Major diseases of rabbits,
ferrets, and pocket pets
Animal Science II-Small Animal
General Disease Prevention
Maintain good sanitation by:
Removing spoiled urine soaked
bedding regularly
Removing urine and feces
contaminated feed regularly
Keep fresh water available at all
times
General Disease Prevention
Provide a good environment that:
Is free from drafts and eliminate
any cool, damp drafts immediately
Has low humidity. Lower humidity
is better, as higher humidity
contributes to many respiratory
diseases
Prevention- environment
Maintains a constant temperature
and does not fluctuate to a great
degree
Has adequate ventilation to
remove stale air. This helps
prevent respiratory diseases
Feed an appropriate ration
General Disease Treatment
First, isolate sick animals from
others to help prevent the spread of
disease
Remove and replace bedding, etc.
from the cage of a sick animal
Chemically disinfect and sanitize
cage prior to installing new bedding
General Disease Treatment
Use medicated water routinely
when disease is a constant threat
Use proper treatments and
antibiotics if recommended
Dispose of dead animals properly
(burn and bury in some cases).
General Disease Treatment
Cull animals that do not show
signs of improvement
Improve environmental conditions
that may be causing disease
Avoid breeding animals hat may
have inherited diseases
Use recommended pesticides to
control pests
Rabbits
Enteritis
Description: Intestinal tract inflammation
that is probably the most common cause
of death in rabbits. Stress, unsanitary
conditions, and high energy feeds all
contribute to the disease. Symptoms:
sick animals will have diarrhea stained
with blood. Animals will stop eating, but
drink lots of water and grind their teeth.
There is almost 100% mortality rate.
Rabbits
Enteritis
Prevention is best accomplished
through proper environment,
sanitary conditions, feeding rations
that are high in fiber and lower in
energy, and control of rodents and
birds that may carry the disease
Treatment when applicable is
through broad spectrum antibiotics
Enteritis
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Rabbits
Snuffles
Description- The disease is aggravated
by stressful conditions such as poor
sanitation, poor ventilation, changing
temperatures, shipping or show
conditions. Symptoms: persistent
sneezing with a white colored nasal
discharge. Prevention and treatment:
Reduce stress through proper
environment
Snuffles
Rabbits
Mastitis
Description: Inflammation of
mammary tissue; also called caked
breast. Mastitis may cause nursing
problems. Nursing baby rabbits
may bite the nipples when they are
unable to nurse, and nursing
mothers may refuse to nurse the
young.
Rabbits
Mastitis
Prevention and treatment: Treat by
removing concentrates from the diet
for 72 hours. When widespread
cases in the rabbitry exist, clean
and disinfect all nesting boxes
Mastitis
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Rabbits
Weepy eye
Description: Inflammation of
conjunctiva mucus membrane lining of
the eyelid and eyeball. Caused by
rabbits rubbing their eyes with their
front feet
Prevention and treatment: Treat with
ophthalmic ointment containing
sulfonamides or antibiotics two to three
times a day for three to four days
Weepy eye
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Rabbits
Wry neck
Description: Condition caused by
inflammation of the inner ear. Head
tilted to the side is the most
common symptom. Often found
where snuffles is also present
Prevention and treatment: Best
accomplished by controlling upper
respiratory diseases in the rabbitry
Wry neck
http://www.barbibrownsbunnies.com/images/elizwry.jpg
Rabbits
Ear mites
Description: The ear mite
psoroptes cunniculi is the most
common external ear mite of
rabbits. Symptoms: shaking of the
head, flapping the ears, and
scratching at the ears with the hind
feet
Rabbits
Ear mites
Prevention and treatment: Treat by
applying mineral oil to the ears for
three days and repeating at 10 day
intervals or use medicated ear
drops. Clean and disinfect all
equipment and nest boxes
Ear mites
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Rabbits
Wet dewlaps
Description: the dewlap usually gets
wet in the water bowl, the fur gets
matted, and then infection sets in
Prevention and treatment: automatic
waterers, water bottles, or add a
rubber ball in the watering bowl. Clip
the infected fur and treat with antibiotic
ointment
Rabbits
Fur chewing
Description: pulling of fur from itself or
other rabbits caused by simple
boredom, a nutrient deficiency, and a
low-fiber diet
Prevention and treatment: Best by
feeding hay or straw to add fiber to the
diet. Adding magnesium oxide to the
ration also helps
Rabbits
Hutch Burn
Description: Chapped or burning
condition of external genital area of
doe. Caused by sitting in dirty, wet,
urine soaked bedding
Prevention and treatment: Keep
bedding clean. Treatment is with
antibiotic creams
Rabbits
Sore hocks
Description: Ulcerated area on the
bottom of the foot pads most often
associated with rough wire cage
floors and size of foot pad that
doesn’t support the weight of
animal. Large breeds with long foot
pads are most often affected
Rabbits
Sore hocks
Prevention and treatment: Get off
wire and place on a solid surface.
