The Most Common Parasites in Rabbits

Are you ready for all the juicy (what I really mean here is disgusting) details about the three most common parasites we have seen in rabbits over the past four years at Breadbox. Since we are located in the North America, some of this information could be different if you live overseas. I am not as familiar with parasites in tropical areas. I do, however, interact with breeders and rescues all over the United States and these are three big ones that come up all the time. There are treatment protocols for all of them, so if you’re here because you are worried your rabbit has been infested by something nefarious, don’t worry! We’ll touch on the symptoms, how the parasite is spread, how it is diagnosed by a vet, how it is treated, and even some prevention tips that we use in the rabbitry. By the time you finish this article, you will be much more educated about the yuckiest part of owning a rabbit. Lucky you :)

Coccidia (a species of Elmeria)

Coccidia is a single-celled organism that infects the intestinal tract causing diarrhea and weight loss. This parasite is transmitted through the feces of infected rabbits, and it can also be passed from mother to offspring. Coccidiosis, the disease caused by the parasite, affects young bunnies around weaning age most drastically, and can lead to rapid dehydration and death if not addressed quickly. Since rabbits are an animal that ingest their feces regularly, coccidia is a parasite that is very likely to infect a group of rabbits living in the same space. Treatment includes the use of anti-parasitic drugs such as metronidazole or sulfadimethoxine.

The best prevention for gut parasites includes:

1. Keeping your rabbit’s area clean and not letting urine or feces build up where they come into contact with it.

2. Only introducing your rabbit to other healthy rabbits that have been vet checked in the past year. When bringing new rabbits into our breeding program, they are each tested before they meet our herd.

3. Encouraging your rabbit to eat fresh herbs that boost gut health and are anti-parasitic.

4. Providing your rabbits with woven willow toys as willow bark is an anti-parasitic.

Symptoms:

• Diarrhea or a soft consistency to normal feces (this does not include cecotropes which are generally soft when a rabbit is healthy)

• Mucous in the feces, this is usually a jelly-like consistency

• Bloated belly, especially in baby bunnies

• Having a hard time gaining weight, especially baby bunnies

• Lethargy, staying still, and sleeping a lot

• Noticeable weight loss

• Changes in an established eating pattern, eating much less or more than normal

What should I do if I suspect my rabbit has Coccidia?

Firstly, don’t panic! Coccidia is a very easy parasite to treat, even in small rabbits. You should visit a rabbit savvy vet as soon as possible and have them perform a fecal float test. Most vets offer this service at an annual rabbit check up and the cost does not usually exceed $100. If your rabbit does show signs of the parasite in the test, your vet will prescribe a medication to eradicate the parasites. The meds are pretty easy to administer orally and are usually taken anywhere from two to seven days. If you are having a hard time giving your bunny the oral medication, check out Tips for Giving Oral Meds to Resistant Rabbits.

You should also note that the coccidia strain that affects rabbits does not affect dogs, cats, or humans so no need to worry about these icky critters getting into the rest of your tribe.

E. Cuniculi

Encephalitozoon cuniculi, often refered to as E. Cuniculi, is a microscopic parasite that can infect the kidneys and brain of rabbits. The parasite is typically transmitted through urine, and it can also be passed from mother to offspring. In many cases, infection may be asymptomatic, and the rabbit may not show any signs of illness. It has been estimated that up to 80% of rabbits carry this organism somewhere in their body and many will never be ill from it.

Complete prevention of E. Cuniculi may be impossible at this point, but you can help to prevent immune system dysfunction. Which will keep this parasite at bay, even if it already exists in the body. Feed your rabbit fresh oregano and thyme each day with their salad greens or add a dried forage blend focused on long term health, such as our Vitality Blend.

Symptoms of E. cuniculi include:

• Head tilt

• Loss of balance

• Muscle weakness

• Loss of coordination

• Nystagmus (an abnormal eye movement), this can look like the eyes rapidly moving back and forth or not being able to focus)

• Blindness

• Kidney dysfunction

• Weakness or paralysis in hind legs

• Loss of appetite

• Weight loss

What should I do if I suspect my rabbit has E. Cuniculi?

Head to a vet so that they can test for the parasite. If treated early, complete reversal of symptoms, is possible. I have seen a rabbit with complete back leg paralysis recover in a couple weeks and continue on to live a long bunny life. Treatment for E. cuniculi includes the use of anti-parasitic drugs such as fenbendazole or albendazole. The meds are oral and easy to administer but current treatment protocols have found that 4 weeks, or 28 days, of meds is most effective which is quite long. Some rabbits like the taste of the meds but if you are having a hard time medicating, check out How to Give Oral Meds to a Resistant Rabbit.

Skin Mites

The third parasite that rabbit people end up dealing with is skin mites, or Cheyletiella parasitovorax, which cause the infection known as cheyletiellosis. This teeny tiny white critter is sometimes referred to as “walking dandruff” because you can see them on top of the skin where they live, instead of burrowing into the epidermis. They can also cause quite a bit of flaky skin that resembles dandruff.

Skin mites are extremely contagious and will quickly spread through a group of rabbits, but we have noticed that certain skin or coat types are actually more affected by mites, while others are resistant. Wooly, angora rabbit fur is highly affected, possibly because it is softer, fluffier, and more dense than a standard coat. Rabbits with silkier coats and more guard hairs are the most resistant to infection with mites.

Overall skin health and resistance to disease can be improved with small doses (approximately a teaspoon) of Black Oil Sunflower Seeds a few times a week to increase vitamin E and by including an herbal forage blend that includes Holy Basil like Breadbox’s Vitality Blend. This combination makes a big difference for our rabbits with skin and fur issues, giving our rabbits healthier looking coats and increased disease resistance.

Here are the most common symptoms and identifiers for skin mites in rabbits:

• White dandruff patches close to the skin, commonly seen behind the ears, over the shoulders, and on the hindquarters over the tail where it is harder for them to groom

• Itchy skin, excessive scratching

• Hair loss that does not seem to be related to molting

What should I do if I suspect my rabbit has Skin Mites?

This infection is uncomfortable, but not life threatening so don’t panic if your vet cannot see you immediately. But you should go see them and rule out any other causes of symptoms such as ringworm or an allergy. Your vet will want to do a skin scraping test to look at the mites under a microscope to confirm the diagnosis. They will then prescribe an oral or topical medication (that is generally applied behind the ears.) If they find skin mites, you’ll want to carefully check out the other animals in your household as this parasite CAN infect other species, like cats and dogs.