Pododermatitis in rabbits: symptoms and quick home treatment

Pododermatitis, or disease of the hind legs in rabbits, is a common infectious skin disease. The bacterial lesion affects the forelimbs less frequently. The main cause of the disease is incorrect content. True, a number of adverse factors affect the occurrence of pododermatitis. The disease is treated with wound healing ointments, antiseptics and antibiotics.

Causes of pododermatitis in rabbits

Pododermatitis - peeling, corns, crusts, calluses, abscesses, wounds, ulcers on the rear, less often on the front legs of the rabbit. This is a superficial skin disease, which is often accompanied by a bacterial infection, resulting in the formation of pustules.Ulcers can reach soft tissues and even bones and tendons, causing rotting, blood poisoning and death.

The disease occurs in animals that sit in cramped cages and lead an inactive lifestyle. The development of the inflammatory process on the hind limbs is stimulated by a traumatic floor surface, for example, a metal mesh, as well as unsanitary conditions.

Most often, pododermatitis affects overweight rabbits, as obesity increases the load on the paws. In an animal sitting motionless in a narrow cage, the process of grinding the claws is disrupted, they grow too long, so the animal rests not on the metatarsus, but on the talus and calcaneus. The skin of the hind legs is constantly in contact with wet bedding or metal mesh, resulting in the formation of calluses, cracks, wounds, and purulent ulcers. The older the animal, the higher the likelihood of pododermatitis in conditions of improper maintenance.

Symptoms and signs of disease

Pododermatitis is diagnosed based on clinical signs. Examine the hind and front paws of rabbits. At the very beginning of the development of the disease, the skin on the hind limbs begins to peel off and exfoliate. Then corns, calluses form, and abscesses and bleeding wounds appear along the entire length of the paws.

Because of unsanitary conditions, infection with bacteria occurs, purulent sores form. A bacterial infection penetrates the skin, into internal tissues, they become inflamed, rot, the lesion reaches the bones. The hair on the limbs falls out. The animal most of the time lies motionless, stretching its paws. There is a lack of appetite. There is an exhaustion of the body, blood poisoning, and the animal dies.

Stages and stages of disease development

Pododermatitis has two stages: initial and final. At the very beginning, peeling is visible on the rabbit's paws, calluses form.At this stage, the disease is quickly treated. If the disease is started, cracks appear on the corns, bacteria penetrate into them, infection occurs, the development of fistulas, purulent formations. The disease passes into the final stage. If left untreated, the animal may die.

Distinguish between aseptic and purulent pododermatitis. These are two types of the same disease, which differ from each other in the degree of damage and the severity of the course.

Aseptic

This is a superficial skin lesion. The initial and mild stages of pododermatitis. Peeling occurs on the paws, corns, calluses, even hematomas appear. Sometimes the wounds bleed.

Purulent

When the infection penetrates the skin, soft tissues, the development of purulent pododermatitis begins. In advanced cases, the bacteria infect the bones and tendons. The wounds become inflamed, blood and pus flow from them.The rabbit's body temperature rises. The animal refuses to eat and soon dies.

How to treat pododermatitis in rabbits?

The sooner treatment begins, the more chances to save a sick animal. First of all, it is necessary to change the conditions of the rabbit. A sick animal is recommended to be transferred to a spacious cage, where there is no wire floor, but there is a soft, clean bedding or at least a rubber mat over a metal mesh. It is advisable to wash the floor on which the animal will lie with a solution of "Whiteness".

Medicated treatment

At the very beginning, corns on the paws are treated with an antiseptic and smeared with zinc ointment. The skin can be washed with hydrogen peroxide or potassium permanganate solution. If wounds appear, they are allowed to be covered with iodine. To disinfect purulent calluses, you can use Chlorhexidine, Dioxidin. Treatment of wounds is carried out 2-3 times a day.

The inflammatory process is removed with Tetracycline or Levomekol ointments. The lesions are first treated with an antiseptic, then lubricated with an antibacterial agent and a bandage is applied. It is necessary to constantly monitor the well-being of a sick animal.

If a rabbit has a high temperature, he does not eat anything, and there are many wounds on his paws from which pus and blood flow, then antibiotics should be used. Animals can be injected with Baytril 2.5% or Bitsillin 3. The course of antibiotic treatment is 3-5 days. True, before giving injections, it is advisable to consult a veterinarian.

Important! For quick recovery and raising immunity, it is recommended to use the Gamavit immunocorrector. It is an injectable that can be added dropwise to drinking water.

Traditional medicine

If there is no antiseptic on hand, you can wash the wounds with herbal tea.A good disinfectant is an infusion of chamomile, St. John's wort, calendula. To get rid and wash pustules at home, you can use vodka, diluting it with water. On the paws, be sure to put a bandage of clean cloth. During the period of illness, animals should be given more dried fresh nettle, plantain, shepherd's purse.

Bandage Rules

If there are bleeding wounds and pustules on the paws, they must be treated with an antiseptic and lubricated with antibacterial ointment. True, the benefit of such treatment will be small, because the lesions will remain unprotected, and will constantly be in contact with the floor or bedding. It is recommended to apply a cotton-gauze bandage to the affected areas. Instead of cotton wool, it is better to buy a cotton pad under a plaster bandage in a pharmacy.

During bandaging, the animal is taken out of the cage, turned on its back and put on its knees.

First, the wound is smeared with ointment, then a cotton swab is applied to the skin, tightly wrapped with a bandage on top. You can wear a narrow children's sock on the bandage. True, the animal often tears off the bandages from its paws. It is better to hold him in your arms for 30 minutes during the procedure. It is recommended to change the bandage 1-2 times a day for 15-30 days.

Possible Complications

Timely started treatment always gives a positive result. If the disease is started, the infection will penetrate the skin, then soft tissues and reach the bones. Blood poisoning will begin. You can save the animal if you give him antibiotic injections and give boiled cooled water with Gamavit (1 drop per 1 liter) daily.

Prevention and hygiene rules

Rabbits will not get pododermatitis if kept in clean and spacious cages. It is desirable to use dry and fresh straw as bedding material.Rabbits of large breeds and with a large weight are not recommended to be kept on a metal mesh floor. Animals are best placed in wooden boxes. If there is no other cage, you can lay a rubber mat on the mesh floor.