**warning, graphic!** MoonTune Necropsy

[Deer Heart]

After holding her body in the fridge for 2 days, I decided to perform a necropsy on MoonTune, for my own peace of mind. I have never opened a rabbit as old as her before (she was 3yrs old). I was very surprised to find not one of her organs looked... normal? Not one looked like what I am used to. Did she have multiple causes of death or are some of these weird from me waiting 2 days (I doubt it, I have seen necropsies on cats and dogs that have been sitting out for a full day on summer days, then refrigerated for two more... and still look way more pink inside than this??) Either way, it was clearly NOT her teeth.

But what?... Her Colon/caecum looks especially huge to me. Those lungs also look very wrong.... and I can't figure out why her kidney was pitch black and rock hard.

Edited to add that she also smelled surprisingly horrendous right after death and still smells god awful even after being immediately refrigerated. (her muscles only just today finally relaxed enough so she was pliable)

 

[Preitler]

Phew, there isn't anything looking even close to healthy ,lungs look awful, and imho it sure is nothing post mortem that spoiled all that. I mean, I had innards in a bucket for half a week outside before getting them on the compost pile, and they looked better.

I have not much experience with sick rabbits (apart from Myxomatosis), can't tell what that was. Only know it's not normal.

And, you do have my respect for doing the necropsy.

 

[Petlover500]

Wow, that is definitely.. err... odd.. :shock:
I have no idea what went wrong, but maybe someone can help you figure it out that has experience in this area.

 

[Deer Heart]

@ Preitler, I know right?!? As soon as I saw the skin and was hit with the pungent aroma I wondered if this rabbit was already dead before I even attempted treatment on her (certainly was the season for zombie bunnies at least). I had to know though. It was bothering me and to be fair I did open her cheeks first because I was so sure it was tooth related... but there was no tooth infection. Bad teeth but no sign anywhere of infection in her mouth. I had to dig deeper for the sake of my surviving rabbits. I'm glad I did as those lungs do concern me a great deal.

@ Petlover500, thank you! I do hope to get some answers out of this. If not for me, then for my surviving rabbits. I know now at least that this was an EXTREMELY sick rabbit. I would never of known how sick if I didn't decide to explore.

 

[Preitler]

Since you mention the smell, I remember a few rabbits smelling bad when opened, can't tell why. It didn't spoil the meat. And it wasn't even close to butchering chicken. I think I remember spots on the liver, years ago, when I knew nothing (Jon Snow..)

I gave my buck a nice burial under a young nut tree, to do something like that really easies the mind.

 

[Deer Heart]

blegh the stench is so bad I am bagging the entrails and tossing them, can't wait to see if anyone needs a closeup of anything for their curiosity. I will just freeze the organ-less body because I am seriously gagging. Think that rabbit musky stench you sometimes get + decay + x10

It is also stuck to me like male goat in rut stink.

 

[Petlover500]

Weird!! D:
By what you saw, and idea at all what could have happened? ):

 

[Deer Heart]

Weird!! D:
By what you saw, and idea at all what could have happened? ):

My best guess right now is still infection of some sort. Specifically that something in her digestive system became infected and then that infection went systematic and that her skyrocketing temps boiled her other organs internally. Like, BOTH kidneys were black and very firm. That liver looks atrocious. WTH is even UP with that stomach? Seriously?? Her small intestines had no gas in them but they were extremely mushy and soft with orange areas that feel... the best way I can describe those areas is "melted". That colon is MASSIVE. :| The only thing that looked normal to me at all was her bladder and her heart.


Edit: or it could have been renal failure based on how the kidneys look. She didn't really drink more than the other rabbits though.

 

[macksmom98]

Awe poor thing, I hope this helps mentally and emotionally to know you did what you could.

 

[Petlover500]

Weird!! D:
By what you saw, and idea at all what could have happened? ):

My best guess right now is still infection of some sort. Specifically that something in her digestive system became infected and then that infection went systematic and that her skyrocketing temps boiled her other organs internally. Like, BOTH kidneys were black and very firm. That liver looks atrocious. WTH is even UP with that stomach? Seriously?? Her small intestines had no gas in them but they were extremely mushy and soft with orange areas that feel... the best way I can describe those areas is "melted". That colon is MASSIVE. :| The only thing that looked normal to me at all was her bladder and her heart.


Edit: or it could have been renal failure based on how the kidneys look. She didn't really drink more than the other rabbits though.

Hmm.. so awful and just plain bizarre
You did do all you could for her. If you find out what caused her situation and how, maybe it can help you with future rabbits if they ever get the same problem.

 

[alforddm]

I'd her kidneys were black renal failure might be a good guess. That would affect the other organs with toxins as they are not being filtered from the blood. /shrug/ That would be my guess.

 

[Ramjet]

Kidneys & liver look bad along with the lungs and the gall bladder looks a bit enlarged.

Whatever it was appears to have been at work for quite some time. That liver is extremely damaged .... Makes me think that's the place to start.

Curious as to how this rabbit was housed - colony or single cage , raised or ground and its diet - pellets , hay , forage. Did it have access to some plant that may have been toxic ?

My first guess would be coccidiosis followed by exposure to some toxin - from feed , bedding , cleaning agents or mold.

 

[Oscar]

What kind of things was she exposed to? Her lungs look like smokers lungs. That's just gross. :x

 

[Deer Heart]

I'd her kidneys were black renal failure might be a good guess. That would affect the other organs with toxins as they are not being filtered from the blood. /shrug/ That would be my guess.

