Biosecurity Practices & Protocols

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Biosecurity is a system of management procedures intended to protect people, pets and/or livestock against disease or harmful biological agents. A good biosecurity program is a logical and effective tool used to keep out pathogens that animals have not been exposed to and minimize the impact of endemic pathogens. There are many pathogens and parasites lurking and waiting for the opportunity to infect your rabbits. Unfortunately, while biosecurity is widely practiced in domestic livestock production, the rabbit hobby has been slow to embrace this very important aspect of healthful animal production. Biosecurity practices are an important aspect of herd health management for even the smallest rabbitries.

​There are numerous reasons to practice good biosecurity measures in your rabbitry or on your farm, including but not limited to the very real risk of RHDV/RHDV2 (in the US). The potential for disease outbreaks within a rabbitry poses serious threats to your rabbits' health and longevity, as well as the economic viability of your rabbitry. A disease outbreak from just one animal could have adverse effects on an entire herd. The intent of a biosecurity plan is to prevent the introduction and spread of disease through routine and measurable practices. Diseases and harmful biological agents can be introduced from a variety of sources and a good biosecurity plan addresses all known routes of transmission from disease agents such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. Some of the general sources for potential exposure to a rabbitry include transference from visitors, from plants, from pests, from food or water, from new or existing rabbits, and/or from equipment, supplies or machinery.​ Disease and other harmful biological agents can be transported from one rabbitry to another via foot traffic, truck and trailer tires, new animals, and transport cages.

Biosecurity Protocols

Rabbit owners should develop a biosecurity plan tailored to their location, facility, animals and daily activities.

• Wash your hands warm, soapy water following CDC Handwashing Guidelines before entering your rabbitry area and after handling rabbits
• Designate a pair of boots or shoes designated for use just inside the rabbitry- change in and out of them as you go in and out of your rabbitry
• Wear clean clothing before entering the rabbitry and wash clothing after contact with other animals, cages or equipment
• Reduce the potential spread of disease by not traveling to areas experiencing disease outbreaks
• Be extra vigilant in following biosecurity protocols after you have visited a rabbit shelter or rescue. a fair, a vet office, another farm or other rabbitry, or a rabbit show
• Limit the introduction of new rabbits (and always follow Quarantine Protocols, below)
• Make sure any children are aware of the importance of biosecurity- if they play with a neighbor's pet rabbit for example you don't want them being in your rabbitry until they have cleaned up
• Establish a good relationship with a local rabbit-savvy vet- if unable to find a rabbit-savvy vet, find a vet willing to work with you

Visitors

• Provide a foot bath or disposable foot coverings for anyone entering the facility
• Request that visitors wear clean clothing and footwear before entering your rabbitry
• Require visitors to wash their hands following CDC Handwashing Guidelines and wear gloves before handling animals
• Keep a clipboard and have visitors sign in and disclose if they have recently been to another rabbitry- record the name and location of that rabbitry in case there is a later problem
• Do not allow visitors who have sick rabbits at home
• Lock gates and doors to secure access to animal housing areas

​​ Keep Facilities and Equipment Clean

• Use cages and feeders/waterers that can be easily disinfected- wood is a poor choice as it is difficult to sanitize
• Automatic watering systems should be routinely sanitized and flushed
• Clean and sanitize feeders and waterers regularly
• Remove manure and other debris (like hay, straw or litter) that accumulates under cages regularly and allow for adequate drainage of urine and other fluids
• Maintain good ventilation
• Maintain a good rodent and pest control program
• Ensure that other animals including cats and dogs (and especially wild rabbits) do not enter the rabbitry area
• Disinfect all cages, carriers, crates and any containers used with them used for transporting after every use
• Screen windows or other access points to keep out insects, birds, rodents, etc
• Store feed properly and inspect before feeding
• Only use your own equipment- do not share equipment with other rabbit owners
• Obtain feed from suppliers with quality control programs
• Check the source of your rabbits' hay and food
• Do not collect and use wild plants as a food source
• Protect feed and bedding from contamination by storing them indoors or in tightly sealed containers
• Clean up feed spills immediately
• If you have dirt floors in your rabbitry, you can spread hydrated lime under the cages to reduce odor and to modify the pH balance of urine and manure so that it decomposes quicker

Monitor Rabbits

• Monitor rabbits closely every day and immediately remove and isolate (quarantine) any animals displaying and potential symptoms of disease (see Quarantine Protocols, below)​​
• Quarantine any new rabbits (see Quarantine Protocols, below)
• Do not introduce new rabbits from unknown or untrusted sources and do not add rabbits from animal shelters or other types of rescue operations
• Always handle healthy animals before handling potentially ill animals (see Quarantine Protocols, below)
• Dispose of dead rabbits using an approved method
• Wear latex or rubber gloves when handling potentially sick animals
• Watch for signs of illness including but not limited to:
  
  • Difficulty breathing
    
  • Loss of coordination
  • Sore feet
  • Blisters on vent area or around nose
  • Reduced appetite/lack of appetite
  • Dirty/matted feet from wiping face and nose
  • Diarrhea
  • Snot or discharge from eyes or nose
  • Gasping for air
  • Twisting of head or neck
  • Lethargy
  • Bleeding from the nose or mouth
  • Blood in the feces
  • Sudden death with few or no clinical signs
  • Sores or cancers inside or around the ears (see Ear Mites)
  • Fur missing on the back of the neck or scabs on the back of the neck (see Fur Mites)

Quarantine Protocols

If there is only ONE biosecurity protocol you put into place, let it be to Quarantine. Not only new rabbits, but any rabbits exhibiting and potential sign of illness or disease (see the list above). Quarantine is a state, period, or place of isolation in which people or animals that have arrived from elsewhere or been exposed to infectious or contagious disease are placed. This means it's best to set up a quarantine area well away from your other animals. Not just on the other side of the room but in a completely separate area- in a separate building is best but as far apart as you can manage, and preferably downwind of your rabbitry. Ideally you will have walls separating your quarantine area from your existing rabbitry.

Even if a new rabbit looks and acts fine, quarantine it. Rabbits can carry many diseases and illnesses that appear invisible until stressors happen. Moving to a new rabbitry is a stressor and that can trigger an outbreak.

Always- ALWAYS- feed and water animals in quarantine last. After you do so, change your clothing and shoes, and wash your hands using CDC recommended Handwashing Guidelines. Use separate feeding and watering tools- from the feed scoop to the method used to carry water to the quarantine area. This way you only carry potential germs or diseases from your healthy herd to the quarantine area and not vice versus.

Rabbits that do not exhibit any signs of illness or disease after a minimum 30 days may be brought into your rabbitry. If the rabbit shows any indication of illness or disease and it's treatable- treat it, then quarantine for an additional 30 days minimum beyond any signs of symptoms.

Tips:​

• Use separate equipment for newly acquired or sick rabbits
• Consider quarantining rabbits in your existing rabbitry if they leave your property (such as to attend a show)
• Care for quarantined rabbits last- this is super important!
• Never wear clothing or footwear into the rabbitry that was used in the quarantine area without sanitizing first

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