Key facts about endoparasites of pet rabbits: a guide for clinicians
Abstract
Pet rabbits are frequently presented in first opinion veterinary practice and questions about their parasites and parasite control are common. While pet rabbits can host various endoparasites and may experience clinical signs of disease as a consequence, many parasites found do not necessarily cause clinical signs in all animals. This must be balanced with the knowledge that some of these parasites are also capable of parasitising other household pets. Therefore, this may affect decisions to treat and how treatment or prophylactic plans are implemented. Some parasites may also indicate underlying disease and/or issues with husbandry or social grouping, causing stress and immunosuppression. Therefore, it is important to understand these factors, as treatment of the parasitic disease will be less successful if underlying factors are not corrected. This article is an easy reference guide for clinicians who need to understand the clinical relevance of these parasites.
Rabbits can experience a variety of endoparasites. In the clinical setting, rabbits will sometimes be presented for conditions directly linked to parasitism, or the parasites may be found as part of a clinical investigation and the clinician must decide whether or not they are clinically significant. This is not always simple and may depend on various factors, including the number of parasites, species of parasite, age of the rabbit and the immune status (including disease status) of the rabbit. With respect to the immune status, there may also be effects of husbandry system and social interactions, especially in a farmed or breeding setting.
This article discusses the internal parasites that may be commonly encountered in pet rabbits in the UK. It will cover their clinical effects, including direct clinical effects, and their influence and involvement in other disease processes. Encephalitozoon cuniculi is now classed as a microsporidian fungus and it is debatable as to whether or not it is a true parasite. However, it is an important pathogen of pet rabbits and is more worthy of a full article in its own right, so is not included here.
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