Diseases of growing kits

When kits (baby rabbits) are born, they’re vulnerable to various diseases. This is particularly true if they haven’t ingested the doe’s (mother’s) first milk (colostrum). Colostrum gives the kits all the antibodies they need to help fight infection.

Poor maternal nesting behavior can be a cause of newborn kit death. A rabbit’s maternal ability is partly inherited and partly learnt behavior. First-time does sometimes make small, inadequate nests and don’t pluck enough hair. This is made worse if they haven’t got the right nesting materials like straw and hay, which may also be eaten by the doe. Some rabbits may attempt to make a nest or trash it altogether. Kits don’t grow fur until they’re around 7 days old, so newborns need to be kept warm and will chill if the nest isn’t warm enough. This can be enough to kill some or all of the litter. If a doe continues to build inadequate nests for future litters, then consideration should be given to management problems or lack of maternal ability. If they lack maternal ability, this usually mean either fostering the kits or not breeding from that particular doe is the most sensible option.

Cannibalism isn’t something we like to think about, but it’s also sometimes a problem, especially in does pregnant for the first time or if they feel threatened in anyway. In this case, it may simply be a case of over-vigorous cleaning of the freshly born kits by an inexperienced mother. If the doe has nibbled at minor extremities, then the kits will often survive, but may have missing ears or limbs. However, some kits will still be alive despite major trauma and will need to be euthanized by a vet. Occasionally does will defecate and urinate in the nest site, and this can be another cause of kit death. High levels of ammonia can cause respiratory infections and irritate the eyes and nose, which are extremely delicate in newborn rabbits. Wet bedding can also attract flies which can lead to flystrike.

Hairless rabbits that leave the nest often become hypothermic (too cold) and can die very quickly. Sometimes if they’re found in time they can be warmed up and returned to the nest but can keep attempting to leave the nest or it may be that during feeding the doe is moving whilst the kits are still attached and fall off outside the nest. Since wild rabbits are born in an enclosed burrow with upward sloping tunnels away from the nest site, any kits that leave the nest soon return, and the doe has no need or any instinct to return her offspring to their nest – this is very different to a pet rabbits housing.

Inadequate and excessive amounts of vitamin A in the does diet are reported to cause litter resorption (failure of the pregnancy), still births and newborn congenital abnormalities, like hydrocephalus. Providing the doe with a balanced diet is essential to ensure delivery of a healthy litter of kits.

Staphylococcosis caused by Staphylococcus aureus is the bacteria responsible for mastitis (painful/swollen teats) in does. As a result of infection, the doe will feed her kits less which will have an obvious effect in reducing their nutrition, or she will reject them completely. Staphylococcus aureus also causes septicemia in the kits, entering the body either through minor abrasions, or ingested in milk from an infected teat. It is often rapidly fatal, and usually dead kits are the first clinical sign that there’s a problem. Once established in a breeding facility it can be virtually impossible to eliminate as it can be carried in rabbit nasal passages. It is obviously important to pay particular attention to hygiene when breeding rabbits. Antibiotics and disinfection can help treat/eliminate the bacteria, but these must be prescribed by your veterinary surgeon as inappropriate use of antibiotics will help lead to antibiotic resistance bacteria.

Escherichia coli infections are also seen in very young rabbits which causes diarrhea and death. Kits are often found very wet. When infection occurs, it may affect several litters at the same time, but subsequent litters from the same does are reported to be unaffected. Your vet can test for the bacteria from the content inside the kit’s intestines. Treatment can be attempted in early cases, and they may respond to antibiotic therapy, fluid therapy and probiotics to help restore balance of gut microflora. Good husbandry and sanitation must be improved to prevent infection. Subsequent litters from same doe may have passive immunity (passing on antibodies to her kits via her milk, but not causing any infection).

