Sudden death in baby rabbits

I have 2 litters of 4 week old baby rabbits here with their mothers that arrived 3 weeks ago, a litter of 8 and a litter of 5. Up until a few days ago they were doing really well and I had had no problems with them. On Sunday we found one of the litter of 8 was dead, on Monday when I got home from work I found another of the same litter dead. Last night when I got home one of the litter of 5 was dead then this morning when I got back from the vets I found another from that litter dead and another barely alive (passed away a few mins later) Thats 5 baby rabbits dead in just 3 days I am so worried about them all right now and I dont know what to do. None of them showed any signs of being ill and until I found them dead were all happily eating solid food, drinking and suckling from their mums. They were all clean, no diahrea, not bloated, no symptoms whatsoever. After finding the one barely alive this morning I rushed him and the other one down to my vets for them to do a pm. My vet has just phoned to say all their organs look perfectly normal, they had food in their tummies and he couldnt see anything obviously wrong. He has taken some tissue samples to send off for testing, I just hope they come back in time. I am terrified to go and check on them in case I find more dead Has anyone any idea what could be wrong?

I take it the vet ruled out VHD if the organs were all normal? It's all I can think of from what you've said. I am really sorry this must be really upsetting for you

I read this yesterday in Dana Krempel's article http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/poop.html

'Unlike most mammals, baby rabbits have a sterile lower intestine until they begin to eat solid food at the age of 3-4 weeks. It is during this time that their intestines are at their most critical phase, and the babies need their mother's milk, which changes pH and provides vital antibodies that help the baby gradually adjust to his changing intestinal environment. Without mother's milk, a baby starting to eat solid food is highly susceptible to enteritis (inflammation of the intestinal lining), which can cause fatal diarrhea. '

.........I know they didn't have runny poos but maybe there's just something else went wrong as 4 weeks seems to be a critical age when they start eating solids?

Hepatic Coccidiosis :? Baby Buns often die long before symptoms are obvious

I am so sorry you have had such a sad time

'Hepatic coccidiosis caused by E. stiedae may be found in any large groups of rabbits, from rabbitry to foster home. In mild infections there may be no symptoms or there may be only mild to moderate retardation of growth, but the disease may be fatal, especially in young rabbits. Heavily infected rabbits show signs related to the interference of liver function and blockage of bile ducts. These rabbits stop eating and become debilitated; either diarrhea or constipation may be noted late in the disease. Occasionally there is ascites and jaundicing. Radiography may confirm this. Liver enzymes may be raised, suggesting a diagnosis of hepatic (liver) coccidiosis.

Confirmation of the disease is based on finding oocysts in a fecal or bile samples. Numerous drugs have been used to prevent and treat E. stiedae. Potentiated sulphonamides drugs appear to be the most effective. All the rabbits in an infected rabbitry or household must be treated until the disease has run its course. The major role of these drugs is to control the organism until the rabbits' immunity develops, and immunity resulting from mild infections may be lifelong.. '

Copyright Anna Meredith, Head of Exotic Animl Services, RSVS Edinburgh



Janex

Definatly not VHD. Considering all of the internal organs looked perfectly healthy and their poos were normal I am pretty certain its not Coccidiosis. They had food in their gut so had definatly been eating. They have been eating solid food since at least the beginning of last week (I am not certain of their exact age, they could be several days older than 4 weeks) and were eating/playing/acting perfectly normal until just a short while before their death. The one I found this morning that was barely alive was gasping and his/her breathing was very slow. Is it possible it could be some genetic defect?

awwww, sorry cannot offer any advise, but i am so sorry

xx

sgprescue said:

Is it possible it could be some genetic defect?

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Do you know what the vet is testing for with the tissue samples? This might help identify something genetic I guess. I take it the mums of the litters appear to be fine? Is there any history with the buns that could help shed some light on it for you?

I have had the same sort of problem with some babies again got to 4 weeks as they came in at 10 days with out mum and lost 4 of the litter of 9, the only thing the vet could possibly point to was something genetic that passed from mum to baby, I also stopped the cimicat that I was giving and they are now thriving, The vet says that they worst time for babies is 4-6 weeks as they are weaning onto food rather than milk

Maizy said:

Do you know what the vet is testing for with the tissue samples? This might help identify something genetic I guess. I take it the mums of the litters appear to be fine? Is there any history with the buns that could help shed some light on it for you?

