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dazy-maes post mortem results..hepatic coccidia found

purplebumble

Warren Veteran
POST MORTEM RESULTS FROM DAZY-MAE FRENCH LOP RABBIT AGED 6 MONTHS.

5 samples received, 6 sections evaluated initially, followed by 2 reprocessed sections.

HEART- (slide one) this transverse sections of the ventricles shows mild dilation of the left ventricular lumen. Myocytes show some branching but appear orderly.

LUNG- ( 3 sections, slides 2 and BTP, three sections) Grossly, sections of the lung sank in formalin. Histologically, the lung appears poorly aerated-there is occasional peripheral hyperinflation of alveoli, but the overwhelming majority of the alveoli are flooded by oedema. No lesions are visible in airway epithelium. Extremely rarely, small clusters of lymphocytes and plasma cells are present around the subpleural vessels.

LIVER- (slide 3 ) Portal tracts are moderately expended by fibrosis with a light infiltrate of mixed small mononuclear leucocytes and sometimes by seemingly proliferative and supernumerary bile ductules. One bile duct shows erosion of the lining epithelium surrounded by fibrosis and small mononuclear leucocytes,while the lumen is greatly distended by amorphous debris, degenerate leucocytes,and the outlines of numerous oocytes approximately 30u in diameter with a delicate shell and control nucleoplasm. (consistent with Elmerie stiedes )

KIDNEY- (slide 3 ) Renal tubuler epithelium appears mildly hypereosinophile and attenuated ( preservation artefact or mild degeneration ) Renal tubules sometimes contain scanty proteinaceous content.

PRESUMED ABDOMINAL FIBRIN-LIKE MATERIAL, PER HISTORY ( slide 4 )
This sample consists of a meshwork of fibrin and oedema within trapped neutrophils and fewer macrophages. Some punctate debris is also present ( nuclear dust or possibly bacteria, uncertain) In some areas, there appears to be incipient organization by fibrocytes.

MORPHOLOGICAL DIAGNOSES
1)lung- Pulmonary oedema-extensive, severe, acute.
2)liver- Cholangitis-multifocal, chronic with billiary hypoplasia and focal infection with coccidian oocytes consistent with elmeria stidae
3)kidney- Tubulonephrosis-multi focal, mild, suspected.
4) Abdominal material- Fibrinoneutrophilic exudate.
5)heart-no significant findings.

COMMENTS- this rabbit died with severe pulmonary oedema, which would easily account for death through respiratory failure. I suspect that the pale foci seen in the lung at post mortem examination were actually the few normally aerated alveoli, which would have been slightly raised above the level of the remainder of the tissue.

The cause of this lesion is not absolutely certain. In combination with the reported findings of discharge from the nose and in the thorax, viral haemorrhagic disease of rabbits (VHD) could be considered. Histological diagnosis of VHD depends upon the prescence of characteristics findings in various organs, none of which alone are considered pathognomonic. these include
multifocal hepatocytic necrosis with or without haemorrhage. Renal glomerular microthrombi,
sometimes with tubulonephropathy, pulmonary congestion, alveolar flooding and haemorrhage, tracheal submucosal congestion and haemorrhage – the more of these findings are present, the greater the likelihood of vhd. Here, only some lesions are present- (pulmonary oedema, probably nephropathy) so this is a suggested diagnosis only – it may be that the rabbit succumbed to pulmonary oedema before other lesions had a chance to develop.

Alternatively, other causes of pulmonary oedema could be considered. These would include – peracute sepsis or toxaemia ( possibly supported by the fibrinoneutrophilic exude in the abdomen) acute heart failure of any cause, trauma, electrocution, and many others.

The rabbit also had billiary coccidiosis, which accounts for the liver lesions. In rabbits coccidiosis is generally caused by elmeria stiedae. Most rabbits severely affected with coccidiosis are 8-10 weeks old, older rabbits often have partial immunity and may show few or only vague signs. This lesion is unlikely to have contributed significantly to this rabbits death, but the coccidia might pose a risk to any younger rabbits housed in the same environment.

DIAGNOSIS – possible viral haemorrhagic disease of rabbits and hepatic coccidiosis.

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the odd thing is the end of the report..the vet goes on about intestinal coccidia..but nowhere does she say hepatic coccidia can occur in any aged rabbit:? first time ive really noticed after re reading it!
--------------------------------------------------------------------
 
POST MORTEM RESULTS FROM DAZY-MAE FRENCH LOP RABBIT AGED 6 MONTHS.

