Worried Newb

[doggy_]

Hi all,
So we decided to start breeding rabbits, we did our homework but it seems like its never enough, I dropped huge $ on nice large cages , and a full sized shed for the hutch, but as we are getting going we ran in to a few problems.
We adopted a group of Champaign rabbits all very nice and healthy. the second group came from a farm and although they are very nice bunnies they came with mites and bite holes in their ears(community housing at the previous place). we got the mites under control and there are no more signs of them, they all have very pink ears now, even the worse one whos whole ear was brown on the inside has made a great recovery.
Part of the hutch I also added drain plates under the cages with a flushing system to remove their waste, specifically the stinky urine.
During the winter every thing was fine but as the days got warmer we discovered we did not have enough ventilation for them, also the flush ran in to a problem where it is not working right at the moment, in the mean time we are doing our best to manually wash out the waste. As the summer is coming in to effect the hutch developed a bad ammonia smell, we have added addition ventilation and things are way better but I am worried. Also the delays in retail due to covid have limited my response time when it comes to system repairs, ie fan, plumbing parts... ect

1) 2 of the rabbits we noted started sneezing alot and having short breath, we have moved them out doors. we are also feeding them parsley and ekenatia. one has stopped sneezing and the other not as much, and the breathing has returned to normal so we are confident they will recover. their eyes and paws always and continue to look clean (no snot). Also these were the rabbits closest to the drain which i believe is why they were affected first. I am worried about what kind of impact they endured being in the stink for a bit. without other symptoms, could it still be snuffles? or just a small cold?





2) Today I was petting another one of them when a noticed a small black dot about 1-2mm on the cheek below the ear half way down his face. it almost looks like a sm turd stuck in his fur but i can tell its not that, and think scab . He has them on both sides of face and on back on neck, but no missing fur patches. Its hard to get a good image, but that black dot is all i can see to till i can get someone over and out to hold him for better pic. also he had an eye booger floating around on the eyeball that I have just noticed but no weepy eye. so far he has had no breathing problems or any other problem. so I wonder what this could be, and if i should be worried? also is it normal to be wet under the chin, they have always been like that and came from a happy home as pets.









3) also one of the litters(all of them in the litter) I noted have very strange floppy ears(parents all have normal perky ears), I wonder if this is normal or if they are genetically toast?










all help appreciated!
I just want the best for all of these little guys!
thanks!

 

[JBun]

I'm afraid consistent exposure to ammonia fumes can result in lung diseases or chronic airway damage. So the one(s) that are continuing to show symptoms even after being moved outdoors into fresh air, have likely sustained a respiratory infection or even possible airway damage.

Medirabbit: ammonia intoxication

Medirabbit: irritants of the respiratory airway

Snuffles is just a general term, usually applied to a pasteurella respiratory infection. Though without a culture to confirm, it could be any number of bacteria causing the respiratory symptoms. Or it may not be bacterial at all but due to a damaged respiratory tract. If you aren't able to get the ammonia build up situation sorted right away, I would strongly urge you to move all of your rabbits outdoors if it can be safely done(safe from predators, direct sunlight exposure, and high heat).

Medirabbit: respiratory issues in rabbits

As for the drooping ears, if they were the ones affected with ear mites, permanent damage to the ears could be a possible cause. Sometimes rabbits overheated can have this problem, though once they cool down the ears should return to normal. There was another disease that caused drooping ears, but I can't recall what it was and will need to see if I can find where I read about it. Or it could be genetic.

The black speck, clear close up pictures could be helpful. Otherwise, I'm not sure what you are seeing exactly or what it might be. And the eye debris, could be a clump of fur, but if it continues it could be a sign of an eye infection, particularly if there is any white clouding of the cornea(corneal ulcer).

Medirabbit: white eye discharge

Medirabbit: corneal ulcer

Continued dampness under the chin when it can be ruled out as being due to drinking out of a water dish, can be a sign of drooling from dental issues. Though if you are experiencing high heat in your area, rabbits can sometimes have dampness around the nose and mouth due to heat stress, though this will also be accompanied with other signs of heat stress like rapid respirations, lethargy, and lack of appetite.

