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Diseases and their treatment in rabbits

Name of disease Cause Important features Drugs Remarks
Myxomatosis Virus (spread by rabbit fleas and mosquitoes) Inflammation and oedema of eyelids, ears, anal and genital orifices. Mucopurulent blepharo conjunctivitis Skin haemorrhages No effective treatment The disease causes 100 % mortality. Vaccination is practiced in many advanced countries.
Pasteurellosis Bacteria (Pasteurella multocida) Clinical forms that occur are sniffles, enzootic pneumonia, otitis media, abscess, septicaemia Sulpha  quinoxaline, sulphadimidine  
Coccidiosis Protozoa (Eimeria species) E.stiedae, E.magna, E.perforans Anorexia, debilitated condition, hepatomegaly, pendulous abdomen Sulpha- quinoxaline, sulphadimidine, Nitro-furazone  
Mucoid enteritis (Mucoid enteropathy) Unknown cause (shift from neonatal to post- weaning nutritional substrates has been proposed as having a role in the pathogenesis) Diarrhoea with clear to viscid and mucoid consistency, dehydration No effective treatment  
Blue breast (mastitis) Streptococcus or Staphylococcus species Bluish purple glands Antibiotics  
Ear canker (ear mange) Psoroptes cuniculi Shaking head, scratching ears with legs, crusty exudate in the ear Benzyl benzoate (Ascabiol) for 2-3 days after removing the crusts and cleaning the ears.  
Sore hock (ulcerative pododermatitis) Pressure necrosis of the skin usually resulting from the bearing of heavy body weight on wire floors of the cages Circumscribed ulcerated areas in the skin covered by dry crusty scab of the plantar surface of the metatarsal region, anorexia, loss of weight, humping of the back, tilted movements. Zinc and iodine ointments and 0.2%
solutions of aluminium acetate. Antibiotics parently to prevent secondary infections.
 
Ring worm Fungus (Trichophyton microsporon) Falling of hairs in patches resulting in areas of baldness Griseofulvin  
Body mange Notedres cati Falling of hairs from the ears and nose. Scratching the ears and face with forelimbs. 1. Benzyl benzoate (local application) 2. Ivermectin s/c injection at dose of 0.1 ml/5 kg body weight.  

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