by Many beginning farmers are of the opinion that diarrhea in rabbits is not a serious problem and does not pose any danger to life. However, this is not true.
Diarrhea in an animal may indicate the development of a dangerous disease, which, in the absence of adequate treatment, will lead not only to deterioration in health, but also to the death of the animal.
Causes
There are quite a few reasons why a rabbit may have diarrhea, since these animals (both decorative and productive, of any breed and age) have a very sensitive gastrointestinal tract.
In rabbits
The main reason for diarrhea in baby rabbits is too early weaning and transfer from milk feeding to a full-fledged diet intended for adults. Diarrhea and dysbacteriosis occur as a result of the sudden introduction of new products into the animal’s diet.
Rabbit milk contains all the necessary nutrients and antibodies that provide the babies with passive immunity and protect them from various infections.
If the rabbits are deprived of their mother’s milk too early, enteritis (inflammation of the intestines) is likely to occur. In such situations, the young animals often experience a decrease in appetite, weight loss, and diarrhea with mucus.
In adults
There are many more reasons for digestive disorders in adult rabbits. One of the most common is poisoning with poor-quality or spoiled feed.
Diarrhea can be caused by the animal eating freshly cut or wet grass. It should be remembered that before offering greens to a rabbit, they must be dried in the sun.
Fresh fruits and vegetables often cause diarrhea in animals – they should be present in the rabbits’ diet, but in moderation.
Gastrointestinal disorders occur with an excess of high-calorie, “heavy” foods with a high content of protein, sugars, and starch. At the same time, food that is too soft and “light” contributes to the development of intestinal atony and leads to dysbacteriosis of the cecum.
Diarrhea often occurs as a result of:
- stress
- parasitic invasions;
- viral or bacterial infections;
- inflammation of the internal organs;
- antibiotic treatment.
If diarrhea occurs, it is necessary to pay attention to the general condition of the animal and accompanying symptoms.
If diarrhea is accompanied by a decrease or complete loss of appetite, lethargy, changes in the color of the mucous membranes, discharge from the eyes or nose, matting and hair loss, this may indicate a serious disease, such as coccidiosis or paratyphoid fever.
Sometimes the cause of gastrointestinal problems is common stomatitis. With this disease, diarrhea is observed against the background of profuse salivation and the appearance of ulcers on the tongue. Loose stools can also occur with jaw deformation, as well as with abnormal tooth growth.
Incorrect or low quality feed
In most cases, the owner himself is to blame for the appearance of diarrhea in rabbits, who incorrectly selected the components of the diet or combined them incorrectly.
Indigestion in rabbits can occur from moldy, freshly mown or dewy greenery. It is also undesirable to feed adult rabbits with fermented milk products.
Poor physical condition of the animal
Overweight rabbits are thought to have “chronic” diarrhea that is not due to poor nutrition or infection.
The danger of excess weight is also that rabbits lose the ability to maintain hygiene, which leads to contamination of the area around the anus, which becomes a real hotbed for the emergence of pathogenic microbes.
Excitement and intense feelings
Both humans and animals are susceptible to stress. Therefore, when the environment changes, when the owner changes, or when a new animal appears, rabbits may experience bouts of diarrhea.
It is not at all necessary that the unstable mental state of the animal will manifest itself exactly like this, but it is one of the possible scenarios. Moreover, not all animals are subject to stress – there are both “fragile” and “strong-willed” rabbits.
Moving, new owners, new animals – all of this can cause stress in a rabbit.
Infectious diseases
We will talk about infectious diseases that cause diarrhea in a separate chapter. For now, let’s focus on the fact that such diseases as stomatitis, paratyphoid, coccidiosis and others can lead to such a symptom.
Infectious diseases are the most dangerous group of diseases due to their rapid spread throughout the population and their ability to mutate and resist antibiotics.
Poor dental health
Poor condition of rabbit teeth most often means their excessive growth, as a result of which the animal loses the ability to fully chew and digest food.
The most common causes of excessive growth of rabbit teeth are either an incorrect bite or a low wear rate.
You can increase the load on the teeth to speed up their wear by including more roughage in the diet. Less often, the cause of abnormal tooth growth is an infection or injury to the jaw.
When rabbits have excessive teeth growth, they develop problems not only with their jaws, but also with their stomachs.
Intestinal dysbiosis
As in humans, prolonged bouts of diarrhea in rabbits can be caused by a disruption of the intestinal microflora.
Dysbacteriosis, which occurs as a result of the proliferation of opportunistic flora, can develop both from improper nutrition and from the effect of antibiotics on the rabbit’s gastrointestinal tract.
While destroying the infection, antibacterial agents leave behind a lot of problems, so most veterinarians prescribe an appropriate restorative diet or a course of prebiotics for animals after treatment.
Parasitic infestation
The most common parasites that appear in the rabbit’s body are worms. Infection with worms is not always accompanied by diarrhea – it can also be constipation.
Digestive disorders occur due to the fact that during their activity, parasites release toxins that have a detrimental effect on the rabbit’s body as a whole.
If you suspect that your rabbit has worms, you should contact your veterinarian and have the appropriate stool tests performed.
What to do? Treatment of diarrhea in rabbits
Before starting treatment, it is necessary to determine the cause of loose stools.