Medirabbit: drooling in rabbits

https://www.rabbithaven.org/overheating
https://myhouserabbit.com/rabbit-health/recognizing-heat-stroke-in-your-pet-rabbit/
http://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Heat_stroke
Edited to add a few more links

 

[Preitler]

Welcome

Well, rabbits are quite sensitive to ammonia fumes, those can do some damage - that alone would easily explain the sneezing. I would think about putting some windows in that shed, or leaving the door open permanently.
Raising rabbits comes with a steep learning curve- I'm now at my fourth iteration of hutch design .

The dark spot - pluck it out and put it on paper to have a better look at it, It doesn't look like an intrinsic part of the rabbit anyway , could be droppings from small kits (roundish).

The ears- well, that can be just a phase when the ears grew faster than the cantilage supporting them, also, if it's rather warm that would contribute. Not much to do but wait and see.
Actually, if it is warm and it's bound to get even warmer in there it would be time to add shadow to the shed, or other things to keep them cool through summer.

 

[SableSteel]

What breeds are they

Unfortunately, flush systems just don't work that well. All the breeders I know that have tried them end up giving up on them because ammonia smell builds up even when they are working 100%.

 

[doggy_]

K guys an gals, thanks for the advice. especially the link about the ammonia poisoning.

well... not too sure, the brown one is Champaign 'd argent x new zeland the white is new zeland, we also have some new zelands that i think are chinchuilla crossed just cos they are white with black nose. but not 100% since they all do not have any papers

so just an update, we got them outside that same day, the worse one has made a great recovery, but the second one still sneezes more often than I like. We also got a 12x"x12" barn fan for the 12x9 hutch, and currently with daily cleaning and the door wide open we are keeping the ammonia levels down and none of the other rabbits are having any related problems.

and i think it is just drool under the chin, also this guy somehow pulled some of the bars off his cage so we are suspecting that he was scratching himself on the loose ends, but keeping an eye for now.

Also i put up a tarp as a sun shade for the hutch which seems to be keeping it cool enough for these hot days we just ran in to.

Also I have quite a unique flush system but i dont want to brag too much untill i get it working! I am still waiting some valves from ebay so another week or 2.


Next though, we seem to have another issue where we found one of the 3wk old kits with poopy bottom and yellow belly, it is also to note that this kit we wonder if it has broken back. He is able to move his legs and push himself across floor but he is unable to stand up properly like the others. but does not seem to be in any pain related to this.. The concerning part about this rabbit is that after we cleaned him up in the bath we noticed what seems to be a CLEAR JELLY like wormy thing coming out the bottom (we couldnt tell which hole!) at first we thought it is a worm but with closer inspection when i got home I suspect it is not a worm since i could not see any worm organs in it. Rabbit has pushed out 2 of these now, each time after we bath it. Also the second one had very little red in it

Again, any pointers are great!
and many thanks!

 

[SableSteel]

Look up mucoid enteritis. I don't think that is the only problem here but it could be one of them.

 

[JBun]

If the yellow belly is from yellow diarrhea, it is usually an indication of e. coli. So the appropriate antibiotic treatment would be needed, like baytril or neomycin(do not overdose, can be ototoxic). I would also clean out the nest box to prevent spread of the disease.

The clear jelly substance, if you can confirm it's not a worm but a gel like substance, this is either an indication of mucoid enteritis associated with the e. coli, or it could be an even more dangerous and contagious disease called epizootic rabbit enteropathy, which would require the kits and mother be quarantined and thorough safe disinfection done. If the baby is suffering, I would suggest humanely pts.

Medirabbit: bacterial and mucoid enteritis

Epizootic Rabbit Enteropathy – Enteritis, often fatal rabbit diarrhea

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/exot...c-diseases-of-rabbits?redirectid=986#v3306536
Medirabbit: antibiotics safe for use in rabbits

https://rabbit.org/vet-listings/