Pregnancy Toxemia
Also known as ketosis, this occurs in the last
week of pregnancy. This is a major problem about rabbits and some are more
prone to it especially a first litter and overweight doe. The probable major cause
is starvation with subsequent metabolic effects on the doe and young. Other causes consist of stress, heat prostration, and loss of
appetite due to hairball blockage. When carbohydrate energy declines, body fat is mobilized for
energy, and ketone bodies are produced and enter the bloodstream. The liver
becomes fatty and appears brown and soft.
Symptoms
Symptoms commonly appear few days before or right after the
kindling. It is due
of
combination of high nutritional demand and conditions that limit intake. Sign
of
this
disease consist of dullness of the eyes, sluggishness, respiratory distress,
and
death after 1 to 4 days.
Treatment
and prevention
Injections of fluids containing glucose may reverse the breakdown
of body fats
and halt production of ketones. Junior does should not be too fat
when bred for
the first litter. A sub-Q injection of
Glucose or Dextrose is an effective treatment.
Give a small breed two
3cc sub-q injections under the skin at the neck area
between and behind the
ears (one in the morning and one in the afternoon).
As a follow up, feed
with a curved tip feeding syringe either Karo syrup or
molasses 1cc every four
hours until they start eating pelleted feed again. While
they remain off pellets,
mix 1-2 teaspoons of baby oatmeal or high protein cereal,
1cc syrup, 1tablespoon
nutrical and feed with curved tip syringe.
§
Mastitis
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Diarrhea
