Animal Care Associates, Inc
840 Oakwood Road
Charleston, WV 25314
304-344-2244

Parasitic Diseases

Coccidiosis

Coccidiosis, caused by a protozoan (one-celled organism) parasite, is a disease of the liver and/or intestinal tract. Rabbits become infected by eating food or consuming water contaminated with feces from an infected rabbit. Signs depend on whether the disease is localized within the liver (inappetence, diarrhea, death) or the intestinal tract (weight loss, soft to watery feces, mucus and/or blood in feces, soiled anal area, dehydration, increased thirst, possibly death). The relative severity of both types of infection depends upon the number of coccidia eaten, the age of the rabbit, the strength of its immune system, and other illness in the rabbit. Occasionally, the coccidia colonize the nasal passages, resulting in respiratory disease (nasal coccidiosis).

Coccidiosis may be treated with sulfa drugs. Emphasis must be placed on prevention (good husbandry and sanitation) of this disease in all rabbitries, since it can be difficult to eliminate in these situations.

Ear Mite Infestation

Ear mite infestations cause accumulation of a light brown crusty material that nearly fills the external ear canal. The underlying tissues are usually very raw and irritated. In especially severe cases, these sores may spread to adjacent areas of the head. The infestation may be treated with eardrops, though injectable medication has recently proven highly successful in treating this condition.

Flea Infestation

Fleas can infest pet rabbits whether or not the rabbits share the household with other pets, such as dogs and cats. Fleas suck blood and can cause anemia if present in large enough numbers and if they are not eliminated from the environment. Topical flea products (powders or sprays) formulated for use on cats are generally well tolerated by rabbits. They should be used in the same manner as for cats.  The manufacturers of these products have taken into consideration that cats (and rabbits) habitually lick and clean themselves and, in doing so, may swallow small amounts of the product. Poisoning, therefore, is unlikely as long as a product formulated for cats is used properly. Flea collars should NOT be used on rabbits.

Pinworm Infection

Pinworm infections are rarely detected unless routine fecal examinations are conducted. These worms reside within the large bowel and rarely cause difficulties in rabbits. Pinworm eradication is somewhat difficult because a number of treatments and follow-up fecal examinations are necessary. This parasite is not transmissible to people.

Walking Dandruff (Cheyletiella Mange)

Most rabbit owners overlook the early signs of mange, a parasitic infestation of the skin by the Cheyletiella mange mite. As this condition worsens, however, the accumulation of dried scale and scurf ("dandruff") within the fur and limited hair loss (often in clumps) become obvious. Affected rabbits mayor may not exhibit increased scratching.

This parasitic problem is easy to diagnose and treat. An injectable drug works very well in conjunction with a medicated shampoo to eliminate the offending mites and clear up the skin disease.

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