Im at lost for Words, I lost My beautiful Buck Rabbit :(

[TheHappyHen21]

Last night, we had to put my 1 year old Silver Flemish Giant Buck Down Humanly... Im still in Shock, im lost. I bought him 2 weeks ago, I notice his head had a very little tilt to it and his ear was drooping very slightly... Hes been doing fine, Hasn't been eating hay tho. Well, bout 4 days ago I found him in his cage with hay twisted around his leg and stressed. I cut the hay off him and put him back into his cage with food and water and a little hay. Well day before yesterday I brought him indoors and put him in a large dog kennel so I could keep tract of him because I noticed his head was SPINNING? I mean as in nerogical problems like. His eyes were going crazy, His head kept looking like he was dizzy like he was reading a book? running in circles. I then realized his poop was little and wettish, OK, I know there not sposs to look little. I own Flemish Giants and there poop is big. His belly in the GI area was Hard like compacted. So I figured he has GI Tract Stasis... I gave him a little oil to try and break it down. Only thing was, he couldn't open his mouth, he kept grinding his teeth in pain and in the middle of the day he let out a weird unusual scream. I was in the room I have been keeping him in almost allday yesterday doing everything I found online to do, I massaged his belly a lot to try to get things going.

About 10 o'clock last night I had to make the decision. He was just hanging on, couldn't open his mouth. He just acted like he was "crazy" ? Like Wasn't all there in the head... Everytime I held him he would just about go limp and his GI tract was so impacted...

I took him outback, and comforted him and balled my eyes out cause I knew he go on any longer... I had to do it, Im still in shock. I sat there for 20 minutes still holding him and balling like a baby.. Just so in shock..
It just all happen so quickly..



Rip My Sweet Flint<3
I didn't have you long, But you still touched my heart...
Did everything I could to save your life but just couldnt
bare to see you suffer anymore</3

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I'm so sorry for your loss. He was a beautiful rabbit.

The movement of the eyes like that is called nystagmus and it can be a sign of nerve damage, brain damage, or middle/inner ear damage. That combined with the head tilt makes me suspect he might have had some vestibular issue going on, but the root of that cause is more difficult to say without actually seeing him.

Hopefully it was a solitary incident, but keep an eye on your other rabbits and consider bringing them in to a vet if you see any similar signs.

 

[TheHappyHen21]

I'm so sorry for your loss. He was a beautiful rabbit.

The movement of the eyes like that is called nystagmus and it can be a sign of nerve damage, brain damage, or middle/inner ear damage. That combined with the head tilt makes me suspect he might have had some vestibular issue going on, but the root of that cause is more difficult to say without actually seeing him.

Hopefully it was a solitary incident, but keep an eye on your other rabbits and consider bringing them in to a vet if you see any similar signs.

r


My others don't seem any different still active and happy.. I'm going to go through and completly clean my cages.. Just so shocking.. I have been waiting to get a buck for so long and now I am discouraged..

 

[N F C]

I'm so sorry for your loss. I remember reading your post back when you first got your rabbits, to lose him so soon must have been very shocking. Hugs

 

[TheHappyHen21]

Im just worried my other rabbits will get whatever he had... They are all in one big cage with 7 sections for each rabbit. he wasn't close to them but shared his bowls. I don't know what to do. Im so paranoid im going to lose all of them.

 

[Bunnylady]

Chickerdoodle13 summed it up pretty well, but one thing she didn't mention was a parasite often called e. cuniculi. Lots (maybe even most) rabbits carry it without showing symptoms, but when a stress occurs, they can suddenly start spinning or rolling. Some will recommend a once-monthly use of a wormer as a means of keeping the parasite in check

 

[TheHappyHen21]

Chickerdoodle13 summed it up pretty well, but one thing she didn't mention was a parasite often called e. cuniculi. Lots (maybe even most) rabbits carry it without showing symptoms, but when a stress occurs, they can suddenly start spinning or rolling. Some will recommend a once-monthly use of a wormer as a means of keeping the parasite in check

I recently wormed them, I think it came out of dormant when he was stressed from the hay twisting around his leg during the night...

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Chickerdoodle13 summed it up pretty well, but one thing she didn't mention was a parasite often called e. cuniculi. Lots (maybe even most) rabbits carry it without showing symptoms, but when a stress occurs, they can suddenly start spinning or rolling. Some will recommend a once-monthly use of a wormer as a means of keeping the parasite in check

I came across that when I looked up some differentials, and remembered learning about it way back in parasitology, but couldn't remember if that was a common thing or how to treat. Thanks for bringing it up and mentioning the treatment!

 

[Kroelies]

I recently wormed them, I think it came out of dormant when he was stressed from the hay twisting around his leg during the night...

E. cuniculi is treated with high doses of fenbendazol for 4 weeks. I'm really sorry you lost your rabbit but next time you notice a head tilt you should visit a vet. If his ear was hanging down it could also have been an ear infection which should be treated with antibiotics.

 

[TheHappyHen21]

E. cuniculi is treated with high doses of fenbendazol for 4 weeks. I'm really sorry you lost your rabbit but next time you notice a head tilt you should visit a vet. If his ear was hanging down it could also have been an ear infection which should be treated with antibiotics.

it happen so quick I couldn't get him in. His ear seemed fine? Treating the rabbit does not get rid of EC, only controls it, I have many other rabbits and can not risk disease :/