sudden death and GI stasis

[Melissa]

Apologizing in advance for the lengthy post and cross posting in other groups! We are stumped and at our wits end with recent sudden deaths in our rabbitry due to GI stasis. Since early October we have had several of our rabbits stop eating and die 1-3 days later. No other symptoms - no diarrhea or coughing or mucous or anything! We were feeding Hineholds feed and free choice grassy hay. Nothing in our husbandry changed. No new rabbits were brought into the barn. When we open up the rabbits we find no abnormal looking organs. No sign of coccidian. A few had some pale livers, but no cysts or anything else. Stomachs were full of feed and intestines with air and formed stool. I should say that we have about 100 breeding age rabbits (or had). Breeds are NZW, Cal, SF, and crosses of these 3. All new rabbits are kept in a completely separate barn for quarantine and have been there since the start of this mess. The quarantine rabbits do not have any deaths to date. Dead rabbits are not in adjoining cages or even close to each other. It is very sporadic. Some are young breeding stock and others are very old stock. It seems everything in between has not been affected. As soon as this started, we stopped production. Kits have not been dying...

Late October we switched feed thinking that this had to be the problem. We had absolutely no deaths after that until last week. We began breeding again the second week of November. 3 more rabbits with the exact same symptoms and death. Again same necropsy results. I am so frustrated!! Any advice? Suggestions? I have been raising rabbits for over 20 years and have never had an unknown death until this fall. It is devastating our herd and we are beginning to question if we should throw in the towel

 

[dragonladyleanne]

I am far from expert, and have a very small rabbitry, but if I understand you correctly, it's only affected breeding stock, while actually breeding them. I can only think that it either has something to do with a carrier of an STD (any common partners among the dead bunnies?), or the location of breeding. I know some people have a special "no bunny's territory" cage or field pen for breeding. If you do that, perhaps there is mold or some sort of toxic situation like weeds or a paint coating (or lack of sealant on walls which might contain formaldehyde or other chemicals)? Just throwing ideas out there, hoping someone else with more experience might chime in.

 

[ottersatin]

Could it be a problem brought about by the Hay you are using,
or moldy old feed? How old is the feed and how is it stored?
If you can see no reason for the GI stasis you might want to,
[and this is very drastic] want to remove the rabbits,
[possibly permanently] clean and disinfect ALL of the cages that
held those who showed signs of or died from the infection.
Just a suggestion, as I have never witnessed what you describe.
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

 

[squidpop]

We began breeding again the second week of November. 3 more rabbits with the exact same symptoms and death. Again same necropsy results.

How old where the last 3 rabbits? Where they in contact with each other or separated by distance?

 

[Dood]

Have you tried taking your rabbits in for bacterial testing. Culturing a blood smear might help narrow down the problem.

I would check your watering system too - salmonella can cause sudden death and in rabbits it doesn't usually cause diahrea

Organisms, such as Salmonella, that cause diarrhoea and enteritis in other species, will usually cause a septicaemic disease in the rabbit rather than gastrointestinal pathology.

from : http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00dis/ ... llosis.htm

 

[AmysMacdog]

So sorry you are going through this Melissa, I hope you can find a cause. I had a similar thing happen last spring and it was very frustrating! With mine it seemed to be a virus that would attack bunnies 8-14 weeks old but the same otherwise, GI stasis. Its a terrible thing.
I have bunnies now and I'm experimenting with ACV and Grapefruit seed extract. At this point I figure it can't hurt.
Hope things get better for you soon! :grouphug2: :clover: