Infectious rhinitis in rabbits
Rhinitis in rabbits is one of the most common eared diseases, affecting representatives of all breeds, without exception. This infectious disease is often referred to as a "contagious rhinitis" because sneezing and rubbing of the nose are among the first symptoms. In such cases, the disease begins to progress rapidly and spreads to other rabbits. It is because of the rapid spread of rhinitis that rabbit breeders do not know how to treat sick individuals.
Rhinitis in rabbits
In fact, it is not so difficult to cure infectious rhinitis in rabbits and adjust conditions for further prevention. To do this, you need to know the basic points of care for rabbits and preventive measures.
In order to further exclude the treatment of rhinitis in rabbits, it is necessary to pay attention to the pet's diet. Periodically, as a preventive measure, the nutrition of animals should be changed. Also, the diet should be balanced, then the pet will have strong immunity, which will not allow viruses to enter the body.
Symptoms
The first symptoms of rhinitis in rabbits are sneezing and runny nose. If your pet sneezes and has white snot, you need to know what to do in this situation. However, under the suspected runny nose, completely different diseases can be hidden. First, these symptoms are also characteristic of various allergies to food and natural factors.
If all the nuances of keeping rabbits are observed, the risk of developing allergies is minimized. Also, the disease occurs due to dust, so it is not recommended to place the cells in dusty places with poor air permeability. Many people do not even suspect that the most dusty food product is hay, which emphasizes the importance of adhering to the basic principles of its harvesting.
The main symptoms of infectious rhinitis:
- sneezing;
- discharge from the nose.
Reasons for the appearance
One of the reasons for the appearance of a runny nose in a decorative rabbit at home may be the common cold that develops as a result of keeping animals in a cold, damp room with drafts. Most often, colds happen in the cold season, especially if the rabbit breed has underdeveloped adaptive abilities.
As for the reasons for the appearance of rhinitis in rabbits, it should be remembered that this is primarily an infectious disease.
If an animal has weak immunity, chronic diseases, regular contact with other animals, then rabbit snot is not uncommon. It can also be transmitted by airborne droplets, therefore it is important to identify the first symptom at the initial stage for the subsequent isolation of sick animals in order to avoid infection of the entire flock. Also, rhinitis can be transmitted through damage to the mucous membrane, which they most often receive from fights: bacteria, getting through the damage into the body, begin to multiply rapidly.
How to identify rhinitis in a rabbit
For an observant breeder, the first alarms for detecting rhinitis are changes in the usual behavior of the animal, sneezing and the appearance of a runny nose. At the first detection of these symptoms, it is imperative to inspect the nasal mucosa of rabbits. In healthy individuals, it should be pale pink in color. Its increase in size, inflammation, redness is considered a deviation from the norm.
You should also pay attention to nasal discharge: at the initial stage, they acquire uncharacteristic yellowish and purulent shades. You also need to look at the eyes of the rabbit: the appearance of redness and profuse lacrimation also indicate illness.
Usually, the first symptoms can be detected 3-5 days after infection. Secondary symptoms are more pronounced: purulent discharge is already uncontrollable and comes out on the cheeks with further drying and the formation of a characteristic crust. The crab's nose is also crusty from constant scratching. Chronic rhinitis is life-threatening for the animal, because its symptoms are weight loss, high fever, refusal to eat, and respiratory failure. It is better not to wait for obvious symptoms of confirmation of the presence of infectious rhinitis in the animal, but to immediately contact the veterinarian for help. Without the right treatment, death occurs in 1-2 months.
Treatment
How to treat a runny nose in a rabbit? Treatment of an infected animal should begin by isolating it from the flock. After that, other rabbits are examined to eliminate the risk of further spread of the infection. It is imperative to disinfect the cage and things with which the animal came into contact. To do this, it will be enough to rinse everything with boiling water. Comprehensive treatment will best be prescribed by a veterinarian, but in order not to waste time, you can take a number of basic measures on your own that do not harm the rabbit and help reduce the rate of development of the infection.
To destroy the infection, a solution of furacilin, which is used for instillation into the nose, is well suited. For the same purposes, a prepared one-percent solution of ekmonovocillin is used 2-3 times a day for 10-12 days. But these methods are more "folk" and full recovery is difficult without the purchase of special medications for rabbits.
