Rabbit Mastitis

1 Causes

Mastitis in does is mainly caused by poor management. Pregnant does are fed heavy concentrates before and after birth to ensure ample milk, but if milk is over-produced the kits cannot finish it and the remainder stagnates in the udder. Alternatively, low milk leads kits to suck and bite the nipples hard, causing infection. A third route is trauma — the udder scraped by a sharp object in the cage.

2 Symptoms

An affected doe shows a swollen, hot, painful udder with reddened skin that finally turns blue-purple. In severe cases abscesses form, body temperature rises to about 41°C, appetite drops and the doe refuses to nurse. Without timely treatment the doe can easily die from septicemia.

3 Management and Prevention

1. Moderately reduce concentrates for the pregnant doe before kindling to avoid over-production in the first days after birth. If milk is excessive, cut green and succulent feed, restrict drinking water, and feed quality dried legume hay.

2. For does with insufficient milk, supplement nutrition such as cow’s milk or bean juice and feed more green, succulent feed.

3. Keep cages and hutches clean, disinfect regularly, and promptly remove sharp objects such as glass shards, wood splinters, wire and burrs. Keep cage entrances smooth to prevent udder injury.

4 Treatment

Treatment differs by stage — early onset, hard swelling not yet purulent, and abscess formation. (1) Early onset: within 24 hours use a cold compress for 15 minutes, 4–5 times a day. After 24 hours, first express the milk, then: a. warm-compress the udder with ~40°C water for 15 minutes, 3 times a day, then apply 10% fish-oil ointment; b. wash the udder with ~40°C pepper water, 3–4 times a day; c. decoct 6 g fresh dandelion, 3 g fresh mint and 3 g reed root and give orally, 1 dose a day for 3–4 days, while applying mint to the swelling to speed healing.

(2) Hard swelling not yet purulent: local block therapy with 10–20 ml procaine hydrochloride (0.25–1%) plus penicillin (50,000–100,000 IU) injected at the udder base, once every two days for 2–3 times. (3) Abscess formed: disinfect with iodine, surgically drain the pus, flush the wound with 3% hydrogen peroxide, inject penicillin into the abscess cavity, and prevent septicemia with intramuscular penicillin or sulfonamides. Note: after recovery the doe should no longer be used for breeding.