What are the prevention and treatment measures for gastroenteritis in rabbit farming?
Gastroenteritis in domestic rabbits is a common disease in rabbit farming production. It can occur in domestic rabbits of all ages and in all seasons, with young rabbits being affected most often and having a relatively high mortality rate. The causes of the disease are mainly related to improper diet in domestic rabbits, and the most common cause is eating spoiled and deteriorated feed or frozen feed. The inflammation is caused by stimulation from bacterial toxins or mycotoxins, or by the stimulation of frozen feed on the gastric mucosa. Taking or accidentally eating certain drugs or chemical substances (heavy metals, herbicides, insecticides, etc.) is also a trigger for gastroenteritis.
The course of this disease is 1—7 days, and in acute cases death occurs within 10 hours. Its symptoms are reduced appetite and indigestion in the sick rabbit. The two symptoms of diarrhea and constipation may occur alternately. The feces are relatively thin; some are foul-smelling and green, some are milky white and gelatinous, and some also carry white or yellow mucus. Severely affected rabbits are extremely weak, with messy and lusterless fur, general weakness, reluctance to move, abdominal pain, and they curl up in a corner without moving.
Appropriate treatment measures should be taken according to the condition of the sick rabbit. If the sick rabbit develops constipation, oral saline laxatives may be given, such as 4—8 grams of artificial salt orally; for sick rabbits suffering from dehydration caused by diarrhea, fluid replacement is needed, and 50 milliliters of 5% glucose or Ringer's solution may be injected intravenously, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. For domestic rabbits whose bodies are recovering after treatment, bitter stomachics may be used, such as 1—2 milliliters of gentian tincture orally each time, or aromatic stomachic drugs, such as 2—4 milliliters of dried tangerine peel tincture orally each time. For sick rabbits with mild illness that do not need treatment, food intake should be restricted, with fasting for at least 12—24 hours, during which a small amount of drinking water may be given to keep the mouth moist. Then feed easily digestible feed high in sugar and low in fat and protein, and the amount fed should be increased gradually until the sick rabbit has completely recovered.
To prevent the occurrence of this disease, frozen feed should be banned from feeding, and water that has frozen should not be drunk. Always pay attention to the quality of the feed, especially in summer. Once feed is found to be moldy and deteriorated, feeding should be stopped immediately and the feed should be replaced promptly. The green feed fed to rabbits should be washed and dried after cutting before feeding, and it is necessary to prevent pesticides or dew from being on the green feed, so as to ensure the health of domestic rabbits.