Sudden death-Kits 3-4 weeks old separate litters at separate times

[smtwnfarmer]

Hey everybody! I am stumped, so I am hoping someone can help me. We decided to try raising rabbits. We have one doe who has had two litters a few months or so apart. The first litter was five kits and the second was seven. In both cases, the kits appeared healthy and reached about 3 weeks with no problems. Then, suddenly around 3-4 weeks, they started developing sudden on-set severe diarrhea and dying within 24 hours. The sick ones sit in the corners of the pen fluffed out. The first time, I removed the first two sick rabbits and cleaned everything out and the remaining three did fine. This time, I have removed sick rabbits and changed things out but it hasn't helped. I started them on corrid treatment yesterday as it was the only thing I could think of. Since then, 2 have died and one more has developed symptoms. Of seven bunnies, I am now down to one well bunny and one that just developed symptoms. Through all of this, the Mom seems totally un-affected.The final "healthy" kit has poop stuck to its rear end but it does not appear to be diarrhea. It is heart breaking to have them dying. The cage is clean and the water refilled daily. They are in a 1.5 x 3 foot pen with the smallest hardware cloth for a floor. The nest boxes are wooden with hay in them. They have been with Mom and are presumably still nursing. They have started trying the food, which is a complete rabbit pellet. (Faithway, I think?) I'm totally lost on this- can anyone please help me figure this out??

Thank you so much!

 

[VickieB]

I am new to rabbits also. Right now I have 2 does with 3 week old litters (my first time for babies) so take what I say with a grain a salt. I have read that babies need to eat some of the mother's droppings, the small ones called "cecotrope," in order to build the right flora in their gut before eating something besides the mother's milk. My rabbits are just now trying out the food in the bin. If yours is doing the same, could it be they have not had a chance to eat the mother's cecotrope yet?

 

[smtwnfarmer]

I have no idea- but, since the bottom of the cage is hardware cloth, the droppings pretty well fall through the floor. So unless she is dropping them in the nest box, they probably have not. What would you do? Should I put a wooden board or something in the cage?? Thank you so much for your reply!

 

[VickieB]

I've been wondering the same thing. One of my mothers has been using her nest box to poo in (I'm going to have to break her of this, just don't know how yet) but the other has not. While cleaning the tray the other day I saw some of the cecotrope in the bottom of the tray. I scooped it up with a stick and dropped it in the litter box for the babies.

What do those of you with experience do? How about those of you that don't use trays, how do you see to it that the babies have access to this?

 

[xa.logan]

This may be a bit gross but have you examined the dead kits at all? Also, what did the feces smell like? Was it particularly foul?

 

[smtwnfarmer]

There was no distinct odor at all. The diarrhea is watery And a light brown color. The kits are healthy and fat one day. The next day, they are huddled, fluffy, with the bottom Half of their body covered in burnt orange/light brown watery diarrhea. Is there something else that I should look for??

 

[currycomb1]

maybe put a ceramic tile in the cage. it gives everyone a nice solid place to rest, and the babies can eat the manure. we had heavy losses also, same symptoms. what worked for us was a bit of tetracycline antibiotic in the water. we also lost adult does and had necropsy done on them, nothing definate on the results, but with lots of hay and minimal pellets, we seemed to slow the "disease"

 

[xa.logan]

This link may prove helpful.

http://www.raising-rabbits.com/rabbit-diarrhea.html

 

[smtwnfarmer]

That is a great link! Thanks! I am still not sure what is going on though. I guess enterotoxemia fits better than anything, but the cage is clean and we only give a rabbit pellet. They don't get sweet treats. Also, I don't understand why it would affect two different litters raised in different pens at different times at the same age when they were so healthy up to this point. The only thing the two had in common, besides age, was the doe and buck. Also, that link makes the diarrhea sound like a possibility but it has been the main symptom. Obviously I am doing something wrong, but I am at a loss for what it is or how to fix it.

 

[smtwnfarmer]

Is it possible that the doe may have some sort of intestinal imbalance that is not affecting her but is affecting the kids when they begin to Wean?