Cases- From time to time, rabbit owners bring in their rabbits and report their faecal pellets are covered with tiny white worms. Most of them are in a good shape regarding eating, drinking, defecating etc. Their faecal pellets are of normal consistency and not diarrhoeic. Pinworms are considered as part of the gut flora- commensal. They have a role in fibre digestion. In general, rabbits infested with pinworms are asymptomatic. They only show clinical signs, if the burdens are heavy. Affected individuals may show anorexia, weight loss, caecal impaction, ileus, perineal pruritus and dermatitis. Pinworms live in the caecum and colon. They are transmitted by faecal ingestion which contains pinworm eggs or food contaminated with infested faeces. The diagnosis is straightforward, faecal smear seeing adult worms or eggs under the microscope. The length of pinworm is around 0.4cm to 0.6cm with a long tail. Anthelmintics are administered orally for 5-7 days and repeated in 14 days until clear. All rabbits in the same environment are treated at the same time. Sometimes, retreatment may be indicated. I have seen rabbits with recurrence for 3 times or more. In the meantime, if rabbits have perineal skin problem- they are clipped, cleaned with antiseptic daily and antibiotic in order to speed up recovery.
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