scab type thing on rabbits mouth

Question
QUESTION: We had two female mini lops from the same litter at the end of August. Four
weeks later one of the rabbits developed a bald patch on her ear. I bought
some spot on mite treatment as I read this could be the result of fleas etc.
and treated both animals. 10 days later the ear looked worse - there were
more bald patches and scabby bits. The other rabbit was constantly grooming
the affected one but did not develop anything herself. I took them both to the
vets who said it looked like mange which she would have caught from the
shop or breeder. He gave her two injections - one for the suspected 'mange'
and an antibiotic injection. I had to give her antibiotics orally once a day for
the next five days and return in two weeks (which would have been today).
The ear seemed to get better the rabbit was fine - eating, running around
socializing with sister. On Sunday morning the rabbit with the bad ear was
lying in the tunnel in the run under the hutch. I lifted her out and noticed her
back legs were covered in diarrhea and that there were several patches in the
run. I cleaned her with warm water and wrapped her in a towel to hold her -
she died shortly after. The other rabbit now has a yellowy crust like thing on
her mouth. I'm wondering whether it is from licking the diarrhea of the other
rabbit as they were always grooming each other or something else. She  is
eating, running around as normal. Shall I just leave it to fall off or does she
need me to do something else?

ANSWER: Dear Alison,

I am sorry about the loss of your bunny.  Please tell me the name of the oral antibiotic that the vet gave you, as certain antibiotics are deadly to rabbits--and they cause the fatal diarrhea you describe.  I hope the vet was not responsible for this death because of prescribing the wrong antibiotic.

Please find a good, experienced rabbit vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

and take the other bunny there for examination and treatment.  She may have contracted mange, too.  

Also, she is no doubt grieving for her lost partner.  Keep a close eye on her appetite and behavior.  Eventually, you can contact your local rabbit rescuer:

www.rabbit.org/chapters

to set up some "blind dates" and let your bunny choose a new pal from among the spayed/neutered foster bunnies.

But in the meantime, I would get her to a good vet to be sure the crust does not require treatment.  Until I know the name of the antibiotic your other rabbit was given, I would not recommend going back to that same vet again.

Dana

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks Dana.
The injections given to Rosie were Baytril 0.80 mls, Panomec 0.10mls and
Baytril 2.5% oral 4.00 mls.
I have taken the other rabbit back to the same vets(I didn't want to lose her
too and it was before you replied) but a different lady who gave her a spot-
on treatment and told me to bathe the crusts with salt water.
She did say that the antibiotics could have killed Rosie because young
rabbits' tummies are full of micro organisms and the medicine can upset the
balance causing diarrhea which can be fatal quite quickly.
I hope the medicine didn't cause her death.
Alison

Answer
Dear Alison,

Baytril is safe, even for very young rabbits.  I doubt very much it was the antibiotic that took her life.

I'm assuming that Panomec is a combination of Panacur (fenbendazole) and ivermectin, which is used to treat both roundworms and mites.  These drugs, too, should be safe for rabbits.  (We don't have Panomec in the U.S.)

Unfortunately, in the absence of any other information, there is no way to confidently establish a cause of death.  A necropsy including histopathology would be the only way.  But it doesn't sound as if it was anything you did--or any of the medications she was given.

I am very sorry about your loss.

Dana