Odd wasting disease going on here...but only with select colonies. (a new thought at the bottom of post)
Back in May (while I was gone) we had an adult doe suddenly go super skinny and die. (she was fine when I left the house on the rabbit run, but died a week later). Down to skin and bones, I'm told. Everyone else in the colony just fine.
A month ago we processed 4 rabbits from a colony, and when I put them in the carriers to go "out to the farm" one of the 4 was very ribby. His brothers were just fine..quite plump. Mike took great care to look at lungs, inside the intestines for worms, livers, stomachs...looking for something odd. What he found were pink healthy lungs in all 4, no blockages in stomach or intestines, healthy livers, no worms. The only difference was the skinny guy had quite a bit of gas in his intestinal tract, and about 1/2 the amount of food in his stomach. (also in this room was a group of 4 bucks, another group of 2 does...all those rabbits are just fine..fat and glossy. )
Shortly after that, ANOTHER group in ANOTHER colony pen (4 adult does) started to drop weight fast. This group is in another area and have NO contact with the group of young bucks. They pretty much stopped eating anything but hay. skin and bones in 3 days. All 4 of them. When they first started to drop weight, I injected with ivermectin for parasites, started them on papaya bits, calf mana, alfalfa hay..anything to get them eating. For 2 weeks they ate just fine and put on weight again.back up to normal looking and happy...then suddenly (within 3 days again) they dropped all weight and were skeletal. They're being euthanized and will get a makeshift necropsy, but I expect the same as with the first group.
All through this the eyes are bright, they move around, run, hop, play. The only difference from the others is that these guys have been licking each other A LOT. Every morning at least one of them will be covered in ... well, it looks like a spiky hair-do. I've looked close in with jeweler's loop to see if I can see mites or anything but nothing. no dander. no fleas. just...they lick each other. (they are molting, btw)
Everyone else in the room is just fine. eating and drinking well. looking fat and happy.
Any ideas?
(now...the last bit of information....all of these rabbits were from litters from the doe who died in May)
Back in May (while I was gone) we had an adult doe suddenly go super skinny and die. (she was fine when I left the house on the rabbit run, but died a week later). Down to skin and bones, I'm told. Everyone else in the colony just fine.
A month ago we processed 4 rabbits from a colony, and when I put them in the carriers to go "out to the farm" one of the 4 was very ribby. His brothers were just fine..quite plump. Mike took great care to look at lungs, inside the intestines for worms, livers, stomachs...looking for something odd. What he found were pink healthy lungs in all 4, no blockages in stomach or intestines, healthy livers, no worms. The only difference was the skinny guy had quite a bit of gas in his intestinal tract, and about 1/2 the amount of food in his stomach. (also in this room was a group of 4 bucks, another group of 2 does...all those rabbits are just fine..fat and glossy. )
Shortly after that, ANOTHER group in ANOTHER colony pen (4 adult does) started to drop weight fast. This group is in another area and have NO contact with the group of young bucks. They pretty much stopped eating anything but hay. skin and bones in 3 days. All 4 of them. When they first started to drop weight, I injected with ivermectin for parasites, started them on papaya bits, calf mana, alfalfa hay..anything to get them eating. For 2 weeks they ate just fine and put on weight again.back up to normal looking and happy...then suddenly (within 3 days again) they dropped all weight and were skeletal. They're being euthanized and will get a makeshift necropsy, but I expect the same as with the first group.
All through this the eyes are bright, they move around, run, hop, play. The only difference from the others is that these guys have been licking each other A LOT. Every morning at least one of them will be covered in ... well, it looks like a spiky hair-do. I've looked close in with jeweler's loop to see if I can see mites or anything but nothing. no dander. no fleas. just...they lick each other. (they are molting, btw)
Everyone else in the room is just fine. eating and drinking well. looking fat and happy.
Any ideas?
(now...the last bit of information....all of these rabbits were from litters from the doe who died in May)