by Lactic acid for rabbits — an indispensable medicine in the household if your pets suffer from flatulence, bloating or warts. This medicine is non-toxic, so it will not harm you or your rabbits. It is important to use it correctly as recommended by a veterinarian.
What it is?
Lactic acid (lactate) – is a yellowish liquid, without a distinct odor and sour in taste. The substance is easily soluble in water, alcohol, ether and glycerin.
It is formed as a result of the fermentation of glucose from sugar-containing products by lactic acid bacteria. It is released during the fermentation and pickling of vegetables, protecting the preparations from mold.
The anti-mold and anti-fungal properties of lactic acid are widely used in the production of food products, including those intended for baby food.
Why do rabbits need lactic acid?
This product is a universal and practically irreplaceable product for rabbit breeders.
In veterinary medicine and agriculture, lactic acid is used to cope with the following ailments:
- enteritis;
- various kinds of abscesses;
- ulcers;
- gastritis;
- tympany;
- acute gastric dilatation;
- flatulence;
- fungal and inflammatory processes on the dermis;
- in case of bloating.
This preparation is used to disinfect animal feeders, equipment used in care, and areas where rabbits are kept.
If lactic acid is included in the feed, it has a positive effect on the digestive processes in the animal’s body, has a beneficial effect on the immune system, and accelerates metabolic processes.
Being a natural metabolite, it helps the body grow faster, reduces the negative impact that the consumption of roughage has on the rabbit’s body. Moreover, this drug is completely absorbed by the body.
Pharmacological action and release form
This serum is almost transparent in appearance, with a slight yellowish tint. Its consistency resembles syrup, with a slightly sour smell. This preparation is produced as a result of anaerobic breakdown of carbohydrates.
On pharmacy shelves, lactic acid for rabbits can be seen in glass or plastic containers of various sizes. This is, as a rule, an aqueous solution of 40% or 80% acid.
There are aqueous solutions with the following concentration:
- 1-2% for disinfection – for external use;
- 2-3% — with antiseptic, anti-fermentative and antispasmodic properties;
- 10% — with keratolytic action;
- 30-40% – with cauterizing.
In addition to water, lactic acid can be diluted with glycerin, ether or regular alcohol (can only be used for external use).
Benefit and harm
Beneficial features:
- the immune system is strengthened;
- digestion is normalized;
- spasms in the gastric and intestinal sphincters are relieved;
- eliminates bloating after eating coarse food;
- metabolism accelerates;
- pathogenic microorganisms in the organs of the gastrointestinal tract are destroyed;
- improves feed digestibility;
- toxic substances are removed;
- microflora is normalized;
- sexual activity increases;
- accelerates the growth and development of rodents;
- wounds heal;
- flatulence is neutralized.
Lactate is not dangerous for rabbits because it is a natural substance that is formed during metabolism. This allows us to say that there is no harm from lactic acid. Of course, provided that the dosages are observed.
Instructions for use and dosage
If you buy such a drug at a pharmacy, there are no instructions for its use specifically for rabbits in the package, so it is better to consult a veterinarian for advice.
The rules for using serum in rabbit breeding have been selected taking into account the many years of experience of veterinarians and rabbit breeders who know how often rabbits need to be given medications or wounds washed for faster healing.
How and in what quantities lactic acid should be given for the treatment, prevention of rabbit diseases or wound disinfection is described below.
for the treatment of
To treat eared animals, a solution of lactic acid can be used both internally (to cope with diseases of internal organs, to prevent the occurrence of some common diseases) and externally (to treat wounds or combat growths, warts).
It is important to remember that for external use it is better to use a solution with a higher concentration of acid, and for internal use – with a lower concentration.
Important! Lactic acid can be used to treat rabbits only after they reach one and a half months of age.
Application inside
To treat infectious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, bloating, enteritis, gastritis, it is necessary to dilute lactic acid with ordinary drinking water in the following proportion: 2 tbsp. per 10 liters of water.
