Sickness among the herd

[Maureen Las]

I posted about Willow in the infirmary but wantanother opinion on this as rabbitires have large large numbers of confined animals and illness must spread among them.

babette (one of my 7is being treated for pneumonia and now Willow has a damp nose and is rubbing her nose and sneezing very infrequently.

The vet is willing to give me a vial of baytril with syringes so I can treat the rabbits that need it.
Is this what rabbitiries do or do you have suggestions.

It is difficult to move my rabbits to an entirely different area where the air flow would be totally different.They are inside.

Any suggestions would be helpful.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

I'm not sure how the big rabbitries do it but I have heard you can even put a heavy towel between cages just to attempt to not spread the illness.

I would follow this for sure:

1. Wash hands, equiptment, bowls, measuring cups, anything from one to the next. If you use a cup to fill a bowl of a bunny - wash it before using it to fill the next. I would also wash their bowls nightly.

2. Separate as best as you can. Symptomatic bunnies as far away from non-symptomatic ones. Any barriers are good too.

3. Do not handle bunnies who are symptomatic and then hold another one. I would feed, water, clip whatever the bunnies need that are healthy - THEN do the ones who are showing illness. Best to worst symptoms.

4. VENTILATE! Open a window or whatever you can to get air moving. Cooler is better - heat breeds bacteria and germs.

 

[TinysMom]

First of all - what is your weather like right now? Are you having a big change in weather? I'm asking because I have several here that are sneezing and coughing sort of - but no discharge....and I really suspect its been our weather as we'll start at 65 or so in the morning and hit close to 100 later in the day....and then drop back down to 65.

I agree with Bo - sterilize everything you can. Get that air flow moving....can you move Babette out of the same room as the others at least?

Does Willow have any discharge from her nose? If so - get it cultured if you can and start her on treatment - or go ahead and do the baytril. My concern is that if she doesn't need the baytril and gets it - she may get to the point where the Baytril won't be as effective if she truly does need it later on.

Right now I've got a couple of bucks in my bathroom (in a laundry basket) with a cool mist humidifier going and with a heatless vaporizer (hard to explain) which has a pad with some eucalyptus oil type stuff on it. One of the bucks is really looking much better - he was the one that had looked the worst. We're going to check his nose again in a few minutes. THe other buck is rolling his eyes at me as if to say, "Can I get out of here yet??"

Anyway - I would move the sick rabbit to another area of the house if possible and then make sure to wash your hands - and maybe even change your clothes - before working with your other rabbits.

I hope others will come along with better tips....but disinfect everything asap for sure...that I'm pretty sure you should be able to do.

Peg

 

[BlueGiants]

Yes, sickness can spread through a herd rapidly and be devastating if you don'taggresive measures to prevent or contain it.

Any barrier you can put up, as well as directing air flow so it doesn't blow over the sick buns and towards the healthy ones will help.

Yes, my vet will work with me and give me enough medication to treat all the rabbits needing it. When I had a litter with eye infections, she saw one, cultured the discharge and gave me enough to treat the whole litter. When we had ear mites, I got needles and ivomec to give the second dose.Saved me some money and saved the rabbits the stress of another vet visit...

Feed, water, clean, touch the ill rabbits last. Take care of all the healthy buns first. Wash your hands, then do the sick ones, take care of the least sick first, washing your hands between tending them.





[align=center]:sickbunny:[/align]
I hope Babette makes a complete speedy recovery. And I hope Willow does not get really sick.

 

[Maureen Las]

Thank you everyone so very much

This is all so very helpful to me

I had moved Babette out of the room for about 1 week after I started the antbiotics.

She is not coughing (never did sneeze) so after a week I moved her back in order to have my exercise pen available for my other rabbits.

I am using hydrogen peroxide and vinegar to clean the areas. I really can't put bleach on my floor. . What else can I use to disinfect that won't hurt the rabbits or my house. Babette is in her 2nd week of antibiotic and is much better. Is she still contagious? Should I move her out?

If I move her out should I move Willow in the same space as babette even though I am unclear that she ishat sick?




yes the weather here has been very damp ..also cooler at night..sometimes warmer days, sometimes cooler.
Is it better if I have the windows open rather than an air-conditioner ?
To be honest it seems like babette tends to get sick when I open the windows although that just may be in my mind and not accurate.

I am going to try to rethink what I am doing as I amgoing to need to do some major moving here.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

If it is sunny and warm outside and you need to disinfect something - put it in the sun - it's a natural disinfectant.

Hot water is always good and don't spray a bunch of lysol. It's horrible for people and animals to breath a bunch of it - especially when sick.

Your vinegar and peroxide are excellent together for disinfecting.

 

[Maureen Las]

Thanks Bo

 

[Bo B Bunny]

No problem. I've been thinking of you all evening. I know how much work and worry you have ahead of you.

Keep us posted ok?

 

[Maureen Las]

Yeh..I do have to re-think where to put the rabbits.
I can't do all of this now and I know I should but its just too late.
I opened up the windows

Willow is not sneezing now..what ever it is its just the beginning ..very mild

Thanks so much ..without you guys I would go crazy.
:heartbeat:I love RO and everyone on it:heartbeat:

 

[RAL Rabbitry]

Ventilationis the key in a rabbitry!

My windows in the rabbitry are open year round, in the winter just a crack

but still open for ventilation. The exhaust fan is running year round as well.

Remember though to keep the rabbits out of any drafts. My windows that are

open in the winter are not in the direct line of the rabbits.

I would move the sick rabbits as far away from the others as I could and tend

to them last and then disinfectyourself.

This may not be a popularstatement on this site but most large rabbitries will

remove a sick animal from the herd and put it down. They do not want to risk

the rest of the herd.

If you want a good safe disinfectant that will not damage anything and can

actually be sprayed on the animals (lots of people spray their animals with it

at a show to protect them) get some Vanodine. Barbi Brown sell it on her site.

Roger

 

[BlueGiants]

I use Vanodine to disinfect everything in my rabbitry, even the rabbits! Works great, very safe, I even use a weak solution to flush eyes and wounds. Comes as a concentrate and you dilute it.

It is an iodine based disinfectant, like spraying weak tea, will stainfabrics and unfinished wood. Kills most bacteria (including Pasturella and E.C.).

I know it's not ideal to use indoors, but it is totally non-toxic to animals, has no irritating smell and it works great. (I take it to shows and spray down my rabbits feet coming off the table before they go into their carriers and I spray down cooping before my rabbits go in. Judges have even asked me to spray down a table or show box after a particularly "messy" bun.)