Coccidiosis in rabbits: symptoms and home treatment, prevention

Coccidiosis is an infectious disease caused by the simplest microorganisms - coccidia. The body of domestic rodents can infect 10 types of parasites localized in different organs. There are two forms of coccidiosis in rabbits, differing in symptoms - intestinal and hepatic. To save the livestock, treatment should be started immediately, medicines and folk recipes can be used as remedies.

What is coccidiosis in rabbits?

Excites coccidiosis unicellular parasite order Coccidia of the genus Eimeria. Therefore, the second name of the pathology is eimeriosis.These parasites are specific, settle only in the body of rodents, harmless to other farm animals. In the rabbit body, they capture certain organs:

• coccidia living in the small intestine - Eimeria intestinalis, media, magma, calcicole;
• settle in the liver - Eimeria stiedae.

Outside the body of the carrier, coccidia are in the form of cysts, that is, they have a shell that protects against temperature fluctuations and other negative environmental factors. Having penetrated into the body of a rabbit, the parasite loses its protective shell, begins to move along the digestive tract, and settles in a suitable organ.

How does infection happen?

Transmission of infection occurs from an infected rabbit to a he althy one. Feces excreted by sick animals contain coccidia cysts. From faeces, the infection passes into food and drinking water. A few days are enough for all individuals living in one cell to become infected.

Infection with coccidiosis is inevitable if:

• put a he althy individual in a cage with a sick one;
• pet will eat cyst-contaminated food or drink contaminated water;
• farm worker will bring infection on clothes or equipment after contact with sick individuals;
• Sick mother rabbit will feed cubs with milk with parasites.

Most often, coccidiosis is detected in young individuals. This is due to the fact that up to 4 months old rabbits switch from mother's milk to adult food, while their immune system is still weak.

There is a possibility of infection of rabbits if meadow grass is used as feed. It may contain traces of wild mouse feces containing coccidia cysts.

Symptoms of disease

Symptoms of hepatic and intestinal forms of pathology are different. However, it is not uncommon for both organs to be affected simultaneously in rabbits.

Intestinal shape

The period between infection and the manifestation of the first signs of coccidiosis is about 5 days. Symptoms of intestinal coccidiosis:

• reduced appetite, food refusal;
• dehydration;
• tarnishing and disheveled coat;
• blanching of mucous membranes;
• diarrhea green, later streaked with blood.

Before death, convulsions are observed, then the rabbit is paralyzed.

Liver-shaped

Signs of hepatic coccidiosis:

• reduced appetite;
• unquenchable thirst;
• apathetic, lethargic, drowsy state;
• the desire to hide in the far corner of the cage;
• bloated belly;
• stooping, tension due to unbearable pain.

Hepatic coccidiosis can be acute or chronic. In the first case, about 10 days after infection, the rabbit begins to have intense diarrhea. The animal falls into a coma, dies.

Diagnostic Methods

To make a diagnosis, they analyze the observed symptoms, conduct a microscopic examination of feces, and also examine the internal organs of dead animals. The pathologist detects white nodules in the tissues of the liver and intestines in the dead rabbit, ranging in diameter from poppy to cereal grains - these are accumulations of parasites. The material taken during the autopsy is sent for microscopic examination. Coccidia cysts found under a microscope allow for an accurate diagnosis.

How to treat coccidiosis in rabbits at home

When symptoms of coccidiosis are detected, treatment cannot be delayed, otherwise the livestock will die.

The same drugs cannot be used to treat each new outbreak of infection, as coccidia gradually become resistant to the drug.

A new drug should be taken every 2 years.

