What could have caused the kits to have mucous in poop?

[Gly]

So recently my doe gave birth to two bunnies and she has been feeding them to full belly everyday to an extend where I feel like she’s over feeding. They started to have mucous in poops when they were about one week old and it got worse and worse. However, everyday I checked on them they looked to grow and gain weight no problem, until one day a breeder told me they looked to have coccidia and if I don’t treat them they’ll die.
Obviously I freaked out, I was nervous about medicating 12 days old kits but she said this is my only option. So instead of taking them to the vet, I treated them myself with an antibiotic called Toltrazuril that’s meant for treating coccidia. The day after they both died(I think I overdosed)
After that I took their poop sample(along with their mom’s) to the vet, and turns out neither had coccidia.
So my question is, has anyone experienced the same? The bunnies were acting fine til I treated them and they lost weight overnight and died. I thought about it hard, and I really want to find out if it wasn’t coccidia that caused them to have mucous in poops what else could it be? The mom has a foster kid who I’m raising on my own now and that bunny has some mucous in poops too…(her poops are also green). This time I didn’t give her antibiotics but just a little benebac hopefully to stop the symptoms.
I really want to know what could have caused the GI problem and what should I do in that case to prevent that happening again in the futureI’ll attach their buttons’ pics when they were alive to help you guys get a better idea. I appreciate any input

 

[JBun]

What kind of mucous, threads of mucous or jelly type mucous? And how severe, lots or just some mixed with the poop? And what does the poop look like besides being greenish, any sign of blood in the poop?

You can sometimes get a false negative for coccidia if there aren't occysts in the fecal sample tested, particularly when it's hepatic coccidiosis. So the babies still could have had it. And there is a chance this other baby has it based on the symptoms you describe.

But most likely cause for mucous or jelly in the poop at that age, is bacterial/mucoid enteritis. And there can be various contributing factors in kits that age, such as environmental conditions and the food they are eating.

Medirabbit: bacterial and mucoid enteritis

 

[Gly]

What kind of mucous, threads of mucous or jelly type mucous? And how severe, lots or just some mixed with the poop? And what does the poop look like besides being greenish, any sign of blood in the poop?

You can sometimes get a false negative for coccidia if there aren't occysts in the fecal sample tested, particularly when it's hepatic coccidiosis. So the babies still could have had it. And there is a chance this other baby has it based on the symptoms you describe.

But most likely cause for mucous or jelly in the poop at that age, is bacterial/mucoid enteritis. And there can be various contributing factors in kits that age, such as environmental conditions and the food they are eating.

Medirabbit: bacterial and mucoid enteritis

Their poops were yellow ish, and very smelly. As shown in the picture their buttons were all wet from the feces. But at that stage of age even tho they have bacteria infection should I just give them probiotics instead of antibiotics? Thanks for your info!

 

[JBun]

Yellow fecal diarrhea is usually a sign of enteritis caused by e. coli(colibacillosis) bacteria. There can also be some mucous due to the irritation in the digestive tract. This is life threatening and needs immediate vet treatment with the appropriate rabbit safe antibiotic(eg. enrofloxacin, neomycin, etc). Does the current kit also have yellow diarrhea(you mentioned it being green), or is the fecal poop still round, and is it green or yellowish?

Probiotics and a strict grass hay diet(no pellets, grains, or other carb/sugary foods) will usually help, but antibiotics are still needed, especially if it's more advanced to the point of diarrhea occurring. Note: when feeding only hay, it's important to ensure the rabbit is actually eating the hay really well, and the hay is good quality with no mold, noxious weeds, or excessive dust.

https://rabbit.org/vet-listings/
Medirabbit: safe antibiotics

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Colibacillosis
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/exot...c-diseases-of-rabbits?redirectid=986#v3306536

 

[Gly]

The two kits died because I overdosed them with antibioticsso far the little foster kit is having more of a greenish poop sometimes. I gave him a bit of probiotics because he’s only a week old.
What could have caused them to have E. coli? Is it because of mom pooping in the nest box?
What kind of antibiotics do you advice me to treat the survivor and when/how much should I treat?
I appreciate it so much

 

[JBun]

Toltrazuril isn't an antibiotic. It's a protozoal drug. The only reason an actual antibiotic might be fatal in rabbits is if an extremely excessive overdose is given, an antibiotic dangerous to rabbits is given, an allergic reaction occurs, or if a rabbit stops eating because of the antibiotic causing an upset stomach and the owner doesn't notice and intervene with syringe feeds. So when the correct antibiotic at the correct dose is given, it is most often safe. There is always a chance of a negative reaction, so you have to weigh the harm the illness can do vs the slight chance of a bad reaction with the drug.

Medirabbit: dangerous antibiotics for rabbits

Bacteria can be picked up in the environment, whether passed from mom's feces/urine, or from inadequate cleaning of the kits environment and the bedding/nest getting too damp. Kits starting to change to a solid food diet, especially one that is too high in carbs and too low in fiber, can make them more susceptible to developing enteric illness.

(WARNING: CONTAINS GRAPHIC MEDICAL RELATED PHOTOS)
Medirabbit: enteritis/diarrhea in baby rabbits

With green poop, there's a chance it could be hepatic coccidiosis and not e. coli, because hepatic coccidiosis affects the liver and bile production. And bright green feces has to do with bile production.

Medirabbit: intestinal and hepatic coccidiosis

I'm not a vet. I can't advise treatment. All I can do is share info on what is typically used to treat e. coli or coccidiosis. And all that info is in my post above and the links that I've shared. If your bunny needs medical treatment, you'll need to consult with a rabbit vet for the correct medication and treatment info.

 

[Gly]

Got it! This is very useful and lots of info! I appreciate it so much and definitely will go check it out! Thank you so much