I need some help as to why my rabbits are dying. Three months ago, I lost a 3 yr red mini-rex doe to possibly mucoid enteritis, she had been off her feed and water for a couple of days, was bloated, disoriented,and found her almost dead with a very wet but clear behind. No visible dark diarrhea. She died within a few hours. Then 2 weeks later, a young unrelated 3 month old red mini-rex "Speedy" was shaking, bloated,disoriented, and died in 24 hrs with a clear and mucoid discharge on his behind,no dark diarrhea, possibly mucoid enteritis again! Two weeks later I found another 3.5 month old black mini-rex "Orville" dead in his pen. There were almost no signs at all , no bloating, no diarrhea, just dead!
Now just yesterday, I found my show quality chestnut brown mini-rex male barely 3 months old "Poptart" with one ear down, going around in circles, disoriented, shaking, no bloating, no diarrhea, and died this morning. i did find a small lump behind his ear, lymph node or abcess? :waa:
. I just broke down and cried over this one as I was very attached to him. What on earth is killing these young rabbits at this age? I'm thinking about taking this rabbit's body to the vet to get an autopsy and maybe get an answer. Any answers or diseases I haven't though of yet?
I live in Alberta, Canada. The rabbits are housed in cages, in a heated and well ventilated barn. No mice or birds get in, snakes and wild rabbits are not a problem. I feed them bunny pellets, straw and alfalfa hay, with the occassional apple, carrots, to the young ones and feed greens only to the mature rabbits over 6 months old. They get fresh water with a little apple cider ( to prevent cocci) every day by hand, in clean saucers or bottles. The ones that died were not closely related, and in different cages. If there was a disease going around wouldn't all the young ones and their mothers be affected?
Thank you, Andrea
I live in Alberta, Canada. The rabbits are housed in cages, in a heated and well ventilated barn. No mice or birds get in, snakes and wild rabbits are not a problem. I feed them bunny pellets, straw and alfalfa hay, with the occassional apple, carrots, to the young ones and feed greens only to the mature rabbits over 6 months old. They get fresh water with a little apple cider ( to prevent cocci) every day by hand, in clean saucers or bottles. The ones that died were not closely related, and in different cages. If there was a disease going around wouldn't all the young ones and their mothers be affected?
Thank you, Andrea