Weird death

I had a healthy, 1.5 year old Cal buck stop eating and then die, over the course of two or three days. He did not eat one day, the next he was quiet and lethargic and the third he was found dead. No obvious issues seen on necropsy. That was about a week ago. Now, the buck in the next cage is not eating, acting lethargic...etc...I have given him some plantain leaves, of which he ate half and am watching him. This sound familiar to anyone?

Could it be some kind of GI problem?

mystang89":yvo2pyrg said:

Could it be some kind of GI problem?

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I don't know, he did not eat much food last night and only half of the large plantain leaf. I gave him some hay to see if that would tempt him. Maybe I should bring him in to see if he he is peeing and pooping.

I would bring him in, offer him hay and oats and see if he's peeing and pooping.

If it is GI stasis getting hay or other high fiber source (maybe beet pulp?) down them might fix it. You can also give simethicone (found in all gas medicines and by liquid for children). It's kind of hard to tell on necropsy if the intestines were being delayed by gas because shortly after death the bacteria in the gut fill it with gas that has nowhere to go.

We can hope it is GI stasis or something like that, since it's not catching. I know I'd be so worried with the same thing going on with the buck next door!

I would definitely get him where you could see his output.

Are your rabbits going through molt right now?

I've had two rabbits die with similar symptoms (3 years apart). One died of wool block, the other of stasis. You said he isn't eating much, and he did eat plantain right in front of you... so I wouldn't think it's stasis. Doesn't that happen when they completely quit eating?

I assume he is in the new barn on an automatic water system? I have never had a valve clog on my system, but I would check to be sure. Also, if he recently moved back to the barn and was on a crock or bottle in the former area, he may have forgotten how to use the valve. I have had that happen with my rabbits when the "keepers" move back to the BunnyBarn.

Other than that, with no obvious symptoms aside from a lack of appetite, I don't know what the cause might be. :?

Supportive care is probably all you can do at this point. I would give him electrolytes or IV fluids if you have them, Bene-Bac for his gut, and parsley to stimulate his appetite.

MamaSheepdog":2vpgzkdw said:

I assume he is in the new barn on an automatic water system? I have never had a valve clog on my system, but I would check to be sure. Also, if he recently moved back to the barn and was on a crock or bottle in the former area, he may have forgotten how to use the valve. I have had that happen with my rabbits when the "keepers" move back to the BunnyBarn.

Other than that, with no obvious symptoms aside from a lack of appetite, I don't know what the cause might be. :?

Supportive care is probably all you can do at this point. I would give him electrolytes or IV fluids if you have them, Bene-Bac for his gut, and parsley to stimulate his appetite.

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I brought him inside and gave him a bowl of water. He did drink from it. I gave him more plantain and some carrot tops. He is uninterested in hay. Should I force some Probios?

This is my chocolate Rex, Cadbury, I don't wanna lose him!

Not Cadbury!!!

Yes, I would force Probios and fluids. You might put a bowl of electrolyte solution in with him too.

I prefer the homemade version to store bought:

Things You'll Need

1 liter of water
8 level tsp. of sugar (or molasses or raw sugar)
1/2 tsp. of salt


Instructions

1 Mix 8 tsp. of sugar and 1/2 tsp. of salt in 1 liter of water. Store in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Mix fresh after 24 hours. The National Institute of Health recommends adding only a very small amount of orange or apple juice to improve the palatability of a homemade electrolyte solution.

2 Consider using molasses or raw sugar instead of white sugar. Molasses and raw sugar contain more potassium than white sugar, and potassium is an important component of electrolyte solutions. For the added potassium, puree (or mash) a banana and stir in some sugar and very little salt to taste, perhaps 1/4 tsp. Add some water to thin it out if you have to.

3 Make a solution containing starch. Starches are an important component of recovering nutrients lost due to diarrhea. Mix 1/2 to 1 cup of precooked baby rice cereal or 1 1/2 tbsp. of sugar with 2 cups of water and 1/2 tsp. of salt. Mix well.

homemade-electrolytic-solution-t14844.html

I sure hope you can save Cadbury, OAF!

If it turns out that he is not pooping, you could try wetting some dandelion greens and offering him those. Sometimes it is enough to get things moving again. Dandelion greens are moderately laxative and may be tempting enough to get him eating. If you don't have dandelions, many grocery stores carry them these days in their produce departments.

I'm glad you gave him a crock of water. I remember a situation with an HT member where a valve did not work and the rabbit stopped eating because it couldn't get water. The owner managed to save it by taking it to the vet, but I forget what it cost her - over $1000, I think.

Fingers crossed for your boy! :clover: :clover: :clover:

MamaSheepdog":23st8xn0 said:

Not Cadbury!!!

Yes, I would force Probios and fluids. You might put a bowl of electrolyte solution in with him too.

I prefer the homemade version to store bought:

Things You'll Need

1 liter of water
8 level tsp. of sugar (or molasses or raw sugar)
1/2 tsp. of salt


Instructions

1 Mix 8 tsp. of sugar and 1/2 tsp. of salt in 1 liter of water. Store in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Mix fresh after 24 hours. The National Institute of Health recommends adding only a very small amount of orange or apple juice to improve the palatability of a homemade electrolyte solution.


homemade-electrolytic-solution-t14844.html

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Ok, I fed him some Probios and mixed up the electrolyte solution and filled the bowl. I gave him dandelion greens, blackberry leaves and plantain, should he be inclined to eat it. He had drank about a 1/4cup of water before I refilled it.

:clover:

There's fresh pineapple or papaya, too, if you have reason to suspect wool block.

Well, he is drinking and eating, peeing and finally pooping. Very tiny poops at first, so I think it was GI Stasis. So glad I caught it in time...

Pureed banana is always good for increasing appetite and providing nutrients but I usually mix it with something that has fiber like pellets. Fruit and greens can increase gas potentially making things worse by themselves. Might take a little juice, electrolyte solution, or plain water if nothing else to fully soften and mix the pellets before adding the banana or I've used berries too. Personally I prefer to keep 1 or 2 oxbow critical care powder packets on hand for such situations. It's a fully balanced high fiber nutrient mix for herbivores and takes little moisture to mix up or slightly more for hand feeding. Much more complete and easier to use than dissolving pellets or trying to get hay down them and it should cover any electrolyte problems as well.

OneAcreFarm":uzhycx1c said:

Well, he is drinking and eating, peeing and finally pooping. Very tiny poops at first, so I think it was GI Stasis. So glad I caught it in time...

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Those are the poops I saw with the bun I lost to stasis! Tiny and irregularly shaped.

So glad he's pulling through, and that it's not something contagious! :bouncy: :bouncy: :bouncy:

Definitely progress!!! Go, Cadbury, Go!