Rabbit colibacillosis, also known as mucoid enteritis, is an fulminant intestinal disease caused by pathogenic Escherichia coli and the toxins it produces. It has a high mortality rate and is common in young rabbits and young rabbits. It is characterized by watery or jelly-like stools and death from dehydration.

Rabbit colibacillosis mainly causes diarrhea or constipation in rabbits. There is often jelly-like mucus in the feces with a slight fishy smell. 1. Pathogenic Escherichia coli is a gram-positive bacillus, without spores, generally has flagella, can move, and has low resistance to the external environment. It is easily killed by commonly used disinfectants. It can occur all year round, and rabbits of all ages are susceptible. However, it is more likely to occur when the climate is changeable, the feeding and management conditions are poor, and the rabbit's body resistance is reduced. Young rabbits aged 1 to 4 months are the most susceptible, and the mortality rate is relatively high. high. The main route of infection is the digestive tract, but it can also be transmitted through the respiratory tract and wounds. 2. Characteristics 1. Season: occurs in four seasons, more in winter and spring. 2. Age: Weaning - 2-month-old rabbits have diarrhea. Rabbits over 2 months old may suffer from diarrhea or constipation. 3. After weaning, mixed infection with coccidiosis often occurs in rabbits, aggravating the condition. 3. Symptoms: Weaning - 2 months old: bloating and diarrhea. Rabbits with diarrhea have loose stools, loss of appetite, fecal contamination around the tail and anus, and poor spirits. In the later stages of the disease, their ears feel cold, they lie down immobile, and loose stools flow from the anus from time to time. Young rabbits are depressed, pass loose feces, and pollute the rabbit cage. Gel-like feces can be seen in the feces of infected rabbits, which has guiding significance for the diagnosis of colibacillosis in rabbits. No symptoms were seen at the beginning of the disease, and he died suddenly. Later, he developed depression, loss of appetite, diarrhea, abdominal distension, small, stringy feces, and was covered with transparent, jelly-like mucus, and then watery diarrhea occurred. In the later stage, watery feces will occur, which is dirty, grey-brown, black and fishy. The coat of the anus, hind limbs, abdomen and feet will be stained by mucus and watery feces. In severe cases, the anus will be blocked. The sick rabbit has cold limbs, teeth grinding, watery eyes, sunken eye sockets, rapid weight loss, and death. After the rabbit is infected and sick, the rabbit becomes depressed, has a disheveled coat, and becomes emaciated; the body temperature is generally normal or slightly lower than normal; the rabbit refuses to eat, has a distended abdomen, grinds teeth, drools, and has severe diarrhea, and the coat of the anus and hind limbs is stained with mucus or yellowish-brown water. Loose feces; death occurs in 1 to 2 days in short-term cases, and can last up to 1 week in long-term cases. The lesions found during autopsy were mainly in the digestive tract, and the stomach was enlarged and filled with fluid and gas. The duodenum is filled with gas and stained with bile mucus. The jejunum is distended and filled with translucent glue-like fluid. The mucosa of the colon and cecum is congested or has bleeding spots. There were localized small necrotic lesions in the liver and heart, and the gallbladder was enlarged.

4. Treatment method

The first step is to keep warm. Be sure to place the rabbit in a warm place, with an electric blanket underneath if possible, so that the abdomen will not continue to get cold and can relieve abdominal pain. The second step is to take oral antibacterial drugs and give the rabbit norfloxacin capsules as soon as possible. You can buy it in pharmacies. Take 1 pill at a time. Open the capsule, pour the powder inside into a syringe, add some glucose powder, pump some water and shake vigorously until the powder dissolves. Feed with a syringe, 2 times a day, 1 pill each time. pellets until the stool returns to normal. The third step is to go to the drugstore as soon as possible to buy oral rehydration salts. This is the first choice. If you don’t have it, buy sugar saline solution, glucose solution, or physiological saline solution for infusion. Choose one of these three and feed the rabbit every hour. , feed the rabbit every time until it stops drinking, to prevent death from dehydration. If possible, take the rabbit directly to the hospital to get water, 20ml each time. Rabbits with diarrhea usually die from dehydration, so timely replenishment of body fluids is the key to resuscitation.