Detailed quarantine procedures.

[fuzzy9]

Can we discuss specific detailed quarantine methods that breeders follow? I'm sure this has been talked about previously also, but being new to rabbits myself, it would really be helpful to see if there are procedures or time frames that we are not accurately following possibly. I will also say, I'm sure there are many different ways of doing things, but it would be nice to have as much information on this as possible for us folks new to rabbits.

To add to this, can we make the discussion about both new rabbits, and also quarantine methods for possible sick rabbits being pulled from the herd.

 

[Legacy]

Interested in seeing the responses to this.

I just quarantined 4 different cages of rabbits. I have them all a least 20 feet from the others. I was lucky in that the sick rabbit was in an all metal cage so no wood to clean. I misted the (3 whole) cage with Clorox clean-up spray. And let it sit for a while. I hope that was enough.

I had one sick rabbit and quarantined the the others because they were near it. I don't know how long I need to keep them separate but I am prepared to do it for a month or more.

 

[MaggieJ]

I'm no expert on this but new rabbits get quarantined here for 4-6 weeks. I care for them last so as not to carry possible contagion from the new rabbit to my existing herd. I wash well after caring for the quarantined rabbit. If I am disinfecting a cage I use a solution of bleach and water and then put the cage out in the sun for several days. UV will kill many germs.

If I had quarantined a rabbit for illness or evaluation, I would step up the washing and change clothing before going back to my own rabbits. Hasn't happened here yet.

 

[akane]

Depends some on the source of the rabbit. When getting a rabbit from a poorly maintained rabbitry (several feet of moldy rabbit poo in the building) that had a known illness go through a year ago I kept the doe in a different building for 2 months. When getting a buck from a guy who was very well known for the health and quality of his rabbits, I'd seen his place twice, and I'd gotten other rabbits from him so I just stuck the buck in an end cage for a couple weeks before adding him to the colony.

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

I have found I HAVE to quarantine and treat anything I get from a livestock auction- no matter how healthy in appearance-- everybody handles those animals prior to the sale-- and there are no sanitation measures taken between rabbits! I had a couple people, we could trade rabbits back and forth with no issues-- other sources-- would get through quarantine, but get sick when exposed to my herd.
I have learned-- if the seller indicates they HAVE to have certain measures in place to 'keep things away' then avoid that herd and anything that passes through it-- I took a rabbit to a show-- he got exposed to a lot of other rabbits-- he was fine-- and nothing happened to the rest of my herd, either-- so I ask myself-- did I have a herd with very good, functional immune systems, or was I lucky?

Every herd has its own 'load' of potential pathogenic bacteria, protozoa, etc. neighbors raising rabbits from the same foundation source can actually develop two different sets of pathogen resistance. Quarantine serves to keep things IN as well as OUT. You can have an animal pass through your own quarantine period with flying colors, but then get sick from the stuff your own herd carries and is resistant to.

 

[arachyd]

Add to the suggestions above - separate feed. Unless you know exactly where your illness came from you need to assume anything could be the source. A bale of hay comes from a field that is in no way protected from possibly contagious wild animals and birds coming in touch with the hay. Immediately buy a new bale and use the old bale to feed the affected rabbits or dispose of it completely. The same goes for pellets and grains, even the scoops you used - mice and birds are common around grain mills and feed stores. Wash everything thoroughly and frequently. Bleach can be your friend. Always tend to the healthy ones first then the ill ones to avoid carrying germs from the sick rabbits to the healthy ones. Stay away from friends who own rabbits. They'll understand.

 

[akane]

Quarantine serves to keep things IN as well as OUT. You can have an animal pass through your own quarantine period with flying colors, but then get sick from the stuff your own herd carries and is resistant to.

Quarantine won't do you any good in that case. No matter how long you keep the rabbit separate whenever you finally do put it with your herd it's going to be exposed. Quarantine won't help prevent a new rabbit getting sick with something in your herd no matter how you do it since you aren't keeping them apart forever. The only thing it would help with is if your herd was recently exposed to something from a show or another new rabbit and was being treated before introducing another one.

 

[fuzzy9]

Terry, when you say "quarantine and treat".......what do you mean by treat? Do you have a certain procedure you follow?

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

Quarantine and Treat


New animal is put in 'Quarantine and Treat'-ed for anything it may be carrying.

One of the local livestock auctions offer 'Cut and Treat' on bull calves, and 'Treat' on heifers--(haven't stayed around for sheep and goats to see if true for them) in other words, the animals are being loaded for the ride home with a load of antibiotics already in them. The calves not being treated will usually be hamburger or bologna the next morning. This happened because a horse went through the sales barn with an infectious disease- one that did not show up until the horse was 'home' for 3 days.

I did not like the idea of using antibiotics on new animals without a justifiable reason-- but doing so made it possible for me to 'keep' a larger percentage of animals. Raising an animal organically does not make it ethical to let the animal go without needed care-- and so little is readily available in the way of acceptable, natural medications for these guys.