Coccidiosis, trying to help a friend

[AlbinoGiant]

I will know more by the end of the week whether it was Coccidiosis or poison from contaminated hay.

In the mean time... they will finish the course of there treatment for Coccidiosis.

Since the removal of the suspected contaminated hay the remaining rabbits have been doing fine, a few more days time will confirm it. Coccidiosis just doesn't disappear over night.

 

[Scooter1A]

The 3 rabbits that have become critical I managed to get one eating, I've also made a discovery that this may not be Coccidiosis... My friend had bought some packaged hay from a discount store which looked a bit dark in color, there is a small possibility that its contaminated and has poisoned the rabbits.

All hay has since been removed and discarded and replaced with fresh hay bought from a pet store yesterday and there has been some progress... the 3 critical rabbits might not be able to be saved, I'm hoping the one that is drinking tiny amounts of water might pull through. The other two may not make it.

The remaining young rabbits that are left haven't fallen ill.

I'm not ruling out Coccidiosis but I think poisoning from contaminated hay could be what has happened. I have ordered some activated charcoal to give to the poorly rabbits.

like I said before, do an autopsy. get a good grass hay supplier, talk to horse people, they know. keep their surroundings clean.

 

[AlbinoGiant]

like I said before, do an autopsy. get a good grass hay supplier, talk to horse people, they know. keep their surroundings clean.

There surroundings are clean. I know it sounds unbelievable that it was contaminated hay bought from discount store. I also inspected the hay and I found dry mold in it. I don't care if nobody believes me but this is what has happened. An autopsy would cost hundreds. The problem has been identified so there is no point.

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

There surroundings are clean. I know it sounds unbelievable that it was contaminated hay bought from discount store. I also inspected the hay and I found dry mold in it. I don't care if nobody believes me but this is what has happened. An autopsy would cost hundreds. The problem has been identified so there is no point.

They're just trying to help you

 

[Alaska Satin]

There surroundings are clean. I know it sounds unbelievable that it was contaminated hay bought from discount store. I also inspected the hay and I found dry mold in it. I don't care if nobody believes me but this is what has happened. An autopsy would cost hundreds. The problem has been identified so there is no point.

Not unbelievable at all. I lost six adults - four of them Best-in-Show rabbits and my key breeders - and nine babies last summer to bad hay. It was heartbreaking. The rabbits died terrible deaths due to neurological poisoning. My daughter and I had both noticed broadleaf weeds in the hay, but subconsciously wrote it off as dandelion leaves. But no, it was lupine, known some places as loco weed. It's a neurotoxin and doesn't take much to bring down a rabbit. Certain types of mold are deadly, too.

Bad hay, like contaminated feed, is one of those things that makes you feel so helpless. Sometimes it's something you can avoid with experience, as when it's something obvious like off-smelling hay or pellets, mold covering the bale, etc. It's good to be vigilant about examining and sniffing your feed, haha. But many of these things are not apparent until you already have suffering or dying rabbits.

like I said before, do an autopsy. get a good grass hay supplier, talk to horse people, they know. keep their surroundings clean.

I think what Scooter1A meant about an autopsy was a suggestion to open them up yourself. A lot of us do that to observe what exactly happened. Sometimes it's surprising; it's always educational. It's less helpful if you don't know what it's supposed to look like inside, but it's a good skill to develop.

Glad you figured it out. You learned a lot about coccidiosis treatment, too...

 

[AlbinoGiant]

Not unbelievable at all. I lost six adults - four of them Best-in-Show rabbits and my key breeders - and nine babies last summer to bad hay. It was heartbreaking. The rabbits died terrible deaths due to neurological poisoning. My daughter and I had both noticed broadleaf weeds in the hay, but subconsciously wrote it off as dandelion leaves. But no, it was lupine, known some places as loco weed. It's a neurotoxin and doesn't take much to bring down a rabbit. Certain types of mold are deadly, too.

Bad hay, like contaminated feed, is one of those things that makes you feel so helpless. Sometimes it's something you can avoid with experience, as when it's something obvious like off-smelling hay or pellets, mold covering the bale, etc. It's good to be vigilant about examining and sniffing your feed, haha. But many of these things are not apparent until you already have suffering or dying rabbits.


I think what Scooter1A meant about an autopsy was a suggestion to open them up yourself. A lot of us do that to observe what exactly happened. Sometimes it's surprising; it's always educational. It's less helpful if you don't know what it's supposed to look like inside, but it's a good skill to develop.

Glad you figured it out. You learned a lot about coccidiosis treatment, too...

I know people are trying to help, it can be difficult losing animals that I'm doing everything I can to save, I was just trying to explain.

