Please help: kit is shaking and hoping very strangely!

[Zab]

One of the 4 weekers are acting bad.. dad found it shaking (he said, like convulsing) and he took it out. Found a bit of a messy bum, cleaned it and left it again as he found nothing wrong.

He called me and now when I came home I went immediatlyto check on it. It was alone (the others were sleeping in a pile) and while the others moved about it just sat there. And then it started nodding/shaking.. very strangely. It seems to be way out of balance and.. I dont know how to describe it.. I'll post a short video but I need my internet connection to search answers right now..
When it is hoping, it doesn't stetch the body in the leap. It looks like a toy, just hoping with no dynamic.. It fell down from the shelf (like 10cm down to soft bedding) and didn't seem to be able to get up or motivated to try..

It keeps its head up and doesn't close its eyes. Breath seems normal as well as heartbeat.

I'm holding it close now.. it licks my hand at times and then grinds the teeth.. then it shakes again..<br /><br />__________ Fri Apr 19, 2013 12:04 pm __________<br /><br />I took them out of the colony yesterday due to disappearing kits. I've put both moms in oce in the evening and once in the morning to keep them fed, and given them ''grown up'' food since they have started to eat..

It's getting more active, tries to wash itself.. but still shaking.. I'll search for lack of salt or something now..

 

[MamaSheepdog]

It sounds like it is dying, Zab.

Teeth grinding is a sign of pain. It would be kindest to put it out of its misery.

If the head is tilted up, it indicates that it is in respiratory distress.

 

[TheLittleBunny10]

my bunny grinds his teeth if he is really happy, does he seem in pain?

 

[Dood]

He could have gotten a concussion and/or damaged his spine. A rabbit can recover from this but will be prone to re-damage themselves so should not be petted out or kept for breeding.

One of my kits was acting this way and seemed a but floppy in his back but after 1 day of cage rest and no playtime for a week he seems good to go. Since your rabbit seems to be recovering and is intended for meat in a few weeks, I would wait to see if he keeps getting better, but if not then I would cull.

Another possibility is poison, how 'messy' was his stool? Was he one of the ones who escaped? Could he have nibbled on something toxic?

 

[mystang89]

I have to agree with MSD on this one. Normally when a group animal goes off by itself it's to die and since all the other kits were cuddled together and this one away from them I'd say it's sees something we don't. Might be better to cull.

 

[AmysMacdog]

 

[Zab]

Breathing seems ok and he/she is a bit more alert.. but I think you may be right..
It doesnt hold the head strangely, btw.. (thought of wry neck) Not exactly tilting the head up, just keeping it back, looks like it's tryig to balance..

It wasn't very messy, just a few berries entangeled.
It hasn't been out, those 3 are still missing... Could I have caused it by leaving too much adult-food in there?

Do you think it's something contageous? I hear of parasites and I'm nearly panicking...ortopsy cost way much and I don't know what to look for.. the weight is good though.. I find nothing wrong..except behaviour..

It's so hard to kill it without being sure what the problem is.. but I'll go make a wringer-thing ready just in case.. I'll wait a bit though..<br /><br />__________ Fri Apr 19, 2013 12:46 pm __________<br /><br />It definetly wants salt.. licks the tears of my fingers. (yes, I'm silly enough to cry) I'll give it some more salt-water and see if it may be that.. one symptom of lacking salt is bad balance due to brain-things..

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Try giving it some electrolytes. I like the suggestions in part 2:

http://www.ehow.com/how_5875270_make-el ... ution.html

 

[Marinea]

Oh Zab, so sorry to read this. And you are NOT silly for crying- you're a good hearted person.

I wish I had some advice besides what you've been told.

*fingers crossed for a good outcome*

 

[Bad Habit]

Hope he pulls through, but even if he doesn't, I know you will do everything possible to help him try.

 

[Zab]

He's gone. He drank like crazy and seemed to get better a short while, but then something changed in his eyes and he kept falling... I decided it was enough trying.

it was the most failed kill I can imagine.. I'll spare you the details but I'll have nightmares forever.

10 little rabbits sat in a cage... down to 6 now. What will come next?

I tried to make an ortopsy/necropsy but not sure if I found anything.. Stomach looked strange to me, half was white, the other black. Completely empty the last decometers of the ''tube'' thingy.. Also found some hard white knobs I havn't noticed before and I don't know the function of. Wasn't really attatched to anything. I dunno.. and don't really know how kits are supposed to look either. I only know that the liver looked good, that's pretty much all I can see.. and I didn't find any parasites, at least. Tried to check the spine and there was some bruising at the withers.. but with that failed kill they might have been my work.. poor baby.

I don't want to loose any more now...

 

[Teddy2511]

Oh, I'm so sorry Zab!

You did your best, don't forget that. I know it's hard now, but hang in there!

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Sorry Zab.

I wish you weren't having these losses with your first ever litter. It is very sad.

(((Hugs)))

 

[Zab]

Thanks...

 

[Miss M]

I am so sorry, Zab!

We have all failed at culling, and we know how horrible it is! It makes every one of us feel just terrible... I know that doesn't make anything better, but at least you know you aren't alone.

I hope this is the end of your trouble!

(((HUGS)))

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

okay-- your descriotion of half the tomach beiing black means a LOT!! The 'black' is necrotic tissue-- it was 'rotting'- had been deprived of a blood supply. So the 'shaking' was caused by toxins from the necrotic tissues not being filtered and removed from the body fast enough.

you did the right thing.

 

[Demamma]

Sorry about your loss Can. Crying is never silly. I am trying now not to cry knowing how you are feeling. I had to cull a kit recently. It is so hard. Most of us have had botch kills. Because of bad kills I strive to be better when I have to cull or send to freezer camp.

 

[MaggieJ]

Be assured, Zab, that you did the right thing. Even if it did not go as smoothly and quickly as you would have liked, it was better than letting him continue to suffer. Hang in there... better times ahead. (((HUGS)))

 

[Zab]

Frosted Rabbits: I should probably be more careful when describing things.. it wasn't like half an organ was black, it just seemed lined up oddly, and the inestines (the thing where the food first comes out after leaving the stomache?) was very dark by the food being dark, while a large portion was empty. I did find it strange that half the system was empty and that the colour was so dark.. perhaps there was some kind of blockage that I couldn't find and the food went bad and caused toxins to poison the poor bunny? (Heh.. for someone once knowing all the organs in latin and swedish I feel horribly ignorant for not knowing even the basic ones in english..)
The kidneys wern't symmetrically placed either.. is that normal? I didn't think the belly looked bloated although prts of theinestines were a little gas-ish..
I cant imagine how it would be to rot from the inside..*shudder*

Thanks for hugs and support. I feel very tired now and I'll go to sleep. It's been a busy and tiresome day.. but I've bought the net for the roof of the colony, so hopefully the other 6 kits will be fine untill things are back to normal for them. They seem alert enough now at least. One was a bit sluggish but I think it was just sleepy after dinner, not like this poor fellow..

 

[AnnClaire]

Zab, so very sorry to hear about this loss :grouphug2:

It sounds like an injury that caused the kit to not eat correctly ... but the other one that seemed a bit lethargic, well, I am worried. If you can, seperate that kit and feed it oatmeal and hay only ... if it is weaning enteritis, this will give you a chance at saving it. Basically, there is an imbalance in the gut bacteria and to sort that out, remove everything but the oatmeal and hay, which will "push" everything through the intestines, and give the bacteria a chance to balance.

Some of this might be associated with the predator you are fighting ... stress can bring on systemic issues in rabbits. What could stress a kit might not be enough to stress an adult.

I hope things are better soon!