Cage sanitizing, other animals and cocci?

[ohiogoatgirl]

So I still have my 3 huge cages I built. 1x1/2 inch floor wire and 1x1 inch for the sides and top. Each are 5ft by 30inch and height of 32inch or around there. I didn't bother with trimming and evening when I built them so its as wide as the wire rolls were and the top corners I just rednecked it out to fold and close em and make em meet the roof wire without a big hole. Because apparently its too much to ask that the darn cage wire cant just all be the same width and save everyone some time and tedious trimming! :roll:

I am back in Ohio on the farm with Dad. All my animals come to a grand total of... 1 silver fox buck. I got him from Secuono who used to be on here (I think she got out of rabbits and GPs both? I could be wrong..) She had gotten him from a really awesome breeder I was facebook friends with who was in Maine but I never would have thought I would be able to buy and pay transport for any of his rabbits. Lo and behold I got Mr Buck from secuono for $50. Full pedigree. Could be a bit bigger but still a lot nicer temperament and build than a lot of the rabbits I had been workin with before.

In VA I had my hutches I brought with me when I moved. While there I had a short stint with one doe who couldn't fully get rid of ear mites and managed to pass it on to my better doe GTS who then had a little annoying case of ear mites. I was treating them with that apple flavor oral whatchacallit (which I know but cant remember the name now!). When I sold off near the entire herd plus most of the supplies I gave the guy lots of instructions for feeding adjustment suggestions and medicating the ear mites and the more than half full tube of medicine....
I left my hutches in VA. I also learned from them a lot of designs I dispise in hutches.

Now that I am back I was thinking I could take my three big cages and put em on legs etc. I currently have Mr Buck in the nicest one. Also the one that I never had a sick rabbit in or one die in, from my previous rabbits and that weird mystery deaths I was having then that I still never figured out.

Well a couple days ago Mr Buck sneezed and a big ol glob of snot come out and on his face. It was clearish-whitish snot. No yellow, no blood, no weird colors. But definitely a big ol snot rocket which he immediately tried to get off and nearly had all over his paws and face. Luckily the barn is right there and I could quick grab something to at least wipe it away with.

Could this be that big bad C word? I will be watching him close as I can but I am pretty much expecting now that this is happened my fears are true and I will soon see him worsen and need to put him out. Of course since now he is like my little buddy lone rabbit.

If this is likely to be cocci whats the best way to treat the cages? The other two cages are currently out in the yard in the sunshine and rain. I have bleached cages before and its a huge pain in the tush.. and I don't know anyone with one of those torch things to do that.. Would bleach and sunshine kill cocci?

If this is likely to be cocci is there any animals I could keep in them after that? I had tossed around the idea of pigeon keeping but I was pretty sure cocci affects everything really :x And I REALLY hate to think all that work and darn rolls of wire and the j clips will be worthless

Any ideas or suggestions appreciated!

 

[Dood]

Coccidia is an intestinal and in some cases a liver parasite and would not cause snot - I think you mean the big bad "P" word - pasturella and that is certainly a possibilty, as is bordatella

Bleach and sunshine/UV should kill pasturella bacteria residues on the cages as long as there is no wood or other porous material they can hide in and get exposed by rabbit chewing

 

[Susie570]

Would you be able to get a swab test done on him?

Since hrs the only critter you have, sounds like you've had him for a while and no other rabbits, it's also possible he just got something up his nose, although the whitish snot is concerning.

 

