Parasitic Disease of Rabbits

Question 1

What protozoans cause the most common and most significant clinical disease in rabbits?

Answer 1

Coccidians

Question 2

What species of Coccidia causes hepatic disease?

Answer 2

Eimeria stiedae

Question 3

What species of coccidian causes intestinal disease?

Answer 3

Eimeria spp

Question 4

What are the clinical signs of the hepatic coccidian?

Answer 4

Liver dysfunction
Blockage of the bile ducts
Weight loss
Hepatomegaly
Icterus

Question 5

What are the clinical signs of the intestinal coccidian?

Answer 5

Profuse, watery or bloddy diarrhea

Question 6

What is caused by the protozoal parasite Encephalitozoon cuniculi

Answer 6

Encephalitozoonosis

Question 7

What organs does Encephalitozoon cuniculi cause lesions to form?

Answer 7

Brain and kidney

Question 8

How is Encephalitozoonosis transmitted?

Answer 8

Ingestion of the parasite

Transplacental

Question 9

How is Encephalitozoonosis treated?

Answer 9

Treatment is lifelong

Focuses on minimizes the symptoms of the disease

Question 10

What are the clinical signs of Encephalitozoonosis?

Answer 10

Usually not present
Neurologic signs (depression, torticollis, ataxia)
Lesions

Question 11

Rabbits may serve as a resrvoir host of what protozoal parasite for infection of other animals?

Answer 11

Cryptosporidium cuniculus

Question 12

What is the intermediate host of Cryptosporidium cuniculus?

Answer 12

Sarcocystis cuniculi

Question 13

Rabbits are usually asymptomatic for Cryptosporidium cuniculus but encysted forms may initiate what?

Answer 13

Inflammatory response resulting in eosinophilic myositis and myocarditis

Question 14

How is Cryptosporidium cuniculus transmitted?

Answer 14

Ingestion of infective oocysts

Question 15

Migrating larvae of what nematode causes viseral larval migrans in rabbits?

Answer 15

Baylisascaris procyonis

Question 16

What is the pinworm of rabbits?

Answer 16

Passalurus ambiguus

Question 17

What protozoal parasite is rarely found in rabbits

Answer 17

Cestodes

Question 18

What is a nonburrowing mite that feeds on the epidermis of the ear canal?

Answer 18

Psoroptes cuniculi

Question 19

What are the clinical signs of ear mites?

Answer 19

Painful inflammation
Intense pruritis 
Dry, crusty, brown material
Foul smell
Raw skin

Question 20

How are ear mites treated?

Answer 20

Application of mineral oil

Question 21

What mite is a nonburrowing mite, has zoonotic potential, and is commonly referred to as Fur mites?

Answer 21

Cheyletiella parasitovorax

Question 22

What are the clinical signs of Cheyletiella parasitovorax?

Answer 22

Nonpruritic alopecia over the back and intrascapular area

Question 23

What ectoparasite is possible but rarely seen?

Answer 23

Sarcoptic mange

Question 24

What is the only tick of any clinical significance in domestic rabbits?

Answer 24

Haemophysalis leporispalustris

Question 25

What ectoparasites are seen in poor husbandry conditions?

Answer 25

Fleas and lice

Question 26

What causes cysts in the skin of the rabbit and contains fistulated openings (Warbles), and surgery is required to remove the larvae?

Answer 26

Cuterebra species