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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Young rabbit suddenly appears ill, help

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    • cornflakes
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        First off some pertinent info of my situation:

        1) These are not my rabbits, they belong to a school I work in.

        2) They live outdoors but inside a rabbit pen, are fed water and pellet food

        3) I’m currently teaching overseas in asia so there’s very little access to any english speaking vets and

             I’ve been caring for and dealing with the school rabbits for 4 years now (I’ve witnessed my share of pre-mature deaths

        and illnesses before).  So no, I can’t ask the school to do something about it as they don’t bother.  Their policy here is

        pretty much if it’s sick, it’s dead.  

        He was fine on friday when I left school.  Today (Monday morning), I checked out the rabbits as I always do and found him just sitting alone quietly hunched up in a ball.  His eyes looked a bit swollen (around the eyelid area) with some pus and fur around the eyes are wet, including his nose is all wet with some black smudge (either from the dirt on the ground or it came out of his nostrils).  His ears feel slightly crusty (perhaps sign of ear mites) and no other physical abnormalities.  What I’m shocked about is how quickly this appeared.  As I said, he was fine on friday, but today he looks bad.  I’ve seen ear mites before and one rabbit actually had a bad case of ear mites for about 6 to 8 months, so I’m not sure if ear mites can do this to a rabbit in just 2 or 3 days?  I’ve also seen the white pus around the eyelid area before and usually is a sign of infection (perhaps from a cut/wound around the eye that got infected) but again, so quickly in just 2 or 3 days?  The wet fur around the eyes and nostrils also I have seen before.

        I don’t know exactly what it could be, but do you think this is from an infection (eye) or ear mites or something else?

        There’s nothing I can do at this point other than to just let him sit there quietly and pass away.  The only thing I might be able to do is get “revolution” for the ear mites if that’s all this is, but I doubt it’s just a case of ear mites.


      • LongEaredLions
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          Could be a URI, mites, or any combination of things. Without a vet you cant really know. You said you can’t find an English-speaking vet? Is there any way you could get him in anyways? Maybe take someone to translate?
          ((((Vibes for bunny))))
          If the school refuses to provide medical care for the rabbits, can you ask them to stop replacing them when they pass away, as it is not really fair to the bunnies?


        • cornflakes
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            Well it’s been 5 days since I posted and he’s still alive but he’s gotten worse. I’ve seen this before and he’ll lose both eyes as they have now completely shut and have white thick pus and the fur all around his eyes is dried up and as hard as dry clay. He sits still most of the time and occasionally will move around to another spot, drink some water, do a little cleaning but he’s lost a lot of weight and I can feel his bones when I pet his back. He’s not eating obviously probably due to being sick.

            I found out that the reason he got this way was because one of the school groundkeepers found him running loose on the fields and when he caught him, put him back into the rabbit pen with the other rabbits. Those other rabbits had attacked him and bit him so badly that’s probably how he got the eye and ear punctures and therefore infections. I was only able to get him some medication (pink eye spray, this yummy strawberry liquid that’s supposed to be for intestinal infections and then gave him 1 treatment of antibiotic ointment (similar to revolution but it was not selemectin…it was something else i never heard of and was for small dogs and puppies).

            Unfortunately after 3 days of giving him what I could, he hasn’t improved and it seems inevitable now he’ll pass. I just hate to see him looking in so much pain, and he allows me to pet him and he snuggles up when u rub him. I can only hope that he will go quickly and painlessly….but i don’t think dying is ever painless.

            Does anyone know for future reference what exactly is the eye infections called when they occur from bites or animal attacks? About a year ago, I went through a similar situation. The rabbit at the time came down with a bad eye infection caused by a bite wound from another rabbit that was pregnant (she was territorial). I left him like that for about a week and his eye gradually got worse from a simple pink open flesh wound little bump, to more pussing and swelling, to eventually completely closing, then when I finally took him into the big city hospital, the vet told me his eye was already in neurosis (he was going to lose the eye but his life could be saved) and I was about to fork over 1,000 dollars of my own money to save him at least even if loses one eye. But the next day when they were about to perform the surgery, they called me on the phone and said he suddenly passed away.

            During the time before I brought him into the hospital, I was treating him myself for about 4 or 5 days with eye ointment that I had got from a vet (squeezed a droplet of it in his eye everyday but it never helped, he just progressed worse and worse until the eye was completely shut). I gave him some baytril but he would stop eating so i had to stop giving him baytril. So i just want to know what kind of infection this is that is caused by a bite / fight wound?

