Etiological Analysis of Moldy Forage Poisoning in Rabbits During the Rainy Season

Entering the rainy and humid season, especially in the month, readers from various places call frequently for consultation, rabbit diseases occur frequently, and losses are continuous. The symptoms are mainly listlessness, trembling, paralysis, limpness, drooling, diarrhea, and so on. The disease looks similar to heatstroke, and before death it also resembles coccidiosis. However, comprehensive analysis shows that it is actually caused by mold poisoning. Because the onset is acute, death is fast, losses are heavy, and the scope of danger is wide, this article is written as a warning.

1. Etiological analysis:

In the month, with abundant rain, high temperature, and muggy humidity, if forage is stored improperly, it is very easy to heat up, ferment, and become moldy, producing fungal toxins, especially Aspergillus flavus. Once rabbits accidentally eat it, severe cases develop the disease immediately, while mild cases accumulate chronic and progressive poisoning. Rabbits of different ages and sexes are all highly sensitive and susceptible, but young rabbits and lactating rabbits are especially so. Although it is not contagious, it is difficult to cure.

2. Typical symptoms: In the early stage, appetite decreases, the spirit is listless, the body is thin, the fur is rough, and the mucous membranes turn yellow. Then body temperature rises, feces become abnormal, sometimes constipation, sometimes diarrhea, the feces are foul-smelling and mixed with blood and mucus, the urine is yellow, breathing is rapid, the head touches the ground and it is difficult to raise the head or support the body, there is drooling, numb walking, trembling limbs, forward collision and backward retreat, weakness of the limbs, limpness and difficulty standing, both eyes stare wide open, and death gradually occurs, similar to heatstroke. In severe cases, there are limb convulsions, struggling and screaming, exhaustion, and death, again resembling coccidiosis. Pregnant female rabbits often suffer miscarriage or stillbirth.

3. Necropsy confirmation: Internal organs bleed, and there are hemorrhagic spots on the liver, kidneys, and heart. The liver is degenerated and necrotic, enlarged and yellow, and brittle in texture. The mucosa of the stomach and small intestine is congested and hemorrhagic, and the mucosa sheds. The lungs are congested and hemorrhagic, and blood coagulation is poor or clotting time is prolonged. There is no abdominal fluid accumulation or pulmonary edema as in heatstroke, and there are also no coccidiosis lesions of liver and intestinal hemorrhage with white nodules and gallbladder enlargement, but the bladder accumulates urine. In coccidiosis the urine is pale yellow, while here it is reddish yellow, so the diagnosis of mold poisoning is certain.

4. Prevention and control measures: Strengthen forage management, keep it clean and dry, check and sun-dry it regularly. When purchasing feed, especially forage, inspect it carefully and refuse to buy any that is moldy. After cutting green feed, spread it out thinly to dry and store it, and strictly prohibit feeding overnight grass. Wet mixed feed should be mixed and fed on the spot, and the feed should be cleaned frequently, and troughs and drinkers should be cleaned and disinfected to prevent leftover feed from souring and becoming moldy. Pelleted feed should not be processed in excessive amounts; generally processing once a day is enough. After processing and discharging the pellets, they should be sun-dried in sunlight before being bagged and stored; otherwise, although the feed looks like pellets, the damp heat has not dissipated, and it is even more likely to deteriorate. To prevent feed from becoming moldy, mold inhibitors such as calcium propionate and sodium propionate can be added to the feed, but practice suggests that the prognosis for rabbits is poor. When diseased rabbits are found, immediately stop feeding the original feed and replace it with fresh forage. Provide electrolyte multivitamins, etc. for drinking, and at the same time orally administer nystatin, clotrimazole, and garlic. Mild cases can be relieved and gradually recover, while severe cases cannot be cured and die with regret. In short, the key to this disease lies in prevention. Once it occurs, it is difficult to turn the danger into safety.