7 dead rabbits? Help

[poultrykeeper08]

Went out side to check on the animals to find 6 dead mini Rex and 1 dwarf in the hutch I had put them in last night .

They were living in a pen attached to a barn . Another mini Rex and the dwarf both seemed to have runny poop a few days ago and I took it as they weren't used to living on the ground as I got them from an auction 2 weeks ago . I brought them into the barn and both seemed to have gotten better, so with the nice weather I put them back out in the pen . I came home from the auction at 7 to find the mini Rex dead .

Soo I moved them into a big 6 ft rabbit hutch . Now the hutch was left open as it wasn't in use . I opened the house part to find a young opossum sleeping in there.

I cleaned all the straw and his poop . Could they have hot something from him ?

Or could it be heat stroke as it's very hot here today ? I have the top covered for shade for them .

The last rabbit was goin as I got out there I heard it screaming . It wasn't using it's back legs . There mouth was all wet

.......Help!!

 

[sourland]

I would guess that they might have been carrying coccidiosis that was exacerbated by the horribly hot weather we are experiencing plus stress from the auction barn and also from being on the ground.

 

[redhen]

OOh no!!

I wonder if they overheated?...
I sure hope it isnt something catchy!!

 

[melodie_a]

Oh, I am so sorry. Rabbits go down so fast when they get sick, they are very hard to save because often by the time you know there is a problem it is too late.

Hope you figure out what happened.

 

[lorieMN]

if they where wet around the mouth and face that is usually a sign of heat stroke..

 

[Bunnylady]

I agree, wet mouth, staggering and screaming does sound like heat stroke. Could something have scared some of them (the opossum maybe)? Startlled rabbits can hit the wire hard enough to break their own necks. I have lost rabbits that way, but never half a dozen at a time!

My condolences. Losing animals to any cause is never pleasant, but to lose so many at one time is really tough.

 

[thebritt]

I lost 3 rabbits to heat stroke last year. Actually, 5 were affected, but we were able to save 2 by immersing them in cool water. Their water was HOT when I got home. They were in a shaded pole barn, only open on the north side, but that didn't prevent their water from getting way too hot to drink

. I felt sooo bad and guilty. We don't usually get such heat on the Pacific coast, so I wasn't prepared. Next time we expect such heat, I'm going to place frozen water bottles in their cages and change their water often.
So sorry for your loss.

 

[Break an Egg]

It's the heat, runny poo is very dangerous for rabbits. Freeze some water bottles and make it as comfy as you can for them. They do so much better in the cold.

ETA: Runny noses and mouths that are drooly are signs of them over heating, if you find one like that again, dip it's ears in cool water, this will cool them off fast.

 

[Riocotesei]

I agree, rabbits can't handle the heat too well, especially if they went through something stressful.
So sorry for your loss

 

[minifarm]

I've had rabbits off and on for several years and they are really very fragile pets. First, so sorry you had to go
through the trama of losing all of them. When they are frightened their body heat goes up so its important to put
them in a cool darker spot for a couple of days. If the outside temp goes over 85 then you need to keep them
cool. My rabbits (2) are on the ground and I have an open floor mini barn in a covered 15' x15' pen. Two of the
sides have covers so the afternoon sun doesn't hit them. Two sides let the morning sun in. They dug
a small burrow in the barn (which I watch closely) to get in to keep cool. Then I have set of misters and an outdoor
thermometer and when it gets over 85 the mister gets turned on. If you have a rabbit cage off ground then you
cannot let it sit in the hot sun. It has to be in a shaded area and milk containers with frozen water need to be
put in. Its a lot of work at times!!