Among the diseases that affect domestic animals, stomatitis in rabbits is not the last in popularity. Experienced farmers note that the disease of the "wet face" has a very negative effect on the furry, as ill individuals become living carriers. This disease is hard to miss: the rabbit's salivation increases and the oral cavity becomes inflamed. The pet becomes inactive, eats almost nothing.
Stomatitis in rabbits
Infectious stomatitis in rabbits is not uncommon. The cause is a virus that develops in various body fluids. Also, the disease is inherited, and if the female has had this disease, stomatitis in rabbits will be congenital. Nevertheless, the meat of such animals can be eaten and the skin after recovery is ready for sale. So how does stomatitis appear in rabbits and how to treat it?
Causes and symptoms of stomatitis in rabbits
Stomatitis is an infectious disease caused by a filter virus. Characteristic symptoms include inflammation of the oral cavity and severe salivation. The virus lives in the fluids that the animal body produces: in saliva, blood or urine. Stomatitis most often affects young rabbits or pregnant rabbits. The immunity of rabbits during these periods of life is weakened, therefore, during the round-up, rodents are especially sensitive to the disease. The most favorable time for stomatitis is autumn and spring. The symptoms of the disease are bright and difficult to miss even an inexperienced rabbit breeder:
- inflammation of the oral cavity;
- mucous plaque on the tongue;
- wet muzzle, coat sticks together not only on the head, but also on the chest;
- the mouth is covered with white films;
- the animal moves a little and sleeps a lot;
- poor eating and weight loss;
- stomach upset;
- chewing movements.
One of the most common causes of infectious stomatitis on a farm is an infected rabbit.
It should be noted that in most cases, stomatitis is not a serious disease and rarely ends in death. The pet is able to get sick without proper treatment, however, this makes him a lifelong carrier of infection. It is extremely difficult to determine an inactive virus in the blood of an animal; usually, pet owners learn about infection by experience.
For decorative breeds, stomatitis does not pose a particular threat: in good conditions, the infection will not manifest itself and for humans it is not terrible. In large farms, on the contrary, infectious stomatitis is an extremely unpleasant disease. The infected individual must be immediately isolated, otherwise the filtering virus will spread without exception. If the rabbit was bought on the market or brought for mating from the outside, it is better to inquire about the presence of the virus in the blood of the animal.
Most often, infection occurs due to the contact of the skin of a healthy rabbit with the patient’s mucosa. Eared loves to lick and bite each other, this is what can cause the spread of the disease. You can also accidentally bring in stomatitis with poor-quality food contaminated with other animals or insects.
If the treatment for stomatitis lasts too long and the rabbit does not pass the inflammation, you can try changing the feed suppliers. Before that, you should thoroughly disinfect aviaries, cages and feeders. Prolonged stomatitis can be caused by other illnesses, such as colds or allergies. If your pet has a runny nose or watery eyes, you need to consult a veterinarian.
Infectious stomatitis: forms of the disease and consequences
The disease has 2 forms: mild and severe. If you do not provide the necessary treatment in time, then in a mild form, the disease lasts 10-12 days from the onset of inflammation of the internal oral cavity or 10 after the appearance of profuse salivation.
A severe form of infectious stomatitis is fatal: the animal dies on the 5th day. The form of the disease depends on the activity of the virus and timely intervention. If you do not treat the pet, then the chance that the disease will turn into a severe form increases sharply. Also, the disease can be aggravated by non-compliance with sanitary standards for the content of rodents. Among the violations are the following:
- excessive crowding of rabbits;
- sudden changes in temperature and humidity;
- unbalanced diet;
- dirty cage.
If the content is incorrect, there is a risk of losing the rabbits.
Treatment in the early stages of the disease and prevention of stomatitis will help to avoid serious losses.
Medication for stomatitis in rodents
In this disease, the most important thing is to act promptly.