Very occasionally a doe may overfeed her youngsters, resulting in an overproduction of soft pale feces that stick to their back end. Cleaning of the affected area is all that’s required. If they’re not cleaned it may lead to death due to anal blockage and gastrointestinal stasis (the slowing of passage of food through the gastrointestinal tract). Does will only feed their young once or twice a day, unlike puppies or kittens, as their milk is so nutritious.

Intestinal coccidiosis is a parasitic disease of the intestinal tract common in young growing rabbits. The disease can range from being just a nuisance to more severe forms of diarrhea, gastrointestinal stasis and may be one of the causes of enterotoxemia (see below). Daily cleaning of dirty corners in hutches will prevent the build-up of coccoidal oocysts to infective levels. Treatment includes oral dosing of an anti-coccidial medication.

Enterotoxemia, also known as clostridiosis, is a disease was first described in 1978. Although it can occur at any age, it is most commonly seen in very young kits around 4-8 weeks old. Signs include a reduced appetite, rough coat, and dehydration. Sometimes there may be diarrhea, whilst other times there will be gastrointestinal stasis, ‘pot belly’ and no fecal production. Unfortunately, death usually follows within 24 hours. Kits with diarrhea may respond to supportive therapy, whereas those rabbits with the gastrointestinal stasis may be less likely to recover. Several causes have been suggested for this condition, including coccidia, Clostridium perfringens, C. spiriforme and E. coli. There have also been suggestions of viral causes, but none have been confirmed. It is known that diets low in fiber and high in carbohydrate predispose to enterotoxemia. This may be partly due to providing an ideal environment within the large intestine for the rapid reproduction of Clostridia and therefore toxin production. Unsanitary conditions have been shown to increase the incidence of enterotoxemia. Feeding a high fibre diet in these cases appears to prevent the progression of disease to death. Where a high fiber diet is not available, then death is more likely. Keeping stress to a minimum is imperative in rabbits of this age. Increased stress levels reduce the effectiveness of the immune system, often resulting in clinical signs of disease.

Colibacillosis is a blanket term that refers to any infection or disease caused by the bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli), of which there are several strains. Clinical signs of E. coli infections in older rabbits include watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, and may lead to death. Survivors are frequently stunted in their growth and may well become carriers. Virulent strains are often untreatable, whereas less virulent strains may respond to antibiotics. However, infections are often complicated by the presence of other diseases.

Tyzzer’s disease is caused by the bacteria Clostridium piliforme. Clinical signs include profuse watery diarrhea and unfortunately death within 12-48 hours is common. Luckily the disease is rare as any treatment that has been tried in confirmed cases has been very disappointing. Treatment includes antibiotics, a reduction of stressors and environmental control of contamination.

Pasteurellosis is a bacterial infection caused by Pasteurella multocida. Nasal discharges of mucus and pus are more common in older rabbits, but this organism can occasionally cause acute pneumonia in young rabbits. Snuffles is a general term used to describe a group of upper respiratory signs. Several different bacteria may be responsible for causing snuffles, but the most commonly occurring bacteria is Pasteurella spp. Pasteurella spp commonly lives in the nasal cavity of many rabbits, but can also inhabit the middle ears, trachea, lungs, lacrimal ducts and genitals. Here it can reside for many months or even years without ever causing any clinical signs of disease. Different strains exist, and some of these are zoonotic, which means they can be transmitted to humans. When the immune system is compromised, because of another illness or stress, often clinical signs appear and rabbits can have repeated outbreaks of signs throughout their live, depending upon the location and severity of infection.

From 7 weeks of age, they can receive their vaccination and have a health check at your vets. At 8 weeks old baby rabbits can leave their mother but can stay until 10 weeks of age. After this point they should be sexed and separated into male and female enclosures to prevent any interbreeding. Always try to home in pairs – which can be same sex pairs or mixed pairs. Bear in mind that mixed pairs will need to be kept separate until both have been neutered and then rebounded. Males can be castrated from 12 weeks of age and females from 16 weeks of age. Even same sex pairs will both need to be neutered to help prevent fighting and bond breakdowns.