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COCCIDIAINRABBITSWhatisCoccidia?:

Coccidiosis(infectionwithcoccidia)isadiseaseofrabbitscausedbyaclassofsingle-celledorganismknownasaprotozoa.Theseareparasitesofepithelialcellsinvadingthemucosaoftheintestine,colonandepitheliumofvarioustissues.Therearearound12speciesofcoccidianassociatedwithrabbitsandasinglerabbitcanhavetwoormorespeciesatonetime.

HowcanmyrabbitcontractCoccidia?:

Coccidiosisisadiseasethatcanbecontractedfromtheenvironmentandusuallyispresentinmultirabbitsituationsaswellasinshelters/breedingestablishmentswherestockingratesarehighandrabbitsarekeptincommunalruns.Oocytes(eggs)passedinfaecesrequire2ormoredaystobecomeinfectiveandindampconditionscanoftenremainintheenvironmentforlongperiodsoftime.Otherrabbitsareinfectedbyeatingcontaminatedfreshvegetationlikegrasses.

HowisCoccidiadiagnosed?:

Afaecaltestlookedatunderthemicroscopebyavetcandetermineiftherabbitissheddingcoccidiaeggsintheirfaeces.

HowdoesCoccidiaaffectmyrabbit?:

Hepatic(liver)coccidiosisiscausedbyEimeriastiedai.Youngrabbitscanbeverysusceptible,especiallyifintroducedintoanareaofhighenvironmentalcontamination.Infectioncanresultinbiliaryobstructionandanenlargedfibroticliver.Clinicallythiscanbeseenasweightloss,ascites,jaundiceanddiarrheadependingonseverityofinfection.Infectedyoungareoftenunderweightandhavepot-belliedappearance.

IntestinalcoccidiosiscanbecausedbynumerousspeciesofEimeria.Infectionisseenintheileumandjejunumandcanbediagnosedonpostmortemwithintestinalmucosascrapings.Clinicallythisdiseasecanpresentasinappetance,weightloss,depressionandinsomecases,diarrhea.Aswiththehepaticform,rabbitsnewlyintroducedintoanareaofhighenvironmentalcontaminationaremostsusceptible,thisisoftenyoungrabbits.

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HowcanItreatCoccidia?:

Treatmentiswithanoralmedicationandthemostapplicableinapetrabbitsituationisgenerallytoltrazuril.Thisisgenerallygivenforacourseof2daysthenrepeated5dayslater.Afaecalsampleisthenretestedattheendofthecoursetoensuretherabbitisnolongersheddingthecoccidiaeggs.

HowcanIpreventmyrabbitfromcontractingCoccidia?:

Preventionofthisdiseasereliesongoodhygieneandkeepingthebeddingdry,foodsfromuncontaminatedbowlsandhay/saladracks,ratherthanallowingtherabbittofeedoffthehutchfloor.Ifrabbitsareallowedaccesstoanoutdoorrun,movingtherunaroundthegardenreducesthenumberofoocyststheyareexposedto.Ultravioletlightfromthesunhelpsdisinfectthegroundanddestroythecoccidianeggs.Areductioninthenumberofrabbitshousedtogetherisessentialandminimiseintroducingnewrabbitsintothegroup.

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