Symptoms and quick treatment of rabbits from pododermatitis at home
Pododermatitis, or disease of the hind legs in rabbits, is a common skin infection. The front limbs are less frequently affected by bacterial lesions. The main cause of the disease is incorrect content. True, a number of adverse factors affect the occurrence of pododermatitis. The disease is treated with wound-healing ointments, antiseptics and antibiotics.
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Causes of pododermatitis in rabbits
Pododermatitis - peeling, corns, crusts, calluses, abscesses, wounds, ulcers on the hind legs, less often on the front legs of the rabbit. This is a superficial skin disease, to which a bacterial infection often joins, resulting in the formation of pustules. Ulcers can reach soft tissues and even bones and tendons, causing rotting, blood poisoning and death.
The disease occurs in animals that sit in cramped cages and lead an inactive lifestyle. The development of the inflammatory process on the hind limbs stimulates the traumatic surface of the floor, for example, a metal mesh, as well as unsanitary conditions.
Most often, pododermatitis affects overweight rabbits, as obesity increases the load on the legs. In an animal sitting motionless in a narrow cage, the process of grinding the claws is disturbed, they grow too long, so the animal rests not on the metatarsus, but on the talus and heel bones. The skin of the hind legs is constantly in contact with a damp bedding or metal mesh, resulting in the formation of corns, cracks, wounds, and purulent ulcers. The older the animal, the higher the likelihood of pododermatitis in conditions of improper maintenance.
Symptoms and signs of the disease
Pododermatitis is diagnosed based on clinical signs. The hind and front legs of the rabbits are examined. At the very beginning of the development of the disease, the skin on the hind limbs begins to peel and flake off. Then corns, calluses form, and abscesses and bleeding wounds appear along the entire length of the paws.
Due to unsanitary conditions, bacteria are infected, purulent ulcers are formed. A bacterial infection penetrates the skin, internal tissues, they become inflamed, rot, the lesion reaches the bones. The hair on the limbs falls out. The animal lies motionless most of the time with its legs extended. There is a lack of appetite. Depletion of the body occurs, blood poisoning, and the animal dies.
Stages and stages of development of the disease
Pododermatitis has two stages: initial and final. At the very beginning, peeling is visible on the rabbit's legs, calluses are formed.At this stage, the disease is quickly treated. If the disease is started, cracks appear on the corns, bacteria penetrate into them, infection occurs, the development of fistulas, purulent formations. The disease enters the final stage. If the animal is not treated, it may die.
Distinguish between aseptic and purulent pododermatitis. These are two types of the same disease, which differ from each other in the degree of damage and the severity of the course.
Aseptic
This is a superficial skin lesion. The initial and mild stage of pododermatitis. Peeling occurs on the paws, corns, calluses, even hematomas appear. Sometimes the wounds bleed.
Purulent
When the infection penetrates the skin, soft tissues, the development of purulent pododermatitis begins. In advanced cases, bacteria infect bones and tendons. The wounds become inflamed, blood and pus flow from them. The rabbit's body temperature rises. The animal refuses to eat and soon dies.
How is pododermatitis in rabbits treated?
The sooner treatment begins, the more chances you have to save a sick animal. First of all, it is necessary to change the conditions of keeping the rabbit. It is recommended to transfer the sick animal to a spacious cage, where there is no wire floor, but there is a soft clean bedding or at least a rubber mat over a metal mesh. It is advisable to wash the floor on which the animal will lie with a solution of "Whiteness".
Drug treatment
At the very beginning, the corns on the paws are treated with an antiseptic and smeared with zinc ointment. The skin can be washed with hydrogen peroxide or potassium permanganate solution. If wounds appear, they are allowed to be covered with iodine. For disinfection of purulent corns, you can use "Chlorhexidine", "Dioxidin". Wounds are treated 2-3 times a day.
The inflammatory process is removed by the "Tetracycline" or "Levomekol" ointments. The lesions are first treated with an antiseptic, then smeared with an antibacterial agent and a bandage is applied. It is necessary to constantly monitor the well-being of the sick animal.
If the rabbit has a high temperature, it does not eat anything, and there are many wounds on its legs, from which pus and blood flows, then antibiotics should be used. Animals can be injected with Baytril 2.5% or Bitsillin 3. The course of antibiotic treatment is 3-5 days. True, before giving injections, it is advisable to consult with a veterinarian.
ethnoscience
If you don't have an antiseptic on hand, you can rinse the wounds with herbal tea. A good disinfectant is an infusion of chamomile, St. John's wort, calendula. To get rid and wash out pustules at home, you can use vodka, diluted with water. A clean cloth bandage must be applied to the feet. During the period of illness, animals should be given more dried fresh nettle, plantain, shepherd's purse.
Dressing rules
If there are bleeding wounds and pustules on the legs, it is necessary to treat them with an antiseptic and lubricate them with antibacterial ointment. True, the benefit from such treatment will be small, because the lesions will remain unprotected, and will constantly be in contact with the floor or with the litter. It is recommended to apply a cotton-gauze bandage to the affected areas. Instead of cotton, it is better to buy a cotton pad under a plaster bandage at the pharmacy.
During the application of the bandage, the animal is taken out of the cage, turned over onto its back and placed on its lap.
First, the wound is smeared with ointment, then a cotton swab is applied to the skin, and a bandage is tightly wrapped on top.You can put on a narrow children's sock on the bandage. True, the animal often rips off the bandages from its legs. It is better to hold it in your hands during the procedure for 30 minutes. It is recommended to change the bandage 1-2 times a day for 15-30 days.
Possible complications
Treatment started on time always gives a positive result. If the disease is started, the infection will penetrate the skin, then into soft tissues and reach the bones. Blood poisoning will begin. You can save the animal by injecting it with an antibiotic and giving it daily boiled, cooled water with Gamavit (1 drop per 1 liter).
Prevention and hygiene rules
Rabbits will not get pododermatitis if kept in clean, spacious cages. It is advisable to use dry and fresh straw as bedding material. Rabbits of large breeds and with a large weight are not recommended to be kept on the floor made of metal mesh. It is better to place the animals in wooden boxes. If no other cage is available, you can place a rubber mat on the mesh floor.
