White Spots on rabbit livers - what is it?

[Muntjac Man 0]

Out last night with the .22, took four rabbits out of one warren here in my home area of Warwickshire.

 

All of them had white spots on the livers ranging from just a few, to loads of small spots, to one big white area 10mm dia plus smaller ones. Rabbits were varied ages from 3/4 grown adolescent to big bruiser buck, externally, all looked perfectly healthy, not many fleas.

 

Some people say it is early stage of myxi, but none of the rabbits from that warren have shown any other signs of myxi - eyes perfectly clear, no lumps, bumps, sores etc.

 

Have had the odd one with the white spots before, but never 100%.

 

Have also heard that it could be coccidiosis or tularemia, but thought tularemia wasn't in the uk.

 

Anyone know for definite what the white spots are?

[Rolfe 2]

Out last night with the .22, took four rabbits out of one warren here in my home area of Warwickshire.

 

All of them had white spots on the livers ranging from just a few, to loads of small spots, to one big white area 10mm dia plus smaller ones. Rabbits were varied ages from 3/4 grown adolescent to big bruiser buck, externally, all looked perfectly healthy, not many fleas.

 

Some people say it is early stage of myxi, but none of the rabbits from that warren have shown any other signs of myxi - eyes perfectly clear, no lumps, bumps, sores etc.

 

Have had the odd one with the white spots before, but never 100%.

 

Have also heard that it could be coccidiosis or tularemia, but thought tularemia wasn't in the uk.

 

Anyone know for definite what the white spots are?

Probably liver fluke.......there was a topic a week or so back on the same subject.......try looking back in the forum.

[Dullahan 0]

Out last night with the .22, took four rabbits out of one warren here in my home area of Warwickshire.

 

All of them had white spots on the livers ranging from just a few, to loads of small spots, to one big white area 10mm dia plus smaller ones. Rabbits were varied ages from 3/4 grown adolescent to big bruiser buck, externally, all looked perfectly healthy, not many fleas.

 

Some people say it is early stage of myxi, but none of the rabbits from that warren have shown any other signs of myxi - eyes perfectly clear, no lumps, bumps, sores etc.

 

Have had the odd one with the white spots before, but never 100%.

 

Have also heard that it could be coccidiosis or tularemia, but thought tularemia wasn't in the uk.

 

Anyone know for definite what the white spots are?

 

I have come across this before also. I cut the liver out and took it to the local vet (because I feed my dog and ferrets on the offal) She was quite young for a vet and mainly dealt with domestic animals. However she thought it was due to fertilizers or other chemicals in the ground by farmers. She did keep the livers and sent them for analysis at the Cambridge University. I never heard back.

Dullahan.

[Muntjac Man 0]

Thanks Rolfe.

 

Interesting point - could be. But from what I remember on my DSC1 course, liver fluke is dependant on a water snail for its lifecycle, and where I shot the rabbits, the nearest water is a canal probably half a mile away??

 

Dullahan, hadn't thought of that one. Could be a point - the field wheere I shot then has only recently been plouged up and sown with crops (crops now about 2" tall) - last year it was sheep grazing it, so presumably it will have been well sprayed with fertilizer - I'll ask the farmer whose field it is. Shame you didn't get any feedback from your vet.

 

Thanks for your help folks!

 

Sadly, that was 4 bunnies in the bin - don't know about the rest of you, but as I give them away to my Mum (aged 92) and friends, I'm not willing to take any risks with something that looks to have some serious condition!

 

Will have to see how things liver-wise progress in that particualr shoot over the coming months. Admittedley, the farmer concerned is just happy that I shoot them - for me it's a bit sad that they don't end up serving a useful purpose - i.e. dinner.

[Wilky 0]

I would say coxidiosis, it normally occurs in younger rabbits and they generally grow out of it by the time they are 3/4 grown, creamy coloured spots on the liver, some only get it mildly and some get a liver full, no detriment to the flesh though.

[landrover 6]

[quote name='Muntjac Man' date='Apr 24 2008, 11:30 AM' post='5053

 

Dullahan, hadn't thought of that one. Could be a point - the field wheere I shot then has only recently been plouged up and sown with crops (crops now about 2" tall) - last year it was sheep grazing it, so presumably it will have been well sprayed with fertilizer - I'll ask the farmer whose field it is. Shame you didn't get any feedback from your vet

 

shooting rabbits in a field,and don't know who's field it is

[Muntjac Man 0]

Thanks all for your contributions, and apologies for my grammatical failings.

 

MM

[dwighet 1]

Guiness gave me white spots on the liver!!!!!!!

[Muntjac Man 0]

Guiness gave me white spots on the liver!!!!!!!

 

Oh Dear - as I am also partial to the odd pint or two of that particualr brew, and also to eating rabbit, I guess the chances for my liver aren't looking good!

[SharpShooter14 0]

Early signs of miximatosis is often white spots on vital organs, such as the liver. Could be that.

[alimac 882]

I would say coxidiosis, it normally occurs in younger rabbits and they generally grow out of it by the time they are 3/4 grown, creamy coloured spots on the liver, some only get it mildly and some get a liver full, no detriment to the flesh though.

[hairyarsedscotsman 0]

the rabbits here have it,we dont use fertilser so its not that,coccidiosios,should produce a black scour and severe waight loss and death,liver fluke does not need a river or a stream, but does like wet drains,bogs or marshy areas.

LIVER FLUKE ,i would say.

allso liver looks the same as a sheep liver contaminated with fluke.

[leegreen 2,100]

I had a few yearling lamb butchered and they condemed the livers because of whiteish yellow spots on them and the vet who condemed them said it was caused by dog tape worm. They had none in the stomach or intestines but he said they had had them.

Needless to say I kicked the dogs when I got home.

[vincy 3]

if it happend to be raining when you gutted them it could be the rain as when water touch's the liver it can look like liver fluke

[Muntjac Man 0]

Thanks to all for your contributions. It is obviously a puzzling situation with many possibilities!

 

Next time I go shooting there, will open up the livers to see if I can see any flukes in them.

 

HAS thanks for the thoughts on coccidiosis.

 

The rabbits concerned all looked very healthy - no weight loss, no tapeworm cysts vivible, no signs at all of myxi in any of the rabbits from the area, and the ground concerned is very well drained - superb soil and it's the highest point on the whole of the 150 acre shoot!

 

What puzzles me also, is that every one of them had the spots. Have had situations over my many years of rabbiting where the odd on or two have the spots, but never before seen them on all of the rabbits shot.

 

Thanks again to all for your help.