[michaels4gardens]

although the above mentioned diseases, are always a possibility, so is allergies, and as mentioned above, something up the nose. For something up the nose, there is not much to be done about something you can not see sticking out of a nostril. so- just watch him, rabbits that have a good immune system will often overcome infections and go on to be just fine.
--things to watch out for-- include mouldy hay and feed, a little dust coming from your hay should be looked at carefully and smelled , to see if you can detect mold . Feed should be fresh and kept as cool and dry as possible, even a fresh new bag of pellets can contain moldy ingredients.
Hay should be inspected as you feed ,to make sure it contains no foxtail, cheatgrass, or "junegrass" seed heads, these will cause major problems like you described, and will often lead to mortality. - in my experience, at least 90% of all rabbit trouble begins with feed.
Dusty feeds should be avoided, as rabbits have sensitive respiratory systems , if you are using diatomaceous earth products on the rabbits, use it carefully and keep it away from eyes, and nose, the dust is very hard on rabbits , don't add it to feed unless it is fed dampened with oatmeal or something else they will eat.[to make sure they do not inhale the dust]
Rabbits are sensitive to ammonia, make sure the urine does not accumulate in their cage area , also do not put rabbits and chickens together in an enclosed area.

 

[ohiogoatgirl]

pasturella must be what I was thinkin of. hmm... well looks like I will be spraying the cages down with heavy bleach water and rolling them over to get sunshine.

the cages have been empty for over two years. one was moved out of the barn (*grumble!*) by dad and has been outside for at least all winter up to now, most likely longer. that's the one the buck is in now. and yes, just wire cages. no wood or stuff to worry about.

 

[akane]

It's unlikely pasturella has survived for 2 years. It is usually dead within 24hrs out of the body without disinfecting. It might hang out longer in a wet or dirty environment such as the wood on a hutch or if the wire cages haven't been scraped clean. It's still not going to make 2 years. Odds are anything your buck has he brought with him or someone recently introduced from other rabbits they were in contact with.

 

[ohiogoatgirl]

My only other rabbit I had last was gone... ehh before thanksgiving time... So I am gonna guess for now that he may just be having an allergy issue from the change of environment? Small possibility he got some grass/hay up his nose. I will try and see if I can notice any other symptoms. He had lost weight over winter and I was worried he would get bad all of a sudden but then he rounded back out alright. I still think he is on the small side.

 

[michaels4gardens]

you might also consider treating for parasites .. if he was loosing weight or was "unthrifty" -- many things can depress the immune system, [including moving.]

 

[ohiogoatgirl]

should I try the wormer again?
Ivermectin! that's what it was! the oral apple flavor stuff.

 

[michaels4gardens]

should I try the wormer again?
Ivermectin! that's what it was! the oral apple flavor stuff.

I missed the part where you wormed him, --if he is doing well - don't fix it--

 

[ohiogoatgirl]

I meant I had wormed the rabbits with that and used for the two does ear mites. back when I still had several rabbits.

Mr Buck seems fine. eating and drinking normally. his breathing is raspy like he is congested. he had that off and on in winter some but I figured it was mainly the weather going up and down so extreme. should I try an herb or something to try and clear him up?

Ya the ivermectin that time is the only medicine I have ever used on any of the rabbits at all since I started.

 

[michaels4gardens]

I meant I had wormed the rabbits with that and used for the two does ear mites. back when I still had several rabbits.

Mr Buck seems fine. eating and drinking normally. his breathing is raspy like he is congested. he had that off and on in winter some but I figured it was mainly the weather going up and down so extreme. should I try an herb or something to try and clear him up?

Ya the ivermectin that time is the only medicine I have ever used on any of the rabbits at all since I started.

[JMHO, and it is controversial , as garlic is considered toxic to all mammals , including rabbits, by some supposed, self proclaimed, "experts"] [never feed it to cats, it is toxic to cats]
I use garlic tops, or garlic chives [or green onions in a pinch] to treat respiratory troubles, infections, cocci and other protozoan parasites, like EC. I also add big mountain sage to this sometimes, because it grows here, and works well] - but big mountain sage is also controversial , as some "experts" think that is harmful to rabbits also, and it would be in large , and continuous amounts ]
any way it works for me-- I have had rabbits near death, with lung issues, get better and never have a relapse after they ate their garlic chives, -- for me, around my place, [and- JMHO] - I feel that if they will eat the chives, or garlic tops, they will live, if they will not eat it they will die- so far this is 100% [subject to change of course], - I feed them all they will eat in 1/2 hr [or so] for 15 to 30 days for EC, and for about a week [or so] for lung issues, and cocci .