaccines against infectious rhinitis and for cats. Please respond to those who have already encountered this issue.

Use of slaughtered rabbits for rhinitis.

I have already indicated above that rabbit rhinitis does not pose a danger to people. Medical reference books indicate that human susceptibility to this type of bacteria is extremely low. There are, however, unconfirmed cases of infection from cats when they scratch. The meat of a slaughtered rabbit can be used for food after boiling or frying. The exceptions are the lungs and chest.

It is best to separate them and dispose of them. But if you give up this pleasure, it will probably be even better. Personally, I do not eat rhinitis rabbits. As for skins and fluff, they can be used without restrictions after removal and drying. Only dry in separate isolated rooms. I recommend placing dried skins in the sun for 10–15 minutes. During this time, all bacteria will die. I advise adherents of salting skins in barrels not to risk it. It is known that medical saline solution (NaCl) is not an antiseptic.

Treatment of infectious rhinitis.

The specificity of this disease is that it, as a rule, quickly spreads throughout the entire farm. Often isolation and quarantine do not have the desired effect. While you are treating some rabbits, others manage to become infected from them. Therefore, many rabbit breeders, having spent a lot of time, effort and incurring financial expenses, are left broke. There is an opinion that it is not advisable to treat the farm. It is much easier to slaughter the entire herd, carry out a thorough disinfection and start all over again. However, this is not entirely true, especially when it comes to early stage diseases. If it is not possible to go to a veterinary hospital, you can independently treat rabbits with a saline solution of ecmonovocillin (one percent), instilling five drops into the rabbit’s nostril. This medicine can be replaced with furatsilin and diluted in the same proportion. Recently something else has appeared effective medicine- Chemomycin. A quarter of the tablet is crushed in two ml of water and the resulting suspension is given orally once a day for 3-5 days. Even rabbits with running form diseases.

Chlorine-turpentine inhalation can prevent the spread of infection. You need to mix 2 grams of dry bleach with 0.5 milliliters of turpentine per 1 square meter of room in a metal bowl. All doors and windows of the room must be closed and ventilation turned off. After the air is saturated with chlorine-turpentine vapor, it is kept in this state for 25 minutes, then the rabbitry is ventilated.

In the next article read about effective method treatment of infectious rhinitis. A professional shares his experience with you veterinarian Irina Tylik. I wish everyone good luck.

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Pasteurellosis is a common disease that affects rabbits. This is a highly contagious disease that can negatively affect the eyes, ears and other organs of the animal. Incubation period 5-10 hours. Infection occurs through the respiratory system. At acute course The rabbit dies within 1-3 days. If treatment is started at the very beginning of the disease, then there is a chance that the rabbit will recover.

Pasteurellosis - general term, describing a group of diseases of the upper respiratory tract caused by bacteria Pasteurella multocida. It is most often transmitted from infected females to offspring and between mating females and males. There are acute, subacute and chronic form diseases. Pasteurella usually settles in the nose, lungs, eye membranes, but can also affect other parts of the body.

Most often develop respiratory diseases, including pneumonia, sinus infections and sinusitis. Sick rabbits develop watery nasal discharge accompanied by sneezing; later this discharge becomes thicker, whitish or yellowish color, body temperature rises. Infected rabbits make loud wheezing or snoring sounds (due to a stuffy nose) and refuse to feed.

The disease can affect the eyes (causing conjunctivitis) or the ears (causing ear infections). Infectious diseases ears can cause torticollis, head wobble, scratching, disorientation, circling in one place, or inability to stand in rabbits. In severe cases, the rabbit may develop pneumonia or bacteremia. Sometimes under the skin or in internal organs the animal develops abscesses.

To fight infection, the rabbit’s body mobilizes great amount white blood cells. Due to the accumulation of dead white blood cells and tissue cells, pus forms in the area of ​​infection. If the disease is left untreated, it may become incurable. However, when timely treatment With antibiotics, the prognosis is usually favorable. Pasteurellosis is treated with antibiotics(terramycin, enrofloxacin, biomycin) for 14-30 days. Treatment is prescribed by a veterinarian.

In most cases, signs of the disease may disappear, but pasteurella remains in the rabbit's body. If the infection with pasteurellosis is moderate and the rabbit good immunity, then the animal recovers without treatment. However, if the disease is advanced or the rabbit has a weakened immune system, then the disease is quite severe. In some animals, even with early treatment, are developing chronic diseases that require long-term treatment.

Unfortunately, research has shown that Pasteurella bacteria are often found within pus that accumulates in the hard to reach places(for example, in the nasal passages) and therefore antibiotic treatment does not always give the expected therapeutic effect, relapses occur frequently. Pasteurellosis is a highly contagious and difficult to cure disease.. Breeders and rabbit owners should take every precaution to prevent rabbits from becoming sick, including routine cage cleaning and quarantining new animals.

Pasteurellosis is a persistent problem in many rabbit farms and is very difficult to eradicate.

When purchasing a rabbit, make sure it has no signs of disease (be sure to check for nasal discharge). When choosing a young rabbit, its mother and siblings must be absolutely healthy.

Typically, the disease occurs where bad conditions keeping animals, unhealthy diet, poor hygiene, violation temperature regime and lack of ventilation. Proper care, a varied diet, a calm environment is the key to your rabbit’s health. Do not allow your rabbit to come into contact with other people's rabbits. Since pasteurellosis can be transmitted through your hands and clothing, wash your hands and change clothing after handling other animals. Diagnosis is also complicated by the fact that the disease can develop in areas of the body that are inaccessible for culture (tests).

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