Rhinitis in rabbits: causes and symptoms, treatment of the common cold and prevention

Domestic rabbits, like any pets, tend to get sick. If the rules of keeping these furry animals are not observed, a variety of pathological conditions are observed. Many of them are accompanied by a runny nose. A harmless, at first glance, symptom can cause serious consequences. If rhinitis has started in rabbits, then you should not delay treatment.

Causes of rhinitis in rabbits

Even the most experienced and responsible rabbit owners can allow their pets to develop a disease such as rhinitis. Before choosing a treatment, you need to know that the causes of a runny nose can be:

drafts and temperature fluctuations;
feed;
infection;
injury to the nasal mucosa.

A meager diet causes a decrease in immunity and causes a runny nose. Each form of rhinitis may have similar symptoms but require specific treatment.

Main symptoms

The first signs of rhinitis can be subtle and seem quite harmless. At the beginning of the disease, the animal can notice wet fur near the nose. As it develops, the following symptoms appear:

red eyes and enlarged nose;
white snot at the beginning of the disease;
outflow from the nose becomes viscous, changes color to green;
the animal is worried and scratches its nose until it bleeds;
dry crusts appear near the nose and on the cheeks.

As the disease develops, the pet becomes difficult to breathe, wheezing is heard. The animal refuses food and loses a lot of weight.

Stages and types of disease

Rabbits suffer from the following types of rhinitis:

Allergic - causes can be food, dust, dust, the presence of allergenic plants.
Cold - it occurs from drafts, excessive humidity, low temperatures;
Infectious - a very dangerous form of rhinitis, which can infect all rabbits. It is caused by conditionally pathogenic microorganisms Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Pasteurella, Escherichia coli.
Traumatic - appears as a result of fights or accidental damage to the nasal mucosa.

The most dangerous is infectious rhinitis. Its first stage passes imperceptibly. The incubation period lasts up to 5-7 days.As a rule, a runny nose is not acute. If you do not take measures for treatment, then it flows into the chronic stage. In some cases, rhinitis is complicated by bronchitis, pneumonia, blood poisoning and leads to the death of the rabbit.

Disease diagnosis

Accurate diagnosis is made on the basis of anamnesis after examining the animal. It is confirmed by the results of laboratory studies of nasal mucus. This allows you to identify the pathogen and exclude a runny nose of non-infectious origin.

Important! American scientists have concluded that in 80% of cases, infectious rhinitis is caused by Pasteurella and Bordetella bacteria.

Proper diagnosis will help you choose a treatment regimen for a rabbit with a cold.

Rules for the treatment of rhinitis in rabbits

Treatment of the common cold is based on the diagnosis.Allergic rhinitis resolves when the allergen is eliminated. It is enough to pick up food, change the litter, so that it passes. If the cause of a runny nose is an injury, then the use of funds to accelerate healing will be required. The most difficult treatment is for colds and infectious rhinitis.

Medicated treatment

If a runny nose in a rabbit is of a catarrhal nature, then drug treatment can be limited to washing the nose with a solution of furacilin. It is enough to crush two tablets and dissolve them in 100 ml of warm water. The treatment is continued for 14-20 days, carrying out the procedure of instillation or washing of the nose 3-4 times a day.

In the treatment of infectious rhinitis, the application will be required:

antibiotics for injection, Nitox forte is suitable;
antibiotics for washing the nose, "Penicillin", "Azithromycin";
immunostimulators, for example, "Aminosol", "Fosprinil", "Ribotan".

In some cases, recovery may be accelerated by the use of homeopathic remedies.

Homeopathy

Rhinitis can be treated with remedies that are used in scanty, homeopathic amounts. To do this, you can add lactic acid to the drinkers at the rate of 1 ml per liter of water.

In homeopathic doses, you can give the drug "Brovafom new" to rabbits. One gram of the substance is added to a liter of drinking water.

To homeopathic treatment can be attributed to feeding animals a decoction of sage and mint, with the addition of a drop of tea tree oil. The same solution can be used to wipe the muzzles of animals contaminated with discharge from the nose. To treat a runny nose in rabbits, you can give an infusion of chamomile or calendula.

Inhalations

Inhalation is used to treat a decorative rabbit.To do this, prepare a decoction of eucalyptus leaves, pour the hot liquid into a convenient and stable container, and place it in a cage with the animal. Top with a towel. The procedure lasts for 10-15 minutes and is carried out three times a day. The course of treatment is 7-10 days.

Dieting

For sick animals make up a varied diet. The following herbs are added to it:

chamomile;
onion greens;
dill;
mint.

Fresh greens are dried before feeding. If animals are fed hay, then the diet should also include juicy root crops, vegetables, and fruits. In the shelves, instead of water, you can add herbal decoctions. To strengthen the immune system, pets can be given special vitamin supplements "Chiktonik", "Prodevit".

Basic prevention methods

Prevention consists in keeping, feeding and caring for rabbits. The room where the cages are located must be clean, dry, and well ventilated. There should be no drafts in it, the desired humidity is 50-70%.

At least once a week you need to inspect the muzzles and paws of animals. If the hair near the nose is wet, and it sticks together on the paws, then it is better to isolate the rabbit. When the listed signs of a runny nose appear, all suspicious individuals are deposited, and the cells are disinfected. The new animal is kept separately from the rest for 14 days.