Medicated

To destroy the infection in the body of rabbits, the following medicines are used to choose from:

1. "Eimeterm". It is sold in the form of a 2.5 and 5% suspension. The active substance is toltrazuril (25 and 50 mg in 1 ml). Daily dose - 15 mg of toltrazuril per 1 kg of animal weight.
2. Baycox. Treatment is carried out according to the same scheme as Eimeterm, since the active substance is similar. For 1 liter of water, take 5 ml of a 5% suspension (2.5% per 0.5 l).The solution is given to the rabbit, the daily dose is 300 ml. Toltrazuril-based drugs give the animal 2 days, pause for 5 days, then repeat.
3. "Sulfadimetoksin". The drug is added to the food of rabbits. The dose for the first day is 0.2 g per 1 kg of the pet's weight, for the next 4 days - 0.1 g per 1 kg. The course of admission lasts 2 days, followed by a 5-day pause.
4. Furazolidone. The drug does not kill coccidia, but they are supplemented with a course to strengthen the physical condition of rabbits. The daily amount of the drug is 30 mg per 1 kg of weight. The appointment lasts a week.
5. "Ftalazol" + "Norsulfazol". The daily dose of the first drug is 0.1 g per 1 kg of weight, the second is 0.3 g per 1 kg. Reception lasts 5 days, after a 5-day pause, the course is resumed.

Sick rabbits are given retinol (vitamin A) and B-group vitamins to quickly restore damaged organs and strengthen immunity.

Folk remedies

Iodine is used as a folk remedy. In the body of a rabbit, it oxidizes the products of protein breakdown, normalizes the functioning of the thyroid gland, which has a positive effect on well-being. Both adults and young individuals are given a solution of iodine. Both for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes, a 0.01% solution of the substance is used. To prepare it, dissolve 1 ml of 10% iodine concentrate (or 2 ml of 5% iodine) in 1 liter of water.

To prepare the solution, do not use metal dishes, but only glass or plastic ones, since iodine can react with the metal to form unwanted substances.

In the first 10 days, young rabbits are given a 0.01% solution, the daily dose is 50 ml. Then make a 5-day pause. After it, the concentration of the drug is increased: 70 ml of a 0.02% solution per day for a week. In the third week, a 0.02% liquid is already given in a volume of 100 ml per day.For adults, the dosage is different: in the first 10 days, 100 ml of a 0.01% solution per day. After a 5-day pause for 2 weeks, rabbits are given 200 ml of 0.02% liquid per day.

What is the disease dangerous?

The spread of infection is rapid. It is enough to infect one rabbit so that in a few days the entire livestock becomes ill with coccidiosis. The most dangerous for the livestock are individuals with a chronic form of the disease, which is noted during non-intensive invasion or re-infection. The number of parasites in the body is not enough to cause severe symptoms, but a sick animal remains a carrier of the infection, releases it into the environment, infects its cage neighbors.

In the acute form of coccidiosis, the rabbit dies in 2 weeks. Signs of imminent death are convulsions and a nervous syndrome, manifested by tilting the head back.

But even if the rabbit survives, it remains a carrier of coccidia, dangerous for livestock. Therefore, individuals who have survived coccidiosis are subject to immediate slaughter.

Prevention measures

To prevent the spread of coccidiosis, the following recommendations should be followed:

• clean and disinfect cells as they get dirty;
• avoid crowded rabbits, especially of different ages;
• feed animals with quality food, provide a balanced diet;
• change feed gradually;
• avoid high humidity, sudden temperature fluctuations and drafts;
• keep purchased rabbits in quarantine for a month.

Disinfection of cages and equipment must be thorough as coccidia cysts are immune to common cleaning products. Many farmers use the burning of cells with a blowtorch. Of the strong disinfectants, a 2% Brovadez-plus solution is suitable.

Can I eat rabbit meat with coccidiosis?

Rabbit coccidiosis is not dangerous for humans. Meat can be eaten without fear, you just need to dispose of the affected internal organs. For coccidia, temperatures from 100 ° C are fatal, therefore, after heat treatment, the meat becomes completely harmless. However, many people, having seen enough of sick rabbits, disdain to eat meat, throw it away.

Skins of sick rabbits will have to be thrown away. In an infected animal, the fur becomes dull and crumpled, it is useless to use it in furrier business.

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