Rabbits with Acute Diarrhea: Possible Weybridge Serrati

Section 1: Causes of Welsall's Bacillus Disease in Rabbits

Welsall's Bacillus is widely present in soil, wastewater, feces, poorquality rabbit feed, and the intestines of humans and animals. When rabbits are exposed to poor sanitation in their living quarters, inadequate husbandry, sudden changes in feed, improper diet composition, or insufficient roughage, their normal intestinal flora can be disrupted. This allows harmful bacteria like Welsall's Bacillus to proliferate, producing toxins that can lead to poisoning and eventual death in the rabbits.

Section 2: Symptoms of the Disease

The acute form of Welsall's Bacillus disease strikes suddenly, causing severe diarrhea in affected rabbits, leading to death within a short span. Other symptoms may include: listlessness, loss of appetite, or complete anorexia; feces that become black or brown, thin, and contain blood and jellylike mucus, which is extremely foulsmelling and can contaminate the rabbit's hindquarters. Suffering rabbits may become severely dehydrated, with bloated abdomens, weakness, and a state of coma, ultimately leading to death. Some may have convulsions and excited尖叫 before collapsing and dying.

Most rabbits die within about 10 hours from the onset of diarrhea to death.

Section 3: Diagnostic Points

Key diagnostic points include: sudden onset of severe, watery diarrhea and acute death; a stomach filled with food, with sloughing of the gastric mucosa, multiple hemorrhages, and ulcers; the small intestine inflated with a gelatinous fluid; the cecum showing serous or hemorrhagic changes, filled with brown material and malodorous gases; an enlarged gallbladder, and congested heart.

Section 4: Prevention Methods

1. Maintain strict hygiene and disinfection in rabbit housing and pens; enhance husbandry practices; ensure a balanced diet with adequate roughage to maintain nutritional equilibrium; and provide healthy, safe food for rabbits, avoiding moldy or poorquality feed.

2. Regularly vaccinate rabbits against Welsall's Bacillus. Typically, vaccination can begin after weaning, with followup doses of 2 to 3 times per year.

3. If a rabbit is found to have Welsall's Bacillus disease, isolate the affected animal immediately and administer medication to the entire group, such as erythromycin or kanamycin, and provide emergency preventive injections.

4. Treatment of affected rabbits should include antimicrobial and antiinflammatory measures, fluid replacement, detoxification, and aid in digestion. Medications used may include penicillin, streptomycin, glucose, and normal saline, along with intramuscular vitamin C.

That concludes Dr. Oxygen Pet's explanation of Welsall's Bacillus disease in rabbits. We remind rabbit owners once more: if you notice your rabbit experiencing acute diarrhea, please seek veterinary care promptly.