Two Serious and Common Rabbit Diseases

1 Rabbit Viral Hemorrhagic Disease (RVHD)

Also called viral septicemia or hemorrhagic pneumonia, RVHD is an acute, fatal, viral septicemic disease with three forms. Peracute: the rabbit screams, suddenly collapses with convulsions, and dies quickly. Acute: temperature rises to 41–42°C with poor appetite, lethargy, and rapid breathing; death within hours to two days. Mild: mostly in kits under three months, with fever and nervous signs; some recover with treatment.

Prevention: vaccinate with the inactivated tissue vaccine — first dose after weaning, then twice yearly for adults, 1–2 ml subcutaneously each time.

Treatment:

1. Injected RVHD tissue inactivated vaccine, 4 ml intramuscularly in early disease, works well.

2. Porcine anti-RVHD hyperimmune serum, 4 ml subcutaneously in early disease, marked effect.

3. Bovine hyperimmune serum, 2–3 ml/kg subcutaneously once daily for 2–3 days.

4. Banlangen injection 2 ml plus vitamin C 2 ml, intramuscularly.

5. Or polyI:C 1 mg, vitamin C 500 mg, and cortisone acetate 50 mg intramuscularly, with banlangen granules in warm water by mouth.

2 Pasteurellosis

Pasteurellosis is a widespread, serious disease causing acute septicemia, conjunctivitis, orchitis, abscesses, and more — a major threat to rabbit farming.

Prevention: aluminum hydroxide-formaldehyde pasteurella vaccine subcutaneously — 1 ml for unweaned rabbits, 2 ml for others, every 4–6 months.

Treatment:

1. Penicillin 100,000–200,000 units plus streptomycin 10–20 mg intramuscularly, twice daily for 2–3 days.

2. Ciprofloxacin injection 0.5 ml intramuscularly once daily for 3 days.

3. 2.5% enrofloxacin 0.5 ml intramuscularly twice daily for 3 days.

4. Sulfadiazine injection 0.1 g/kg once daily for 3 days.

5. For abscesses, lance and drain when mature, flush with 3% hydrogen peroxide, then apply gentian violet and chlortetracycline ointment.

6. For rhinitis, chloramphenicol drops in both nostrils (5 drops each, 3 times daily); severe cases also get chloramphenicol intramuscularly at 20 ml/kg for 5 days.