            What’s the proper medication to give and how long does it usually take or what’s the “window of opportunity” time range to save a rabbit before it’s too late. This is very sad for me as I know I should not be forking over hundreds and even a thousand dollars for a rabbit that I care about but is not even mine. I just hate to see them in pain when they are sick cuz there’s almost nothing I can do for them.


          • robyn and 'tipps'
            Participant
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              Your concern for these rabbits is so admirable! Why doesn’t the school care more about them, seems cruel to me. Why do they keep these rabbits????? I’m so sorry to read about the misfortunes of the latest little guy. Hope he passes quickly if it has come to that. So sorry. (((((vibes to bunny)))))


            • JackRabbit
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                I’m sorry, but I find this very upsetting. Can you take him to a vet so he can be humanely euthanized? It just seems awful to let him sit there in pain and starving to death dying. Also, could you start working on finding homes for these rabbits and just tell the school that something in the environment is affecting the rabbits and it is unhealthy for rabbits to be kept at the school anymore (i.e. make up something — if the school isn’t willing to accept the responsibility of providing even the minimum proper care for them then I don’t feel you owe anything but doing whatever you can to get them to stop keeping rabbits). I know this sounds harsh, but I would rather see them all humanely euthanized than to be forced to live such painful and horrible lives. I think its wonderful that you care about them and I know its not easy for you.


              • robyn and 'tipps'
                Participant
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                  Totally agree, Jack. Why are the rabbits even being kept by this school? An appalling story. Upsetting. Is there an animal welfare organization in that country that might intervene? Or am I being naive? Best wishes to you for caring so much!!


                • cornflakes
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                    thanks for all your supportive feedback. It’s an elementary public school and most schools here keep some sort of animals (chickens/rabbits) for whatever reasons, maybe for the kids, but it doesn’t seem like anybody really cares for them when they get sick. When they are not sick, everything is ok. The problem is when they get sick or injured, the philosophy here is basically to just let it be. They don’t consider spending big money on chickens or rabbits. If they are sick, then just let nature takes its course i think is the way they approach it.

                    I’ve been working at this particular school for over 4 years now and have been taking care of the rabbits as best I can when I’m not teaching. For the most part, the groundskeeper will refill the bowl of food but that’s about it. I pretty much change the water daily, and will sweep the pen out when it gets messy. During the winters, the newborns often dont make it through the sub-zero temperatures overnight and they die within a day or two after being born. The lucky few survive if the mother made her nest really well and the babies are snuggled in closely covered by her pulled out fur. Since last winter, I started to take the mother home whenever I see she’s about to build a nest (indication that she’s about to give birth in a couple days or so). So I’ve had the babies be born in my home during winters and keep them until they grow up to about 3 months old. Then I send them back to school. But when too many rabbits start adding up, certain people will come along and we will give it to them. Some teachers come and take some for their own schools.

                    Anyways, it’s a long long story filled with so many good and bad moments and I’ve learned so much about rabbits and rabbit care in these past few years.

                    Well today (Monday), I came back to school and checked up on the rabbit expecting him to probably have died after looking worse on friday. He’s still alive. Actually, he seems to be eating better now as he was munching blindly on some stuff he found on the ground. The main issue are his eyes. They are gross looking now….looks like black, pink, white, dried stuff and he’s definitely lost both eyes. I had heard that the eye infections can spread to his brain so that’s why even though everything else about him seems to be “OK” (he’s moving around still and eating again, drinking water) but his eyes are so bad that I don’t see how the infection will not kill him eventually. I just don’t know how long it’s going to take and it sucks having to watch this daily. I go to at least bring the food to him since he can’t see where he’s going, and just make sure that the other rabbits aren’t still attacking him. I’m really sorry to relay this story to you all, but
                    I just hope that I can learn more about rabbit eye infections caused by fighting wounds/bite wounds. It doesn’t seem to be a disease he’s contracted but simply open wounds he suffered around his eyes or eyelid that got infected probably as he touched when cleaning himself.

                    If I see eye infections in the early stages next time, I want to know the immediate steps I should take ….I’m guessing the answer is, “take him to the vet ASAP”, but if I can’t, isn’t there anything else I can do in the early stages like get a certain kind of eye ointment for cuts/open wounds?


                  • JackRabbit
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                      If the school’s policy is “if its sick then its dead” then so be it, they need to have the animal humanely euthanized. Allowing the bunnies to injure each other, not treating the injuries, and allowing them to suffer until they eventually die is cruel and inhumane and us absolutely animal abuse. Please find someone who speaks the local language to help you find the agency in that area that deals with animal cruelty and abuse and report them. Take pictures of the bunny and send the pictures to them. Also, someone who speaks the local language work with you as a translator to speak with vets to see if one would be willing to treat the bunny at no charge or for a reduced charge since this is an animal cruelty situation. Also, please write to the school administration and let them know the situation and the negative emotional effect that seeing animals suffering can have on the students at the school.