5 samples received, 6 sections evaluated initially, followed by 2 reprocessed sections.

HEART- (slide one) this transverse sections of the ventricles shows mild dilation of the left ventricular lumen. Myocytes show some branching but appear orderly.

LUNG- ( 3 sections, slides 2 and BTP, three sections) Grossly, sections of the lung sank in formalin. Histologically, the lung appears poorly aerated-there is occasional peripheral hyperinflation of alveoli, but the overwhelming majority of the alveoli are flooded by oedema. No lesions are visible in airway epithelium. Extremely rarely, small clusters of lymphocytes and plasma cells are present around the subpleural vessels.

LIVER- (slide 3 ) Portal tracts are moderately expended by fibrosis with a light infiltrate of mixed small mononuclear leucocytes and sometimes by seemingly proliferative and supernumerary bile ductules. One bile duct shows erosion of the lining epithelium surrounded by fibrosis and small mononuclear leucocytes,while the lumen is greatly distended by amorphous debris, degenerate leucocytes,and the outlines of numerous oocytes approximately 30u in diameter with a delicate shell and control nucleoplasm. (consistent with Elmerie stiedes )

KIDNEY- (slide 3 ) Renal tubuler epithelium appears mildly hypereosinophile and attenuated ( preservation artefact or mild degeneration ) Renal tubules sometimes contain scanty proteinaceous content.

PRESUMED ABDOMINAL FIBRIN-LIKE MATERIAL, PER HISTORY ( slide 4 )
This sample consists of a meshwork of fibrin and oedema within trapped neutrophils and fewer macrophages. Some punctate debris is also present ( nuclear dust or possibly bacteria, uncertain) In some areas, there appears to be incipient organization by fibrocytes.

MORPHOLOGICAL DIAGNOSES
1)lung- Pulmonary oedema-extensive, severe, acute.
2)liver- Cholangitis-multifocal, chronic with billiary hypoplasia and focal infection with coccidian oocytes consistent with elmeria stidae
3)kidney- Tubulonephrosis-multi focal, mild, suspected.
4) Abdominal material- Fibrinoneutrophilic exudate.
5)heart-no significant findings.

COMMENTS- this rabbit died with severe pulmonary oedema, which would easily account for death through respiratory failure. I suspect that the pale foci seen in the lung at post mortem examination were actually the few normally aerated alveoli, which would have been slightly raised above the level of the remainder of the tissue.

The cause of this lesion is not absolutely certain. In combination with the reported findings of discharge from the nose and in the thorax, viral haemorrhagic disease of rabbits (VHD) could be considered. Histological diagnosis of VHD depends upon the prescence of characteristics findings in various organs, none of which alone are considered pathognomonic. these include
multifocal hepatocytic necrosis with or without haemorrhage. Renal glomerular microthrombi,
sometimes with tubulonephropathy, pulmonary congestion, alveolar flooding and haemorrhage, tracheal submucosal congestion and haemorrhage – the more of these findings are present, the greater the likelihood of vhd. Here, only some lesions are present- (pulmonary oedema, probably nephropathy) so this is a suggested diagnosis only – it may be that the rabbit succumbed to pulmonary oedema before other lesions had a chance to develop.

Alternatively, other causes of pulmonary oedema could be considered. These would include – peracute sepsis or toxaemia ( possibly supported by the fibrinoneutrophilic exude in the abdomen) acute heart failure of any cause, trauma, electrocution, and many others.

The rabbit also had billiary coccidiosis, which accounts for the liver lesions. In rabbits coccidiosis is generally caused by elmeria stiedae. Most rabbits severely affected with coccidiosis are 8-10 weeks old, older rabbits often have partial immunity and may show few or only vague signs. This lesion is unlikely to have contributed significantly to this rabbits death, but the coccidia might pose a risk to any younger rabbits housed in the same environment.

DIAGNOSIS – possible viral haemorrhagic disease of rabbits and hepatic coccidiosis.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

the odd thing is the end of the report..the vet goes on about intestinal coccidia..but nowhere does she say hepatic coccidia can occur in any aged rabbit:? first time ive really noticed after re reading it!
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Obviously I am not a Vet, but given her symptoms prior to death, especially the very high fever VHD seems more likely than Hepatic Coccidiosis which could, I *think*, be an incidental finding :?

