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



Table 4. — Common ailments oj domestic rabbits — Continued 



Pasteurellosis: May be an 

 acute or chronic infec- 

 tion. Nasal discharge, 

 watery eyes, weight 

 loss, or mortality with- 

 out symptoms. Inflam- 

 mation and consolida- 

 tion of lungs, inflamma- 

 tion of bronchi and 

 nasal sinuses. 



Paralyzed Hindquarters: 

 Found in mature does, 

 hind legs drag, cannot 

 support weight of pelvis 

 or stand, tlrinary 

 bladder fills but does 

 not empty. 



Wry Neck: Head twisted 

 to one side, animals 

 roll over, cannot main- 

 tain equilibrium. 



Bacterial infection {Fas- 

 teurcUa multocida) . 



Injury, resulting in brok- 

 en back, displaced disc, 

 damage to spinal cord 

 or nerves. 



Infection of the organs 

 of balance in the inner 

 ear. May be parasitic 

 or bacterial. 



Individual animals may be 

 treated with a combina- 

 tion of 400,000 units of 

 penicillin combined with 

 ],^ gr. streptomycin to 

 each 2 ml. Give intra- 

 muscularly 1 ml. for fryer 

 size, 2 ml. for mature. 

 Repeat on 3d day. For 

 herd control, add feed 

 grade sulfaquinoxaline at 

 level of 0.025 percent, feed 

 3 to 4 weeks. Save re- 

 placement stock from 

 clean animals and cull out 

 chronically infected ani- 

 mals. Use good sanitary 

 measures to reduce trans- 

 mission to new animals. 



Protect animals from dis- 

 turbing factors, predators, 

 night prowlers, and visi- 

 tors or noises that startle 

 animals, especially preg- 

 nant does. 



None, eliminate ear canker 

 from herd. Some cases 

 result from nest-box 

 injuries. 



Effective treatments are not 

 known for many rabbit diseases. 

 It is usually simpler and safer to 

 destroy a few sick animals than 

 it is to treat them and risk spread- 

 ing infection to healthy stock. This 

 is especially true of animals with 

 respiratory infections. 



Fur-Eatins Habit 



Rabbits that eat their own fur 

 or bedding material, or gnaw the 

 fur on other rabbits, usually do so 

 because the diet is inadequate in 

 quality or quantity. A common 

 cause is a diet low m fiber or bulk. 

 Sometimes the protein content of 

 the diet is too low. Addinjr more 



soybean, peanut, sesame, or lin- 

 seed meal may correct the 

 deficiency. 



The experienced breeder notes 

 the condition of each animal in the 

 herd and regulates the quantity of 

 feed to meet its individual require- 

 ment. Providing good-quality hay 

 or feeding fresh, sound green feed 

 or root crops as a supplement to 

 the grain or pelleted diet also 

 helps to correct an abnormal 

 appetite. 



Preventing Fur Block 



In cleaning themselves by lick- 

 ing their coats, or when eating fur 

 from other animals, rabbits swal- 



