Staphylococcus aureus in Rabbits: Causes, Symptoms, and

Section 1: Types of Staphylococcus aureus in Rabbits

1. Abscesses. Abscesses caused by Staphylococcus aureus are similar in symptoms to those caused by Pasteurella multocida, and the prevention and treatment methods are also alike, with the exception of the causative agent.

2. Mammary mastitis in rabbits. This condition is most common in lactating female rabbits.

Main causes include:

a. Insufficient milk supply, with the teats being bitten through by the kits;

b. Overabundance of milk due to excessive postpartum feeding or early weaning of the kits, leading to milk accumulation in the mammary glands;

c. Injury to the rabbit's mammary glands by sharp objects in the cage, allowing Staphylococcus aureus to enter through the wound and cause mastitis.

Treatment: Strengthening husbandry management and administering medication. At the early stages of the disease, the owner can first express the accumulated milk from the affected mammary glands of the sick rabbit, apply cold compresses to the breasts, and combine this with a sealing therapy. After expressing the milk, inject 2 ml of 2% procaine and 100,000 units of penicillin diluted in 8 ml of sterile water, mixed together and injected once daily. Additionally, administer intramuscular penicillin (dosage: 50,000 units/kg body weight) twice daily for 35 days. For severely ill rabbits, further treatment with intravenous injection of 0.1 g tetracycline and 5% glucose injection is required.

3. Foot dermatitis in rabbits. This disease is caused by Staphylococcus aureus infection following skin damage on the rabbit's footpad. The main symptoms include redness, bleeding, suppuration, and ulceration of the footpad skin. In severe cases, it can lead to systemic infection and death in the affected rabbit.

Treatment: In the early stages, apply 5% iodine tincture or 5% gentian violet solution to the affected area on the rabbit's footpad. For areas that have become suppurative, first trim the fur, thoroughly clean the area with hydrogen peroxide or potassium permanganate, then apply gentamicin ointment and bandage the area with gauze. Change the dressing daily until the rabbit recovers. For rabbits with more severe conditions, combine this with intramuscular penicillin injections.

4. Yellow urine disease in kits. Also known as acute enteritis in kits, this condition occurs when kits consume milk from a mother rabbit suffering from Staphylococcus aureus mastitis, which they cannot digest or absorb. Symptoms include the anus of the affected kits being wet with yellow urine and feces, emitting a foul odor, and the kits appearing drowsy and weak. Initially, only a few kits may be affected, but the infection can spread to the entire litter, with a high mortality rate.

Prevention and treatment: First, prevent lactating does from developing mastitis. For affected kits, administer 20,000 units of penicillin intramuscularly, choosing a muscle丰满 area for injection, twice daily for 23 days.

With this, we conclude Dr. Oxygen Pet's overview of Staphylococcus aureus in rabbits. Staphylococcus aureus infections are common in rabbits, and we hope that owners take these diseases seriously and help their rabbits prevent them effectively.