Transcript:
Raising Backyard Meat Rabbits – Your Healthy Rabbit Transcript
Resources:
Common Health Problems, Symptoms, Causes and Treatments
I am not a vet, please seek the advice of a vet as needed for your rabbit’s health issues
Try to prevent most illnesses by:
-keeping your rabbit area well ventilated.
-keep manure cleaned up, ideally have it fall through cage away from rabbits
-keep cages, food and water dishes clean.
-If possible supplement diet with forage and provide exercise
-If possible quarantine any rabbits that are new to the herd for 30 days, also separate sick rabbits from others.
I have learned a lot about herbal medicine from information shared on the grow network, which I am applying to my humans and my animals, but I am still in the learning process.
Doing a monthly health check on rabbits helps to uncover health problems before they worsen.
Monthly check:
Rabbits over all condition
Clean ears & bright eyes
Bottom of feet, Clip nails if needed
Vent area
It sounds harsh, but if a rabbit continues to have health problems I will cull them from my breeding herd for two reasons:
1. Breeding for strong disease resistant rabbits is important.
2. A vet bill could cost me all the profits I have worked for in a whole breeding season!
Ear mites
Symptoms: Rabbit will scratch or shake head. Yellow crusty or brown build up can be seen in ears.
Treatment: Mineral oil can be used, I use a coconut oil infused (heated and strained) with garlic, comfrey and calendula blossoms for all ear issues in my family; rabbits included!
Mastitis:
Symptoms: Mammary gland will be swollen, hot & discolored; caused by overproduction of milk during such situations as weaning; Prevent by gradually removing kits a few at a time.
Treatment: Can be treated with antibiotic shot from vet; I have never had to deal with this condition, but I would use a plantain salve to draw out bacterial infection.
Do not foster kits to another mother in this case as bacteria could be spread; best to raise kits yourself.
Nest Box Eye or Sore Eyes:
This is common in baby rabbits. Prevent by keeping nest box clean with fresh straw if soiled.
All eye conditions get treated with a warm rinse of strongly brewed chamomile tea and spoonful of honey mix, applied to eyes as needed.
Sore Hocks or Cage Sores:
Common especially in large breed rabbits. Prevent by having a cage mat in each cage and giving rabbits time outside of cage in exercise pens.
Treatment: Use antibacterial spray (Vetricyn is a good brand) and treat daily with coconut oil with 5 or 10 drops of lavender essential oil or calendula/comfrey/plantain salve.
Wet Dew Lap:
Symptoms: does dew lap (roll of fat under her chin) is always wet. This is from the doe laying in the water dish to cool down. We have never had this happen, but if we did we would switch to water bottle for that doe & consider removing them from herd.
Treatment: Use healing salve mentioned above if sores are present. Keep dry and clean.
Some more serious diseases:
Pasteurellosis (Snuffles)
Symptoms: Mucus on nose and eyes, rabbits sneeze and have trouble breathing. Fur on face and paws become matted with dried mucus.
Treatment: While you can use antibiotics from a vet. I would immediately cull affected rabbits, as it can spread quickly through the herd.
Vent Disease/Rabbit Syphilis:
Symptoms: blisters around sex organs, can be transmitted by breeding your stock
Treatment: Penicillin is effective; We have never had to deal with this, but if we did we would treat with colloidal silver, echinacea and garlic in water. If condition didn’t improve we would cull rabbit.
Parasites:
Worms: Roundworms and Tapeworms
Symptoms: If worm load is high rabbit might have weight loss and dull coat
Treatment: deworming medication (Safeguard for horses), Herbal remedies: pieces of pumpkin with seeds and sweet potato. Grapefruit seed extract and garlic oil (10 drops in gallon of water for 2 weeks) I use these methods 2 times per year as a worm prevention.
Coccidiosis: There is a form of intestinal cocci and a form that attacks the liver
Symptoms: Healthy rabbits tolerate moderate numbers of cocci without signs of illness. Babies and rabbits under stress suffer from a high cocci load.
They can have diarrhea, poor appetite, dull coat, weight loss, lethargy, often leading to death. Can die suddenly without noticeable symptoms.
If you rabbit has diarrhea immediately switch to just hay and blackberry leaves and vines.
*The first sign of coccidiosis in kits is drinking lots of water and they will have sloshy water belly when examined. Susceptible times are during warm wet weather.
We battled coccidiosis one year. It was a VERY hard time for our homestead.
I have tested out all 3 natural remedies above and did not have an outbreak of coccidiosis the year I used them. However, there were many other factors that changed also; some being: using rabbit tractors, moved daily, with feed and water contained, the harshness of the previous Winter, a dry Spring, ending my breeding season before rabbits were stressed by heat and supporting my rabbits immune systems with the methods below.
Rabbits with strong immune systems are always able to fight off disease better than those without. Some ways you can support the immune system of your rabbits are:
-Apple cider vinegar-1 tbsp-per 1 gallon of water-3 months on then 3 months off cycles—ACV helps acidify intestines and provides trace minerals.
-Kefir for probiotics
-Raw pumpkin seeds
-Echinacea leaves and stems + a diet rich with varied forage.
-I have no proof, but I do wonder if using GMO grown alfalfa pellets might affect the gut biome of the rabbits making them more susceptible to disease/parasites?
Rise and Shine Rabbitry is the best web site for info on how to use herbs with your rabbits. You can enjoy their wisdom here: https://riseandshinerabbitry.com/2012/06/09/medicinal-herbs-for-rabbits/
Homework:
1. Gather or research the tools you will use to section up meat:
-A tool that will cut through bone
-A sharp knife
-Large ziploc freezer bags and a sharpie marker to label
2. Make room in your freezer or plan on how you will store meat.
3. Decide on your first rabbit recipe.