Small Mammals Q&A 15
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This question was provided by Manson Publishing as part of the OVAL Project. See more Small Mammals questions |
This breeding buck is in a rabbitry of about 100 New Zealand White rabbits. It has developed a mucopurulent nasal discharge and a slight head tilt.
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| What is the cause of this condition? | The most likely cause of upper respiratory disease and torticollis in this rabbit is infection with Pasteurella multocida.
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| If the owner wants to save the buck, what treatment would you recommend? | This disease can be controlled in many rabbits but it is difficult to achieve a complete cure and recurrence of clinical signs can occur when treatment is discontinued.
Aggressive treatment early in the course of disease provides the best chance for eliminating a P. multocida infection in a patient. Chronically affected rabbits may require treatment for weeks to months. Obtain a deep nasal culture to aid in the appropriate antibiotic choice. Enrofloxacin or trimethoprim/sulfadiazine are good first choice antibiotics with minimal side effects. Injectable procaine penicillin can be used in rabbits that are established on a high fiber diet without current signs of GI disease. Follow penicillin injections with an oral antibiotic when long-term treatment is indicated. Do not use beta lactam antibiotics orally. Pasteurellosis can be precipitated by a number of factors including malnutrition, underlying disease, overcrowding, high environmental temperatures, high air ammonia levels and poor ventilation. Control of these variables will help to decrease the chance of disease. |
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| What recommendations would you make concerning the rest of the herd? | P. multocida infection is often endemic in a herd.
Recommend that rabbits showing signs of disease be isolated and not bred. To establish a Pasteurella-free herd, test current and incoming breeders for P. multocida by culture and serology and breed only negative rabbits. Remove young from infected does by Caesarean section and foster them with Pasteurella-free does maintained under SPF conditions. |
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