Rabbit Worming

Several species of worms are found, though rarely, in therabbit. Unless a severe infestation occurs, and this is unusual,little harm results to the animal.

Tapeworms of various species occur. These consist of a headwith suckers and a flat segmented body. They vary in sizefrom under an inch to a foot or more. The eggs produced bythese particular worms must pass through an intermediatehost (a mite) before they can reinfect a rabbit. Treatmentconsists of dosing with a taenicide or " worm powder".Round worms with the exception of the stomach worm(Graphidium strigosum), the intestinal worm (Trichostrongylusretortaeformis) and the caecal worm (Passalurus ambiguus) arevery rare. The stomach worm is about z inch long and pinkish incolour. It sucks blood from, and may perforate, the stomach wall.A reliable treatment consists of the use of tetra-chlorethylene incapsule form, the dosage being c.c. per lb. live weight. Thelife cycle of this worm is direct, that is, no intermediate host isnecessary and eggs passed out can infect a rabbit directly.The intestinal worm is found in the small intestine, beinghair-like and whitish in colour, about inch long. It maycause inflammation of the intestine and diarrhoea if present inlarge numbers. Treatment consists of dosing with oil ofchenopoclium in capsule form, i c.c. per lb. live weightThe caecal worm is the most common worm found in therabbit, but it is relatively harmless and very rarely causes anydamage. The storm is white, about inch long with the tailtapering to a fine point.
Flukes. Two species of flukes may be found in the bile ductsof the liver of the rabbit. The main host of the flukes whichare leaf-like and about one inch long, or one third of an inc long depending on species, is the sheep, and consequentlyprevention rests in not feeding herbage which has been over-run by sheep. There is no reliable treatment for fluke in thedomestic rabbit.

Tapeworm cysts. Two types of tapeworm cysts are found inthe rabbit. Both are the intermediate stages of the dog tape-worms. The first species (the intermediate stage of Taeniapisiformis) occurs in the abdomen attached to various parts ofthe intestine. It is a pea-sized bladder within which is a smallwhite head. The second type is the intermediate stage ofTaenia serialis and is found in the muscles of the rabbit,immediately below the skin. This cyst which may be as largeas a golf ball is filled with fluid and contains a number of whiteheads (each being the size of a pin bead) attached to the insideof the cyst wall.

The adult tapeworms of which these are the intermediatestage, are found in the intestines of the dog. The eggs arepassed out and contaminate feed or water which is eaten by therabbit. "[he parasite is liberated from the egg by the digestivejuices and, passing through the wall of the intestine and theliver, finally reaches its permanent site.
Whilst quite often large numbers of the small abdominaltype are found in the domestic rabbit, it is rare to find morethan one or two of the muscle type in the same animal. Thelarge cyst in the muscle is not painful when touched. Neitherof the cysts cause much damage, although the passage of theparasite through the liver to its final site may cause some harm,particularly in severe infestations.

Prevention can only be accomplished by taking care thatno food or water given to the stock has been contaminated inany way by dogs, and if a dog is kept by the breeder, then stepsshould be taken to see that it is " wormed " when need arises.There is no treatment for the abdominal cyst, but the musclecyst can be removed surgically. It is essential that all the headson the wall of the cyst are removed or the cyst will refocus.