10 week old Rex with chronic breathing problem U/D video

Fionn, a REW Standard Rex was sold by a breeder to some friends on Thursday. They misguidedly bought him for me because one of our other rabbits Paddy died two weeks ago. They were told he was born on September 11, which would make him 10 weeks tomorrow. My vet and I both believe he is more likely to be about 12 weeks old and is very underweight at 911gms.

I brought him home yesterday evening and after settling him in noticed he was pointing his nose upward to breath with his whole body almost convulsing. I was very concerned but gave him a couple of hours to settle in case it was just a bad case of stress. It did not improve so I got down to his level to not stress him for a closer look. He licked his lips and I saw his tongue was blue and his lips a blue-grey colour, as were the veins in his ears.

We got him to our vet this morning who confirmed my suspicions that he is suffering from serious heart problems with insufficient oxygen flow in his blood. The vet also said his heart rate was about half what he expected and he could hear fluid in the heart. He also believes he may be infected with Pasteurella multocida.

We are treating with furosemide over the weekend in the outside hope it may relieve some of the fluid in the heart and reduce the chance of it in the lungs. He will be reviewed by the vet on Monday.

He is a beautiful little bunny who really enjoys a cuddle but with such a bleak outlook for the future. Any suggestions, advice or experience would be very much appreciated.

The lip colour can be seen a little in this picture.

No advice sorry but just wanted to send good luck vibes for you being able to help him

Oh bless him what a beautiful little man

I've no advice I'm afraid, but wanted to wish him well - thank goodness he's found his way to bunny parents that will take very good care of him. Please give him a huge nose rub from me xxx

Poor Bun

Sadly Rexes are prone to heart disease Usually because of intensive inbreeding

I have had 6 Rexes with the condition. Aswell as Frusemide they responded well to Fortekor.

http://www.noahcompendium.co.uk/Nov...rtekor_Flavour_5mg__20mg_for_dogs/-46146.html

http://wildlife1.wildlifeinformation.org/S/00dis/Miscellaneous/CardiomyopathyRabbit.html

http://wildlife1.wildlifeinformation.org/S/00dis/Miscellaneous/Cardiac_Arrhythmia_Rabbit.html

http://wildlife1.wildlifeinformation.org/S/00dis/Miscellaneous/CongestiveHeartFailureRabbit.html

http://www.lagomorphs.com/heart.pdf

Thanks to all, encouragement means a lot. It is so difficult to watch him struggling to breathe, but he seems like he is not going to give up without a huge fight.

Nose rubs have been delivered.

The diuretics are working, both my OH and I have been wee'd on and we don't care at all.

I feel really angry at the breeder who sold an obviously very compromised bunny to my friends because they did not know anything about rabbits. On the other hand we will give him the best care we possibly can, so I hope he is in the right place.

A special thanks to Jane for those invaluable links.:wave:

ETA We have both had wonderful cuddles with Fionn before he went to bed.

Oh he is gorgeous I'm so sorry he has all these problems Bless him

I hope the poor bunny responds well to treatment
I also hope the breeder who sold such a sick rabbit pokes him/herself in the eye xx

poor little munchkin, but so cute too. Agree with Jane's suggestion. Sounds like he has a congenital heart defect - there are lots of possibilities but none are effectively operable in rabbits, especially as he is systemically so weak from the hypoxia.
I hope the diuretics continue to keep him comfortable. Obviously keeping him in a low-stress environment would help - so he can see and hear people approaching and leaving, lots of cues that lights are coming on etc to keep his breathing and heart rate down. I'd also exercise him cautiously - a little hopping around is fine but no real exertional running, so binkying sadly isnt a good idea .
If you keep the air at his level dry and cool, i.e. a mild draft but not a gale! That will stop warm air condensing in his lungs and making breathing harder.
I fear he may not be with you very long but i hope he can have as comfortable and fun, loved time as possible.

what a gorgeous baby rex hope he starts to feel a bit better soon.

Video shows how his little body rocks when he breathes. About half way through he licks his foot when a quick glimpse of his tongue shows how dark it is.

He loves his cuddles.