coccidiosis is killing my rabbits

Question
QUESTION: I have read many answers from the last few years about treatment for coccidiosis in rabbits. Could you please clarify for me, are any of the available cures actually able to completely cure or do they just reduce the number of pathogens? What is the most effective drug for this persistent problem. We seem to have problems every year after the shows and have used Sulmet twice yearly to prevent loses. Is there anything more that we can do besides the Sulmet and cage sanitation? Thanks, Angela

ANSWER: Hi Angela:

Before I can accurately answer your question, I'll need a bit more information.
Are you having problems with Hepatic (liver) coccidiosis or intestinal coccidiosis?  Each has different symptoms and different treatments.  Have you had a fecal flotation test done to confirm coccidia or are you making the diagnosis based on symptoms?  If you haven't had a fecal flotation test done, please list the specific symptoms you are seeing in your herd.

Sincerely,

Bunnygal.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: This is the intestinal coccidia and in the past we were given Albon with little success. We sold everything back to the man we bought the rabbits from and have since moved from California to Louisville and started over only to have the same problem, from our new breeding stock. I really want to raise rabbits without the regular use of drugs like Sulmet. It seems like about 6 months after using that we have deaths and have to use it again. We have all wire hutches and clean environment but just can't get rid of it, only control it. Are there any new studies or new drugs that are more effective. Thanks, Angela

ANSWER: Hi Angela:

If the coccidia has been positively confirmed by a fecal float, then Albon is the correct choice. It is the most effective treatment currently available.  Since you haven't provided the specific symptoms you are seeing, I cant be totally sure it is coccidia you are dealing with, as several other conditions have very similar symptoms.  If Albon is used for the full 16 day course, then the coccidia is destroyed, not just reduced.  If used less than the full 16 days, then recurrence is likely as immature Oocysts will hatch and reinfect the rabbit. Coccidia is very easy to control as the only way for a rabbit to contract is direct ingestion of the live Oocysts which live in fecal matter that has been out of the body long enough to hatch - generally 24 hours.  The only way to to completely avoid coccidia infection and reinfection after treatment is through immaculate housekeeping practices.  If the rabbit cannot come into direct contact with feces, it cant consume the Oocysts that cause coccidia.  I'm not sure what type of caging you use, but the best are all wire cages so that the droppings can fall through as they are eliminated.  Hutches or cages with solid floors can be a breeding ground for coccidia as there is always some level of fecal material in the cage.  Hutches are not very sanitary and are often the cause of illnesses being hard to control.  If you are absolutely certain this is coccidia then treat by giving a 16 day course of Albon at the correct dosage.  Also, do a very thorough cleaning of your cages - scrub everything inside and out with a 10% (or more# bleach solution or diluted vanodine and if possible, allow the cage to dry in direct sun for the additional sterilization. Once the cage#s) has been cleaned, be sure that all fecal material is removed from your rabbits cages on a daily basis.  Letting it sit for more than 24 hours gives the immature eggs time to hatch.  This means removing all the fecal balls in the cage itself, scraping or wiping off any cling-ons that hang from the bottom of the cage or small spots that get squished onto the cage floor.  Remove any soiled bedding or hay.  Be sure the feeder and water source are free from any feces.  If you treat to kill the current infection then eliminate all possibilities of recontamination, your herd will stay coccidia free.  I'm still curious who and how diagnosed the coccidia, what the symptoms are and what dose of Albon and length of treatment you followed.

Bunny Gal

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I do have all wire cages, but did not treat for 16 days, only for 9 days. I do not remember the vet's name but I followed the directions he gave. After treating the rabbits for the 9 days we thought we had cured our rabbits. When the next litter was born 3 months later the same thing happened again. The signs we see are always the same as with the herd in CA. That was a sticky, runny but pasty stool all over the legs and rear, we would gently rinse it off only to find more within a few minutes as if they were leaking. The sick one would be listless and we would start treating with Sulmet which we found to be the same as Albon. We were never able to save any that had the runny stool but we didn't loose the whole litter every time so I thought the drug was worth using. I have never treated for 16 days so I will start treating right away for 16 days. Hopefully I will be able to cure my bunnies, we do love them and want to treat them with love and respect, we do not buy cheap feed, we do use crocks for them but are switching to a gravity feed water system and have a Flush-Kleen system. I will take extra care when cleaning also from now on. Thanks you for all of the helpful advice, we look forward to the idea of raising our rabbits with no drugs once we get them cured. Thanks, Angela

Answer
Coccidia can/will cause soft stool - but it is very rare for it to be fatal and while its annoying and foul smelling, rabbits don't usually become listless from it.
It sounds more like mucoid enteropathy or cecal dysbiosis rather than coccidia.  Can you tell me exactly what you are feeding - the feed/brand/formula with amounts as well as any treats or extras  you give them.

While I have a great deal of respect for vets and their ability to help our animals, there are very few vets who are truly knowledgeable in rabbits.  Only an exotic animal vet has true training in rabbit health.  As a result, they often make the wrong diagnosis and fail to provide proper instructions for treatment.  Hopefully I can help you figure out what is really going on with your herd and get them on the road to recovery.

Lisa L.
Bunny Gal.