I don't believe I am doing this----

one of the very young Mini rexes I bought last week died within 18 hours of getting home. Within 24 hours, another MR had a snotty nose-- Soooo


EVERYONE has been treated for 4 days with tetracycline in their drinking water. I even put some treated water on the floor for the loose rabbits-- thinking I really can't control where they go and how they share stuff.

I managed to catch three of the four loose rabbits, a plus for me, as it does seem they are all pregnant. One has an abscess-- so I can treat her for Cocci. If my thinking is correct- a couple rounds of amprolium on her will clear her up, and if it works, everyone will be treated one round as a way to make sure it does not become a problem because she shed them while she was loose. Another doe seemed to actually be coughing a wet, pneumonia type cough--

As of this morning, the coughy doe is breathing easy, and the snotty nosed MR is no longer looking like a kindergartner.

I am SO looking forward to nicer weather :clover:

The key to this is isolation - always keep new rabbits you bring in seperate from your herd for at least two weeks, this way, if they are sick you dont have to worry about your own rabbits.

I would seperate and ill looking rabbits to keep it from spreading. THat includes any sneezing, un normal actions, couching ect. If the snot is white i would dispatch as it often means snuffles.

My new buns are always isolated-- but those loose guys can get sneaky---

And since 'snuffles' is a catch all diagnosis, I will not just summarily dispatch an animal for sneezing, coughing, or sniffing.

One of the 'problems' I have found is the attitude towards "pastuerella"-- Like salmonella in avian, reptilian, and amphibian species, EVERY RABBIT HAS IT!!! Each herd 'developes' it's own strain of the *dis-ease*, which the herd is immune to. So even after a quarantine period, when two rabbits from different herds are introduced, if the immune system of one is compromised in any way, someone may get sick with 'pastuerella' or 'snuffles' This is also true for Cocci-- there are a minimum of 9 species of cocci that affect rabbits, each species having it's own favorite location within the rabbit's system. There are acceptable 'parasite loads'[bacteria, as well] that a healthy rabbit - or any animal- can handle without getting sick or passing them on into the environment (a process known as shedding)

believe me-- right now, I have rabbits spread into 5 different places- I even took empty cages out from under the shelter so that they could be put into a 6th area for breeding use.
MUst get more wire.....

Actually the new rabbits would be spreading something "new" to your present herd. I don't think the new rabbits are responding to something in your enviroment that they are not "immune' to. Its too soon for that.Dying less than a day later and the other getting snotty within 24 hrs means they were already sick. I would take that up with the person you got them from. White snot from a rabbit is bad no matter what. The only time one would give a rabbit the benefit of doubt is when it has a clear discharge. There may have been an incident of dusty hay; sweeping; even a windy day blowing in dust that may have caused it. So a one time thing isn't a big deal,however if its constant, never goes away and becomes white or darker then yes there is a big problem.No not all rabbits have pasturella itself but a large number carry the spores.Actually pasturella is a member of the bordatella family that produces kennel cough in dogs.Its bad in dogs and worse in rabbits.

If the snot is thick, white, yellow, or green I would immediately cull it, why take a chance try and fix it just to purposely breed weak immune systems into your rabbits?

Devon's Mom Lauren":pga5trdr said:

Actually the new rabbits would be spreading something "new" to your present herd. I don't think the new rabbits are responding to something in your enviroment that they are not "immune' to. Its too soon for that.Dying less than a day later and the other getting snotty within 24 hrs means they were already sick.

Click to expand...

I am quite aware of that. I think the little doe was, simply, too young to undergo the stressors that she did.She appeared healthy, just understandably, scared. The buck that got snotty was from a different consignor, and was the only MR in that group. He appeared 'clean' when I sexed him and felt him up real good. BUT-- his group was next to a box of bunnies that I rejected as potential because one of the rabbits in it was emqaciated and gunky eyed. Unfortunately, one cannot prevent the handling of the animals before the bidding starts.


[/quote] I would take that up with the person you got them from. White snot from a rabbit is bad no matter what. The only time one would give a rabbit the benefit of doubt is when it has a clear discharge. There may have been an incident of dusty hay; sweeping; even a windy day blowing in dust that may have caused it. So a one time thing isn't a big deal,however if its constant, never goes away and becomes white or darker then yes there is a big problem.No not all rabbits have pasturella itself but a large number carry the spores.Actually pasturella is a member of the bordatella family that produces kennel cough in dogs.Its bad in dogs and worse in rabbits.[/quote]

And kennel cough is pretty much a disease that rears it's ugly head when the animal is under a lot of stress, while in an environment that is not it's own. I never could understand vaccinating for kennel cough when there are so many 'strains' of it.

Making sure the new guys are healthy before blending them into the herd helps them all get healthier. The animals will 'expose' each other to their respective, under control, 'germs'-- that is how immune systems work-- by being challenged. Unfortunately, many immune systems are overwhelmed, and that is why the animals get sick.

I will be glad when I can close my herds. Of course, right now, warmer weather sure would be a big help

The animal auctions should really do a better job of banning obviously sick or sickly animals from being sold. The ones you rejected should never have made it past the door. For the kennel cough there is no vaccine but there is nasal spray that one uses when taking a dog to a show or one who is coming into rescue etc.I think its mandatory for plane travel.I often wonder if that nasal spray could be adapted to rabbits when taking them out to shows as well.

Hey Terry,
I haven't forgotten about you. I haven't gotten rid of the rabbits I saved for you. I have found that auction bunnies can be a real pain sometimes especially if they are real young. Hope you get everything figured out. I sometimes use vet-rx for those tough cases it often seems to help and it is natural.

later

Phil, it is your statement as we parted that day, about the drinking water, that helped me make the decision about this last group of rabbits. So I dug into the Bennet books, and made notes of the old-timer preventive drug treatments- I figured your drinking water instructions came from that source... [cards I can hang on the drug drawer for future reference]. Stoni had no problem while quarantined here, And I certainly did not want her to get accidentally exposed to anything this group was bringing in--PJ, the AmChin buck you met at the show that day,- not the first sign of any issues after being so well handled by all the kids at the show.(folks, I put the fella on a leash and let him explore the floor in the show building) I went ahead and treated the whole herd because of the 4 loose guys-- and the loose numbers have been reduced to one-- a small buck that is just too savvy to get caught. He got his treated water, too- I leave a bowl water and food out for him- just have to make sure the chickens don't find the water, cuz I eat their eggs!!!

oh-- Stoni is starting to really 'come out' as a cuddle bunny-I think she will welcome her hubby when I pick him up, too.

Glad my "insights" helped. Don't worry about stoni's hubby he is doing fine. I have plenty of space for him for now, but I just put in 20 nestboxes yesterday. Could be lots-o-babies. I wonder how this could happen?

Gosh, if you have to ask THAT question, it is either time to go back to 'health class' (I beleive it was called 'personal hygiene' in my day) or time to get out of the business!!! :lol: Now, I am pretty positive you did not take the 'short bus' to school--
me- I am about ready to order a short bus for myself--I am feeling EXTREMELY frustrated these days--