46 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 09, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Table 4. — Common ailments of domestic rabbits — Continued 



Diseases and symptoms 



Caked Breasts: Breasts 

 become firm and con- 

 gested, later hard knots 

 form at sides of nipples. 

 Knots may break open, 

 showing dried milk. 



Mastitis or Blue Breasts: 

 Breasts become feverish 

 and pink, nipples red 

 and dark. Temperature 

 above normal, appetite 

 poor, breasts turn black 

 and purplish. 



Snuffles or Cold: Sneezing, 

 rubbing nose; nasal 

 discharge may be thick 

 or thin. Mats fur on 

 inside of front feet. 

 May develop into pneu- 

 monia, usually chronic 

 type of infection. 



Pneumonia: Labored 

 breathing with nose 

 held high, bluish color 

 to eyes and ears. Lungs 

 show congestion, red, 

 mottled, moist, may be 

 filled with pus. Often 

 secondary to enteritis. 



Heat Prostration: Rapid 

 respiration, prostration, 

 blood-tinged fluid from 

 nose and mouth. Does 

 that are due to kindle 

 are most susceptible. 



Coccidiosis, Intestinal: 

 Mild cases, no symp- 

 toms; moderate cases, 

 diarrhea and no weight 

 gain. Severe cases 

 have pot belly, diarrhea 

 with mucus, and pneu- 

 monia is often 

 secondary. 



Milk not drawn from 

 glands as fast as formed, 

 because ot too few 

 young, or young not 

 nursing sufficiently; 

 usually a management 

 problem with high 

 milk-producing does. 



Bacterial infection of the 

 breasts (Staphylo- 

 coccus or Strepto- 

 coccus). 



Bacterial infection of the 

 nasal sinuses {Pas- 

 teurella muUocida or 

 Bordetella bronchi- 

 septica). 



Bacterial infection of the 

 lungs. Organisms 

 involved may be Pas- 

 teurella multocida, 

 Bordetella bronchi- 

 septica, and Staphylo- 

 coccus and Strepto- 

 coccus sp. 



Extreme outside temper- 

 ature. Degree varies 

 with location and 

 humidity. 



Parasitic infection of the 

 intestinal tract caused 

 by coccidia. (Eimeria 

 perforans, E. magna, 

 E. media, E. irrisidua.) 



Treatment and control 



Do not wean young abrupt- 

 ly; if litter is lost, re- 

 breed doe and protect 

 doe from disturbance so 

 youn^ can nurse properly. 

 Correct faulty nest boxes 

 that injure breasts. 



Inject 100,000 units of 

 penicillin intramuscu- 

 larly twice each day for 

 3 to 5 days. Disinfect 

 hutch and reduce feed 

 concentrates. If severe 

 case, destroy. NEVER 

 transfer young from 

 infected doe to another 

 doe. 



Individual animals may be 

 treated with a combina- 

 tion of 400,000 units of 

 penicillin combined with 

 y2 gr. streptomycin to 

 each 2 ml. Give intra- 

 muscularly 1 ml. for 

 fryer size, 2 ml. for 

 mature. Repeat on 3d 

 day. 



If the above treatment is 

 started early, it is effec- 

 tive. For control in 

 herds, add feed grade 

 sulfaquinoxaline so that 

 level will be 0.025 per- 

 cent, feed 3 to 4 weeks. 

 Water soluble sulfa- 

 quinoxaline can be added 

 at a level of 0.025 per- 

 cent and fed 2 to 3 weeks. 



Reduce temperature with 

 water sprays, foggers. 

 Place wet burlap in 

 hutch or wet the animal 

 to help reduce body 

 temperature. 



Keep floor clean, dry, 

 remove droppings fre- 

 quently. Prevent fecal 

 contamination of feed 

 and water. Add feed 

 grade sulfaquinoxaline so 

 that level will be 0.025 

 percent, feed 3 to 4 

 weeks. Water soluble 

 sulfaquinoxaline can be 

 added at level of 0.025 



