Rabbits are pets that, even with proper care, suffer from various pathologies. One of the common ailments is a wet face, or stomatitis. This ailment is often called mokret. Pathology is difficult. If stomatitis is not treated in rabbits, then the entire population of animals can become infected, as a result, almost all rabbits die. To avoid this, it is necessary to prevent the disease, and if a wet face is detected, immediately start therapy
Pathology Features
Stomatitis is an infectious pathology, the causative agent of which is a filtering virus. When the rabbit is affected, inflammation of the salivary glands is observed, due to which the muzzle is constantly wet. The disease quickly passes from one individual to another, so it is important to start taking measures to treat stomatitis in rabbits as soon as possible. The incubation period lasts 2-8 days. If you do not urgently begin to act, then death can reach 50% of the total population.
The causative agent of the infection is a virus that is practically not resistant to conventional disinfectants. Most often, young people under the age of three months suffer from stomatitis. Adults rarely get sick. Pathology manifests itself in the spring and autumn, when there is a high dampness.
Causes of infection
Stomatitis refers to viral diseases. The causative agent of infection multiplies rapidly in the body of the animal and is excreted into the external environment with saliva and urine.
The spread of infection is:
- Close rabbits.
- Sudden jumps in temperature.
- The presence of drafts.
Transmission of the disease can occur from the mother carrier to rabbits with milk and blood. Because of this feature, all ill animals are discarded and not used as producers. After the infection, the animal develops immunity, but it remains a carrier of the virus for life.
Clinical manifestations
When symptoms of stomatitis appear in rabbits, treatment is started immediately. This ailment in the clinical picture is somewhat reminiscent of human stomatitis. In animals, the following symptoms are observed:
- Salivation increases. Visually, the symptom is manifested by wetting the hair near the nose.
- On examination, hyperemia of the oral cavity is observed.
- The animal does not eat well or refuses to eat at all, loses weight.
- After a couple of days from the onset of the manifestation of the disease, the tongue is wrapped in white. On the fifth day, it changes color - turns yellow or turns brown.
- The tongue is swollen.
- Small ulcers appear at the site of plaque formation.
- Due to excessive salivation, inflammation of the skin occurs, hair falls out.
Without treatment, infectious stomatitis in rabbits can pass independently, but only with a mild degree of infection and in isolated cases. Usually the disease leads to the death of the entire livestock.
Forms of pathology
The outcome of the disease is influenced by its form. With a mild pathology, the animals retain their appetite, although they eat less food. The nature of the chair in this form does not change. If treatment of stomatitis in rabbits is started immediately at the first signs, then the prognosis for recovery is favorable - the animal recovers in two weeks.
With an atypical form, weight remains normal, as does appetite. However, upon examination, there may be a slight inflammation of the oral mucosa, chin. With proper treatment, recovery occurs on the fifth or sixth day. In severe form, the digestive system is involved in the pathological process. Patients have severe diarrhea, weight decreases sharply, and symptoms of dehydration are observed. On the fifth or seventh day, the animal dies.
Treatment methods
Treatment of stomatitis in rabbits is not delayed. First you need to isolate the sick animal from healthy animals, disinfect the cage, equipment, feeders. All animals next to the patient are subject to daily inspection.
There are many methods of therapy, among them there are traditional and non-traditional. The most common way - treatment of stomatitis in rabbits with antibiotics, local therapy in the form of irrigation of the oral cavity with a solution of potassium permanganate. You can apply streptocid ointment, copper sulfate to the oral mucosa, use antibiotics as an injection, or give the drug inside by preliminarily grinding the tablets. With proper treatment, the animal will feel better on the third day, it will begin to feed.
Streptocide is used to treat stomatitis in rabbits. For small animals, 0.1-0.2 g of powder is poured into the mouth twice a day. Instead, it can be used to treat stomatitis in rabbits with pinicillin. It can also be used intramuscularly at a dosage of 40 thousand units per kilogram of animal weight. The drugs are used for three days. A positive effect is given by intramuscular administration of penicillin diluted with novocaine. Injections are carried out twice a day.