Continue giving rabbits this water until complete recovery. To cope with severe flatulence, give the animal 4 ml of a 5% solution daily.
It should be used until all symptoms disappear completely. Fermentation during tympania is removed with a 5% concentration solution. There is no specific dose that should be used in such cases, but it is recommended to add a few drops of acid to drinking water.
External use
Lactate has a drying, disinfecting effect, can destroy the keratinized layer of the epidermis. Therefore, it can be used to treat calluses, warts, calluses, ulcers on the mucous membranes and skin.
To cauterize ulcers, take a 10-40% solution, to remove calluses and neoplasms – 20-50%, to get rid of calluses on rabbit paws or warts – 10-30%. Different types of dermatoses are treated with a 10% solution.
The preparation is used as a disinfectant in 20% concentration. It is sprayed during an epidemic.
Large farms use humidifiers, small farms boil and disperse the steam with a fan for half an hour. After that, the rabbitry is ventilated, and the feeders and drinkers are thoroughly washed.
To obtain a solution, mix 2 tablespoons of the 40% preparation with 10 liters of water.
Disinfect once a year. Treat the mothers’ cages 10 days before kindling and after weaning.
For prevention
Using a 2% lactic acid solution is an excellent way to prevent gastrointestinal diseases. It is necessary to add 5 ml of the solution to water for 4 days.
If you want to protect your animals from bloating or infectious diseases, you need to dilute 2 tablespoons of acid in one standard bucket of drinking water.
For disinfection
Lactic acid can be used to disinfect tools, drinking bowls, feeders, rabbit cages, food or wounds on the skin. Disinfection of food or equipment is carried out using a regular sprayer, and wounds or external diseases – with regular cotton wool.
A 3% solution in the following ratio is suitable for disinfecting feed: 0,5 ml per 1 kg of feed. A 10-40% solution will help cope with ulcers of the mucous membranes or skin.
You can cauterize new growths or calluses with 20% serum, and calluses or warts with a solution containing 10-30% lactic acid.
If you are disinfecting equipment, drinking bowls, cages, use a 20% solution. Pour the substance into a spray bottle and spray evenly over all surfaces. After treatment, allow the room where the animals live and their feeders to air out for at least 30 minutes.
Quite often, fresh rabbit meat is treated with lactic acid. This is necessary to reduce the amount and destroy various bacteria that rot during storage. It must be said that the taste of the product does not change, there is no harm to the human body.
Important! The information is not a direct guide to action. Treatment should be carried out only by qualified specialists.
Противопоказания
Despite the fact that such serum is a natural product that is practically harmless to your pets, experienced rabbit breeders recommend not to use this substance in the following cases:
- weeping ulcers;
- gastritis in the acute stage;
- increased acidity of gastric juice, blood or body tissues;
- renal failure.
Safety measures
Since this drug is non-toxic, all precautions are reduced to a few simple points:
- It is better to store the drug where children and animals cannot reach it.
- It is necessary to avoid contact of the acid with mucous membranes in the human body. If such contact has occurred, immediately wash the affected area with cold running water.
Storage conditions
In a sealed bottle at a temperature of -30°C to +45°C, such serum can be stored for up to 10 years. In an open bottle, the shelf life is significantly reduced: the drug retains its beneficial properties for only a year and then at a temperature of -5°C to +25°C.
Price
The price for a 100 ml bottle starts from 120 rubles.
Analogues
There is no universal drug that has the same properties as lactic acid.
But if you want to improve the well-being of your pets, prevent common infectious diseases or gastrointestinal diseases, use mineral supplements, which will be an excellent addition to the daily diet of rabbits.
It can be:
- iodine (give animals a 0,1% solution to drink in the morning);
- bone meal (mix into feed, 5 g per individual);
- fish meal (add to feed 3 g per individual);
- table salt (add 1 g to the feed per day per rabbit).
