Rabbit Salmonellosis
📝 Summary
Rabbit salmonellosis is a digestive disease caused by Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella enteritidis, mainly hitting pregnant does. The bacteria are weak against disinfectants such as 3% lysol or 5% lime milk. Prevention centers on hygiene, flock screening, and killed vaccines for breeding and pregnant does.
1 Rabbit Salmonellosis
1. How it develops
Healthy rabbits catch it by eating contaminated feed or water, or from bacteria already in the gut when poor husbandry, bad weather, poor housing, or other illness lowers resistance, letting the pathogen multiply and invade. It spreads via the digestive tract or as an endogenous infection. In pregnant does it crosses the uterus and umbilical cord to the fetus; pregnant does are the main target.
2. Symptoms and diagnosis
Incubation is 3 to 5 days; it mainly hits does pregnant over 25 days and kits. Pregnant does often abort and die, and survivors cannot breed again. Signs include septicemia, acute death, diarrhea, and abortion; most have foamy, mucus diarrhea, fever, lost appetite, increased thirst, and wasting. Pregnant does abort; some acute cases die suddenly with no signs.
3. Prevention
Keep the hutch and cage clean, manage well, and strictly keep pregnant does from sources.
Screen the flock regularly for Salmonella typhimurium; isolate suspects and thoroughly disinfect the hutch and cages.
For does about to breed and early-pregnancy does, inject 1 ml of killed Salmonella typhimurium vaccine subcutaneously or intramuscularly; each doe gets it twice a year.
Note: clean, dry housing with no sharp objects prevents skin damage and this disease.
Want to learn more about pet health?
Explore our pet health channel for more science-based care guides
Read More Articles →