Clinico-pathological and therapeutic studies on natural psoroptic acariosis in rabbits

The clinico-pathological and therapeutic studies on a natural outbreak of psoroptic acariosis in 10 New Zealand White rabbits of either sex and aged between 1 to 2 years were carried out during the period from July to December 2003. The diagnosis was made on the basis of clinical signs and examination of skin scrapings. Clinical signs recorded were severe itching and crust formation on ears, forehead, face, eyelids, forelimbs and back. Level of Hb, TEC, lymphocyte count, total protein and albumin were significantly (p < 0.05) low while TLC, neutrophil and eosinophil counts were significantly (p < 0.05) high in affected rabbits. The disease was effectively controlled by ivermectin (Inj. Mectin®, Alembic) @ 200 µg per kg bwt given SC once in a week for 2 injections and lincomycin (Inj. Alincomycin® Vet., Alved) @ 20 mg per kg bwt given IM daily for 7 days for combating secondary bacterial infection. The complete clinical recovery and absence of mite in the skin scrapings on day 10 onwards of starting of therapy was recorded.Key words: Rabbit; Psoroptes cuniculi; haematological changes; ivermectindoi: 10.3329/bjvm.v2i2.2561Bangl. J. Vet. Med. (2004). 2 (2): 155-158