Apply astringents to the sore pads
(Astringents include petroleum jelly,
bag balm for cow’s udders, and
human hemorrhoid ointments and
medications)
Sore hocks
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Hamsters
Wet tail- also called enteritis
Description: Enteritis is the most
important disease of hamsters.
Caused by poor sanitation, bacteria,
viruses, and diet. Symptoms: wetness
around the tail and rear of the animal,
caused by a runny diarrhea. A high
death rate occurs within 2 days of
symptoms appearing. The disease is
most often associated with poor
sanitation caused by general neglect
and poor care
Hamsters
Wet tail- also called enteritis
Prevention and treatment: Wet tail,
Bacillus piliformis, and Salmonella,
and many diseases- Change and
disinfect spoiled bedding, cages
and equipment and isolate infected
animals
Hamsters
Wet tail- also called enteritis
Prev/txt cont’d: Keep temperatures
around 70 degrees F to avoid
estivation (sleep similar to hibernation)
when temperatures go above 80
degrees F or hibernation when
temperatures go below 50 degrees F.
Keep cage at constant temperature
and avoid drafts. Animals often do not
respond well to treatment
Wet tail
Hamsters
Common diarrhea
Caused by incorrect diet with
overabundance of green leafy
materials, vegetables, or fruits. Should
not be confused with serious infections
Prevention and treatment: Correct the
diet by removing green leafy
vegetables and fruits and feeding dry
grains and seeds
Hamsters
Fleas and lice
Description: common among
hamsters especially if other small
animals are near
Clean cages and use flea powder
recommended for cats (dog flea
powder is too strong and may result
in an overdose)
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Gerbils
Gerbils are hardy and seldom
affected by disease, but cold is most
common
Description: Colds are the most
common ailment. Symptoms: loss of
appetite, constant sneezing, and runny
eyes and nose. Avoid changing the
temperature, drafts, damp condition,
and overcrowding
http://www.teezz.co.uk/images/animals/gerbil-jul3534.jpg
Gerbils
Cold
Prevention and treatment: Best
treatment is to reduce stress
caused by overcrowding (gerbils
need more cage space than
hamsters), avoid drafts, humidity,
and temperature fluctuations
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/52/Gerbil.jpg
Gerbils
Red nose
Description: common condition
caused by Staphylococcus bacteria.
Animal will recover without any
medication. Symptoms: hair loss
and red, swollen areas of the skin
around the nose and muzzle
http://www.springlodgevet.co.uk/images/gerbil2.gif
Rats
Respiratory disease caused by
Microplasma pulmonis is common
disease
Description: Symptoms include
nasal discharge, snuffling, rattled
breathing, rubbing the eyes and
nose, tilted head, incoordination,
and circling
Rats
Respiratory disease
Prevent with proper ventilation and
good sanitation. Remove
contaminated feed, provide clean
bedding, and maintain a draft free,
constant temperature with low
humidity. Treat with antibiotics added
to water. Isolate and eliminate affected
animals if antibiotics added to drinking
water is ineffective
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Rats
External parasites
Description: Polyplax spinulosa is a
type of louse that may infest rats
and cause loss of hair and itching.
Mites also cause hair loss, skin
irritation, and may result in small
fluid-filled lesions, swellings and
inflammation
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Rats
External parasites
Prevention and treatment: Treat
lice and mites with flea powder
every three to four days allowing
the dust to stay on the animal for
about 30 minutes at the time
Polyplax spinulosa
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Mice
Mice are hardy with the proper diet,
housing, and exercise. However,
respiratory disease is caused by
several organisms and result from
environmental conditions such as
changes in the temperature, drafts,
and high humidity. Symptoms:
squeaking or rattling breath, runny
nose, watery eyes, and fur loss. It is
best to prevent infestation by
eliminating environmental causes
Mice
Salmonella and related bacteria
are responsible for many of the
serious infectious diseases.
