Rabbit ‘Big Belly’ Disease (Enteritis/Bloat): Causes & Care

1 Rabbit ‘Big Belly’ Disease (Enteritis/Bloat): Causes & Care

1. Rabbit ‘Big Belly’ Disease

This disease mostly arises from mixed E. coli and coccidia infection, viral diarrhea, or low crude fiber—low fiber in the diet easily triggers it.

Symptom features:

1) At onset the belly swells slightly with reduced appetite and activity, often with difficult defecation.

2) On necropsy, 40% of sick rabbits develop it in the stomach and 60% in the gut below the stomach. The digestive mucosa doesn’t clearly slough; mucus sloughs only with frequent diarrhea!

3) Rabbits weighing 1.1–1.2 kg and 1.5–1.6 kg have the highest incidence.

5) From onset to death is usually 20–30 hours, sometimes up to 48.

2. Prevention of Big-Belly Disease

1) Keep feed clean; dust in hay and moldy feed are the main suspected triggers.

2) Dead rabbits show some Pasteurella influence, so treat rhinitis and similar diseases promptly.

3) Overfeeding also causes the problem.

4) Breeders with the means can often feed fresh or dry grass for effective prevention.

3. Treatment of Big-Belly Disease

1) With symptoms, withhold food for a day (don’t worry about starvation) and supply water; then feed little pellets, only hay or electrolyte multivitamin.

2) Mix appropriate gentamicin into the drinking water for treatment.

3) When clearly improving, stop gentamicin and switch to Mommy Love (probiotic), 1/3 sachet three times a day—one sachet per day.

This concludes our guide to rabbit big-belly disease. The symptoms are clear; if your rabbit shows them, treat promptly for the best chance of recovery.