Pasteurella
-Pasteurella *Snuffles*-
Etiology (cause)
Clinical Signs
Treatment, Prevention, and Control
Their is Officially no known on label treatment for Pasteurella.
Off label :
Draxin appears to be the most effective treatment and possible a cure when Pasteurella is caught early. Draxin given at the first sign of sneezing and white snot. appears to be effective in eliminating Pasteurella with in a 72 hour period. More trials are needed. Draxin was used in a piolet study to test it's effectiveness in rabbits in 2017.
DOI:10.17582/JOURNAL.AAVS/2017/5.12.477.485Corpus ID: 80507273 Efficacy of Tulathramycin in the Treatment of Respiratory Pasteurollosis in Rabbits N. Edrees, Suhair A. Abdellatief, +1 author Amany El-Sharkawy Published 1 November 2017 Medicine, Biology Advances in Animal and Veterinary Sciences | Pasteurella multocida is the most critical respiratory bacterial infection of rabbits, around the globe. Beside passive immunization, anti-bacterial treatment is the primary choice of disease control. Since tulathromycin may be retained in the lung for many days after single administration, it can be applied for treatment of respiratory diseases. Hence, the purpose of current study was to evaluate the efficacy of tulathromycin in treating experimentally infected rabbits with P. multocida. In the sensitivity test, tulathromycin showed a potent inhibitory effect on P. multocida compared to several well-established antimicrobial agents. In vivo, treatment with tulathromycin improved clinical signs, mortality rate, lesion scores and growth performance parameters in infected rabbits. Furthermore, treatment with tulathromycin ameliorated the hematological picture, lowered the level of biochemical parameters which were significantly increased due to infection as liver enzymes, blood urea, creatinine and creatine kinase (CK-MB) and elevated the levels of total protein and albumin. Biochemical findings were supported by histopathological picture. It can be concluded that tulathromycin is an ideal and safe antibiotic for treating infection with Pasteurella multocida in rabbits
We did a barn trial on select cull rabbits to test it's effectiveness outside of a laboratory setting, and it had an approx 95% effective rate as a single dose on a 7 day trial. Rabbits that showed mild symptoms were given a follow up dose 7 days latter and all but 1 has full cleared. we would like to pursue a grant and full study to test this further in hope of getting Draxxin approved for on lable use.
Baytril has also been effective to treat early onset cases in trials 2014.
https://bmcvetres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12917-014-0276-6 Alternative treatment of serious and mild Pasteurella multocida infection in New Zealand White rabbits Orsolya Palócz, János Gál, Paul Clayton, Zoltán Dinya, Zoltán Somogyi, Csaba Juhász & György Csikó BMC Veterinary Research volume 10, Article number: 276 (2014)
Pasteurella multocida causes numerous economically relevant diseases in livestock including rabbits. Immunization is only variably effective. Prophylactic antibiotics are used in some species but are contra-indicated in rabbits, due to their adverse effects on the rabbit microbiota. There is therefore a substantial need for alternative forms of infection control in rabbits; we investigated the effect of oral β-glucan on P. multocida infection in this species.
Results Thirthy-five New Zealand White rabbits were randomly divided into five groups of seven animals. Three groups were inoculated with Pasteurella multocida intranasally (in.), a physiologically appropriate challenge which reproduces naturally acquired infection, and received either (1-3), (1-6) β-glucans or placebo. Four other groups were inoculated both in. and intramuscularly (im.), representing a supra-physiological challenge, and received either (1-3), (1-6) β-glucans, antibiotic or placebo. β-glucans given prophylactically were highly effective in protecting against physiological (in.) bacterial challenge. They were less effective in protecting against supra-physiological bacterial challenge (in. and im.), although they extended survival times. This latter finding has practical relevance to breeders as it extends the window in which heavily infected and symptomatic animals can be salvaged with antibiotics.
Conclusions In our study, (1-3), (1-6) β-glucans were highly effective in protecting against a model of naturally acquired P. multocida infection and extended survival times in the supra-physiological model. Enrofloxacin(baytril) was effective in protecting against supra-physiological infection. We are currently reviewing the use of combined prophylaxis.
References
Snuffles is the street name for Pasteurella , it shows up as a respiratory infection accompanied by thick white/ yellow mucus, raspy strained breathing. there are 2 forms Acute and Chronic. over 80% of rabbits are carries as it lives in the environment .
It has 2 stages Dormant Carrier and Active Infection
A carrier does not present with an active infection and is not contagious with an active illness, the Rabbit's immune system are holding it off so it is dormant.
ONCE SNUFFLES BECOMES ACTIVE it is a terminal cull. If the rabbit is able to survive the acute respiratory infection thru use of therapeutic antibiotics, it Will continue to be contagious with active infection and will spread a stronger infection to neighboring rabbits that they may not be able to fight off. It will then move on to the Chronic snuffles.
The chronic form, Pasteurella moves to the body cavities, and eats away at the organs, while filling the body cavity with thick mucus. Chronic Pasteurella will slowly and painfully kill a rabbit. Rabbits will exhibit one or more of the following signs: persistent mucus drip, wet yellow stained noses and paws, sore hocks, lethargy, getting tired easily, intermittent sneezing fits, signs of pain. When Pasteurella become Chronic it will start to form lesions on the organs.
Pasteurellosis in Rabbits
April 2000Compendium on Continuing Education for the Practicing Veterinarian -North American Edition- 22(4):344-+
Pathological findings in a fatal pet rabbit Pasteurellosis Springer August 2020Comparative Clinical Pathology 29(6) DOI:10.1007/s00580-020-03115-x
