Diagnostic studies for enterotoxaemia in rabbits

Abstract. The relevance of this study is highlighted by the occurrence of enterotoxaemia in
rabbits, particularly caused by Clostridium perfringens, in the context of industrial rabbit farming.
The research aimed to determine the causes of morbidity and increased mortality in young
rabbits during the growing period. The study involved a stepwise analysis of feed samples, clinical examination of rabbits reared in an industrial rabbit farm, and laboratory examination
of the obtained biological material. Additionally, to establish a diagnosis and provide the farm
with appropriate recommendations regarding the maintenance and prevention of rabbit diseases,
the health status of the rabbits, the causes of digestive disorders with symptoms of diarrhoea
and increased mortality under production conditions were analysed. Clinical, haematological,
pathological, microbiological, and statistical research methods were used. In diseased rabbits, an
increase in rectal body temperature, symptoms of diarrhoea, and in some animals, seizures were
established. Several animals succumbed to the disease. During laboratory blood tests of the rabbits,
moderate anaemia was detected, with a decrease in the number of erythrocytes and a reduction in
haemoglobin content. There was also a disturbance in the qualitative composition of erythrocytes,
including the presence of poikilocytosis and altered erythrocyte forms: acanthocytes, echinocytes,
schistocytes, dacryocytes, keratocytes, and drepanocytes. A decrease in the immune status of the
rabbits was characterised by a reduction in the total number of leukocytes and lymphocytes in the
blood and a low neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio. Biochemical analysis of rabbit serum revealed
a decrease in glucose levels below the physiological range and an increase in the activity of the
enzymes alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and gamma-glutamyl transferase.
Results of post-mortem examinations of the deceased rabbits indicated the presence of gas-filled
small intestines, with a fluid content and no macroscopic signs of inflammation. The feed provided
to the rabbits on the farm was found to contain sulphite-reducing clostridia, specifically Clostridium
perfringens. Identifying the causes of morbidity and mortality in rabbits will enable the selection of
appropriate methods for preventing deaths within specific farming conditions