Sick Rabbit!!!

[bobwhitelover]

Ugghhh Another of my bunns is sick! A sickness has been going aroung my bunny barn and killing some of my rabbits! I have already lost 2 fuzzy Holland lops, 1 Mini rex, and now my nursing Dutch doe refuses to eat and refuses to drink! What could this be!??!?! I have tried feeding oat meal, White bread, Pet bio, and Cheerios. Non of it seems to healp!

 

[Sachasmom]

Are they bloated? Pooping?

Can you describe the symptoms for us? Did you do a necropsy on any of the ones that died?

 

[Connorrm]

Yes, describing the symptoms would help.

It could be something like pasturella or furblock. Without a description no one can help!

 

[bobwhitelover]

Sorry i didn't post symtoms Here they are.....

Dieriehha
Bloating
Not eating
Just sitting doesn't really move around.

It couldn't be hair blockage cause most of the rabbits getting it are not long haired and they all have alfphelfa cubes and hay. The nusrsing babies of the first mom are 3 weeks old and are eating and drinking so i might seperate them to keep them from agetting sick and bottle feed them as a boost to the food. The other babies of the other mom are only 6-7 days old and probably wouldn't make it if i bottle fed. Any ideas?
Thanks sooo much for helping!

 

[Connorrm]

Could be anything? Worms, mastitis, or poor feed/moldy hay.

Any chance those could be contaminated with anything? Damp = mold. Which could lead to a problem. I'd separate them from the rest of the herd for now.

 

[bobwhitelover]

They are seperated. I believe it is a disease i have had TONS of flies around and they could have gotton my rabbits sick. I believe they have a disease called cossidiosis my rabbits have every symptom of it. I am heart broken now because i LOVE all of my rabbits and they each have a special spot in my heart.

 

[Connorrm]

Ah yeah, I've never had flies around my rabbits. Sorry

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

If you think they have coccidiosis, you need to get one of them seen by your veterinarian ASAP. It IS treatable, but not if they don't see a vet.

 

[Frosty]

Also make sure that the hay and alfalfa you are using is meant for rabbits. I found the hard way that the stuff for horses is sometimes sprayed with herbicides that is deadly to rabbits. It has been so long, I'm sorry I can't remember the symptoms, I fed alfalfa cubes meant for horses and lost a bunch of my bunnies.

 

[Sachasmom]

Have you been anywheres in the last week or so, or bought new rabbits and put them in with the others?

It does sound like Coccidia, if its the *normal* strain a round of Corrid or Albon will clear it up, if you've contracted the mutant form (I think they're calling it ERE, they're not sure if its a bacteria or what,) thats a whole nother ballgame.

Moldy feed can also cause bloat or excess greens, have you changed feed or has it gotten old?

A vet can run a fecal for you to rule out worms and check for Coccidia, you may need to call around to see if anyone will do it. The vets in my area will run a fecal without a vet visit.

At this point, you need to pull the pellets and feed them hay (actual hay, not cubes) if they will eat it. I've used liquid Immodium if I have a bun with poop butt that Plantain (the weed) doesn't firm up. I'd try to push fluids (nothing with sugar if they are already bloated) and get some Coccidia meds into them pronto. You can pick up Corrid at the feed store or Sulmet, Albon is a better choice but I don't know that you will find that at the feed store. By far the best product on the market is Baycox, made by Bayer but you'll either need to order that online or see if your vet can get it for you, its VERY expensive, but I would pay three times what it costs.

Anything that you suspect is "off" you need to pull to Quarintine. Clean the cages with a 10% bleach solution.

Am I correct that you have two does sick? Did they come from the same place? The way this new strain has been running is it usually takes out the younger stuff, but I know some people who are loosing their does first. You're not going to be able to foster either litter if its a germ/parasite without contaminating the new doe, I'd take the older litter away and hand feed them (You can get Puppy milk replacerer or they sell a multi species milk powdered milk replacement that I have had a lot of success with. Goats milk will also work in a pinch too. ) The younger litter tho, I think if you loose the doe you'll loose the litter, I've never had much success hand feeding anything that young but I would certainly give it a shot if you do loose her.

You can give your does baby gas stuff, that will help with the gas. Try to get some fluids in them.