Clinical course and therapeutic measures for psoroptosis in rabbits

Abstract

The effectiveness of rabbit breeding depends on the conditions of their keeping, as well as the well-being of
farms in relation to various diseases, including parasitic etiology. The variety of parasites affecting rabbits
includes representatives of protozoa, helminths and arthropods. One of the most common acarosis in rabbits is
psoroptosis, the causative agent of which is a tick of the species Psoroptes cuniculi Delafond, 1859. The disease
leads to otitis, decreased appetite, deterioration of fur quality, weight loss, and often – mortality of young animals.
The purpose of the research was to establish the features of the clinical course and the effectiveness of treatment
measures for psoroptosis in rabbits. The research was conducted on the basis of the Laboratory of Parasitology
of the Poltava State Agrarian University and in the conditions of one-person peasant farms in the village
Neliubivka of the Poltava region. The conducted studies established that the clinical picture of spontaneous
psoroptosis was characterized by severe itching in the ears of rabbits. This was accompanied by shaking of the
head, drooping of the auricles, disheveled fur near the base of the ears. At the same time, foci of inflammation and
the presence of dense crusts were found on the inner surface of the skin of the auricles. In the external auditory
canal, in some cases, the presence of a viscous secretion and blockage by cortical formations of the external
auditory canal has been established. The effectiveness of the use of the drug «Devimectin 1 %» and fungicidalacaricidal
ointment «Yam» for spontaneous psoroptosis of rabbits was determined. It was established that the
therapeutic effect of local treatments with «Yam» ointment was manifested by a rapid decrease in the area of the
affected skin area, the disappearance of hyperemia, on the 5th day of the experiment. Absence of exudation, edema
and pain reaction was diagnosed. On the 7th day of treatment, the disappearance of the clinical manifestation of
the infestation was registered, however, laboratory studies revealed embryonic forms of tick development in
rabbits. On the 14th day of treatment of animals «Yam» ointment for external use showed 100 % effectiveness. The
drug «Devimectin 1 %» when administered parenterally proved to be more effective against psoroptosis in
rabbits, its extenseffectiveness reached 100 % already on the 7th day. The obtained data make it possible to
recommend tested medicinal products for the treatment of psoroptosis in rabbits.