coccidia in rabbits - the unusual pet vets · 2018-04-06 · coccidia in rabbits what is coccidia?:...
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COCCIDIAINRABBITSWhatisCoccidia?:
Coccidiosis(infectionwithcoccidia)isadiseaseofrabbitscausedbyaclassofsingle-celledorganismknownasaprotozoa.Theseareparasitesofepithelialcellsinvadingthemucosaoftheintestine,colonandepitheliumofvarioustissues.Therearearound12speciesofcoccidianassociatedwithrabbitsandasinglerabbitcanhavetwoormorespeciesatonetime.
HowcanmyrabbitcontractCoccidia?:
Coccidiosisisadiseasethatcanbecontractedfromtheenvironmentandusuallyispresentinmultirabbitsituationsaswellasinshelters/breedingestablishmentswherestockingratesarehighandrabbitsarekeptincommunalruns.Oocytes(eggs)passedinfaecesrequire2ormoredaystobecomeinfectiveandindampconditionscanoftenremainintheenvironmentforlongperiodsoftime.Otherrabbitsareinfectedbyeatingcontaminatedfreshvegetationlikegrasses.
HowisCoccidiadiagnosed?:
Afaecaltestlookedatunderthemicroscopebyavetcandetermineiftherabbitissheddingcoccidiaeggsintheirfaeces.
HowdoesCoccidiaaffectmyrabbit?:
Hepatic(liver)coccidiosisiscausedbyEimeriastiedai.Youngrabbitscanbeverysusceptible,especiallyifintroducedintoanareaofhighenvironmentalcontamination.Infectioncanresultinbiliaryobstructionandanenlargedfibroticliver.Clinicallythiscanbeseenasweightloss,ascites,jaundiceanddiarrheadependingonseverityofinfection.Infectedyoungareoftenunderweightandhavepot-belliedappearance.
IntestinalcoccidiosiscanbecausedbynumerousspeciesofEimeria.Infectionisseenintheileumandjejunumandcanbediagnosedonpostmortemwithintestinalmucosascrapings.Clinicallythisdiseasecanpresentasinappetance,weightloss,depressionandinsomecases,diarrhea.Aswiththehepaticform,rabbitsnewlyintroducedintoanareaofhighenvironmentalcontaminationaremostsusceptible,thisisoftenyoungrabbits.
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HowcanItreatCoccidia?:
Treatmentiswithanoralmedicationandthemostapplicableinapetrabbitsituationisgenerallytoltrazuril.Thisisgenerallygivenforacourseof2daysthenrepeated5dayslater.Afaecalsampleisthenretestedattheendofthecoursetoensuretherabbitisnolongersheddingthecoccidiaeggs.
HowcanIpreventmyrabbitfromcontractingCoccidia?:
Preventionofthisdiseasereliesongoodhygieneandkeepingthebeddingdry,foodsfromuncontaminatedbowlsandhay/saladracks,ratherthanallowingtherabbittofeedoffthehutchfloor.Ifrabbitsareallowedaccesstoanoutdoorrun,movingtherunaroundthegardenreducesthenumberofoocyststheyareexposedto.Ultravioletlightfromthesunhelpsdisinfectthegroundanddestroythecoccidianeggs.Areductioninthenumberofrabbitshousedtogetherisessentialandminimiseintroducingnewrabbitsintothegroup.
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