← Health section See a vet Contagious High risk Affects kits
Coccidiosis
Microscopic parasites of the Eimeria group damage the intestine or the liver. Kits from weaning to about 4 months old are hit hardest, and it spreads fast in damp, dirty cages. It is one of the most common causes of death in young rabbits on small farms.
When to call a vet
See a vet
A vet chooses the treatment — don’t give medicines yourself. Until then, give first aid.
Call a vet the same day if a kit stops eating, has bloody diarrhoea, or several are sick
Symptoms
- Diarrhoea, sometimes with mucus or blood
- A swollen, sagging belly while the body gets thin
- Poor growth and a dull, ruffled coat
- Liver form: weight loss, sometimes yellowish eyes and gums; white spots on the liver at slaughter
- Dehydration and sudden death, especially after weaning
What to do
- 1 Move sick kits to a clean, dry, separate cage
- 2 Give clean water and good dry hay at all times, and stop fresh greens for now
- 3 Take a fresh droppings sample to a veterinary lab — only a test confirms the diagnosis
- Call a vet the same day if a kit stops eating, has bloody diarrhoea, or several are sick
What not to do
- A vet may prescribe an anticoccidial; do not guess doses or give antibiotics at random
When it strikes
Peaks in spring and autumn in Uzbekistan, though some years it occurs in every season; acute cases hit young rabbits from weaning to about 4 months old, especially in the first weeks after leaving the doe.
Tap a badge to see other diseases in that group.
Prevention
- Remove droppings daily; mesh or slatted floors keep rabbits away from their droppings
- Hang feeders and drinkers so droppings cannot fall in, and do not throw hay on the floor
- Keep cages dry and avoid overcrowding
- Do not change feed suddenly at weaning
- Never feed poultry feed containing coccidiostats to rabbits — some of these additives are toxic to rabbits
- Agree with a vet whether your farm needs a prevention programme
Causes
- Parasite eggs (oocysts) pass in droppings and become infective within a day or two in warm, damp conditions
- Feed, hay and water contaminated with droppings
- Crowding, wet bedding and infrequent cleaning
- Stress from weaning, feed changes and transport
- Adult rabbits can carry the parasite without signs and pass it to kits