Pregnant doe had a seizure, seems better- UPDATE

So I have a doe who today is on day 26 of pregnancy. Yesterday she started out fine, didn't eat as much but assumed it was because she's getting close to kindling, was building her nest like crazy, drinking normally. Went out at night to check on her and she was just laying there breathing heavy. A few minutes later I went back and she was having a full on seizure. Stretched out, rigid, muscles twitching. She was unresponsive. I put her in a basket with towels wrapped around her and a hot water bottle, as she was quite cold. She convulsed for almost an hour, and then it suddenly stopped. She became more responsive, but was exhausted and breathing very heavily. I syringe fed her electrolyte solution, she took about 5 syringes willingly. Then we put her back in the cage with the towels and water bottle and wrapped a sheet around it, expecting her to be dead the next morning.

Today, we went out and she hopped up to say hello! She still seems a bit tired, but she's resting like her usual self with normal breathing. She didn't eat much in the night but I had left some of the elecrolytes in the cage and it looks like she drank some. I tried giving her lettuce and she did nibble that.

What do I do now? I have no idea what happened. She had been getting the same food and routine as usual. Is there anything else I should do for her? She isn't 100% yet, but she has definitely improved. As for the babies, I'm assuming they will most likely be aborted?

Just gave her a few more syringes of fresh electrolytes, which she gulped down eagerly. She ate almost the whole leaf of lettuce, and she sat up and ate a chunk of carrot now too. I'm starting to wonder if it's toxemia or something?

I've bred a epileptic doe before to try and salvage her genes since she was a beauty. She gave birth fine, was a bit silly in how she kept insisting on making a new nest every day, but when the kits got to 7 days she got a seizure that just did not stop. I had to euthanise her. Managed to save only one of her babies since none of the does scheduled to give birth then accepted to foster the babies.

The thing about seizures is that after 30min they start having brain damage. After 1h the chances of it stopping are very low. You are lucky yours stopped even after the 1h mark.

Now for what you can do. She'll most likelly give birth fine, but if you have another doe who could foster the kits I'd give em to her right away. This'll avoid you the trouble I had when mine had to be euthanised. Also it'll give your doe time to recover. Keep an eye on her though, if she has other seizures you definetly should cull her.

Well, I have a feeling it was toxemia or something. After the seizure I've just been trying to get food into the doe. She continued to have a reduced appetite. I was able to get her to eat a handful of grass and dandelions, a chunk of carrot, apple or banana, and a handful of oats and sunflower seeds every day. Last night, day 29, she kindled. All 7 kits were DOA. They were underdeveloped, it looks like they died around the same time as the seizure on day 25. The doe seems to be doing fine and is still eating. That was her first litter.

I'm assuming it's best to retire her from breeding. I don't really have space for a pet rabbit right now so I'm going to look for a pet home for her once she's recovered. Of course if she has another seizure I won't rehome her, but that was the only time she's had trouble before.

if you aren't keeping her... cull her. Do not sell a rabbit with a known problem into a pet home

You could disclose that she had a seizure while pregnant to any potential adoptees. Culling her seems a little harsh after one seizure she recovered from and could have very well only happened from being pregnant.

Too bad about the babies. As I mentionned at the 30min mark is when brain damage happens because seizures make it hard for the bunny to breathe and the brain lacks oxygen. This also means there wasnt enough for the kits and they died from it.

If you rehome her definetly tell people she had a seizure or you could get in trouble. If no one is interrested in her after a while you should cull unless you wanna try what I did and breed her once more to salvage her genes maybe.

Thanks Kimitsu Kouseki for all the good advice.

I wouldn't be able to cull her, knowing that she was fine until this incident, and she miraculously survived. I will of course be stating the reason for selling(seizure during pregnancy, retired from breeding). Hopefully she'll find a great home.

LFB, I do understand your feeling that you could not cull your doe. I've seen this over and over with beginning rabbits breeders, the feeling that "I could never do that!"

Setting aside the current situation for a moment, have you considered what you would do if one of your rabbits was in extreme pain and distress from injury or illness? Sometimes sparing your own feelings could result in agony for the animal. Everyone who breeds rabbits and does not have funds and access to a 24/7 veterinary service needs to know how to euthanize a rabbit in an emergency.

I'm sorry to bother you with this when you are already facing a decision about your doe, but I do feel strongly about this.

MaggieJ":2nicx8ky said:

LFB, I do understand your feeling that you could not cull your doe. I've seen this over and over with beginning rabbits breeders, the feeling that "I could never do that!"

Setting aside the current situation for a moment, have you considered what you would do if one of your rabbits was in extreme pain and distress from injury or illness? Sometimes sparing your own feelings could result in agony for the animal. Everyone who breeds rabbits and does not have funds and access to a 24/7 veterinary service needs to know how to euthanize a rabbit in an emergency.

I'm sorry to bother you with this when you are already facing a decision about your doe, but I do feel strongly about this.

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:yeahthat:
We've all had our fair share of hearthbreaks this way, but sometimes it's the right thing to do. You can't be a breeder if you'll end up becoming a shelter to all bunnies whom you should be culling and babies who just never sold.

Thank you for your concern. I do understand. I would absolutely be prepared to cull a rabbit if it was in pain and suffering. I will not let an animal suffer. I have researched dispatch methods should a problem arise.

The ONLY reason I am not culling this doe is because she is not in pain anymore. She has gone back to acting her usual self. I feel culling her now is cruel. I am of course keeping her here for a while to closely monitor her. If she goes downhill or has another seizure, I will know she will be continuing to have issues and cull her. If she is fine I'm not going to take her life. I just want to do what's right for her and I feel that for right now she just needs time.

Good for you, LFB! So many people do not look ahead to the possible necessity of euthanizing a suffering animal. Glad you've already give it it the necessary thought.

If -- after a good period of evaluation and recovery -- the doe seems healthy, I don't think finding it a pet home is a bad thing, as long as you explain fully to the new owner what happened, why she should not be bred again and that another seizure will always be a possibility. Oddly enough, some folks will go out of their way for a "lame duck" pet, so I hope it all works out.

Thanks MaggieJ. I have learned so much here on RT, before this I would never have even been able to think of culling! Now I'd be prepared if it's in the best interests.

I really hope that it was just a crazy time with this doe and she recovers. That is true about people. if all goes well she might find a wonderful home. I'll be closely watching the doe in the meantime.