Exactly why I went there next. My first thought was that the renal failure was the result of something else (like severe infection). But renal failure also causes fever.

Kidneys & liver look bad along with the lungs and the gall bladder looks a bit enlarged.

Whatever it was appears to have been at work for quite some time. That liver is extremely damaged .... Makes me think that's the place to start.

Curious as to how this rabbit was housed - colony or single cage , raised or ground and its diet - pellets , hay , forage. Did it have access to some plant that may have been toxic ?

My first guess would be coccidiosis followed by exposure to some toxin - from feed , bedding , cleaning agents or mold.

During quarantine she was being housed in my house as top cage of a 2 stacking cage (my buck was on the bottom as he was at the show being shown where I purchased her. During that time she was fed coastal and whole oats before being weaned off the oats to the same pellets I feed the rest of my colony. After quarantine for a month and a couple days, I moved her outside to her own cage. My cages outside hang under a structure from chains and are single level. I had this rabbit since mid-September (9/19/15), so I have had her for about 5.5 weeks before she died. I do not know how her previous owner housed her as I purchased her at a show.

I do use white vinegar and peroxide to clean the cages and I also put ACV in the water. She also got some fresh leafy greens after I moved her in with the rest of the buns (NOT forage but spinach, kale, mustard greens, collards, etc. and sometimes a sliver of sweet potato or pumpkin and not a LOT of these either.. I'd chop up a few leaves and stems into a small tossed salad then split it up among the buns). She was also getting a pinch of BOSS with her pellets after being moved outside as she was in really bad molt when I purchased her and was still in the molt after coming of quarantine. The BOSS was lightly dusted with DE (I do this to all of my BOSS as it is for chickens as well and keeps the fireants out of the containers)

What kind of things was she exposed to? Her lungs look like smokers lungs. That's just gross. :x

I can't stand the smell of cigarettes but the man I purchased her from did stink of it so who knows. At my home, nothing but fresh clean forest air. It isn't even pollen season right now... possibly mold? We are coming out of hurricane season right now but it has been dry for the last few weeks. I'm just relieved this doesn't look like some sort of URI/airborne disease, so my other buns may be okay?

 

[Petlover500]

If what she had was airborne, then your whole herd could be at risk... But I wouldn't be too concerned about the rest of your herd, unless they start showing signs like she did. Was she ever in the same area as the other buns?
It seems like what she had would not be contagious, but you ever know.

I a'int no vet, so don't quote me on anythig I say (;

 

[Deer Heart]

If what she had was airborne, then your whole herd could be at risk... But I wouldn't be too concerned about the rest of your herd, unless they start showing signs like she did. Was she ever in the same area as the other buns?
It seems like what she had would not be contagious, but you ever know.

I a'int no vet, so don't quote me on anythig I say (;

She was hanging among them (in her own cage) for about 2 weeks prior to this death.

 

[FourRingCircus]

Oh wow! That liver is crazy looking! I can't even imagine the smell (I was ranking smells of butchered animals to DH - rabbits, squirrel, and chickens, with chickens being the worst... blech! Those are the only three I have ever done though).

Wouldn't that be crazy if she had lung issues from her previous owner smoking? Something you will probably never know for sure though...

DH was walking by as I was looking at the pictures and asked why I had such an odd expression on my face... well, in his words "What is that look for? What are you looking at???"

Thank you for taking the time (and having the stomach!) to do the necropsy. I think it helps newbies and experienced rabbit keepers alike to see all the different things that can happen (and maybe you can figure out at least a little of what did happen and have it posted here as well).

 

[Deer Heart]

Oh wow! That liver is crazy looking! I can't even imagine the smell (I was ranking smells of butchered animals to DH - rabbits, squirrel, and chickens, with chickens being the worst... blech! Those are the only three I have ever done though).

Wouldn't that be crazy if she had lung issues from her previous owner smoking? Something you will probably never know for sure though...

DH was walking by as I was looking at the pictures and asked why I had such an odd expression on my face... well, in his words "What is that look for? What are you looking at???"

Thank you for taking the time (and having the stomach!) to do the necropsy. I think it helps newbies and experienced rabbit keepers alike to see all the different things that can happen (and maybe you can figure out at least a little of what did happen and have it posted here as well).

Imagine... a LOT worse than chickens... and yes, I'm talking the nasty cornishX. Like, CornishX if you accidentally over heated it with the scalding prior to plucking. Worse then that somehow. I was able to still smell it when I evacuated to the other side of the house to get away. :|

I am so glad I decided to necropsy. At least newbies can see what everything and I mean everything is meant to not look like. It gave me the peace of mind that, there was NOTHING I could have done to change Moon Tune's fate. She hid ALL OF THIS until 24hrs before she died. :| That is the crazy thing that blows my mind. She was still eating, drinking, and pooping just like all of my other rabbits with ... that... going on. She even ate a noticeable chunk of her pellets the night before, just not all of them and hardly touched her water which sent me into "uh-oh" mode and resulted in my previous post concerning her. Even the night she died she was nibbling hay when I went to bed. She was unable to stand up and she was nibbling hay... I just... when people say rabbits conceal diseases they mean they are totally metal about it.

 

[FourRingCircus]

Did you get any pics of her mouth? I was just a little curious what it looked like in there based on your initial description...

 

[Ramjet]

Reading this and seeing those images , the damage done to that liver didn't happen overnight .... I think this rabbit came to you with whatever ailment caused its death.

After reading this and the other thread , I lean towards coccidiosis as the root cause with renal failure being a compliaction.