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I dont know what he is testing for, all I know is he has sent them off. Both mums are absolutly fine, very healthy and happy. Both mums with their litters came from the same person, he claimed they had been dumped on him so he had no idea of their history either, I dont even know what happened to the fathers. They were just over a week old (could have been slightly older, he was a bit vague :roll: ) when they arrived. They had to be moved there and then so the bloke moved the babies in the nest and brought the entire nest with the mums.

elaine said:

I have had the same sort of problem with some babies again got to 4 weeks as they came in at 10 days with out mum and lost 4 of the litter of 9, the only thing the vet could possibly point to was something genetic that passed from mum to baby, I also stopped the cimicat that I was giving and they are now thriving, The vet says that they worst time for babies is 4-6 weeks as they are weaning onto food rather than milk

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I know there is a high death rate with hand reared babies but these are with their mums :?

I forgot to mention that the two litters are in different sheds at opposite ends of the garden so they are not in contact with each other :?

sgprescue said:

I forgot to mention that the two litters are in different sheds at opposite ends of the garden so they are not in contact with each other :?

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It's a real mystery then and so harrowing for you with so many buns involved I hope the path lab get the results back quickly so you can hopefully get some answers. Is there a chance whatever it is could have passed between the mums before you put them in separate sheds and they have been strong enough to fend it off/show no symptoms, but the babies have been too vulnerable especially given their crucial age? Sorry I'm not much help, racking my limited brain for some more possibilities......Praying you don't lose anymore and the results come back asap.

Hiya,

I have had this twice with foster rabbits over the years. A litter last year - Mum came in pregnant with a group of 5 dumped rabbits. She had 6 babies, the first I noticed at a week old, severely deformed and was PTS ( I won't go in to detail on here but I can't believe it was still alive!) Was told by the vet that it was probably a genetic defect as it was very likely that the parents were related.
The others looked OK and were fine until 4 weeks old then I found one dead (no symptoms) then a couple of days later another was dead. A few days later I discover one collapsed and dying so PTS, and the same with the 5th one a few days later. I had one of them PM'd and nothing was found. There was one which survived, and rehomed with Mum and is still doing OK now at 8months old.

This also happened a few years back. can't remember details but I think there were 6 unexplained deaths from a litter of 7.
On both occasions I have been told 'its just one of them things' (by different vets) :?

I will be very interested of any findings from the tests you are having done.

Incidentally, I have also had experience with hepatic coccidiosis, a few years back. 2 Mums with a litter each and pregnant! Babies started dying, but they did show symptoms beforehand - lethargy, diarrhoea etc. Some died within hours, some days. By the time test result were back, I think it was too late for the medication to work. I lost 17 buns in total, including the Mums.

Looking for something else and found this:

....'Dysautonomia In 1996 Whitwell (Vet Record, Sept 28th 1996) reported a true dysautonomia in rabbits causing caecal impaction, anorexia, depression and death in weanling rabbits......'

from http://www.aquavet.i12.com/Rabbit.htm

Wikipedia describe it better:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysautonomia

elve said:

Looking for something else and found this:

....'Dysautonomia In 1996 Whitwell (Vet Record, Sept 28th 1996) reported a true dysautonomia in rabbits causing caecal impaction, anorexia, depression and death in weanling rabbits......'

from http://www.aquavet.i12.com/Rabbit.htm

Wikipedia describe it better:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysautonomia

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Thanks Elve, although it cant be that, they are not showing any of those symptoms. I found one early yesterday and it fitted several times before passing away , because of this we now suspect EC, although we had never heard of it affecting bunnies as young as this before. We have now lost a total of 8 of the 13 babies in 6 days after finding 2 more dead this morning

Awww - sorry to hear that

aww i am so sorry to hear about that. i have 3 baby rabbits who are just about to start weaning now i have my worry head on incase something happens but there is nothing i can do to prevent anything if it happens it happens right?