poorly bunnies

[Bobby]

Has anyone seen this in baby bunnies before?

New bunnies about 6 weeks old brought into work have died, the femalesare fine but the males have died (all of them from the litter and onefrom a different litter that is older and we had longer)

There stomachs were swollen, lethargic (was yesterdays) todays rabbitswere alert and hopping around then 3 died today - I cleanedthe yesterdays baby bunny bottom up there was like jelly coming out ofwhere he'd poo


Still got one 10 week old male left that looks ok - but the others didyesterday - why only the males and not affecting the females? (pens arenext to each other and the baby males and females were mixed when theyarrives to us)

 

[Haley]

:anyone:

The only thing I can think of is that its just a coincidence that its only affecting one sex. Did they all have diahrea?

Im not sure, but they couldve come down with an infection, or the onesfrom the same litter may have been taken away from mom too soon.

Maybe someone else has some ideas.

Is the one you have left eating and drinking and pooping normally? whatare you feeding him? it would probably be best to get him to a vet,just in case.

 

[Pipp]

Well, that's the age they get sick -- it's a tough post-weaning transition.

In addition to all the sources listed on the Resource forum pageunder'Diarrhea' (which probably should be duplicated andreposted under 'Illnesses in Kits'or something similar),which are here:

http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=11935&forum_id=10

thisis a particularly good article on the different ailments with those symtoms...

http://www.showbunny.com/gastrointestinal.htm

You might find more information there.

Sorry for the losses.



sas

 

[naturestee]

Sorry for your losses. Binky free, babies. inkpansy:

Rabbits at that age are very susceptible to stress.Enterotoxemia can result, which is severe diarrhea withmucous. It's very difficult to treat. There's alsoa possiblity that one of the newer buns brought in an infection.

Were they being fed the same food that the breeder was feedingthem? Fast food changes are known to cause intestinal upsetand diarrhea, especially in young buns. Reactions could beespecially severe if the babies were used to a decent plain pellet andyour store was feeding one of those treat-laden mixes which I know arestill very popular in the UK. One of the pet stores by mefeeds a mix that's about 85% pellets and they still get problemsswitching new rabbits over to it. I don't see why they don'tfeed a plain pellet.

I'm guessing you work in a pet store? IMO that's far tooyoung for a baby rabbit to go to such a stressful place. Iactually thought that was illegal in the UK. I'd recommendchecking that out and bringing it up to your bosses or whoever is ok'dthe purchase of these babies.

Also, were the litters kept separated? If not, try to workout something where new rabbits are kept separate andquarantined. This will reduce problems with illnesses andparasites being spread in the future.

 

[Bobby]

They didn't have diahorea just mucus, they hadbeen quarentined, they weren't dehydrated I checked that - yesterdaysrabbits that died didn't even show signs of mucus.

Just hoping whatever it is doesn't pass on to my Bobby I'dtake him to the vet but there is absoloulty nothing to see he's livelyhopping about, eating drinking - although so where them at the shopyesterday I left at 11:30 yesterday morning (it was my day off really)then I went back at 5 and they had died.

 

[Pipp]

Were they pooping normally as well as themucus? Or were they not pooping at all? Not poopingis more of an indication than appetite andactivity.Theyact quite normally whilesuffering from GI stasis, but their poops are small ornon-existent.

Hopefully somebody more savvy can chime in, I'm not a vet (or anythingclose) but I still think itcouldhavebeenan intestinal infection/parasite, or animbalance, which leads to stasis and gas.

It could also have been true bloat (which I believe to be a separateissue from gas), which kills even morequickly -- one minutetheir fine, the next they're hunched over in pain and a few hours latertheir temperature has dropped and they start crashing. Idon't think thatalways comes with diarrhea. It'salmost impossible to treat. They need to be 'tubed'.

If anybunnyleft hasany more symptoms ofanything,the first thing I'd do isgo for a doseofbaby gas meds with Simethicone -- immediately,even as you're calling the vet. Gentle tummy rubs and evenvibration therapy will help (put them on a dryer or drive them aroundthe block, oran electric toothbrush massage, and if they'regrinding their teeth, pain meds (Medacam, Ibuprofen/Motrin, or evenbaby aspirin)asap.

And if the poops have gotten small or disappeared, or if there'sdiarrhea, give them Pedialyte. (I didn't think it was allthat easy to tell if a bunny was dehydrated, btw, but I"m suresomebodyknows more than me about that).

Alot of these problems are diet-related. Any changeof food in young bunnies sets off the imbalance. I alsobelieve bloat to be a diet issue -- adults areoften arestricken by eating fresh spring grass, so it stands to reason that asudden intake of greensmay cause the sameproblem,or even a pellet or grass they're notusedto.

With anymore bunnies coming in, I'd think it would be crucial to havethe supplier drop off whatever food they're been eating so thetransition is gradual -- the new food should be less than 20% if thetotal in the early feedings.

I don't know if any of this is helpful or if it's things you alreadyknow. The most helpful thing would be a necropsy (or at leasta fecal exam) for the health of the rest of the anilmals.

Sorry you had to go through it. This really hasn't a good week for bunnies.

sas et al