# New rabbit quarantine routine



## SquashNut (Sep 25, 2005)

What is your new rabbit quarantine routine? How long does it last and do you do any precautionay treatments during that time?


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## ladysown (May 3, 2008)

new rabbits go into my all wire cage or into one of my plastic bottomed cages, and stay no less than 20 feet away from all other animals. No newbies in the winter since it's not practical.

I'm also now thinking that I'll treat anything that comes for two weeks with sulmet. (not sure about that though).


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

I've had a closed rabbitry since we got our first rabbits... all from one place. But I'm hoping to bring in some new blood soon, so I will be watching this thread with interest.


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## Marshloft (Mar 24, 2008)

Well,,, these are my thoughts...
Take into consideration that I'm fairly new to rabbits,, "under a year".
But,,, I know in pigeons,, you can have two different lofts...
Both perfectly healthy,, based on their own bacterial environement.
Put the two lofts together and you will have some that get sick and die...
The survivors will have a resistance to the bacteria from both lofts..
The same way with children,,, they can seem perfectly healthy,, till the first week of school,,, what happens??,, they come home with the sniffles,, or get a temp....
I refuse to give antibiotics to my animals or my boy's in either case..
They have to become resistant to your own environment eventually...
Gary H.


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## SquashNut (Sep 25, 2005)

So you don't think a quarantine is nessasary when you bring in new stock and you wouldn't use any precautionaty meds/treatments.


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## Terry W (Mar 10, 2006)

I use caging that is separated fro the rest by an open area-- try to keep the 'conditions' the same for both areas-- and have even 'flip-flopped' the areas.
I sorta feel like Gary does-- that two 'perfectly healthy' groups of animals can infect each other with stuff that the other group is NOT immune to. That is one of the reasons why I like PLENTY of fresh air and sunshine-- to permit Nature to work the way she is supposed to. And immunity cannot be built up without some exposure to 'strange' organisms. I also believe in 'clean' but try not to get carried away with having everything antiseptically clean.


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## Beaniemom (May 25, 2007)

I put new stuff in quarintine. I used to let it in after a week. Or I used to just put it in if it was from someone I trusted. Yeah, that one could have cost me every rabbit out there, although in hind sight, it may have made not a bit of difference, because everything on transport with it has since been culled I think, except for a handfull of animals.

So, now I quarintine everything. It must EARN its spot in the rabbitry. I'm hoping to have my show area up before the fall shows so my show stock will not come into contact with brood stock.

Oh, and just a note, if you let someone use your buck, put it in quarintine when you get home. I'd done it bunches of times without a problem, only the last time it didn't go so well.

I don't medicate anything, although I am considering worming and treating for Cocci anything that comes home from convention. <Shudders, ewwww, convention germs!> I am considering coming up with an herbal "cocktail" to give to the show buns to help boost their immune system, disguised as a tasty treat...


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## ladysown (May 3, 2008)

what kind of things would you put into that cocktail beaniemom?


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## Marshloft (Mar 24, 2008)

SquashNut said:


> So you don't think a quarantine is nessasary when you bring in new stock and you wouldn't use any precautionaty meds/treatments.


The quarantine is a given,, in all animals...
I guess you need to describe meds/treatments..
I'm sure evryone has their own protocol that they use that works for them..
I would think using acv as a stress reliever and immune booster and I believe Maggie mentioned Acidophilus as a pro-biotic..
I remember Linda also mentioning having a pro-biotic in her pellets,, altho she didn't mention what that was..
Gary H.


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## Beaniemom (May 25, 2007)

Well, I don't know really, LOL I have a bottle of something I bought from Galens garden, but its really designed to give to the buns directly, and they don't much like me cramming stuff in their mouths!

I was thinking Vit C maybe (I know, they make their own) Echinacea, Milk Thistle (I think???) I have to do some research, its on my list of things to do. I know Kelp is good for the liver, don't know if that would help ward off germs or not.

Course, lots of stuff is caused by stress, so maybe a little "something" to help mellow them out too...


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## maidservant (Dec 10, 2007)

Everything I bring home goes into quarrantine for a minimum of four weeks. Most things will show up before the four weeks is up. I don't treat with anything, but I'm not going to risk everyone for one new critter. The only thing different I do for those in quarrantine is I'll give them oats at every meal (maybe a teaspoon or two) and I'll start easing them onto hay and fresh greens. They stay inside of my feed building (the feed is in barrels on the porch of the building, and they get fed and watered and petted last. I have a bottle of hand sanitizer that I use before and after handling anyone new or in quarrantine. 

Emily in NC


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