Rabbit Illnesses that Result from Parasites

Drop a few drops of mineral or olive oil into the affected ear, and massage the base of the ear to ensure an even coating of oil within the ear. The oil suffocates the mite. The mite eggs live for three weeks, so you'll need to repeat this treatment as follows:

• Every day for 3 days. Initially, you'll need to carefully soak the crusts using a Q-tip, or removing the crusts if you can do so without forcing or causing more trauma. Disinfect the rabbit's cage to prevent a re-infestation.
• 3 more treatments, once every other day
• Lastly, 3 treatments - once a week.

An antibiotic cream may help with any underlying infection.

Ivermectin will wipe out the infestation in a single subcutaneous injection (through your vet).


Fur Mites in Rabbits:
This parasite likes to chew on the rabbit's fur and skin. The most common spot to find them is in the triangle behind the rabbit's ears.

You'll see hair loss, and probably scratches on irritated skin behind the ears and into the rabbit's coat.

A dusting of cat flea powder will help rid your rabbit of mites. Don't forget to repeat the dusting in 10 days to kill any newly hatched mite eggs.

Learn much more at Fur Mites in Rabbits.


Nosema:
Nosema is caused by a protozoan (one-celled) organism - Encephalitozoon cuniculi - that can infect several species. Infections are rare in humans.

Other species seem able to clear the organism from the body completely, however in the rabbit, nosema infections persist throughout their lives.

Nosema spores are spread in the rabbit’s urine, but the protozoan lives throughout the rabbit’s organs, including the kidneys, liver, lung, spinal cord and brain. The rabbit is infectious 30 days after the initial infection until 90 days, after which it no longer sheds spores.

The good news is: most rabbits remain symptom-free for all their lives.

The bad news is: there is absolutely nothing you can do to fix this rabbit illness, should your rabbit begin showing symptoms, except to try to make your rabbit comfortable or cull the animal.

E. cuniculi is very common in pet rabbit populations, up to 80% in some areas. Most pet rabbits probably contract this rabbit illness from their mothers.

If your rabbit starts to show symptoms of nosema, you may see the following rabbit illnesses, all related to the kidneys, brain and spinal cord:

• generalized weakness (kidney-related).
• Poor appetite
• Increased water intake
• Increased urination
• Ammonia odor in the breath
• Sudden death

• Facial paralysis
• Weakness in just one leg
• Hind quarter paralysis
• Head tilt
• No appetite
• Behavior changes
• Depression
• Seizures (mild to severe)
• Sudden death

Young infected pet rabbits may still be shedding spores at 4 months old. It is suggested that you isolate rabbits that are younger than 5 months old from your other pet rabbits, to allow the infectious stage to pass.

Disinfect everything that may have been contaminated with rabbit urine, using Lysol or a strong bleach solution.

According to Rabbit Production, meat from infected rabbits is safe to eat.


Pinworms:
Pinworms are a common parasite in rabbits. A sure sign of pinworms are tiny white flecks in the rabbit's poop marbles.

Pinworms are usually just a nuisance. However, pinworms can become a problem if your rabbit is already sick. They can strip your show rabbits of their conditioning and cost you the win. They can rob a pregnant or lactating doe of nutrients, putting the doe and her kits at risk for other diseases.

Suspect pinworms when you see a rough coat, poor flesh condition, bony over the back, and yet pot-bellied. Your vet can make the diagnosis for you, if needed.

If you see the telltale white flecks, treat with piperazine, 1 mg per ml of water, for 2 days. Remove all sources of un-medicated water during treatment. If this doesn’t improve your rabbit’s symptoms, you should consult a rabbit-savvy vet for more trouble-shooting.


Ringworm:
Ringworm is a fungal disease which is highly contagious to rabbits and humans. What you'll see: Hair loss in ringed pattern, along with shallow crusted sores.

• Use gloves to handle the rabbit
• Boil or discard the clothes you wear while handling the rabbit.
• Disinfect the affected animal's cage with a strong bleach solution.
• Consult your rabbit-savvy vet ASAP for methods of treatment.

As we are not veterinarians, we direct you to our Disclaimers at the bottom of the Rabbit Diseases page.

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