Poor Dazy-Mae :cry:
 
the stupid thing is jane i was waiting for them both to settle in for a few weeks before getting them vaccd as bertie and merlin were due boosters.

two vets have said if it was vhd shed have been dead within 24hrs..and my other buns would have died form it and her sister too.

dazy-mae was a lot smaller than her sister..and she never grew much in the 3 weeks or so whereas her sister had.
Angie said the vet who speyed her said her organs were very small for her age....wanted to delay speyeing their sisters just in case. but i took dazy-mae and blubell instead as as they were both ready to rehome and the other two would have been over xmas or just after new year...the people adopting them pulled out...felt it was a
if id taken the other two it would have been fine...serves me right..but i was meant to get these two..if i hadnt she would have died anyway...and no need for a necropsy...then buns who could have been infected..inc her sister bluebell wouldnt have got treatment and would die too.

so im glad i had her..she was ditsy...soo cuddly and nuts. poor dazy-mae.
 
The rabbit also had billiary coccidiosis, which accounts for the liver lesions. In rabbits coccidiosis is generally caused by elmeria stiedae. Most rabbits severely affected with coccidiosis are 8-10 weeks old, older rabbits often have partial immunity and may show few or only vague signs.

Far be it from me to disagree with a vet :oops: but I disagree with this. As far as I am aware, e.stiedae is not the most common form of coccidiosis by a long shot...there are loads of different eimeria strains, e.stiedae is the only one which causes the hepatic form of the disease so obviously it's going to 'generally' be the cause of hepatic cocci, but that's not what the report says. Again, as far as I'm aware and certainly in my experience, the hepatic form is by far the most serious and often results in death, whereas many of the other strains are much milder. Intestinal cocci often affects 8-10 week olds because the pH of their gut hasn't got to the right 'adult' levels and therefore they are more susceptible to it, but the hepatic form isn't the same as the cocci are in the bile ducts not in the gut, and adults are definitely every bit as susceptible.

I'm never sure about cause and effect with pm results - for instance apparently stomach ulcers are quite a common pm finding in rabbits, but it has been suggested that they form after death rather than before. So difficult isn't it. I'm so sorry you lost her and that the pm result hasn't really given you the answers you were hoping for :(
 
its the pathology lab.....i think whoever this was.....i do have her name and many letters after it!:shock::shock:

but even i disagreed!!

i know.....i will not get closure from this...i am obviously trying too to ease my own guilt i think...i let her and her sister down......:(

BUT one good thing...i was able to inform of the coccidia findings.....and all other buns who could have been within a few hutches reach of them have the oppurtunity to treat those rabbits..just in case and save their lives...and enable me to save my buns by treating them.

has anyone ever had closure on a necropsy result?
 
its the pathology lab.....i think whoever this was.....i do have her name and many letters after it!:shock::shock:

but even i disagreed!!

i know.....i will not get closure from this...i am obviously trying too to ease my own guilt i think...i let her and her sister down......:(

BUT one good thing...i was able to inform of the coccidia findings.....and all other buns who could have been within a few hutches reach of them have the oppurtunity to treat those rabbits..just in case and save their lives...and enable me to save my buns by treating them.

has anyone ever had closure on a necropsy result?

I'm not sure if I'm reading this question right but I'm assuming you mean that it's fully given you the 'answers' you were looking for?

I have. I had a rabbit (Izzy) that died of symptoms that were by the time she was seriously ill suggestive of VHD: lethargy, low blood pressure, issues that pointed to internal bleeding. It was actually a liver torsion and no reason could be found as to why it happened (liver looked normal). So, I don't know 'why' but I do know it couldn't have been prevented.

Sorry for your loss, so very tragic :cry:
 
no no..i have NOT got closure from this..just having to accept its an unknown reason but i couldnt stop what was happening.

she had a bit of soft poos and a bit quieter smetimes other times still running orund..she chewed threw water pipe to my dishwasher and i was worried it was that that had made her low..she was quiet....and i took her to the vets....i wished id taken her two days earlier but she hadnt shown any signs before that EXCEPT she was a very clumsy clutsy bunny but being a frenchie they usually are a bit! she was a lot smaller than her sister...and did eat well here but didnt seem to grow whereas her sister did..but i know one oculd be the runt and one could be the biggest...like our kittens are.

its so awful...she must have hid it at the fosters too.

omg i can recall your bun dying now..i9d never heard of liver torsion but my bun had died from torsion of the bowel...he was called bandit..he had passed a block and died with an empty stomach..hed got bloat/torsion.

thank you for that info and im sorry she had to go that way.
im sorry dazy-mae had to go the way did she did without anyone realsiing she was ill....or shed have had a fighting chance.
 
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