**** HELP! MOMMA Doesn't LOOK GOOD HELP! *****

[Lmannyr]

New Zealand White had her first litter of 9 on the wire on August 20th. some fell through the side wire to the floor. 3 died within a few days. She took VERY good care of the kits until 2 days ago when she went off her feed. So today kits are 2 weeks and 5 days old. Their bellies have felt empty since yesterday. Mommas mammary glands look engourged, all of them. Like she has plenty of milk. She feels very skinny. Momma has had no change in diet with free feed and hay all along.

Last night is when I first noticed she "just wasn't right". Kits are all out of the nest box, but momma was in the next box (hanging floor nest box) with her head propped up on the top edge of the nest box. Today she is in the same spot and the feed has not been touched. She usually eats 12 -16 oz per day lately. I noticed her ears were bright red and very warm last night and today. Her anus looks dirtier than usual but I don't see any loose stool anywhere. (wire cage, stuff goes right to the ground). Where she has propped her head on the edge of the nest box, her bottom jaw, it's soaked, wet. She is not panting, or breathing with her mouth open

I have a hutch with some 20+ rabbits and all seem happy as far has tempurature goes. I have a fan and mister on separate digital thermostats.

The kits have gone into survival mode and are quickly learning how to drink from the water nipple, eat from the hay and feed hoppers. Not sure if they are taking in enough since their bellies feel empty. Their anuses still look clean.

WHAT IS GOING ON WITH MOMMA?? I HAVE NO CLUE. I have never had a MOMMA behave this way so need a little guidance here.

Thanks

 

[Zass]

From your description, the first thing I'd check for is mastitis:
http://www.provet.co.uk/Petfacts/health ... stitis.htm

The kits can also be given old fashioned oatmeal as an easy to digest source of calories.

-- Mon Sep 07, 2015 12:47 pm --

If they were mine, I'd also give some homemade rabbit formula:
formula-feeding-baby-bunnies-pics-vids-t3691.html

Benebac would be good if you had some, or another suitable probiotic.

If it is mastitis, don't foster the kits over to another doe, since that could potentially spread infection to her teats.

 

[Lmannyr]

After thoroughly washing my hands, I petted some of the other adults in the rabbitry. Their ears were not red, nor warm and all were relaxed. Sick mommas ears are definitely HOT. I refelt her teats and 2 are engorged that extend laterally to the center of her belly. Took a video. I'll post it up soon hopefully. The teats are not blue has the description above say. but yes engorged.

so whats the treatment for mastitis? I have a bunch of mint plants in my aquaponics. should I give her those to stop the milk?

 

[Zass]

If it's red still, it probably means that you caught it in the earlier stages.

The only time it occurred in my rabbitry, the teats were red and not blue, but definitely engorged and inflamed.
You probably caught it pretty early.
I think they only turn blue if it goes untreated for a while.

I treated my doe with a rabbit safe antibiotic (Azithromycin) which I wasn't even sure would work with mastitis, but thankfully, it did.

http://www.medirabbit.com/Safe_medicati ... iotics.htm

I hope some other forum members can chime in with supportive care and antibiotic-free treatments??

 

[MaggieJ]

I have no personal experience of mastitis, but there is a lot of information available by googling mastitis in rabbits treatment. Some of it is conflicting and it seems there are different kinds of mastitis.

Here's a couple or the links, but don't stop there:

https://www.vetstream.com/lapis/Content ... m/fre00305

http://www.petmd.com/rabbit/conditions/ ... tic_septic

There are also some good threads in our Illnesses, Injuries and Parasites forum and perhaps in the Kindling and Care forum where you posted. Use the search feature in the right-hand sidebar to find them easily.

Judging from her hot, red ears, it sounds to me as though she is running a fever. Try giving her some willow twigs - the bark acts like aspirin and it is safe to let her decide the dosage.

Is she drinking? She needs fluids and you may have to syringe them into the side of her mouth. Sometimes offering weak tea or a raspberry herbal tea will encourage a rabbit to drink more.

Warm compresses may help draw out the infection.

Some people recommend letting the kits nurse to draw out the infection while others feel it is best to wean them. It sounds like they can handle the solids but do get them the old-fashioned oatmeal as well, as Zass suggested. If you decide to remove and wean the kits, giving the doe some mint should help dry up her milk and relieve some of the engorging.

Do NOT let them nurse from another doe. They may carry the infection to her.

:good-luck:

 

[Lmannyr]

Where do I get the antibiotics from? I don't have any on hand. I do have a tractor supply nearby that is open but they have different names for the antibiotics. Thanks and i appreciate the help.

 

[MaggieJ]

Why not phone Tractor Supply and tell them what you are looking for? Ask for someone knowledgeable about the antibiotics they carry. Write down the names of them and then you can check them online to see if any match the ones suggested.

The only time I have used an antibiotic on a rabbit was when our favourite doe (almost a pet, really) had an abscess. We got Pen G with Procaine from our local feed store and administered it subcutaneously. Oral penicillin can really mess up a rabbit's digestion, but the injections seemed to help. We were doing a few different things to try to help her, so I don't know what was the most helpful. She recovered, I'm glad to say, and the abscess did not recur.

 

[Lmannyr]

Called Tractor Supply, they only have Penicillin available. <br /><br /> -- Mon Sep 07, 2015 2:57 pm -- <br /><br /> Am I looking for an oral and injectable version of Azithromycin?

 

[Zass]

I was able to use oral Azithromycin, unfortunately it's only available by prescription.
The link I posted has dosage suggestions and what form the antibiotics are safe to administer in.

 

[Lmannyr]

I have momma and kits 3 varieties of mint I grow in my aquaponics. Kits and momma were eating it as of a couple hours ago. I'll cull her before she goes to the vet. Was hoping to help her through this but I'll most likely cull her for the weakness followed by th kits when they reach butcher age/weight.

 

[Zass]

I'll cull her before she goes to the vet. Was hoping to help her through this but I'll most likely cull her for the weakness followed by th kits when they reach butcher age/weight.

I can't blame you there.
The doe I had who had mastitis seemed to have a generally weak immune system. She almost died from very limited cocci exposure as an adult(my best guess), and was later culled for sneezing white snot when the rest of the rabbitry was fine.

 

[Lmannyr]

I checked on her this morning at 6. The huge bundle of mint was gone. 6 hours later, she was in rigor. One of the kits which was a 1/4 the size of the rest died also under her not in rigor. I'm at work now and wish I could open her up. Think I'll just haver buried

 

[imajpm]

Aww I am sorry to hear that

 

[Lmannyr]

All it took was 2 days and poof she is dead. She was eating very well till then. First unplanned adult death for me. The rest of the kits are still eating. We shall see how they do. I normally wean at 4 weeks. Hope they will do just as good at 3 weeks.

 

[MaggieJ]

Sorry you lost your doe. It sounds to me as though the infection went systemic. I didn't like the sound of those hot, red ears . . . To me that indicated fever.

The kits will likely do fine, but may grow out a bit more slowly. At least they are old enough for solids. :clover: :clover: :clover:

 

[Lmannyr]

It is what it is. I planned on keeping her since she had a
litter and took good care of the Kits. It was beyond my control.

In a better note, the remaining 5 kits seem to be feeding just fine.

4 more does are due in 5 days. I hope this was an isolated case.