MeadowView
Well-known member
So, I'm currently living my nightmare scenario.
I've only had rabbits again for the last two months. Traveled to Colorado to get them because I couldn't find a pair in AZ. I have a friend local who agreed to board my rabbits in her barn. I had everything squared away. Two weeks after I picked up the rabbits (I ended up with four, a buck and three does) I found my buck dead in his cage. And, well, it happens! I didn't think a lot of it. Less than three days later, the doe I picked up from the same breeder stopped eating and drinking. We pulled out all the stops to save her, but three days later she was dead.
At first, I chalked it up to something with the original breeder's herd. Something genetic, maybe. I should've known better. I've raised rabbits for a long time. I absolutely should have known better.
Two days ago our little lilac doe started showing the same symptoms. Bloating, not eating, teeth grinding. It's at this point that my friend tells me that a few months ago she had a bad problem with cocci and she couldn't kick it until she tore down her old barn and relocated it. I'm thinking it's still out there and her rabbits are asymptomatic and because of her sort of communal water situation it got passed around. It is possible that I brought it in as well with one of my new rabbits. It's impossible to know. Hopefully she takes some samples in to be safe.
I'm an absolute wreck at this point, so we load up and take her to the vet.
I've never been a 'go to the vet' type of person when it comes to rabbits but we have someone local who I've known for a long time who does treatment for rabbits at cost for us. I know what it is at this point. They put the her on sq fluids and requested a fecal from our other two. They came back this morning and it's heavy heavy cocci. Expected, but still an absolute nightmare. They put all three of them on Albon so I dosed them all when we got home. Nine more days of treatment and then we have to take another stool sample in 30 days to make sure it's knocked out.
We brought them home. All three are now in my bedroom. Doing fine! Except that poor little lilac doe.
We are in phase one of cleaning, used a heavy duty medical disinfectant on the cages and some of our equipment and we're now letting it dry. Tomorrow we'll be swapping their cages and bowls out for the clean ones and disinfecting the cages they're currently in, as well as the walls and floors. We're in overkill mode here, but I want it gone and under control.
Here are some questions:
Is cocci in rabbits the same as cocci for dogs? I'm concerned primarily because one of my dogs is terrible about eating rabbit poop. Do I need to get her treated as well?
Is there anything I can use to boost their immune systems after the treatment is over?
Is there anything else I can do for Al, my little lilac doe, to get her to pull through? We're forcing exercise in addition to the sq fluids and Albon, but doesn't seem to be helping much. She's still not pooping. Peeing gallons at a time, but no poop yet.
Is vanodine still a kill-all for this kind of stuff? I haven't seen anything about it since getting back into this. I used to bring a bottle of diluted vanodine solution to shows to spray on show coops before putting my rabbits in. Is this still an okay idea?
I know this stuff can live in feed - do I need to get rid of the remainder of my feed, clean my bucket, and buy a new bag? I've already thrown out the hay, but do I need to go a step further?
I've only had rabbits again for the last two months. Traveled to Colorado to get them because I couldn't find a pair in AZ. I have a friend local who agreed to board my rabbits in her barn. I had everything squared away. Two weeks after I picked up the rabbits (I ended up with four, a buck and three does) I found my buck dead in his cage. And, well, it happens! I didn't think a lot of it. Less than three days later, the doe I picked up from the same breeder stopped eating and drinking. We pulled out all the stops to save her, but three days later she was dead.
At first, I chalked it up to something with the original breeder's herd. Something genetic, maybe. I should've known better. I've raised rabbits for a long time. I absolutely should have known better.
Two days ago our little lilac doe started showing the same symptoms. Bloating, not eating, teeth grinding. It's at this point that my friend tells me that a few months ago she had a bad problem with cocci and she couldn't kick it until she tore down her old barn and relocated it. I'm thinking it's still out there and her rabbits are asymptomatic and because of her sort of communal water situation it got passed around. It is possible that I brought it in as well with one of my new rabbits. It's impossible to know. Hopefully she takes some samples in to be safe.
I'm an absolute wreck at this point, so we load up and take her to the vet.
I've never been a 'go to the vet' type of person when it comes to rabbits but we have someone local who I've known for a long time who does treatment for rabbits at cost for us. I know what it is at this point. They put the her on sq fluids and requested a fecal from our other two. They came back this morning and it's heavy heavy cocci. Expected, but still an absolute nightmare. They put all three of them on Albon so I dosed them all when we got home. Nine more days of treatment and then we have to take another stool sample in 30 days to make sure it's knocked out.
We brought them home. All three are now in my bedroom. Doing fine! Except that poor little lilac doe.
We are in phase one of cleaning, used a heavy duty medical disinfectant on the cages and some of our equipment and we're now letting it dry. Tomorrow we'll be swapping their cages and bowls out for the clean ones and disinfecting the cages they're currently in, as well as the walls and floors. We're in overkill mode here, but I want it gone and under control.
Here are some questions:
Is cocci in rabbits the same as cocci for dogs? I'm concerned primarily because one of my dogs is terrible about eating rabbit poop. Do I need to get her treated as well?
Is there anything I can use to boost their immune systems after the treatment is over?
Is there anything else I can do for Al, my little lilac doe, to get her to pull through? We're forcing exercise in addition to the sq fluids and Albon, but doesn't seem to be helping much. She's still not pooping. Peeing gallons at a time, but no poop yet.
Is vanodine still a kill-all for this kind of stuff? I haven't seen anything about it since getting back into this. I used to bring a bottle of diluted vanodine solution to shows to spray on show coops before putting my rabbits in. Is this still an okay idea?
I know this stuff can live in feed - do I need to get rid of the remainder of my feed, clean my bucket, and buy a new bag? I've already thrown out the hay, but do I need to go a step further?