I don't think I could cut open one of the dead rabbits, there is just something about it... I can cut up meat and that sort of thing but when it comes to an animal that I've been trying to save its just something I can not do. I couldn't even end the suffering of the slowly dying rabbits I had to have somebody take them away and my friend couldn't do it neither.

It was 100% contaminated hay there is a slight toxic smell to it like a burnt plastic smell and its darker in color than the other bales. The lot has been chucked away. Sometimes we have to learn the hard way and its quite worrying knowing that hay you buy could kill your live stock. There is all sorts of toxic weeds that could be growing in the fields where the hay was cut, there is also fumes from machinery like oil leaks, a car could have crashed near by and leaked stuff into a field and then you get damp hay where it gets moldy then left to dry. It really makes you think when rabbits die from contaminated hay.

It was pretty cheap too sitting on the shelf's of a discount store with people totally unaware whats in it. Unfortunately hay makes up 80% of a rabbits diet, even buying from well known places for good hay there is still a chance it could happen again. Some rabbits were spared from the poisoning, unfortunately 10 rabbits died. 6 of them were saved.

 

[user 8990]

Really sorry that they didn’t make it. It’s an awful feeling not being able to help them when they are suffering. Getting consistently good hay is frustrating but it’s so important, you’re totally right. Did you discard the bag it came in? I would definitely contact the company.

 

[AlbinoGiant]

Really sorry that they didn’t make it. It’s an awful feeling not being able to help them when they are suffering. Getting consistently good hay is frustrating but it’s so important, you’re totally right. Did you discard the bag it came in? I would definitely contact the company.

I have thought about contacting the company, other bags would have also been contaminated out there but its a question of whether those who bought the other contaminated bags of hay realize what killed there rabbit and how many people have contacted the company about this?

I have a feeling I may not get very far with it. Maybe some other people have.... I just prefer to move on from the situation.

 

[Fernie]

I have thought about contacting the company, other bags would have also been contaminated out there but its a question of whether those who bought the other contaminated bags of hay realize what killed there rabbit and how many people have contacted the company about this?

I have a feeling I may not get very far with it. Maybe some other people have.... I just prefer to move on from the situation.

I had a bag of moldy feed I took back. The company gave me a refund for the entire order even though I only opened one bag and found mold. I took all the bags back.

 

[judymac]

I can sympathize. We suddenly had a barn full of rabbits with diarrhea, then convulsions & death. It was mostly mamas with litters. I also treated with Corid, with no result, while trying to uncover the culprit. Finally, I inspected the hay more closely. Mold, all through the bale. I was giving the mamas with litters extra hay every day, which is partly why they were more affected. I lost many of my best rabbits, adult and young. I removed every scrap of that hay, hauled it out to the compost heap.

We use a lot of hay, I buy the giant round bales and store them inside. The farmer usually makes great second and third cut hay, which we order in advance, but this time he wrapped the bales in plastic to "protect the quality" of the hay. Instead, they molded, all of them. The barn was full of unusable hay, I'm now paying $9 a bale for the little horse hay bales which are hard to come by and sometimes of iffy quality, and doling it out more carefully. I smell every handful before feeding. I look for the telltale white "dust" (actually mold spores) when a flake of hay is pulled apart. I look for off-colors in the hay. In forty years of raising rabbits, this has never been an issue before. But there's a first time for everything. My vet would often tell me that if you raise animals long enough, eventually you'll have to deal with just about everything. She was right.

We did autopsy one of the rabbits, it's one of the things that told me something other than coccidiosis was going on. I know it's hard, don't blame you for skipping it. It's just a tool that can sometimes help.

 

[Therese]

I can sympathize. We suddenly had a barn full of rabbits with diarrhea, then convulsions & death. It was mostly mamas with litters. I also treated with Corid, with no result, while trying to uncover the culprit. Finally, I inspected the hay more closely. Mold, all through the bale. I was giving the mamas with litters extra hay every day, which is partly why they were more affected. I lost many of my best rabbits, adult and young. I removed every scrap of that hay, hauled it out to the compost heap.

We use a lot of hay, I buy the giant round bales and store them inside. The farmer usually makes great second and third cut hay, which we order in advance, but this time he wrapped the bales in plastic to "protect the quality" of the hay. Instead, they molded, all of them. The barn was full of unusable hay, I'm now paying $9 a bale for the little horse hay bales which are hard to come by and sometimes of iffy quality, and doling it out more carefully. I smell every handful before feeding. I look for the telltale white "dust" (actually mold spores) when a flake of hay is pulled apart. I look for off-colors in the hay. In forty years of raising rabbits, this has never been an issue before. But there's a first time for everything. My vet would often tell me that if you raise animals long enough, eventually you'll have to deal with just about everything. She was right.

