I haven't been in rabbits long and this could be, for all intents and purposes, be pure bad luck, but in the past three-four months, I've lost two rabbits. Both died suddenly, only showing symptoms for a few hours. They would not ingest anything and there was nothing I could really do. Both died before I could get them to the vet. First rabbit seemed to have an intestinal issue--heaps of horrible-smelling, greenish diarrhea--and the second one showed no symptoms other than a limpness.
They were of different lines, different ages (both adults, but Basil older), different sexes, etc. Even different colors, gosh darn. I changed the food. I stopped giving as much fresh fruits or vegetables. I gave them pellets made for rabbits, hay, pine cones to chew, and little less. Maybe a dandelion leaf if I could find one this time of winter or some winter peas. Basil was placed with two different does before he passed, neither of which got sick; Chipmunk, the second rabbit (my best doe), was living in a hutch with her mom who didn't get sick. I cannot figure out why these two rabbits, given the same care as their brethren, got sick.
On the other hand, I've had two standard rabbits, rescues, who were in pretty bad condition at first. One was covered in scars, had sores on her ears and feet, had just had a litter of one stillborn kit, she was old, didn't want to move, etc. I gave her some TLC and medication and she was fine. But she was an American Sable, and she had to be put down eventually because of old age. I got a Lion Lop, too, who had been fed on a steady diet of vegetables, been kept in pine bedding, hadn't ever been brushed, and had a broken foot. She's still doing fine. She's even had stomach issues because, unlike the other rabbits, she doesn't handle anything but her special papaya treats (to keep wool block away) very well. Still. She's had diarrhea and gotten better.
I'm seriously wondering if dwarves are just too fragile. Maybe for how I have to keep them (outside), maybe for living in the weird sub-tropical climate of Alabama where it's always wet and either blistering hot or freezing, maybe for the food I can afford (Purina), maybe for the germs carried by the other farm animals, etc. I honestly don't know.
Question of the day: Has anyone noticed that dwarf or small rabbits have a higher mortality rate when it comes to illness? Beyond the Max Factor and peanuts, I thought dwarfs just needed to be warmed up well in the winter (which I do, with hay nests and wind breaks). But do they just generally have a fatal reaction to what other standard or giant rabbits just shrug off? If so, I need to phase out of dwarves. This has hit me hard, mainly because my best buck and best doe were the ones killed. OF COURSE. I can't have an animal that just suddenly drops dead from the same treatment it was given a week before. :shock:
I mean, I rescued feral cats for the longest time. I lost kittens, but never adult animals like this. It's bizarre to me. It reminds me of FIP in cats. Nothing you can do, just some animals drop like flies based on genetics and immune systems. Mind you, they were of two different lines, BUT my third line has been completely unaffected by sudden death. So. I don't even know.
All my rabbits are getting a run of Corid and won't be getting anything but pellets and fresh water for awhile, just to make sure it's not something environmental--the wrong pine cone, the wrong hay, etc. But beyond that, I could use some suggestions.
They were of different lines, different ages (both adults, but Basil older), different sexes, etc. Even different colors, gosh darn. I changed the food. I stopped giving as much fresh fruits or vegetables. I gave them pellets made for rabbits, hay, pine cones to chew, and little less. Maybe a dandelion leaf if I could find one this time of winter or some winter peas. Basil was placed with two different does before he passed, neither of which got sick; Chipmunk, the second rabbit (my best doe), was living in a hutch with her mom who didn't get sick. I cannot figure out why these two rabbits, given the same care as their brethren, got sick.
On the other hand, I've had two standard rabbits, rescues, who were in pretty bad condition at first. One was covered in scars, had sores on her ears and feet, had just had a litter of one stillborn kit, she was old, didn't want to move, etc. I gave her some TLC and medication and she was fine. But she was an American Sable, and she had to be put down eventually because of old age. I got a Lion Lop, too, who had been fed on a steady diet of vegetables, been kept in pine bedding, hadn't ever been brushed, and had a broken foot. She's still doing fine. She's even had stomach issues because, unlike the other rabbits, she doesn't handle anything but her special papaya treats (to keep wool block away) very well. Still. She's had diarrhea and gotten better.
I'm seriously wondering if dwarves are just too fragile. Maybe for how I have to keep them (outside), maybe for living in the weird sub-tropical climate of Alabama where it's always wet and either blistering hot or freezing, maybe for the food I can afford (Purina), maybe for the germs carried by the other farm animals, etc. I honestly don't know.
Question of the day: Has anyone noticed that dwarf or small rabbits have a higher mortality rate when it comes to illness? Beyond the Max Factor and peanuts, I thought dwarfs just needed to be warmed up well in the winter (which I do, with hay nests and wind breaks). But do they just generally have a fatal reaction to what other standard or giant rabbits just shrug off? If so, I need to phase out of dwarves. This has hit me hard, mainly because my best buck and best doe were the ones killed. OF COURSE. I can't have an animal that just suddenly drops dead from the same treatment it was given a week before. :shock:
I mean, I rescued feral cats for the longest time. I lost kittens, but never adult animals like this. It's bizarre to me. It reminds me of FIP in cats. Nothing you can do, just some animals drop like flies based on genetics and immune systems. Mind you, they were of two different lines, BUT my third line has been completely unaffected by sudden death. So. I don't even know.
All my rabbits are getting a run of Corid and won't be getting anything but pellets and fresh water for awhile, just to make sure it's not something environmental--the wrong pine cone, the wrong hay, etc. But beyond that, I could use some suggestions.
