Floppy Bunny Syndrome

Question
Hi

My mini-lop (Abby) died a few months back from floppy bunny syndrome (or that is what the vets called it). In relation to another e-mail I was reading on here, my bunny also was very happy the night before (including piddling on my sister) but then the next morning she was outside as though she was asleep. She was lying on some tiles as we had put her cage under shelter due to bad weather. It seemed as though she was asleep, but when picked up and placed inside, she twitched a bit, but otherwise didn't move. I listened to her heart, as a vet once said to me that if you can't count the beats, then the bunny must be fine. Her heart seemed normal, if a little bit slow. We then took her to the vet, and they said that she had a lower temperature, maybe due to being outside on the cold tiles all night. They took her for overnight, feeding her small amounts but about 6 hours later, we were informed that she had given up. A week before this happened, she had been administrated the calicivirus injection.
My friend's bunny (Louis)(from the same breeder) also recently developed the same symptoms, only her bunny made it through, if not completely it's self yet. They were told that floppy bunny syndrome can be genetic and I was just wondering if that is true? Also something to do with a lack of potassium? If this is true, and it could be genetic, should I inform the breeder, as I recently adopted a new bunny (Bella) but with the same father as Abby. At my school they also bring in mini-lops so that we can look after them and measure their growth for a few weeks, they then give them away for free to people that can look after them. Would the school need to be informed as well, as all these bunny's involved are from the one breeder.

Regards

Emily

Answer
Dear Emily,

I am sorry about the loss of your bunny.

The term "Floppy Bunny Syndrome" is just a descriptive one, and may not really mean much in terms of the cause of the disorder.  There is some possibility that electrolyte imbalance can cause this, but more common are acute systemic infections that can kill very quickly with signs like this.  Please see:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/sickbun.html

I'm sorry this comes too late for your bunny.  But a bunny in this condition needs to have her temperature taken and body temperature brought to normal levels and stabilized, first and foremost.  Often, this alone will start the bunny on the road to recovery, though injectible antibiotics are usually necessary to get this under control.

We see this not infrequently in households where cats and rabbits cohabit.  A tiny scratch or nip from a cat, even in play, can kill a rabbit this way by inoculating the bunny with Pasteurella bacteria that enters the bloodstream.  Proliferation of the bacteria can kill within 12-48 hours, and the main signs are listlessness, limpness, either high fever or hypothermia (the latter in the later stages), and death.

We have saved bunnies in this condition with IMMEDIATE administration of subQ fluids (warmed if the bunny is hypothermic; room temperature if the bunny is febrile.  A bunny with a temperature over 105 needs to be on ice bags to reduce core temperature.), intra-muscular injection of bicillin or Penicillin-G Procain *and* Baytril, and rapid attention to body temperature.  Contant monitoring of body temperature is critical until the crisis is over, and bunny begins to recover.

Personally, I don't believe there is really such a thing as "Floppy Bunny Syndrome," and am not convinced that it's genetic, unless a particular breeder has very inbred rabbits with poor immune systems.  But the jury's still out.

I am very sorry for the loss of your friend, and wish I could have helped.  

Dana