Help, my rabbits are dying off rapidly!

Hi Everyone,

Hopefully somebody can suggest some possible reason why my rabbits are dying.

A week ago I had 12 rabbits, in five separate hutches. I found a one year old buck dead in his hutch (where he lived alone) the middle of last week. His hutch is in a part of the garden well away from the other hutches. Yesterday I found two dead rabbits when I checked their hutches in the morning. Each rabbit lived in a different hutch, one is within an outbuilding, the other is outside. Today another rabbit died, again in a different hutch from all the others. So far I have not had two rabbits die who actually live in a hutch together. Just four dead rabbits in four separate hutches and none of the rabbits have ever met (not since the buck last mated about 3 months ago, anyway). So I'm pretty much ruling out the possibility that it is a disease spreading amongst the rabbits due to their isolation from eachother. So I was thinking poisoning was more likely.

All the rabbits have at least an hour in my garden every day. All the shrubs are fenced off with 13mm chicken wire as I don't know whether some may be toxic. Occasionally the rabbits will nibble some tiny bits of leaf through the wire or reach up to an overhanging branch. Of course, with it now being autumn, there is the added possibility of poisonous seeds or berries falling into the garden, or trees with poisonous leaves may drop more at this time of year. However, the rabbits have been out everyday for the past 9 months and nibbled at everything without any ill effects. No new plants have been added this year. I do have a cherry laurel in the garden that has been dropping its leaves into pretty much continually for the last 9 months but all the rabbits have been nibbling on the leaves for the past 9 months with no ill effects. They have dug a couple of deep burrows, so it's possible they might have found some poisonous roots.

All the dead rabbits were as stiff as a board, even one that had only been dead an hour or so and was still slightly warm. I haven't had any rabbits die before so I don't know whether this rapid rigor mortis is normal or not. But this made me think it might be strychnine poisoning. However, the rabbit that died today had not been allowed in the garden yesterday (due to the two deaths that day) so she hadn't been in the garden for around 44 hours. I believe that strychnine poisoning takes effect within an hour or so and strychnine has a half life of about 10 hours so it doesn't seem likely that it could take effect after such a delay.

I did check on the rabbit that died today a few hours before she died and she was looking sleepy (not unusual for mid-afternoon) but she certainly wasn't having convulsions or showing any signs of distress so this also points away from strychnine poisoning, despite the rapid on set of rigor mortis.

Obviously, I have considered that their feed could be contaminated. But they are at the end of a bag of meadow hay that they've been eating for the past 3 weeks (plus the first rabbit to die hardly ever ate hay) and their only other food is a freshly opened 15kg bag of Bunny Brunch.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

Oh gosh I'm so sorry.
Is it too late to get a post portem done on the rabbit which died today? I would imagine that would be the best way to get a definitive answer to help save your remaining rabbits.

Are they vaccinated? If not it sounds like VHD. Have you taken any of the them to the vet? I would be getting PM's done on the dead rabbits and get the vets to check over your remaining rabbits. If it is VHD, I'm not sure there is anything you can do apart from get the remaining rabbits vaccinated and completely quarantine all of them.

I'm sorry about your rabbits, how awful

Unfortunately it sounds like VHD/RHD is likely if your rabbits were not vaccinated.. it could be passed hutch-to-hutch via your clothing or hands etc.

Here is a link that may be useful:

http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/content/info-sheets/VHD_UK.htm

So sorry for your losses

Oh I'm so sorry to hear what you are going through, it must be a terrible time. I think you need to get a pm done to find some answers.
I do hope your other buns keep safe and well.

Another possibility is coccidiosis. It can kill quite suddenly with no symptoms. A post mortem would be the only way to know for sure, but talk to your vet asap about treating the remaining rabbits for coccidiosis. I'm so sorry you're going through this nightmare Sending lots of vibes xx

PM would be the best option, even without detailed lab tests the vet can sometimes rule some things in/out just by taking a look at the organs.

VHD is certainly a possibility if your rabbits aren't vaccinated - although it's associated with bleeding, it doesn't always show it. It's spread very easily by contact so simply touching one rabbits hutch and then another could transfer it. Incubation is about 1-3 days but it can survive months without a host.

