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Urgent: 2nd bunny critically ill within 36 hours

X

xxxchris

New Kit
Hi everyone, I am posting here in the hope that someone has seen this before- even my very rabbit savvy vet is at loss... Saturday morning I found my Dutch bunny Fudge (2) with a very wet chin. A few days before I started to treat her for conjunctivitis because her eyes looked red and sore. A visit to the vet on Monday was planned. Anyhow other than the wet chin she was eating and moving fine, nosy as ever, apart from the odd moment when she suddenly sat totally hunched, eyes squinting. Minutes later, back to normal. About five in the afternoon her bum and mouth were covered in diarrhoea. Still eating with a vengeance though, not just nibbling! Cleaned her up and, lacking car, started syringe feeding water to keep her hydrated. This was the one night when I could not get her to the vet. She died at 4am, still eating parsley. Just closed her eyes as if she were to go to sleep, suddenly small and so, so bony. Words cannot describe how the kids and I felt.
Fudge shared the hutch with Benny (also Dutch, different breeder, 1). I suspect the Benny cleaned Fudge when her face and hind was messy. This morning I took Benny to the vet to have him checked over- and to ask if she would know what might have happened to Fudge. She didn't. As he sat there in front of her, I noticed his chin was very wet. Then he started to hunch. Then his belly started to feel bloated. His eyes became a little reddish. Within 20 minutes of consultation he went from check-up to medical emergency. He is now on 0.8 Septrin, Infacol and Bio-lapis but he is deteriorating before my eyes :cry:
He was always tiny (1.3 kg) but now he looks totally anorexic and super bloated at the same time, he kept eating fennel, apple, carrot and pellets until 5pm but now stopped eating completely. I keep giving infacol and syringe feed water and a tiny bit of banana. I am so scared that he won't survive the night. PLEASE has anybody seen red eyes + wet chin + extremely bloated tummy + possible diarrhoea witch passes from rabbit to rabbit? (Btw he had a dental recently) Please let me know.
 
xxxchris said:
Hi everyone, I am posting here in the hope that someone has seen this before- even my very rabbit savvy vet is at loss... Saturday morning I found my Dutch bunny Fudge (2) with a very wet chin. A few days before I started to treat her for conjunctivitis because her eyes looked red and sore. A visit to the vet on Monday was planned. Anyhow other than the wet chin she was eating and moving fine, nosy as ever, apart from the odd moment when she suddenly sat totally hunched, eyes squinting. Minutes later, back to normal. About five in the afternoon her bum and mouth were covered in diarrhoea. Still eating with a vengeance though, not just nibbling! Cleaned her up and, lacking car, started syringe feeding water to keep her hydrated. This was the one night when I could not get her to the vet. She died at 4am, still eating parsley. Just closed her eyes as if she were to go to sleep, suddenly small and so, so bony. Words cannot describe how the kids and I felt.
Fudge shared the hutch with Benny (also Dutch, different breeder, 1). I suspect the Benny cleaned Fudge when her face and hind was messy. This morning I took Benny to the vet to have him checked over- and to ask if she would know what might have happened to Fudge. She didn't. As he sat there in front of her, I noticed his chin was very wet. Then he started to hunch. Then his belly started to feel bloated. His eyes became a little reddish. Within 20 minutes of consultation he went from check-up to medical emergency. He is now on 0.8 Septrin, Infacol and Bio-lapis but he is deteriorating before my eyes :cry:
He was always tiny (1.3 kg) but now he looks totally anorexic and super bloated at the same time, he kept eating fennel, apple, carrot and pellets until 5pm but now stopped eating completely. I keep giving infacol and syringe feed water and a tiny bit of banana. I am so scared that he won't survive the night. PLEASE has anybody seen red eyes + wet chin + extremely bloated tummy + possible diarrhoea witch passes from rabbit to rabbit? (Btw he had a dental recently) Please let me know.
Click to expand...

He needs to go back to the vets NOW. He has gone hours without eating and this will lessen his chances of survival. His symptoms could be anything but it sounds like it could be Coccideosis (sp?) it is very contagious. Mention this to your vet, give them a ring and take him down tonight. He will need sub cut fluids to support him at the very least. I'm sure more experienced people will come along soon with more info but please ring your vets asap.
 
Vegan_Bunny said:
He needs to go back to the vets NOW. He has gone hours without eating and this will lessen his chances of survival. His symptoms could be anything but it sounds like it could be Coccideosis (sp?) it is very contagious. Mention this to your vet, give them a ring and take him down tonight. He will need sub cut fluids to support him at the very least. I'm sure more experienced people will come along soon with more info but please ring your vets asap.
Click to expand...

I've come back from the vets this evening when I took him a second time. He was given some opiate painkillers by injection and she said as long as I try to get 50ml into him over a 24 hour period (which I do) he will be sufficiently hydrated for his size. I don't want to add more stress to his misery, he's seen the vet twice today (sorry did not mention as the post was getting so long).
 
xxxchris said:
I've come back from the vets this evening when I took him a second time. He was given some opiate painkillers by injection and she said as long as I try to get 50ml into him over a 24 hour period (which I do) he will be sufficiently hydrated for his size. I don't want to add more stress to his misery, he's seen the vet twice today (sorry did not mention as the post was getting so long).
Click to expand...

Personally I would have wanted him admitted. Did they not give him any gut stimulants? He will not be hydrated if he has diarrhea, he needs sub cut fluids to be sufficiently hydrated...anything going orally will simply run out of him.

