The main rule: prevention beats treatment
Rabbit illness is often noticed too late: with some diseases, a rabbit that looked healthy in the evening is found dead in the morning. That is why the most effective "medicine" on a rabbit farm is vaccination, clean cages, quarantine and daily observation.
This article contains no medication doses, and never will. A dose depends on the rabbit’s weight, the product and the animal’s condition — only a vet should set it.
Vaccination: myxomatosis and RHD
Rabbits need vaccinating against two dangerous viral diseases:
- Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD, known locally as VGBK). In an unvaccinated herd, deaths can reach 90%. Often there are no signs at all before sudden death; sometimes there is blood from the nose or mouth. The newer strain, RHDV2, can make even 1–2-week-old kits ill.
- Myxomatosis is spread by mosquitoes, flies and fleas; swellings appear around the eyes and on the head.
In general practice the first vaccination is given at about 8–12 weeks (some vaccines are approved earlier), followed by a booster as the label directs and a repeat vaccination every year. Ask a vet or a veterinary pharmacy which vaccines are actually on sale in Uzbekistan, whether they cover RHDV2, and what schedule to follow. Do not vaccinate rabbits that are sick, heavily pregnant or very young. Deworming 10–20 days before vaccination is recommended — agree that with the vet too.
Coccidiosis around weaning
Coccidiosis is one of the most common killers on small farms. Young rabbits from weaning up to about 4 months old are most at risk.
Signs: diarrhoea (sometimes bloody), a swollen belly, weight loss and a dull coat. In severe cases a young rabbit can die with almost no warning. A firm diagnosis needs a laboratory test of the droppings.
Prevention:
- remove droppings every day and keep cages dry;
- do not overcrowd cages;
- do not change feed around weaning;
- use preventive treatments only as a vet directs.
Hygiene
- Clear droppings and wet bedding every day.
- Wash cages weekly and disinfect them with a vet-approved product, then air and dry them.
- Disinfect the whole rabbitry thoroughly at least twice a year.
- Keep separate footwear for the rabbitry, and do not let people who have come from other farms handle your rabbits.
- Control mosquitoes, flies and rats — they carry disease.
- Look after quarantined rabbits last.
Heatstroke
Fast breathing, weakness, hot ears and lying stretched out are signs of heatstroke. Move the rabbit straight away to a cool, shaded place, wet its ears with cool water, give it water to drink and phone a vet.
When to call a vet without waiting
In these cases, do not try to treat the rabbit yourself:
- sudden deaths, especially several within a few days;
- blood from the nose or mouth, or fits;
- diarrhoea or bloating in several rabbits at once;
- a rabbit that has eaten nothing for more than 12 hours;
- a tilted head or loss of balance;
- crusts in the ears with heavy scratching;
- any injection — vaccines or anything else.
If you suspect RHD: separate the remaining rabbits, stop all movement in and out of the rabbitry, do not buy or sell animals, and phone a vet.
Do not freeze a dead rabbit. Keep it cool and get it to a vet as soon as you can. Write down the time of death and any signs from the days before, and take photos — knowing the cause helps prevent the next losses.
Common beginner mistake: giving antibiotics or other drugs "as prevention" from a recipe posted in a Telegram group. The wrong drug or dose can do harm instead of good and hide the real cause of the problem. Use medicines only as agreed with a vet.
