My first neocropsy/rabbit update/GRAPHIC PICTURES

[chinbunny]

OK now that some of you have been following the threads, and the problems I have been having with my rabbits. Those of you on meat rabbits will know what I am talking about. But since this is also being posted to the showbunny list, and some other groups, I thought I would give a bit of info. I have something whiping out my standard chins and mixed bred rabbits. This started about two weeks ago. I started losing rabbits to severe bloat. Some of them acted as if they were unable to igest their feed properly. Fecal float from a vet got me nowhere.This seems to be jumping from one animal to the next. They have been on albon, and corid. Some of the rabbits responded to the albon, and are doing pretty good. The rest aren't. My first supect was th feed. I was feeding kent pro sho at the time. I switched back to manna pro thinking that would solve the problem. Nope. Second suspect was the hay. So I quit feeding it for a few days. The disease seemed to have let up. but now is picking back up an killing off some of my babies and fryers. I gave them sithemethicone and laxatives to no avail. I opened the one buck up tonight. This is what his intestines looked like after he was opened. This is not normal. This is the stuff that has been killing my rabbits. Notice in the first picture the intestines look very odd and swollen in places. Not sure if you can see them well enogh or not, but there are a lot of air pockets. They would be the dark round looking areas on the intestines.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/jnlldxn/rabbitguts007.jpg

a closer look.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/jnlldxn/rabbitguts008.jpg

Thisis what I found when I poned up that part of him. nothing but a whole bunch of undigested feed, and backed up fecal matter. That is only just for that part of him.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/jnlldxn/rabbitguts001.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/jnlldxn/rabbitguts002.jpg

OK now this is the backside of that sound. Everything past it was filled with nothing but air pockets and clear jelly like stool. Fact is the jelly stuff was so thick that is looked like it was the culprit for causing the blockage.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/jnlldxn/rabbitguts003.jpg

And another of it. I think you look close enough you can see whwere I opened the small bowel. There is jelly secretion coming out of it.

Here is more of the intestines where I am trying to show the air pockets, and abnormally filled bowels.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/jnlldxn/rabbitguts004.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/jnlldxn/rabbitguts005.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v281/jnlldxn/rabbitguts006.jpg

I suspect its this little critter causing it, clostridium . I don't know how, but is there any way of getting rid of it without killing off my entire herd?

I did see some clostridium treatment at tsc tractor supply. One of the bottles said for all livestock. I did not buy. But I thought I would ask you guys first if it can be used on rabbits.

This is mostly effecting my jrs.

They don't seemed to be any more stressed then normal. And hay and oats and grass clippings did not help them with it at all.

 

[mekasmom]

Well it is definately colitis. It could be clostridia, coccidia, or any other bacterial infection. Clostridia is simply treated with antibiotics, yes? Our vet gives Amoxicillian for it because it is inexpensive and does work. Second choice is vancomycin. A rabbit could take either. (I would also consider using some probiotics like acidophiles if they were my rabbits.)

If your rabbits are near any other livestock, they could easily have caught clostridia. I had some show dogs that caught if from the goats one time. The goats show no symptoms, but my dogs started having diarrhea. Unless the bacteria is a new problem or has multiplied to a large infestation, it usually doesn't cause an issue. And once one gets it, it can easily do a horizontal spread to the whole flock.

 

[gypsy2621]

Quote:
I dont think this is the problem to be honest and not to start a fight.l
There are others going through this right now and its something to do with the feed.
Last fall and some this spring are experiencing this when switching feed.
That being the only common factor in all this.
Its getting frustrating because its going from one rabbit skiping other rabbits then coming back around.
Some rabbits are un affected completely.
There has been some testing done where Ecoli and Botulism are present also.
Pennicillian in the wrong format will kill rabbits.

Janell Photo bucket has banned the pictures as inappropriate can you email the pictures please, I need to see what you are seeing and hopefully have one of the other people effected bring it to their vet.
[email protected]

 

[Stina]

Have you considered bedding being the culprit?

 

[chooniecat]

I am not responding with anything useful just that my pet 3yo mutt rabbit died yesterdy after a 2 day episode of not eating,lethergy,non pooping(1 day) and her feed was changed about 5 days ago. she got lots of romaine,grass hay and just assumed it was hair ball? so...

 

[chinbunny]

Awwang it. I didn't know they would do that.

I hop ethey haven't suspended my account over them.

As it turns out its a cecal impact causing it. Pam alley from meat rabbits gave me something to feed them to get it out of their system. Nothing but alflafa hay and grians for the next month. I can pm it to you if you want.

 

[chinbunny]

i also should point out that amoxicillin is very toxic to rabbits. So if you or your vet does give it to them, make sure they know what they are doing so they aren't killing the animal.

This is what i was told to do by pam alley from the meat rabbits list. Gypsy, this may help your friend since you said she was having problems too.

Picture #8 tells the whole story, Janelle; your rabbits are suffering from
cecal impaction, probably from a lack of long fiber in the diet, or from a
lack of fluid intake or all of the above. Key here is to get all that gunk
out of the gut as soon as possible and let them have the time to repair the
damaged tissue (the red, hemorrhagic areas of the cecum and colon)..

Remove ALL PELLETS from the diet.
Free feed stemmy alfalfa hay--no dairy hay, not a lot of leaf but plenty of
stems.
After a couple of days of just hay, add a small handful of mixed crimped
oats, malt barley, recleaned wheat, black oil sunflower and whole safflower
(1 scoop each, mix well, give small handful to each rabbit twice daily).
Give free choice Snapple Lemon Tea mixed 1 part tea to 2 parts water in
addition to their regular water; use bowls to ensure ease of access to the
fluids.

STOP all meds.

And Janelle...stick with it. NO therapy can fix something magically in two
or three days. You're looking at two full weeks to a month of this regimen,
then you need to find two things....good grass hay that is NOT from a pet
store (tell me where you are and I'll find a source) and a good source of
fresh pellets with a good nutrient profile.

When you DO have rabbits that are pretty much back to normal, no palpable
gut issues, no more deaths, add pellets very gradually to the grain mixture
and grass hay to the alfalfa. Over the course of about two weeks from the
time you 'get good again', you should have them back on a normal diet of
good grass hay and good pellets.

You may have to gently massage the guts to break up the existing mass in the
cecum. Increased fluid and fiber intake is key to success.

Once you set yourself a plan on something like this, don't chop and
change--stick with it so it can have time to work.

PA

 

[chinbunny]

Cristina, I use kiln dried pine bedding. they have no contact with it.

 

[gypsy2621]

Quote:
I just sent that to all the people who are having the same issue.
Did Pam say it was from the feed? or what the heck may be causing it? I know fiber is a key element, but if you were feeding the hay like we talked about then I am not sure its the whole problem, maybe part of it but on a whole I still think( believe) they are short changing the feeds with the roughage.
This I know will definately cause such impactions.
I love Pam and her advice is always spot on. I would definately do as she suggests. and am advising everything she said to others with the same problem.
How are the rabbits doing ? are things improving any ( I pray they are).