Where do you live? I think you need a different vet.
 
Vegan_Bunny said:
Personally I would have wanted him admitted. Did they not give him any gut stimulants? He will not be hydrated if he has diarrhea, he needs sub cut fluids to be sufficiently hydrated...anything going orally will simply run out of him.

Where do you live? I think you need a different vet.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your replies. He has not got diarrhea - Fudge did. Ben had soft droppings in the morning but normal ones now, maybe a little on the small side. We decided against the gut stimulant because of Fudge's diarrhea. I am back there tomorrow morning first thing. I am in essex, however I think she's a smashing vet who helped me to get fudge through myxi...
 
xxxchris said:
Thanks for your replies. He has not got diarrhea - Fudge did. Ben had soft droppings in the morning but normal ones now, maybe a little on the small side. We decided against the gut stimulant because of Fudge's diarrhea. I am back there tomorrow morning first thing. I am in essex, however I think she's a smashing vet who helped me to get fudge through myxi...
Click to expand...

Oh, I must have misread that. I thought he also started getting diarrhea..very sorry!

How is he deteriorating? Have you syringe fed him anything since he stopped eating?
I would still feel he needed to see a vet again if he was deteriorating and would want him admitted at the vets until he started eating given what happened to his partner. If he hasn't eaten since 5pm then I presume he hasn't gone to the toilet either? The important thing is to keep food going through him. If he isn't eating by himself then syringing food is very important, and you may have to do it throughout the night. How often has your vet advised to syringe food?
The fact that his poo firmed up is a good sign, I hope. A wet chin generally signifies dental issues, were his teeth checked?
I will be going offline now but I hope somebody with experience of these symptoms can help.

Perhaps give your vet a ring and ask what they think? If your vet is a good bunny vet then they should be able to advise you on what's best. I agree that stressing him out by going to and fro to the vets is not good for him but if he hasn't eaten for 7 hours, I would want some advice on what to do. Especially about syringing food because this can cause massive problems if it turns out to be a blockage.

An awful question but are you going to have a post mortem done on your other bunny? This might help to diagnose a disease/illness, in case you have other rabbits that may be at risk. The test results will probably not benefit your current poorly bunny as I think it can take a while to get the results back.
 
My first thought would be dental issues as a wet chin is usually one of the last symptoms after loss of weight. Molars often can not be seen properly unless under GA, and spurs on molars can cause severe pain and inflammation resulting in a reluctance to eat and stasis (slowing of the gut). I'd want him admitted for a GA to do x-rays for gut blockage and a proper look at his teeth.
 
My first thought is coccidiosis, in which case I'd want him admitted at this stage, and on Septrin at least. I'm not sure about the red eyes and wet chin though. Could they have both eaten something toxic? Were they both vaccinated? If it's possible I'd get a post mortem done on Fudge.

Since Benny has become so ill so soon after losing Fudge I wouldn't be taking any chances, I'd insist they admit him. Hopefully Jacks-Jane will be alone soon with some ideas. Good luck xx
 
my first thought is coccidiosis .... that would explain the bloating and runs and sudden onset ..
perhaps your vet suspects this too ?? as the treatment can be septrin , although i would have thought a higher dose .

also do you vaccinate and if so are vaccinations up to date ... I have read that VHD can sometimes cause frothing at the mouth and some times digstive probs .
 
Good morning, thanks for your replies. Just come back from the vets - which is a little glimmer of hope in itself as it means Benny is still with us... although not much better. Spoke to vet about coc but she does not think that's what it is. Everything points to viral infection, vet has been dealing with more bunnies than most over 17 years and has not seen anything like it before. Looks as if all mucous tissue is highly inflamed. I am grateful for any advice but please understand that the symptom combination (brick-) red eyes AND wet (not frothy) chin (drooling!) AND extremely bloated tummy is consistent with both Benny and Fudge, and I am posting to this big community hoping that anyone has seen a rabbit with all three symptoms at once before.
Benny is on septrin, low dosis due to low body weight :(
To answer the questions, vaccinations were all up to date, Benny had a dental 6 weeks ago and Fudge never had dental problems. They also have no direct contact to wild rabbits. I so hope that someone is out there who has seen this before. many thanks xx
ps A post mortem for Fudge was not really an option as my 4 kids struggle to cope with the situation as it is. When we buried her there was no sign of Benny getting ill yet.
 
I would also think it was something they have eaten. There are a lot of toxic plants out there and sometimes you find them in hay bales. I'm glad he made it through the night.

Is he eating?
 
Vegan_Bunny said:
I would also think it was something they have eaten. There are a lot of toxic plants out there and sometimes you find them in hay bales. I'm glad he made it through the night.

Is he eating?
Click to expand...

He has eaten a bit of carrot when the pain killer wore off... he has had more of this opiate stuff since which makes him lethargic so I keep giving him tiny bits of critical care alongside water/bio lapis/ infacol by syringe.

I cannot exclude that they've eaten something. I checked the garden but if mould is an issue I would not be able to see it I guess... Many thanks for your help.
 
Whereabouts are you? Is there another specialist that you could just ask. I know you think your specialist is good but maybe another one would have a different idea of what it may be.
 
xxxchris said:
Could be I guess... nothing new in the garden (just checked again) but my botanic knowledge is limited. But they've always eaten anything in there, ivy, pine needles, roses, the lot. Thanks for your help.
Click to expand...

Can't be much help - but I do know that ivy is poisonous.
 
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