Unexplained kit deaths

Originally posted here by happit. I'm unable to help, hopefully someone here can. I'll PM the poster so they know to expect responses here.

happit":2s11flr0 said:

hi and I have a litter of holloand lop and loin head or angora cross and the 6weeks old and to have died and yes they have food such as timothy,calf mana,purina rabbit feed they even a salt lick for rabbit and I just started to give them mineral water but I have no clue to what killed to to? plz hel...

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If you recently introduced calf manna to kits at weaning age, it can trigger weaning enteritis, but is unlikely to if the kits started on a small amount along with an already accustomed doe.

Digestive problems can also be triggered by switching feed brand (or different varieties of the same brand) , feeding grass or greens that they are unaccustomed to, moldy hay...and pretty much anything else you can think of.

+ there are disease pathogens like coccidia or even e-coli that can also trigger it.


I'd start treatment by pulling(removing their access to) pellets and calf manna, and feeding only plain oats (or old fashioned oatmeal) and grass hay for a while, assuming you checked the hay over carefully for moisture or mold and have determined that the hay isn't the problem.

Make sure that they have access to plenty of clean water.
An electrolyte solution can help with dehydration, and cecotropes from a healthy rabbit, or probiotic powders designed for small animals can help get their digestive tracts back in gear.

If you are able to autopsy and see any sign of cocci, there are commercially available drugs that can be given...

Someone else needs to fill that blank in, since I've never treated mine with chemicals.

Rabbits don't just die - we need to know any and all of the symptoms before the rabbits died and preferably a necropsy of the expired rabbits and what the internal organs looked like - specifically the lungs, liver and cecum

Dood":1nyy5gfr said:

Rabbits don't just die - we need to know any and all of the symptoms before the rabbits died and preferably a necropsy of the expired rabbits and what the internal organs looked like - specifically the lungs, liver and cecum

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AH, your right.
I just assumed they were dying of diahrea related dehydration or enteritis due to the age of the kits.

Mineral water? I'm not sure I would give kits mineral water?!?