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pneumonia sudden death worried about other bunnies

Lady Logamorph

Lady Logamorph

Mama Doe
One of my bunnies passed away on friday evening quite suddenly from what the vet thinks was pneumonia. She was nearly six years old and neutered and vaccinated. On thursday evening I did think her nose looked slightly damp but checked her over and she seemed ok and was eating. It was very wet out so put it down to the wet weather. On friday morning I checked her and she seemed ok eating her breakfast. When I got home on friday evening I saw her struggling to breath with her head back gasping for breath. I rang the emergency vet and set off but she passed away in the car. I was literally round the corner from the vets so the vet did check her body and suspected it was pneumonia.

Apart from flystrike many years ago I haven't had a bunny that's gone downhill so fast. Bluebell was a very sensitive bunny and in the past if she ever didn't feel great she would stop eating but this time she seemed to go from seeming ok to gone within hours.

Now I'm worried about the two boys she lived with. The vet advised me to start them on a course of seprin just in case which I have done but I am terrified they will end up passing away as well quickly. Has anyone has experience of pneumonia and is this normally secondary to something else like Pasteurella? Should I be concerned about my other bunnies?
 
Lady Logamorph said:
One of my bunnies passed away on friday evening quite suddenly from what the vet thinks was pneumonia. She was nearly six years old and neutered and vaccinated. On thursday evening I did think her nose looked slightly damp but checked her over and she seemed ok and was eating. It was very wet out so put it down to the wet weather. On friday morning I checked her and she seemed ok eating her breakfast. When I got home on friday evening I saw her struggling to breath with her head back gasping for breath. I rang the emergency vet and set off but she passed away in the car. I was literally round the corner from the vets so the vet did check her body and suspected it was pneumonia.

Apart from flystrike many years ago I haven't had a bunny that's gone downhill so fast. Bluebell was a very sensitive bunny and in the past if she ever didn't feel great she would stop eating but this time she seemed to go from seeming ok to gone within hours.

Now I'm worried about the two boys she lived with. The vet advised me to start them on a course of seprin just in case which I have done but I am terrified they will end up passing away as well quickly. Has anyone has experience of pneumonia and is this normally secondary to something else like Pasteurella? Should I be concerned about my other bunnies?
Click to expand...

What a horrible shock :cry: I am really sorry :cry:

Acute pneumonia really can strike quickly and sadly it is often fatal :cry: Pasteurella can be one of the pathogens involved, but there are others. It can be the case that the Rabbit has had a chronic lung infection that was clinically asymptomatic, only coming to light in the 'acute' presentation.

It is by no means inevitable that the other Rabbits will be effected. But your Vet seems to be erring on the side of caution by prescribing the antibiotics.

Here is some more detailed information about both chronic and acute pneumonia in Rabbits :

http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00dis/Bacterial/PneumoniaRabbits.htm

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Respiratory/Bacterial/URI.htm
 
Lady Logamorph said:
One of my bunnies passed away on friday evening quite suddenly from what the vet thinks was pneumonia. She was nearly six years old and neutered and vaccinated. On thursday evening I did think her nose looked slightly damp but checked her over and she seemed ok and was eating. It was very wet out so put it down to the wet weather. On friday morning I checked her and she seemed ok eating her breakfast. When I got home on friday evening I saw her struggling to breath with her head back gasping for breath. I rang the emergency vet and set off but she passed away in the car. I was literally round the corner from the vets so the vet did check her body and suspected it was pneumonia.

Apart from flystrike many years ago I haven't had a bunny that's gone downhill so fast. Bluebell was a very sensitive bunny and in the past if she ever didn't feel great she would stop eating but this time she seemed to go from seeming ok to gone within hours.

Now I'm worried about the two boys she lived with. The vet advised me to start them on a course of seprin just in case which I have done but I am terrified they will end up passing away as well quickly. Has anyone has experience of pneumonia and is this normally secondary to something else like Pasteurella? Should I be concerned about my other bunnies?
Click to expand...

I'm so very sorry for the loss of your lovely rabbit. How awful :cry:

I have had a rabbit pass away with pneumonia, and in my experience it's not so common for them to deteriorate as rapidly as you describe. To be honest, I would think there was something else going on for your bunny, I really would.

I also think that your other rabbits are not at risk at all of catching anything, but this is my unqualified opinion based on my own experience (I have had rabbits with pneumonia living with a mate who did not catch it).

The only way to be certain of how she passed away would be a post mortem, as you know.

There are several other reasons for sudden onset breathing difficulties.

Sending hugs x
 
Thanks Jane, I'm utterly devastated and so upset I didn't take her to vet on Thursday. This is the first time I've not had an obvious warning one of my bunnies was ill so I'm now paranoid about the other two and think I may be from now on!

I have had respiratory problems before in my trio and did have a nasal swab on one of them around 3 years ago which did come back with two pathogens but not Pasteurella. I can't exactly remember what they were though. If one gets run down or stressed they display symptoms then pass it to one of the others. I think over the 6 years respiratory illness has flared up in my group about 4 times so I wonder if this re occurrence had damaged her lungs and combined with her being a little older it progressed much quicker.

I've disinfected the hutch and litter trays and did find a bit of mould in the top corner of the hutch so have cleaned all that off. I'm keeping the hutch cover open more as well for ventilation but it's difficult with the weather changing so much at the moment trying to keep them dry but not letting the hutch get damp. They have an attached run that can't be moved which is on grass/soil so there isn't much I can do about cleaning that. It's well ventilated though with just the roof covered.

Fingers crossed my boys will be ok. I'm glad they are in a trio as it means they are never alone.
 
MightyMax said:
I'm so very sorry for the loss of your lovely rabbit. How awful :cry:

I have had a rabbit pass away with pneumonia, and in my experience it's not so common for them to deteriorate as rapidly as you describe. To be honest, I would think there was something else going on for your bunny, I really would.

I also think that your other rabbits are not at risk at all of catching anything, but this is my unqualified opinion based on my own experience (I have had rabbits with pneumonia living with a mate who did not catch it).

The only way to be certain of how she passed away would be a post mortem, as you know.

There are several other reasons for sudden onset breathing difficulties.

Sending hugs x
Click to expand...

Thanks Mighty Max, I have already buried her but I actually wish I had requested a post mortem on friday and left her with the vet. I was in such a mess I couldn't think straight and the vet didn't suggest it. When the vet checked her we looked right up her nose and could see some white discharge but there wasn't any sign of it on her paws and I hadn't noticed her sneezing so don't think she had nasal discharge for long as I would definitely have noticed. I do feel there was something more going on with her though as she was a very 'mard' rabbit. Anything slight and she would stop eating....she normally gave me lots of warning if she wasn't ill. This felt very different though. I will try and relax a bit more about my other bunnies. The vet has given me 10 days of septrin for both of them just be sure.
 
Here is my favourite picture of her....she was an intellectual!

7369062586_10f5dec5ef_z.jpg
 
thanks guys. Believe it or not she was a free to good home off gumtree! She was worth so much more than that. I was going to breed her before I knew about the rescue situation...then I came on here and got converted :lol:. She was the start of my fostering and being involved in rescues :love:
 
Lady Logamorph said:
thanks guys. Believe it or not she was a free to good home off gumtree! She was worth so much more than that. I was going to breed her before I knew about the rescue situation...then I came on here and got converted :lol:. She was the start of my fostering and being involved in rescues :love:
Click to expand...

She was a very special teacher :love:
 
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