Bleeding nose?

SarahMelisse · Jun 15, 2012

This evening I found a 5-week old kit that was bleeding profusely from it's nose. It was also gasping for air as if it couldn't breathe. I checked pretty thoroughly and couldn't find any bites, cuts, or anything lodged in it's nasal passages or throat. I'm at a complete loss for what happened to it. Unfortunately the kit got to the point of no return after having bled out so much that I put it down as quickly as possible to ease it's suffering.

Any ideas on what this could have been? No one else in the litter seems to have anything wrong with them.

ottersatin · Jun 16, 2012

Sounds like Heatstroke!
Ottersatin.

ancake:

SarahMelisse · Jun 16, 2012

Even the severe bleeding nose? I've had an animal die of heatstroke before and it didn't look like this. But it's entirely possible... they are angoras.

-HRanchito · Jun 17, 2012

what are the temps out there around this time? does the bunny barn retain a lot of heat?

SarahMelisse · Jun 17, 2012

My shed is very open and has two lattice sides. It sits in the shade all day long and gets pretty good airflow. All the rabbits get a large ice water bottle before the temps get over 80* but that day it was almost 90* outside. I also have a fan going to keep the air flowing. Everyone else was fine, but that kit was only 5-weeks old and still with her dam and 4 litter mates.

Honestly, it just sucked because she was the clearest looking fawn/cream I've ever seen with perfect agouti coloring/marks.

Yesterday was supposedly the hottest day we will be getting and everyone else made it through. If that kit hadn't died of heat-stroke Friday, it surely would have yesterday.

MaggieJ · Jun 17, 2012

I'm sorry you lost your bunny. It does sound like heatstroke. Bleeding from the nose can be a symptom of that. It sounds like your set-up is well designed to handle the heat, but rabbits vary in their ability to tolerate extremes. It is possible to select for heat tolerance, keeping for breeding only those that are still perky on a very hot day. They are likely to pass this resilience on to their offspring.