Sick doe, no change.

[ek.blair]

So, for those of you that hadn't read the previous post I picked up a trio of SF last Saturday and one of the does has congested breathing and a snotty nose. All three are in quarantine seperated, and this particular doe has neither started to get better, nor has she worsened.
From all of the research I have been doing I am beginning to think that she has Bordetella. She is still eating and acting like a normal 9 wk old bunny (not lethargic), but she sneezes and has nasal discharge that is mostly clear with the occasional white chunk. I had been spraying her nose, eyes and front paws with Veterycin but ran out over the weekend and since it has been over a week with no change I don't really think it was doing much.
I also noticed over the weekend that the other doe is starting to sound congested as well. She does not have any snot.
The breeder I got them from has suggested that it is Cocci and to put her on some antibiotics (everything I have read is that Cocci is intestinal NOT respiritory!). Going to the vet is out of the question as they are meat rabbits and I don't want antibiotics.
I was willing to disbatch her this weekend, but my husband convinced me to keep her one more week. I really am beginning to think that I just need to find out what is going on inside her so I know what I am dealing with and then know if I want to deal with the other two or need to disbatch them too.

If I cull her how will I know if it is Bordetella or Pasteuella? Is there any way to tell besides a culture done by the vet?

Since the buck doesn't show signs of sickness, just an occasional dry sneeze, would he be ok to keep?

From everything I have been reading even if this doe DOES happen to get over it and it's Bordetella she is more susseptable to Pasteurella as an adult, which is not something I think I want.

 

[squidpop]

You are right it is not cocci. On the medirabbit page they list about 7 different pathogens that cause sneezing snuffles besides pasteurella. If you want her as a brood doe could you use antibiotics on her and the buck and just use them for breeding and only harvest the babies.

 

[Miss M]

I agree... I've never heard of cocci doing this. There's an intestinal form, and a hepatic form. Never heard of a respiratory form.

I would think that it's time to cull the one doe, at the least.

It's really disturbing that you're hearing congestion in the other doe, and also that the buck is giving you dry sneezes.

I did have a doe who did dry sneezes, and she passed it on to her kits. It never actually gave me a problem, but it was always a bit unnerving. In your case, you've got an established herd, and the SF newcomers, which are making a case that they are a threat to your herd.

I don't know how to tell the difference between bordatella and pasteurella.

 

[ek.blair]

Well THAT backfired on me! :shock: I read an article yesterday from http://www.raising-rabbits.com/pasteurellosis.html and I was all ready to just be done with these three buns and start over with different Silver Fox. I had my husband read it so I wouldn't have to attempt to explain it (I'm not very good at explaining things to him sometimes ) and I hoped that he would see the issue and be willing to just cut our losses and not lose the rest of the herd too. Well I guess he read the article in a totally different way and wants to try to keep them seperate and try to get a litter out of them and cull them when we get some healthy babies. I tried to explain how much work it would be to try to keep things seperate and clean and how it would essentialy be like having two seperate rabbitries on the same property and how long it could take, and he says "yea, but you can do it!" At least he has faith in me, I guess
:groooan:

 

[Miss M]

:shock: Oh, dear...

Well, okay, I suppose it can be done? I think it requires some serious medication, though.

He might want to read this: my-pasteurella-journey-t12109.html

It's a list of all the threads OneAcreFarm started during her experience with pasteurella, along with some additional information, like this:

Were you able to keep any of the offspring for breeders?

NO...they all came down with it, over the course of 3 long, heartbreaking months.

I believe she lost all of her rabbits, and had to start over.

Now... you may want to PM her. I believe she had not quarantined the rabbit that started it all. This was very early in her rabbit-keeping experience.

 

[wildeden]

If I cull her how will I know if it is Bordetella or Pasteuella? Is there any way to tell besides a culture done by the vet?

Since the buck doesn't show signs of sickness, just an occasional dry sneeze, would he be ok to keep?

Similar stuff going on with my rabbits, too!! I really hope someone can chime in on those above mentioned questions because I am wondering as well.

 

[Zass]

Well THAT backfired on me! :shock: I read an article yesterday from http://www.raising-rabbits.com/pasteurellosis.html and I was all ready to just be done with these three buns and start over with different Silver Fox. I had my husband read it so I wouldn't have to attempt to explain it (I'm not very good at explaining things to him sometimes ) and I hoped that he would see the issue and be willing to just cut our losses and not lose the rest of the herd too. Well I guess he read the article in a totally different way and wants to try to keep them seperate and try to get a litter out of them and cull them when we get some healthy babies. I tried to explain how much work it would be to try to keep things seperate and clean and how it would essentialy be like having two seperate rabbitries on the same property and how long it could take, and he says "yea, but you can do it!" At least he has faith in me, I guess
:groooan:

The problem is...is he willing to take the risk of losing all of your other rabbits over it?