Pay attention to the consistency and appearance of the stool. If there is an unusually strong odor, strange color, mucus or blood, then the pet must be shown to the veterinarian.
Often, such diarrhea occurs against the background of infectious diseases or parasitic infestations, the treatment of which will require antibiotics and specific drugs designed to destroy a specific pathogen.
When symptoms of diarrhea appear, experts recommend giving rabbits activated charcoal as first aid for 2-3 days at a rate of 1 tablet per 10 kg of live weight.
Animals are also advised to drink clean (boiled) water or infusion of pharmaceutical chamomile (1 teaspoon of dried collection per 200 ml of water). The diet should be limited, leaving only granulated dry compound feed, crushed oat grain and hay.
Procedure:
- remove fresh herbs, fruits, and vegetables from your diet;
- give a strong infusion of chamomile or a decoction of oak bark to drink;
- give ½ tablet of activated charcoal (for adults);
- to prevent dehydration, give injections of saline or solution Ringer (10 ml per 1 kg of body weight 2-4 times a day), in cases of food refusal, add 5% glucose to the solution (1:1);
- in case of increased gas formation, you can use veterinary drugs or regular “Espumisan” at the rate of 1 ml per 1 kg of body weight.
After the animal starts to recover, it needs to be given probiotics for several days, for example “Linex”to normalize the intestinal microflora.
Powdered products are first diluted in water and used in a dosage of half a capsule 2 times a day.
During drug therapy, it is important to follow hygiene rules. After each bowel movement, the animal should be thoroughly washed with warm water and laundry soap. The cage in which the rabbit lives, feeders and drinkers should be disinfected, the bedding should be replaced.
If you are unable to show your sick animal to a veterinarian, try to provide first aid using traditional folk remedies: herbal infusions and decoctions.
How to treat diarrhea in a rabbit at home? Many pet owners recommend cinquefoil: 1 tablespoon of dried crushed grass is poured with 200 ml of boiling water and infused for about 20 minutes, then filtered and cooled.
Chamomile is considered an effective remedy for diarrhea. It can be purchased at any pharmacy and brewed according to the instructions. Rabbits are given medicinal herbal infusions three times a day, one tablespoon at a time (you can use a regular syringe without a needle).
To strengthen the immune system and normalize intestinal function, the animals are given medicinal tea made from wormwood, burdock root and yarrow.
In case of digestive disorders, it is recommended to give the animal as much liquid as possible to quickly relieve the animal from diarrhea.
The rabbit must be provided with constant free access to fresh water. If it refuses to drink on its own, the owner will have to force the pet to drink with a syringe.
Antibiotics and antiparasitic agents
Folk remedies
- Potentilla is brewed in a ratio of 1 tablespoon of dry plant per 0,2 liters of boiling water. Use one teaspoon. To make it easier to pour the solution into the rabbit’s mouth, you can take a sterile syringe without a needle.
- Often, breeders, in addition to forcibly making rodents drink, give them a decoction of oak bark.
Important! The information is not a direct guide to action. Treatment should be carried out only by qualified specialists.
Preventive measures
In order to reduce the risk of digestive disorders in rabbits, it is necessary to clean the animal’s cage in a timely manner. The animal’s home should always be dry and clean. Complete disinfection is carried out at least twice a year.
It is important to provide animals with complete and balanced nutrition containing the necessary vitamins and microelements. It is strictly forbidden to give spoiled or moldy food.
If the animal does become ill, it should be immediately quarantined so that it does not infect other rabbits.
Vaccination of rabbits
After the young animals are weaned from their mothers, they should be vaccinated. This procedure is carried out 30-40 days after the date of birth. Veterinarians recommend vaccinations against common diseases every 9 months. It is easier to prevent diseases than to treat them later.
Preventive feed for rabbits
To avoid problems in the form of stool disorders, you need to follow sanitary and hygienic standards, as well as a diet. Now the markets sell special preventive compound feed, thanks to which rabbit breeders cope with many veterinary problems.
The special composition of the preventive compound feed helps prevent the development of a number of veterinary diseases. It also helps to quickly restore the livestock.
Premix for rabbits
To ensure good growth and health of your pets, it is preferable to give your rabbits premixes that have been tested by more than one rabbit breeder.
The advantage of premixes is that they are enriched with vitamins (A-D, K), essential nutrients for young animals and adults.
What should normal stool be like?
There are two types of normal rabbit stool: hard and soft:
- Hard stool – dark brown peas that stand out from the ears during the day.
- Soft feces – cecotrophs – “night” secretions that contain many microelements necessary for rabbits. They look like bunches of grapes, have a sharp smell and a loose consistency.
Rabbits eat cecotrophs themselves. Thus providing their body with valuable substances, which, in addition, perfectly regulate the work of the stomach and intestines.
Night bowel movements can easily be confused with diarrhea. The difference is that cecotrophic liquid bowel movements are only released at night, while with diarrhea, the feces have a liquid consistency regardless of the time of day.
Special diet for rabbits with diarrhea
For diarrhea, rabbits are recommended to follow a special diet:
- Lots of quality hay.
- They increase the volume of compound feed, artificially enrich it with vitamin and mineral additives, and add oats.
- Before giving water, it is necessary to boil it and add preparations to it to prevent helminthic invasions.