My rec would be to minimise the risk of transition, so disinfect yourself before visiting each 'pen'. Don't transfer anything between pens eg don't swap bottles between pens, use the same cleaning equipment between pens etc.

Get a PM, that might tell you what you are dealing with, which gives you more chance of controlling/stopping it.

If not already vaccinated then get all your rabbits done ASAP, it won't help any already infected, but it might save any who haven't been in contact yet. However, keep it mind it takes a couple of weeks to gain full immunity.

I think you are right it's unlikely to be food, but if you can it wouldn't hurt to get a fresh batch.

If not one of the other things mentioned, maybe mycotoxins in the pelleted feed, especially since it is a new bag that you just started feeding.

http://www.micotoxinas.com.br/Boletim44.pdf

How awful

I too suspect VHD. Do you vaccinate ?

Please call a Vet out TODAY to establish if this is a VHD outbreak



In the meantime do not allow any visitors to the area where the Rabbits are kept. Do not under any circumstances mate-up any Rabbits, sell any Rabbits or take in any more Rabbits. Do not visit any other establishment/home where Rabbits are kept. Basically you need to instigate strict quarantine until the Vet gives you the all clear

Thanks for the replies. I didn't find any more rabbits dead this morning, although one has not touched his food since last night (which seems to be the only indication of impending sudden death). He looks fine but I'm going to check on him every hour or two today.

I adopted the rabbits originally (having never kept rabbits before) so I don't know whether they had been vaccinated. Their owner didn't even know that one had been neutered so I'm guessing that she hadn't had them long. But I was hoping that by not bringing in any other rabbits or used hutches that they would be at low risk of picking up any rabbit diseases.

However, there has been an outbreak of mice around the hutches and there is at least one large rat living in the garden, so if it is VHD then those vermin might have been responsible for spreading the disease. I bought a couple of "Rat Electrocutors" a few weeks ago and have killed 7 or 8 mice but there are still some around.

All the rabbits that have died so far have gone straight into my freezer as I thought they might need a toxicological PM, but I'm not sure if they can still have a normal PM, having been frozen solid. Unfortunately I can't really afford the cost of a PM anyway. I could take the rabbit that's not eating to the PDSA for examination but I'm not sure there is anything to detect at this stage.

I'm still wondering about the rapid onset of rigor mortis within an hour of death, as I haven't read that this is an indication of VHD.

All my remaining rabbits will be quarantined here until they die, whether they are put to sleep, die of the current disease/poison outbreak or survive long enough to die of old age (in which case I'll have the survivors vaccinated). I'll also start disinfecting the hutches and surrounding paving area with Jeyes fluid or bleach.

Thanks.

I think it would be good to go to the PDSA as soon as possible with the bunny who isn't eating... not eating for 12hrs or more is very serious for rabbits as they can go into stasis and die

Fingers crossed your other bunnies will be ok

I think you should take your rabbit that hasn't eaten to the vets asap.

Sorry for your loss.

Sorry to hear of your losses. Do you use Jeyes fluid generally for hutch cleaning? I thought that was harmful to rabbits, or certainly the fumes from it, and that it had cumulative toxicity. I wonder if a vet grade disinfectant (Virkon/Conficlean2) would be better, certainly in the hutches?

ken said:

Thanks for the replies. I didn't find any more rabbits dead this morning, although one has not touched his food since last night (which seems to be the only indication of impending sudden death). He looks fine but I'm going to check on him every hour or two today.

I adopted the rabbits originally (having never kept rabbits before) so I don't know whether they had been vaccinated. Their owner didn't even know that one had been neutered so I'm guessing that she hadn't had them long. But I was hoping that by not bringing in any other rabbits or used hutches that they would be at low risk of picking up any rabbit diseases.

However, there has been an outbreak of mice around the hutches and there is at least one large rat living in the garden, so if it is VHD then those vermin might have been responsible for spreading the disease. I bought a couple of "Rat Electrocutors" a few weeks ago and have killed 7 or 8 mice but there are still some around.

