Diagnosis and Treatment Methods for Cold Medicine Poisoning in Rabbits

In October 2005, 120 young rabbits raised by Liu in Fangzheng County, Heilongjiang Province, developed symptoms similar to the common cold, including runny noses and sneezing, in most of them due to the influence of a cold wave. The rabbit owner ground up "Ganmaotong" (a human medication produced by Zhengzhou Kangli Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) at a dose of 1 tablet per 2 young rabbits and mixed it into the feed. The rabbits were fed at 9 AM, and by 10 PM, 55% of the young rabbits showed abnormalities; by the next morning, 7 had died. The owner then came to my clinic for diagnosis and treatment, during which 8 more died successively. After a systematic examination, the diagnosis was "Ganmaotong" poisoning. Because treatment was given promptly and corresponding measures were taken, greater losses were avoided.

1 Clinical Symptoms

The poisoned young rabbits had rough, disheveled fur, were listless, hung their heads with eyes closed, lay prostrate and unable to rise, and passed loose feces. The rabbits that died from poisoning were mostly the strong ones, with mucus flowing from the mouth and incomplete rigor mortis.

2 Necropsy Changes

The dead rabbits had a large amount of mucus in the oral cavity; the inner wall of the laryngeal and tracheal rings was covered with a white membrane that could be peeled off with gentle force; the liver and pericardium were covered with urate deposits; the heart blood was dark red and non-clotting; the liver was enlarged and brittle; the gallbladder was swollen several times its size and filled with bile; the mucosa of the gastric fundus and duodenum was congested and hemorrhagic, and in severe cases had sloughed off; the cecal tonsils were congested and hemorrhagic; the kidneys were enlarged and pale; and the rectum contained a large amount of loose feces with blood streaks and intestinal mucosa in the feces.

3 Laboratory Examination

Smear staining and microscopic examination of the liver and heart blood from the dead young rabbits revealed no pathogenic bacteria.

Case reproduction: Two healthy young rabbits weighing 1 kg each were selected, and "Ganmaotong" tablets were added to their feed at 8 tablets per kg. Each rabbit consumed 65 g of feed. Poisoning symptoms appeared after 13 hours of observation, and 1 rabbit died after 23 hours. The symptoms and necropsy changes were consistent with those of the original rabbits.

4 Diagnosis

The affected and dead rabbits had a history of being fed "Ganmaotong." The dosage of "Ganmaotong" for a 1 kg young rabbit should be 1/30 tablet per day, but this household used 1/2 tablet per rabbit, which is 15 times the amount, a severe overdose.

Most of the affected and dead rabbits were the strong ones. These rabbits had a serious tendency to snatch food, so they had more cases of illness and death.

Combined with the laboratory examination results (omitted here), the rabbits in this household could be definitively diagnosed with overdose poisoning from eating "Ganmaotong."

5 Treatment

First, the feed containing "Ganmaotong" was stopped. For those with mild symptoms, water supply was ensured, and glucose powder, compound vitamin B, and vitamin C were added to the drinking water for 3 consecutive days.

For those with severe conditions, each rabbit was given intravenous injections of 20 mL of 50% glucose, 2 mL of vitamin C, and 2 mL of compound vitamin B, 2 to 3 times per day for 1 to 2 consecutive days.

After these measures were taken, apart from 5 more severe cases that died, the symptoms of the remaining sick rabbits gradually lessened, and they recovered to health after 7 days.

6 Summary

Poisoning symptoms began to appear 15 hours after feeding "Ganmaotong" to the rabbits. There were 15 acute deaths, with a mortality rate of 30%, and the economic loss was significant.

"Ganmaotong" is a human medication. This household used it to prevent and treat colds in rabbits, resulting in poisoning. In clinical practice, this is the first case the author has seen, and its poisoning mechanism and proper dosage remain to be investigated.

When using drugs to treat domestic rabbits, after confirming the indications, one should choose those with good efficacy and low toxicity, and the dosage and method of use should be appropriate. It is best to select and use drugs reasonably under the guidance of a veterinarian. One should not choose drugs arbitrarily, especially not arbitrarily increase the dosage.