For the treatment of an infectious rhinitis in a rabbit, hemomycin tablets are used according to the instructions. Full compliance with the dosage is important here. The course of treatment with this drug should not exceed 2 weeks. After this time, it not only loses its effectiveness, but harms the rabbit. Among the tablets for the treatment of infectious rhinitis, enrofloxacin is called, however, despite its popularity and wide distribution, it is ineffective.
Biomycin supplemented with food is used as a fast-acting auxiliary preparation. To do this, it is stirred in water and added as an additive to the main diet. Among the advantages of this drug are low cost, ease of use and effectiveness: after the start of treatment, the condition of the rabbits improves after 4-5 days.
Inhalation
Unfortunately, when treating rhinitis, breeders often forget about the inhalation method. Special courses are held for 7 days with special decoctions of sage, mint, thyme, lavender and eucalyptus oils. It is important to consider the dosage of oils: 1 drop in 2 liters of water. To perform the procedure, the crawl is placed in a small, well-ventilated (but no drafts) cage. A container with a hot broth is placed near it, while it must be borne in mind that the animal should not have access to the liquid itself.
Before starting, the temperature of the steam is checked on yourself so that it is not too high. So that the rabbit does not get scared and does not receive additional stress, food is placed in the room to ensure the most comfortable conditions. Such inhalations are carried out no more than 2 times a day.Such a procedure is useful in that after it, an abundant flow of fluid from the nose begins, which helps to relieve the respiratory tract.
How to treat a runny nose in rabbits if you don't want to use antibiotics? You can try to do this with cold inhalation. The method of using cold inhalations is not widespread, since it requires special equipment, which can be purchased only in veterinary clinics.
Treating a common cold in rabbits with antibiotics
Treatment with various antibiotics is considered a radical method of drug treatment for infectious rhinitis. Some veterinarians prescribe metronidazole or xylometazoline. When treating rabbits with antibiotics, it is also necessary to carry out prophylaxis and promote the restoration of the gastrointestinal tract. Antibiotic treatment is prescribed only by a veterinarian after a comprehensive examination and blood test.
It is impossible to independently make the choice of a drug when treating a pet with antibiotics from a wide range of products: this will only aggravate the rabbit's condition. With the selection of the correct treatment for a runny nose in a rabbit, you can get rid of in 7 days, however, the eared eared is considered completely healthy after 20 days, if no symptoms were observed during this period. Until that time, it is important to organize quarantine.
Dieting
The course of a runny nose in rabbits is characterized by a weakening of the immune system and the whole body, therefore, during this period it is important to provide a reinforced, additionally enriched with vitamins nutrition. It is definitely worth expanding the list of fed herbs. Chamomile, basil, dill, mint are good for this. It is worth noting that all the grass should be slightly dried to avoid additional stress on the stomach.
It is advisable to give such rabbits warm decoctions of herbs to make the drink more abundant. Before you give any product to your pet, you need to wash it under running water and remove any dirt. If these are fruits or vegetables, it is necessary to peel the skin, if there are rotten places, they also need to be removed.
The main methods of prevention
The first rule that a rabbit breeder should learn with a runny nose in rabbits is to conduct a systematic examination of the flock. It is best to inspect animals at least once a week; in the cold season, such examinations are carried out more often: every 4 days. This will make it possible to identify not only infectious rhinitis, but also other diseases of rabbits at the initial stages of development. To minimize the risk of disease, it is necessary to strictly follow the rules for caring for animals and ensure full-fledged conditions for their maintenance - no drafts, dusty rooms and dubious feed.
The breeder should wash his hands every time before and after contact with animals, regardless of whether they are sick or healthy. It will be good to limit the possibility of interaction of rabbits with all animals, especially strangers. It is necessary to carry out a complete disinfection of the premises at least once a week. Cages, drinkers and feeders should be cleaned with special cleaning agents. To ensure the health of the rabbit, immunity plays an important role in the treatment of the common cold. To create a good defense mechanism of the body, it is necessary to do all vaccinations for rabbits, which first of all should be agreed with the veterinarian.
On average, after reaching adulthood, vaccination is carried out every 5 months. The development of infectious rhinitis in humans and rabbits at certain points has similarities, therefore, if the breeder is sick or does not feel well, it is better not to do any kind of work near the rabbits. Understanding all the nuances of keeping and caring for rabbits ensures healthy and full-fledged growth. So all experienced and novice rabbit breeders need to know as much as possible about their animals and share experiences and secrets with others.