All the rabbits that have died so far have gone straight into my freezer as I thought they might need a toxicological PM, but I'm not sure if they can still have a normal PM, having been frozen solid. Unfortunately I can't really afford the cost of a PM anyway. I could take the rabbit that's not eating to the PDSA for examination but I'm not sure there is anything to detect at this stage.

I'm still wondering about the rapid onset of rigor mortis within an hour of death, as I haven't read that this is an indication of VHD.

All my remaining rabbits will be quarantined here until they die, whether they are put to sleep, die of the current disease/poison outbreak or survive long enough to die of old age (in which case I'll have the survivors vaccinated). I'll also start disinfecting the hutches and surrounding paving area with Jeyes fluid or bleach.

Thanks.

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I'm so sorry. When did you get them? Rabbits need vacinating once a year. You need to call the vets. See what they. Different vets have different rules/ways with dealing with rabbits with a illness that can be spread. To stop the spreading with other animals.

Generally it's not too expensive for the vet to just have a look at the bodies themselves, it's when they send away for tests it starts adding up. It would be worth asking your vet for a price you might find it's not as bad as you were expecting.

I would vaccinate now. VHD can survive on surfaces for several months so the sooner you vaccinate the sooner they can develop immunity and the less you'll lose. Not eating is a fairly general sign of a rabbit not feeling well so it doesn't point to a specific illness.

Rigor mortis happens quite quickly in small animals, I don't think it happening in an hour or so is a sign of any specific disease.

Tamsin said:

Generally it's not too expensive for the vet to just have a look at the bodies themselves, it's when they send away for tests it starts adding up. It would be worth asking your vet for a price you might find it's not as bad as you were expecting.

I would vaccinate now. VHD can survive on surfaces for several months so the sooner you vaccinate the sooner they can develop immunity and the less you'll lose. Not eating is a fairly general sign of a rabbit not feeling well so it doesn't point to a specific illness.

Rigor mortis happens quite quickly in small animals, I don't think it happening in an hour or so is a sign of any specific disease.

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Thanks. I've read that an standard PM can be inconclusive regarding VHD and further tests are probably necessary. None of the rabbits have bled (from either end) which would have made VHD easier to diagnose. At this point I think I will just assume it's VHD and get the survivors vaccinated.

I picked some dandelion leaves and grass for the bunny who wasn't eating (he is confined to his hutch) and he ate them all. I put some more in his bowl on top of his Bunny Brunch and he ate some of the pellets too. It was his mother who died yesterday so he is probably just pining due to being alone for the first time. He's about 3 months old but quite small and probably has never been a big eater, I just never noticed before.

By the way, I've cleaned out secondhand hutches with very dilute bleach in the past with no ill effects once they have been rinsed with clean water and left to dry for a few days. I haven't used bleach in an occupied hutch. Is there anything else I can use that kills viruses? I pretty sure most pet disinfectants just kill bacteria, unless they contain bleach.

Rinsing after and leaving to dry is a good idea Virkon S is often used by vets for disinfecting and kills VHD. You can get small sachets of it too - handy if you are just doing a few hutches.

I'd find out from the vet a price on a basic PM - you're right they won't confirm VHD without a test (which is expensive) but just looking at the body can sometimes help and it might be cheaper than you'd think. At least that gives you the option if you do lose another one.

Really sorry for your losses, how awful!
Where abouts in the country are you?

If any of them stop eating, I would ring your vet and ask for advice. I would normally advise you to take them to the vet immediately, but if it is VHD, I'm not sure what they could do about it, and taking them to the vet could risk the lives of other bunnies. I would also ask if the vet could do home visits, so as to avoid contamination.

Definitely have them all vaccinated ASAP. Where are you? Are your vets rabbit savvy? I would probably post up and ask for a rabbit savvy vet in your area and give them a ring first thing tomorrow.

I thought a PM showed clearly if a rabbit had died from VHD as it causes hemmoraging within the body, that is why is some times leaks from an orifice.
Also I thought they would have a high temerature before they died as they fought the virus. Your ill bunny should not be left to simply die, after what you have experienced I am sure you must want to do the best for your remaining pets.