Stomatitis therapy
Treatment of stomatitis in rabbits with copper sulfate is carried out in the form of irrigation of the oral cavity. From this substance, a 2% solution is preliminarily prepared. For ease of use, the composition is poured into a bottle from under nasal drops or a syringe. Instead of copper sulfate, a solution of potassium permanganate (1: 1000) can be used. Local treatment is carried out for three days twice a day. If stomatitis therapy is started at the initial stages of the disease, then in a week the animal will fully recover.
An ointment of 30 g of lanolin, 200,000 units, helps well. penicillin, 2 g of sulfamide and 200 g of petroleum jelly. Everything is thoroughly mixed until smooth. Ointment lubricates the oral cavity.
They treat stomatitis in rabbits with Biseptolum. And how to give this drug to rabbits? For treatment, the tablet is diluted with water and poured into the mouth. It is most convenient to do this from a syringe. Dosage - 1/4 tablet per baby rabbit. The drug is used twice a day.
To enhance the treatment, experienced rabbit breeders recommend sprinkling food with an antibiotic and mixing streptocide in the feed. During treatment, it should be borne in mind that it is difficult for an animal to swallow, chew rough food. Because of this peculiarity of the course of the disease, only soft food is introduced into the diet. In case of refusal of food, rabbits are fed with liquid feeding from a syringe. It can be decoctions of herbs, liquid cereals, mixtures for infants, animals.
Other treatments
Some rabbit breeders use Apidemin in their farms. This is a natural remedy used to treat burns, sores. It helps to cope with stomatitis. The composition of "Apidermina" is honey, propolis and pollen. The product relieves inflammation, accelerates cell regeneration, reduces pain, improves immunity.
There are folk methods of treating an ailment, they include:
- Decoction of chamomile, oak.
- Infusion of sage, calendula.
Herbal formulations are used in conjunction with antibiotics. They treat the oral cavity, use it to drink animals. Herbal decoctions and infusions help relieve inflammation, reduce pain, enhance immunity, and normalize digestion. If the pathology caused diarrhea, then the herbs will help get rid of it, normalizing the stool.
Prevention
Any disease is easier to prevent than to cure. To avoid the occurrence of infection, it is necessary to monitor the quality of feed, animal welfare. The cells should always be dry, clean. Crowding of animals must not be allowed. Be sure to conduct a daily inspection of all individuals, the cells are periodically disinfected with sodium hydroxide or bleach. Be sure to clean the feeders, drinking bowls with their simultaneous disinfection.
In a rabbit house, the entire tool is batch processed. At the entrance to the room where animals are kept, a disinfecting barrier is organized. To do this, a small depression is made into which lime is poured. It serves as an excellent barrier to the processing of shoes, and therefore will prevent the transmission of infection by maintenance personnel.
Prevention of stomatitis is the proper feeding of the animal. Rabbits are given only high-quality, nutritious food. For prevention, several drops of iodine are added to the water every few days.
If the animal becomes ill, it is immediately isolated. In rabbitry, disinfection is carried out. All individuals that were kept together with a sick rabbit are treated, even if there is no clinical manifestation of the disease. In order to prevent stomatitis, rabbits are given injections. Typically, such procedures are carried out in veterinary clinics. At home, pets are rarely vaccinated.
Conclusion
Activation of a viral infection on the farm occurs at the moments when young rabbits appear, due to stress, when the immune system weakens. The state of health is affected by heat, drought, rainy weather, stuffiness, cold, stressful situations (they arise due to the location next to the rabbit road, due to loud noises, visiting rabbits by cats, dogs, etc.). To reduce the likelihood of infection of rabbits, be sure to carry out the processing of cells, feeders, drinking bowls, properly fed and only high-quality feed, conduct preventive examinations. As a prophylaxis, some rabbit breeders occasionally mix streptocid in feeds, give medicinal herbs, and prepare decoctions from them. All this helps to prevent the appearance of not only stomatitis, but also other ailments that can lead to the death of the entire livestock.