Rabbit Bronchitis: Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment

1 Causes

Cold, mechanical, and chemical irritation are the main triggers of primary bronchitis. Cold lowers the body’s resistance, especially the airway lining’s defenses, letting resident bacteria multiply and cause acute bronchitis. Mechanical and chemical triggers include inhaled feed dust, airborne soil, mold spores, pollen, toxic gases, or accidental swallowing, all of which inflame the bronchial mucosa. Laryngitis and tracheitis often lead to secondary bronchitis.

2 Symptoms

Affected rabbits are dull, eat less, run a slight fever, and look tired. Early on they have a dry painful cough that turns into a long wet cough as inflammatory fluid builds. Swollen, secreting mucosa narrows the airways and causes labored breathing. Nasal discharge starts watery, then mucous or purulent, and flows more when coughing. Chest sounds are louder with dry and moist rales. Chronic bronchitis shows a persistent cough, often after exercise, feeding, or in cold air.

3 Differential Diagnosis

Versus a cold: both appear when temperatures drop suddenly and share fever, dullness, poor appetite, nasal discharge, and cough. But a cold mostly gives watery nasal discharge with little coughing.

Versus pneumonia: both show dullness, poor appetite, fever, nasal discharge, and cough, so listen and examine closely to tell them apart.

4 Prevention and Treatment

Prevention: manage rabbits well with nutritious, digestible, palatable feed to build resistance, and keep hutches bright, well ventilated, and at a suitable temperature.

Antibiotics: inject penicillin or streptomycin per the label or vet advice; or kitasamycin 5 to 25 mg per kg intramuscularly or subcutaneously once daily; or kanamycin sulfate 10 to 20 mg per kg intramuscularly twice daily for 3 to 5 days; or 10% potentiated sulfadiazine sodium 2 to 4 ml intramuscularly once daily for 3 days.

Cough relief: for a frequent dry cough with little secretion, use codeine phosphate 22 mg per kg by mouth twice or three times daily for 2 to 3 days, or carbetapentane 10 to 20 ml twice daily for 3 days. For much phlegm, give ammonium chloride 0.15 to 0.3 g three times daily for 3 to 5 days.

Herbal option: give two yinqiao detox tablets by mouth three times daily.