Monitoring and clinical characteristics of obstetric and gynaecological pathol-ogy in rabbits of the Californian breed in the conditions of private of the pop-ulation of Dnipropetrovsk oblast

Symptomatic infertility in rabbits was caused by functional disorders (absence of sexual cycles or their inferiority, ovarian cysts, cystic endometrial hyperplasia) and inflammation of the tissues of the reproductive system (vulvo-vaginitis, metritis and pyometra). It was found that 10% of rabbits aged 1.5–2.5 years did not come into hunting, 30–35 % were not covered and often showed a natural decline in productivity in late summer, autumn and early winter. At this time both the frequency of sire acceptance and the frequency of insemination decreased. In 13 % of rabbits of different ages (from 6 months to 2 years), false pregnancies were recorded. In case of false pregnancy and in the first days or weeks after lambing due to injury to the tissues of the mammary gland nipples by the edges of nesting houses and rabbits during suckling, as well as from the flow of cold air during the winter-spring period of keeping were observed signs of postpartum mastitis. An analysis of the spread of diseases of the reproductive system, which include obstetric and gynaecological pathology (diseases of females during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum, as well as non-pregnant individuals), which accompanied by vaginal and pregnant uterine dislocation, pathological discharge from the genitals; pain, swelling, and redness of the of the mucous membrane; increased attention of sick animals to the lesion and anxiety; anorexia, lethargy and abdominal enlargement due to anorexia, lethargy and abdominal enlargement due to stretched uterine walls; polydipsia and polyuria. Reproductive diseases were more common in those animals kept at home. There were cases of prolapsus vaginae and uterine (1 %), abdominal pregnancy, which usually occurred subclinically in rabbits (1 %). Dystocia of parturition in rabbits (2 % of cases) was observed due to large-fruited. Signs of dystocia were constant contractions of the uterus and abdominal walls, tension and bloody or greenish-brown discharge from the vaginal discharge. The most common cases of gynaecological pathology were among them, including chronic endometritis (5 %), pyometra (2 %), mastitis (5 %) and ovarian cysts (2 %). The age distribution of uterine neoplasia, endometrial hyperplasia and inflammation of the uterine tissues was determined in cases of postmortem examination. The age of females ranged from 16 to 36 months, with the highest incidence was observed in rabbits aged 2 to 3 years. Less often, specific inflammatory processes developed in the genitals of rabbits’ processes in infectious diseases such as spirochaetosis, pasteurellosis and myxomatosis. Specific inflammatory processes in the genitals of rabbits were accompanied in 15 % of cases by abortions, and in 15–25 % by the birth of weak offspring. The causes of infection of the reproductive organs in rabbits were often violation of sanitary and hygienic conditions of their care, maintenance and operation; increased microbial contamination of the premises and high pathogenicity of microflora.