Hi, I've just joined up to see if anyone can help me. We've got several rabbits but over the last couple of weeks three of them have died. They have all died in the same way. It seems that their legs (back legs only from what I can tell) give in and they can hardly use them, they seem to be able to stand up but when they try to move they can't and so they fall over and lie on their side until they have another try at getting up. When this happened to the first one there was a thunder storm and I thought it had been fright but now it has happened to another 2 of them, several days apart. Once they have gone like this I've wrapped them up in a blanket, tried to give them water but they aren't interested and they have died after a few hours. Does anyone know what it can be? How I can stop it happening to any more of them? If they are like this is there anything I can do to help them/save them? They have no other signs of physical injury or disease? Thank You!!
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help...dying rabbit
- Thread starter nicoli
- Start date
kaths101
Warren Veteran
Hi and welcome - Im sorry to hear about the deaths of your buns - have any of them been to the vets? It sounds like EC to me but im not experienced and the remaining buns will need vets and panacur asap..
You will get lots of advice from experienced people here so hope we can help x
You will get lots of advice from experienced people here so hope we can help x
silverrabbit
Mama Doe
Hi, I don't really have any advice except that you really need to get the bunny to the vets 
sounds contagious and your other bunnies are at risk.
sounds contagious and your other bunnies are at risk.
Dustyrabbit
Warren Veteran
Sorry to hear about your rabbits. Whereabouts do you live? Are you in the UK? How many rabbits do you have? Do they live together? Sorry for all the questions but it will help people to advise you best on the treatment of your remaining rabbits.
Hi thanks everyone, that was quick!
Yes we live in the UK, the 5 rabbits that are left are in 2 seperate hutches. What is EC? I'll google it now anyway?
There are 3 in one hutch and 2 in another one although in the daytime when it's nice the children put them all together in the rabbit run. The 2 that are kept together were given to us by someone whose child had lost interest in the rabbits, there were 3 when they gave them to us but one of those died in the same way.
The rabbits had their vaccinations, some at different points when we got them.
Thank you xxxxxx
Yes we live in the UK, the 5 rabbits that are left are in 2 seperate hutches. What is EC? I'll google it now anyway?
There are 3 in one hutch and 2 in another one although in the daytime when it's nice the children put them all together in the rabbit run. The 2 that are kept together were given to us by someone whose child had lost interest in the rabbits, there were 3 when they gave them to us but one of those died in the same way.
The rabbits had their vaccinations, some at different points when we got them.
Thank you xxxxxx
yvette
Wise Old Thumper
E.C is a parasite.
Bunnies can be tested for this to see if they are positive...lots of bunny mums just give panacur as a precaution but I believe some vets wont give it till bunny is showing signs of this parasite,wonky head,lame,neurological probs.
Please see a vet if you can...if you say what area you are,perhaps a member on here can tell you of a bunny savvy vet in your area,so devastated for you.xxx
Bunnies can be tested for this to see if they are positive...lots of bunny mums just give panacur as a precaution but I believe some vets wont give it till bunny is showing signs of this parasite,wonky head,lame,neurological probs.
Please see a vet if you can...if you say what area you are,perhaps a member on here can tell you of a bunny savvy vet in your area,so devastated for you.xxx
yvette
Wise Old Thumper
yvette
Wise Old Thumper
I believe it is,yes.
thanks i'll ring a vet in the morning but any quick advice now about whether I should try to seperate the others that are still alive or move them out into new hay? Or as good a job as you can make of cleaning a hutch in the dark? Also, another question if anyone can help, about the children handling the rabbits, can they catch anything?
i'm googling it all as we speak
thank you again you've all been really helpful.
i'm googling it all as we speak
thank you again you've all been really helpful.
Dustyrabbit
Warren Veteran
No problem for the children - just usual hygiene, handwashing etc.
No need to separate the remaining buns as far as I know, if they have been in contact with it then its too late now all you can do, assuming it is EC, is to treat then all with a 28day course of Panacur paying good attention to cleaning with a special clean with a bleach solution on days 21 and 28 to break the cycle of reinfection -cleaning all areas, 10% bleach solution then rinse and dry, that could be touched by urine or paws etc that could have stepped in the urine ie up walls, wire fronts etc. I think during this time you should not put them on the grass or any area that cannot be bleach cleaned as said before the urine is the problem.
Regarding vaccinations - I just wonder are you aware the buns need yearly boosters of their VHD vaccination and at least yearly sometimes twice yearly (depending on where you live) of Myxi vaccination?
Are your rabbits neutered? If they are not and are not all the same sex then allowing them to freerange together is going to lead to more and more rabbits!
No need to separate the remaining buns as far as I know, if they have been in contact with it then its too late now all you can do, assuming it is EC, is to treat then all with a 28day course of Panacur paying good attention to cleaning with a special clean with a bleach solution on days 21 and 28 to break the cycle of reinfection -cleaning all areas, 10% bleach solution then rinse and dry, that could be touched by urine or paws etc that could have stepped in the urine ie up walls, wire fronts etc. I think during this time you should not put them on the grass or any area that cannot be bleach cleaned as said before the urine is the problem.
Regarding vaccinations - I just wonder are you aware the buns need yearly boosters of their VHD vaccination and at least yearly sometimes twice yearly (depending on where you live) of Myxi vaccination?
Are your rabbits neutered? If they are not and are not all the same sex then allowing them to freerange together is going to lead to more and more rabbits!
Hi, thanks again....the rabbits are all okay with their injections apart from the 3 rabbits (now 2) that were given to us a couple of weeks ago and their owner didnt know if they had had any vaccinations.
That's good news that it can't be passed on the children at least.
I'll wait till daylight now and go and clean out the hutches, get the panacur and get them to the vet.
Thank You again, xx
That's good news that it can't be passed on the children at least.
I'll wait till daylight now and go and clean out the hutches, get the panacur and get them to the vet.
Thank You again, xx
Dustyrabbit
Warren Veteran
That's ok. But really I should have said that as far as I know there's no problem with the children really - I have never heard of it being a problem to humans at all but I am sure someone else will advise too.
Let us know how you get on at the vets.
Is there any chance they could have eaten something poisonous around the garden? I know people have said EC but just thinking about other possibilities.
Let us know how you get on at the vets.
Is there any chance they could have eaten something poisonous around the garden? I know people have said EC but just thinking about other possibilities.