First of all, the sick individual should immediately be removed from the healthy ones and disinfected enclosures, equipment and feeders should be disinfected. Next, it is required to start treatment, and not only sick rabbits, but also those who could have come into contact with infected ones. Obviously, it’s easier to treat a mild form than to reap the consequences of a severe one. There are many available treatments for infectious stomatitis in rabbits:
- treatment of the inflamed mucous membrane with a solution of potassium permanganate;
- instillation of penicillin once a day;
- streptocide ;.
- lubrication of the oral cavity with a cotton swab soaked in a solution of copper sulfate.
If the rabbit has not lost too much weight, it will return to normal in a week. It is important to remember that the dosage here is designed for an adult, for rabbits you need to use completely different proportions. Among folk methods, one can distinguish washing the mouth and affected areas with various decoctions on herbs. For this, fees are suitable that have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body:
- chamomile;
- Oak bark;
- sage;
- calendula.
Herbs are thoroughly washed and poured with boiling water. Using a cotton swab, you need to treat the affected mucous membrane of the animal. As a preventive measure, the oral cavity of a rabbit, which is a carrier of the virus, should be treated once a month. Some breeders advise using propolis-based ointments made at home. This ingredient is a natural antiseptic and can help fight inflammation and the spread of infection throughout the body.
In specialized clinics, injections are used as a treatment, but this method is considered radical and is used only in the last stages of the disease, when the life of a rodent is at stake. A sick animal is given an injection of penicillin intramuscularly, sometimes ointments based on the same penicillin or other anti-inflammatory elements are used.
Wet face or Infectious stomatitis in rabbits
Treatment of the disease "infectious stomatitis" in young rabbits.
Treatment of a rabbit for stomatitis day 3
Infectious stomatitis as a cause of rabbit weight loss
It is worth remembering that the young victim is the main victim of the “wet face”. Because of the affected oral cavity, it is painful for rabbits to chew food, which often causes severe exhaustion.
For the duration of the illness, it is extremely important to provide the fluffy pet with a soft diet, remove all hard cereals from the menu. In critical cases, the rabbit can be fed liquid feed using a syringe with a special attachment. It is important not to miscalculate this moment: outwardly it will seem that the eared one is absolutely healthy. Liquid cereals, decoctions of herbs and special mixtures will help to balance nutrition. You can not delay with helping the rabbit: a long absence of solid feed in the diet will adversely affect the teeth of the animal.
Prevention against stomatitis in rabbits
When symptoms of the disease are found in one of the individuals, it is required to protect healthy rabbits from contact with it. At the same time, it is necessary to monitor the quality of the feed. If there is a lot of debris or insects in crops, it is better to change the supplier. The rabbit's diet should contain the necessary complexes of vitamins and minerals. Weakened immunity is the first cause of the spread of the disease.
It is necessary to comply with sanitary standards for keeping pets, timely clean aviaries and cages. Twice a year, the animal’s house needs complete disinfection.
As a preventive measure, the oral cavity of rabbits is wiped with a decoction from an anti-inflammatory collection. You can also add iodine or potassium permanganate to the pet’s water (not more than 5 drops per 10 l). Prevention should be strengthened in early spring and autumn, since this is the most favorable time for the spread of the stomatitis virus.
Conclusion
Infectious stomatitis in farm rabbits is an unpleasant viral disease that mainly affects newborn rabbits and pregnant females. The disease has vivid symptoms and is difficult to overlook. To prevent this disease, you should increase the amount of vitamins and minerals in the diet of animals with low immunity. The disease has two forms and they depend on the activity of the virus in the blood. In the treatment of a "wet face", not only medications help, but also folk methods. If infectious stomatitis comes in conjunction with another disease, it is important to consult a veterinarian in what order should be treated.
During illness, the pet is often wet from excessive salivation, so the risk of colds is increased. As a preventive measure, disinfection of the pet's home and decoctions from antiseptic herbal preparations are recommended. The most important thing in the fight against this disease is timely treatment. Stomatitis is not terrible in a mild form and does not affect the qualities of a rabbit as a producer of meat or wool. Infected individuals are allowed to mate with the same virus carriers. It is important to remember that the offspring of such rabbits are especially vulnerable to stomatitis at first. The disease will bypass those pets who receive enough vitamins and are kept in good conditions.