Control with clean cages, clean
water, clean feed, and parasite
control
Mice
Mites- commonly infected with
several mites that cause skin
irritation and inflammation due to
hair loss. Control with insecticide.
Guinea Pigs
Guinea pigs are very healthy
under favorable environmental
conditions. Avoid drafts and keep
temperature and humidity
constant to avoid problems.
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Guinea pigs
When environmental conditions
are not good,
Description: Common cold and
respiratory diseases can be a major
problem and result in animals that
are lethargic, listless, have nasal
discharge and sneezing
http://www.unpronounceable.com/dave/photos/photo_guinea_pigs.jpg
Guinea pigs
Common cold
Prevention and treatment: Maintain
a good environment and immediate
treatment with broad-spectrum
antibiotics accompanied with
increased Vitamin C
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Guinea pigs
Toxemia
Description: Build up of toxins in the
blood that developed in late pregnancy.
Symptoms: females will be lethargic,
go off feed, refuse to eat, and have
difficulty breathing
Prevention and treatment: Feed a high
quality diet to the pregnant female and
add ½ teaspoon of sugar in the water
bottle
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Guinea pigs
External parasites
Description: Caused by various
mites. Symptoms: severe lesions
and hair loss.
Prevention and treatment: Maintain
clean bedding and use flea powder
recommended for cats or small
animals
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Chinchillas
Chinchillas need proper nutrition,
and a clean, dry, draft-free
environment with low stress to
avoid health problems. Provide
adequate ventilation, avoid
temperatures above 80 degrees F
or cold drafts and high humidity
http://www.fave.ca/i15/ch/990930Boys.jpg
Chinchillas
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Organism that causes infection in
wounds, inflammation of eyes and
ears, pneumonia, intestinal
inflammation, uterine inflammation,
and poisoning of the circulatory
system
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udomonas%20aeruginosa.gif
Chinchillas
Eye inflammation (conjunctivitis)
Description: Symptoms: swelling and
redness around the eyes, sensitivity to
light, watering and pus formation
Isolate infected animals, wash eyes
with warm boric acid solution and use
ophthalmic medications. Clean and
disinfect cages and feed containers
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Chinchillas
Inner ear infection (otitis)
Description: Symptoms: Twisting and
lowering of the head, hanging head to
one side, and running in a circle
Prevention and treatment: Prevent by
avoiding drafty, cool environmental
conditions. Clean the ear with warm
boric acid solution and treat with ear
drops
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Chinchillas
Pneumonia
Description: Symptoms: Listlessness,
failure to eat, breathing difficulty, and
swollen abdomen
Prevention and treatment: Prevent by
eliminating cold, drafty, and high
humidity conditions and treat
immediately with aureomycin,
penicillin, or other antibiotics
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Chinchillas
Impaction
Description: Lower digestive system
becomes tightly packed with food
material or feces. May then follow
diarrhea. Caused by poor quality feed,
stress, and poor nutrition. Animal is
often humped with chin resting
between its front feet
Prevention and treatment: Give a
dropper full of mineral oil daily, or add
up to three dropperfuls of grapefruit
juice to the animal’s diet
http://www.chez.com/deliceanimal/chinchilla.jpg
Ferrets
Canine distemper: a disease that
also affects dogs
Description: a highly contagious
viral disease, is a major problem
and usually results in death.
Symptoms include: Discharge from
the eyes and nose, breathing
problems, and diarrhea
Ferrets
Canine distemper
Prevention and treatment:
Vaccination is important. Vaccinate
at twelve weeks of age and give
boosters annually to prevent canine
and feline distemper. Treatment is
not affective
Distemper
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Ferrets
Hemorrhagic enteritis
Description: Bloody diarrhea is
commonly seen. Symptoms: go off
feed, bloody diarrhea, weight loss,
dehydration, and possibly death
Prevention and treatment: Treat
with antibiotics and sulfur material
http://www.indcjournal.com/archives/ferret.jpg
Ferrets
Botulism
Caused by toxin produced by
bacteria. Symptoms include:
breathing difficulty and paralysis.
Death can occur without symptoms.
Keep food supply fresh
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erret.jpg
Ferrets
Ear mites: common problem that
causes scratching, head shaking, and
buildup of debris in the external ear
canal. Treat with ear drops
recommended for cats and dogs
Fleas and mites may cause skin
irritation. Mites and fleas are treated
with flea dips and dust recommended
for cats and dogs
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