We did autopsy one of the rabbits, it's one of the things that told me something other than coccidiosis was going on. I know it's hard, don't blame you for skipping it. It's just a tool that can sometimes help.

Could you please describe what you found in the autopsy? Mold and sickness, as well as coccidiosis are things I've dealt with, but I appreciate knowing what you saw with the mold. Thank you!

 

[NKALKA]

I'm trying to help a friend save there rabbits after many have died from coccidiosis.

I could only get my hands on Ivermectin and coccidiosis medicine for pigeons. I figure this is better than nothing and as rabbits are dying a painful death anything is worth trying to save them.
I have read that Ivermectin might actually help but the I have more faith in the Pigeon coccidiosis medicine. This is all I can get at this time.

There are 3 rabbits that might be beyond saving at this point because they wont eat or drink and even with medicine its unlikely those ones will pull through. The others I have a much better chance of saving before they reach the critical stage of GI Stasis and death.

I really need help my friend can't afford vets they are too expensive

Any help or advice with treating rabbits for Coccidiosis would be valuable right now?

Hi. Sorry to hear this. Ivermectin won’t help at all it’s for the fur mites etc. to start treatment of megcox is probably your best option - 2 types of cocci- one live in the gut and one lives in the liver (?) megacox treats both. I’m just developing a natural essential oil protocol for cocci too. You’ll get alsorts though when you search for megacox so just be warned!!!!

 

[NKALKA]

 

[AlbinoGiant]

Thanks for the info. What is the active ingredient in this?

I might already have it under another name.

 

[tambayo]

We use a lot of hay, I buy the giant round bales and store them inside. The farmer usually makes great second and third cut hay, which we order in advance, but this time he wrapped the bales in plastic to "protect the quality" of the hay. Instead, they molded, all of them.

Mold happens quick if a wrapped bale that is wrapped due to not dry enough for real hay gets opened. And often bales are wrapped due to rain at the wrong moment. But the other factor here is the fermentation that happens in bales wrapped like this. You can feel/hear the difference, the silage/haylage is tough and chewy, while real hay even wrapped is crunchy and "brittle" compared to that. Fermentation and rabbits don't mix.

 

[AlbinoGiant]

Hi. Sorry to hear this. Ivermectin won’t help at all it’s for the fur mites etc. to start treatment of megcox is probably your best option - 2 types of cocci- one live in the gut and one lives in the liver (?) megacox treats both. I’m just developing a natural essential oil protocol for cocci too. You’ll get alsorts though when you search for megacox so just be warned!!!!

Just out of interest, what is the dose for rabbit for example for one liter of water?

 

[Captaincatholic]

Hi. Sorry to hear this. Ivermectin won’t help at all it’s for the fur mites etc. to start treatment of megcox is probably your best option - 2 types of cocci- one live in the gut and one lives in the liver (?) megacox treats both. I’m just developing a natural essential oil protocol for cocci too. You’ll get alsorts though when you search for megacox so just be warned!!!!

What is the essential oil protocol? Are you willing to share it?

 

[Preitler]

Uhm, I wouldn't relay on "essential" oils, they are neither essential nor always harmless, imo more a hype than anything. This is not about influencing moods or so.

Allium plants, like chives, can be used to treat and prevent cocci, Michaels4garden did write quite a lot on that topic:
https://rabbittalk.com/threads/is-this-safe-pictures.33326/#post-328294
If there is an acute problem I still would use medication.

 

[Rabbittracks]

I'm trying to help a friend save there rabbits after many have died from coccidiosis.

I could only get my hands on Ivermectin and coccidiosis medicine for pigeons. I figure this is better than nothing and as rabbits are dying a painful death anything is worth trying to save them.
I have read that Ivermectin might actually help but the I have more faith in the Pigeon coccidiosis medicine. This is all I can get at this time.

There are 3 rabbits that might be beyond saving at this point because they wont eat or drink and even with medicine its unlikely those ones will pull through. The others I have a much better chance of saving before they reach the critical stage of GI Stasis and death.

I really need help my friend can't afford vets they are too expensive

Any help or advice with treating rabbits for Coccidiosis would be valuable right now?

If you can get your hands on some Artemisia herb that is great for cocci. Or you could do diluted apple cider vinegar and garlic and squirt it into their mouth with a syringe.

 

[AlbinoGiant]

Does any body know the dose for megacox?

Apple cider vinegar doesn't really do anything for Coccidiosis. I remember trying to save some birds that had coccidiosis and apple cider vinegar did nothing. I had to use an antibiotic powder in the end which did the trick.