Flu

[Xena]

I need your helps, I dont know what to do.

I all started in May, I had a doe with the flu, I put her in isolation, and a few weeks later she looked all right, so I breeded her. About a week before giving birth the flu came back. In end of July she gave birth to 5 babies and I had to give her 3 other babies ( They would have die if I didn't ). I keept most of the babies to be sur to not give the problem to others. They had no problems before october, may be november. I have only 3 of them left, one of them look all right, but the 2 others they are very sick, have difficulties breathing, they keep their head up to breath ( by doing that they just make it worst because the nasal discharge go in the lungs ).
I must said one of their brother die of axifiation in my hands ( his lungs colapsed, he try to breath but couldn't, it was horrific ). It looked so painfull and I couldn't help him.
I must say that since the begining of November, I lost 6 rabbits ( at least 3 different death ) I reach my limit of dead rabbits.

Coming back to my 2 babies sick, I think they may not make it. Now I am wandering if I should euthanize them and avoid them that horrific death, or give them a chance to live.

 

[JBun]

What do you mean by the flu? Rabbits don't get the flu like people do. They more commonly get upper respiratory infections caused by bacteria, most commonly the pasteurella bacteria. Pasteurella is highly contagious and the rabbits need to be seen by a rabbit vet right away to get treatment. A culture and sensitivity test can help to determine which bacteria is affecting your rabbits. It can be treated with antibiotics, but very often rabbits with a pasteurella infection will continue to be affected by it on and off, and be carriers for the duration of their life. If a rabbit has colored nasal discharge, it positively has a bacterial infection. If you breed rabbits, any that have shown signs of sneezing and nasal discharge should be quarantined, and if it is pasteurella they should not used for breeding ever again. If you don't quarantine your sick rabbits, it's likely this will continue to move through your herd and could make your healthy rabbits sick as well. You also need to disinfect everything.

Your two baby bunnies that are sick most likely have pneumonia and need to be seen by a vet immediately! They are severely ill and suffering and need immediate veterinary care.

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Respiratory/Bacterial/URI.htm
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/sneezing.html

 

[Xena]

Yes they are in quarantine and I am giving them antibiotic.

Unfortunatly their is absolutly no vet for rabbit in my area, so impossible to know if it is pasterella, coryza or something else ( that is why I used the word flu ).

I read what I could find on respiratory infection and learn that even with antibiotic it almost never completly goes away. Even with a vet its hard to treat, so you can imagine my troubles without.

 

[majorv]

If it were me, I would get rid of the doe. You never want to use her for breeding again or have her around any of your other rabbits, IMO. I doubt the kits can be saved. It's hard enough trying to keep an adult alive who has pneumonia, and if any have Pasteurella, it can kill a herd.

 

[Xena]

One of them just die. I wasn't there but I think she did the same thing as the other.
Strange, because I saved 3 adulte this summer, but impossible to save my babies.

So I have a suggestion to get rid of the Does ( 3 ) because they can give it to their babies. What about a Buck, he didn't show any sign of the desease for a few month. He is so sweet, and he is one of my best rabbit, he give me the best babies. Can I keep him in quarantine, and use him for breeding when he is healty and don't have any nasal secretion.

 

[majorv]

You're taking a chance of spreading what any of them have any time one has contact with the other. If your buck is that good then you might be able to use him when he is symptom free, but it's still a risk. You could try it once with a healthy doe and see. Is it possible you could get a vet in the area to take a nasal specimen and ID it for you, or send it off to be examined? Then you'd know what your next step is. We had a doe get pneumonia, and after treating her she never got it again.