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we have a sort of answer

P

Phill

Wise Old Thumper
Ok Hazel (vet) spoke to a rabbit expert in edinburgh today and although they can't confirm there suspisions as a PM wont show this up unless you are looking for it, what she has suggested is wrong with the buns makes the most sense!! Anyway she has told us about a new disease which is not recognised in this country yet, it is very simelar to grass sickness in horses.
It is caused by a toxin which grows in grass!!! :shock: no one knows yet how the toxin gets there wether it comes from a fungi or plant they don't know. They have advised us not to use Pan's enclosure again for an unlimited time period as they can not garentee that the toxin wont be there!! We have to keep an eye on the other bunny's in the outdoor enclosures just in case it spreads. So we have a sort of answer even if it's not confirmed and i am down by one enclosure (am now a little short of space)!!!!
This is a very scary thing for everyone and as i say it's not yet recognised in this country! and they don't know how the toxin gets into the grass.

Why oh Why did i have to get the one thing thats not recognised!!!
 
sarsimp said:
Poor you Phill - I cant believe it :(
Is ther any way of testing the ground for this toxin?
Click to expand...

I forgot to ask! :roll: i will suggest it to hazel next time i speak to her. It's very frustrating, as no one seems to know alot about it at all X
 
As i say they don't know much about it or even if it will stay contained to the one pen, it has done so far so they are assuming that it just affects patches of grass rather than a large amount but we really don't know
 
hi

I've never heard of it either - just did a search on 'grass sickness' though and it came up with loads of links - the first of which was this one, with a forum about it which might be able to help - they mentioned in one thread that boggy, waterlogged ground caused the overgrowth of a type of bacteria which causes long term health issues and often death :?
http://www.grasssickness.org.uk/discussion/discussion_frm.htm

there's a questionaire there too as they are trying to find out more.
 
hi

there's a post on 10th March by Catriona which mentions manganese deficiency being implicated - and several posts saying horses have died without even being on grass ever - Catriona reckons seaweed supplements and probiotics will protect your animals...
 
grass sickness

Hi phill :) I was going to suggest a bacterial infection :? about 6 years ago there was an epidedmic going around which hit virtually everyone that kept bunnies :( the symtems were similar to those which you have described :shock: the breeder that i had just got some babies from lost all her babies & some of her adults to this illness :( one by one the ones that i had from her went down with it :( out of the 3 only one survived & he was the smallest (it seemed to target the bigger ones first) i had them treated with terramycin which is an old sulpher based drug which seemed to work :) ones treated with baytril died :( hope that it is not doing the rounds again :( PM results came back inconclusive apart from it not being an identifiable illness & was likened to grass sickness in horses as you have said :(
 
Thanks for those thoughts guys, we had all sorts of bacteriology's done and nothing came up so it's not a bacteria of any kind which is why i havn't been able to kill it with Disinfectant! Elve that site is very good i shall mention some things to my vet XX
 
tupperwarequeen said:
well at least its a start Phill :?
Click to expand...

Yep it's a start, a rather worrying one but it's some form of answer that we didn't have. All the buns are getting moved out of the outdoor pens at the weekend, Pan, Jack, Dash and Scooter have already been moved but im moving the others as i don't want to risk them getting it too.
 
God Phil how odd! Are you moving them into the kennels? Such a shame, your bunnies have been given such a natural life and are so lucky to have it, for this to happen its so unfair :(
 
Thanks Cazza, well Grace and Will are already in a kennel, Jack and Pan are sharing one with Dash and Scooter just now but Scooter is getting a bit to big for his boots so they are being split in to another, Flora, Jasmine and Delilha will have another and we are cleaning the shed out for Hester and company! so they will all fit! Hurrah! Plus when Bootz arrives she will live with Pan and Jack and Max will go with Flora and Jasmine and that leaves one kennel for Ron and Tilly!
it's really quite upsetting that i have to move them as i love there runs but it has to be done. The only solution we have is for the outside runs to be fully concreted, that way there is no risk from this bug as they can't eat grass and i really don't think i will give them grass ever again, they wikll have to cope with freeze dryed stuff and hay.
 
Concreting is a really good idea, saves it from getting all muddy in the winter and stuff as well as keeping the buns safe - but imagine that to be pretty expensive :?
 
It does seem a shame after the super huge runs they've got, where they can dig and everything, but it seems the best way forward. At least concrete will be easy to clean, and you can give digging boxes to any who like to dig (there's something else to clean up in the morning - Ruby makes a terrible mess, but she's happy).
Big snuggles to all the buns, hugs to you.
 
Thanks guys, it will take a long time to get those outdoor pens concreted though as they are huge so the buns will be shed and kennel bunnys for a while
 
Oh dear Phill what a time you have had lately, everything seems to have worked against you, things can only get better now! Good luck with the cleaning and moving, one bonus is you wont have to worry about the buns being warm enough now they have had to move into sheds and kennels.
 
5cutebunnies said:
Oh dear Phill what a time you have had lately, everything seems to have worked against you, things can only get better now! Good luck with the cleaning and moving, one bonus is you wont have to worry about the buns being warm enough now they have had to move into sheds and kennels.
Click to expand...

I know it works out quite well cause there electric in the kennels and battery powred lights in the shed and it means that i wont get cold and wet cleaning them either!
 
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