What to Do When a Rabbit Is Poisoned by Organophosphorus Compounds

This disease is a poisoning condition caused by domestic rabbits accidentally eating vegetables, grains, plant seeds or field weeds that have been treated with organophosphorus pesticides, or by improper medication when treating external parasites. Organophosphorus compounds include trichlorfon, dichlorvos, 1605, 1059, 3911, dimethoate, malathion, dithion, and many others.

1. Clinical symptoms:

Symptoms appear within 0.5 to 4 hours after contact with the poison, showing loss of appetite, drooling, tearing, constricted pupils, rapid heartbeat, rapid breathing, and generalized muscle tremors, or restlessness and excitement, with convulsions occurring. Finally, the rabbit dies from general paralysis and suffocation. Mild cases show only drooling and diarrhea.

2. Pathological changes:

In the most acute cases, necropsy often shows no obvious lesions. In cases with a slightly longer course, the gastrointestinal mucosa is swollen, with epithelial shedding or necrosis, and occasional hemorrhagic patches. The liver, spleen and kidneys are mildly swollen. The mesenteric lymph nodes are hemorrhagic, the lungs are congested and edematous, and there is a large amount of secretion in the bronchi.

3. Prevention and control measures:

Sick rabbits that have already been poisoned should be rescued immediately. Regardless of which organophosphorus pesticide caused the poisoning, atropine can be used to relieve and eliminate the symptoms, and pralidoxime or chlorpralidoxime can be used as an antidote. Atropine can be injected intramuscularly at 0.5 to 5 ml per rabbit, with the stopping of drooling and the disappearance of constricted pupils as the criteria. Because the effect of atropine does not last long, the medication can be repeated once when symptoms reappear. In cases of poisoning from external medication, the residual liquid on the body surface should be removed promptly to prevent continued absorption. For severely affected rabbits, cardiac stimulants and fluid replacement should be given at the same time to improve the overall condition.

The source of green feed should be strictly controlled, avoiding the mixing of organophosphorus pesticides into rabbit feed and drinking water. When using trichlorfon to treat internal and external parasites in rabbits, the dosage should be calculated accurately to prevent the occurrence of this disease.