                    • cornflakes
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                        Well the good news was one of the staff was able to help me find a local animal clinic that can euthanize. I took the rabbit just 10 minutes ago and we put him to rest. As difficult as it was, I’m glad he’s no longer suffering. I also now know of a clinic I can go to next time something like this happens again and hopefully treat them before it becomes irreversible. His name was “Mousey”. I named him that because since birth, he always looked a bit like a mouse more than a rabbit. He was always inquisitive standing up on his rear hind legs with front paws crossed over as he looked up and around. He loved to chew on things and he allowed me to pet him and rub him whereas the other rabbits always run away. I believe Mousey is in a better place now. Thanks for your replies and feedback.


                      • robyn and 'tipps'
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                          Goodbye ‘Mousey’. A sad, sad story… he sounded so sweet. At least his suffering is over. Thank you for the update and for caring as you clearly do.


                        • JackRabbit
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                            Thank you.

                            RIP little bunny.


                          • Flopsie
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                              Is there anyway to stop this vicious cycle. Okay so if the school considers them dead if sick and won’t care for them. How about lets no longer get anymore? Is it possible to end the program? Better yet can we get rid of the cages?


                            • cornflakes
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                                I could suggest to them not to keep any animals, but unfortunately I’m not in any position to make demands and this is largely a ‘cultural’ thing here for the most part. Of course, things are changing as animal care and pet lovers are on the rise, but there are all kinds of stray dogs and cats that just roam the streets, scrounging for food, and ending up as roadkill often. There is a cat that has been coming to wait for me everyday now for the past 3 weeks because he/she knows I’m going to feed him. The cat looked really scrawny and shabby the first time I saw him, but since I’ve been feeding cat food twice a day (morning when I get to work and once more when I leave), she’s looking thicker now. She always meows at me 100 times, follows me around the parking lot, walks up to me and wants more food even after i just fed her so I talk to her and tell her to wait until later and these days I can pet her now. But yeah, I just do what I can, and try not to get so down if I’m unable to save every animal I come across. I personally believe there is a heaven for animals (including rabbits) as well as for humans, so I know Mousey is in a better place now. There also waiting for me will be a couple other rabbits named, “Lucky Star”, “Dilios/Dilly” and “Ato” as they were some past rabbits that passed away due to disease despite caring for them as best as I could. I had posted that long story on another forum in the past as was so grateful for all the support I received. I’m caring for one of the rabbits now in my home. Her name is “Ayin”. Actually, I was there when she was born in the school rabbit house 1.5 years ago. Ayin is the mother of Mousey. I’ve kept Ayin in my home now since the past 6 or 7 months now. When she had babies, I’d raise them in my house for about 3 months, then when they got old enough, sent them back to school or gave them away to some people. Mousey was one of eight that Ayin had and when they got bigger and I couldn’t keep them in my place any longer, I gave all 7 away to this restaurant that had their own outdoor playground of rabbits (don’t worry, they didn’t serve rabbit on their menu), but I kept Mousey at my place to give company to Ayin. But after about 2 more months, Mousey was getting too much to handle and I sent him to school. He was scared at first cuz the rabbits there (his grandmother, and cousins there) were chasing him for a while but after a few days they were fine. But one day the school groundskeeper told me Mousey escaped from the rabbit pen when the door was opened. We found him living in the school yard around flowers, bushes, trees and he was there for about 2 or 3 weeks on his own. He looked fine and happy and healthy, but then someone caught him and put him back into the rabbit house again. That’s when the attacks on Mousey re-occurred by the other rabbits and he sustained all those bite wounds to the eyes and ears that got infected. That’s how i found him that monday morning looking sickly. I actually thought he was already dead.

                                Of course in hindsight, I wish now that I could have gotten him treatment on that monday right away. Or even further back, I wish that I had just given him away with all his siblings. But there’s no point in having regrets about it. We can never really know how our decisions will turn out for others in the long-run. But these experiences have helped me learn more about rabbits and rabbit care (life and death), and I do feel I’m always learning more about them and gaining experience for future benefit I hope for other rabbits I’ll eventually care for.


                              • JackRabbit
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                                  You are a very kind hearted person and the rabbits are lucky to have you. Just wish the others could see through your eyes.


                                • LongEaredLions
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                                    I had missed this thread after I posted the first time and was sad to hear of Mousey’s passing. (((Binky Free)))
                                    Thank you for being so caring, it is too bad the others do not see it like you do.

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                                Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Young rabbit suddenly appears ill, help