sick rabbit, what do we do?

[Breena]

Hi, everyone
This is our first time dealing with a sick rabbit, not sure what we should do.
We just got her from a breeder last week. She was fine for the first couple days. then she started having major diarrhea. She was grinding her teeth, so we rubbed her tummy and gave her probiotics and electrolytes in her water (saw this online). Then that cleared up and she was eating fine and going to the bathroom fine. Then she had white mucus in her nose for a day and a half. sneezing and kind of tired seeming. Then she snapped out of that, is hopping around all happy, eating and drinking. Then today she sounds like she has congestion and difficulty breathing without snorting?
What's going on? Does anyone know? What should we do? Should we cull her?
We have one other rabbit that is very far away from her pen because we figured we had better keep them separate for a month just in case. Glad we did.
Please any advice would be appreciated.
Breena

 

[TheLittleBunny10]

pasteurella? http://www.celebratingrabbits.com/stori ... rella.html

oh and :hi: to RabbitTalk Breena!

*edited typo*

 

[CWD]

you were right by keeping them away from each other.
I would cull her. it is not worth taking any risks.

 

[AmysMacdog]

Hi Breena. Welcome! So sorry you have a sick bunny!
Glad you have your bunnies separated! Pastuerella is very contageous!
From what you described it sounds like she might be developing pneumonia. Is the breathing sound coming from her head or can you feel the congestion in her chest?

 

[MaggieJ]

Hi Breena. :welcome: Glad to have you with us although I wish it was for a happier reason.

The diarrhea was possibly due to a change of feed or to the stress of a new home. Unfortunately, stress can bring out other health problems in a rabbit that seemed perfectly healthy.

It sounds to me as though your rabbit has a serious respiratory infection - possibly Pasteurella ("snuffles") or pneumonia. White mucous in the nostrils is usually considered to be a symptom of Pasteurella and many of us choose to cull such rabbits immediately to prevent it spreading.

You could take it to the vet (if you know of one that is knowledgeable about rabbits) and have a culture done, but it is likely to be expensive and although you can treat rabbits with certain antibiotics, if it is Pasteurella then you are only going to suppress the symptoms.

It is believed that a large percentage of rabbits carry Pasteurella but that they only develop symptoms when under stress or when their immune system is compromised in some other way.

Have you contacted the breeder? I would suggest doing so, not to complain but just so he is aware. Remember that although your other rabbit is healthy that it could be a carrier and the new rabbit caught it from him. I know you have kept them apart but disease can be carried on hands or clothes as well as by direct contact.

I'm sorry you're going through this with your new rabbit.

 

[Breena]

She is right next to our chickens. Can they catch it?

__________ Thu May 02, 2013 3:02 pm __________

From what you described it sounds like she might be developing pneumonia. Is the breathing sound coming from her head or can you feel the congestion in her chest?

It feels like it's through her chest area. She sounds like she's rasping and having some difficulty, even though she's hopping around like nothing is wrong. She also drank a whole bowl of water today, so I refilled it. Would pneumonia also make her really thirsty?<br /><br />__________ Thu May 02, 2013 3:05 pm __________<br /><br />Before we bought her I had gone there to check out what kind of rabbits she had to sell. I noticed that one of the rabbits in one of the cages had a runny eye. Then a few days later when we went to buy one that rabbit was gone and so were a couple more. Feeling pretty badly since I should have known. I just trust too easily and didn't think anything of it. Unfortunately, I'm learning all this the hard way.
So my husband will have to cull her tonight.

 

[Miss M]

So sorry, Breena... yes, the rabbit is very sick. I don't think the chickens can get it, though.

 

[MaggieJ]

Chickens can get a form of Pasteurella, but I don't know if it is the same as the one that afflicts rabbits.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseasein ... eurellosis

 

[Miss M]

Oh, yikes... apparently at the very least, rabbits can catch at least some forms from chickens, and quite badly: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22210996

Not sure if chickens can catch any from rabbits. <br /><br />__________ Thu May 02, 2013 2:44 pm __________<br /><br />More than one person has a rabbit quarantine cage in the chicken area, though.

 

[AmysMacdog]

Awww I'm sorry about your rabbit Breena.

 

[Breena]

Thank you everyone. My husband is going to take care of her later..don't want her to suffer..poor little thing..
thank you...

 

[MaggieJ]

I hope you stick with us, Breena. This is a very good community of rabbit lovers and we would enjoy getting to know you.

 

[Breena]

I hope you stick with us, Breena. This is a very good community of rabbit lovers and we would enjoy getting to know you.

I plan on sticking with this group. I feel like I can learn alot from you all. Thank you for all your advice and comforting words. She is laid to rest out by our garden. At least she won't suffer anymore... :bunnyhop: she's up in bunny heaven hopping around with all the others..that's what my daughter said...

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Check with SommerLuv, one of our members here, she is in PA and has very nice, healthy rabbits.

 

[Miss M]

I plan on sticking with this group. I feel like I can learn alot from you all. Thank you for all your advice and comforting words. She is laid to rest out by our garden. At least she won't suffer anymore... :bunnyhop: she's up in bunny heaven hopping around with all the others..that's what my daughter said...

I learned just about everything I know about rabbits right here, Breena! And there are probably quite a few members who would say the same thing.

I'm so sorry about your bun, but you're right. She's not suffering any more.