Floppy Rabbit Syndrome

Question
I have recently lost a 3 week old rabbit to what I believe is Floppy Rabbit Syndrome. Although that might not be the scientific term, my baby bunny showed symptoms of the illness. First my bunny, Inuyi, would lose all balance and would begin to fall backward. Then he would start running and crashing into the walls of his box and would keep flipping over while he was running. Then one of his arms would stiffen up and would lie flat on the bed. I would pick him up and hold him in my hands until he began moving again. The "episode" would only last couple of minutes. But 2 days ago, I lost him when he had a seizure. He screamed throughout most of it. He died very painfully.

I am worried because his brother , 3 weeks of age, Dot, seems to be showing some symptoms. This morning while I was feeding him, I put him down to play on the bed. I noticed that he was dragging one leg and then he began running into  the cushions and running into my hand. It looked as if though he lost his balance, so I took him into my hands and that's when I noticed his head was quivering. It kept quivering for about 20 seconds. After that, he licked my hand and seemed to be back to his normal self and he kept eating. He also seems to be bloated and he has not been pooping anything. His stomach is far too big.

Please give me an answer. I don't think the vet will be able to do much for him. Should I put him down before he meets the same fate as his brother? And how much will it cost?

Answer
Dear Francisca,

I can't say how much it will cost for a vet to treat Dot, since veterinary costs vary tremendously, depending where you are and what is done.  So you'll have to call around and find a good *rabbit* vet who can help.  You can find one here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

Don't assume this is an untreatable condition.  It's possible that Inuyi had an infection that might have been treated, had he been brought to a good rabbit vet.  When a rabbit acts this ill, it is very important to get him to a good vet ASAP, since prompt treatment ensures the best possible chance of full recovery.  Rabbit medicine has come a *long* way in the past ten years, and even very puzzling conditions are now better understood and treatable.  But for treatment to happen, the condition must be diagnosed by an in-person exam by a rabbit-savvy vet.

The strange neurological signs you are seeing could be due to any number of things, from a parasite known as Encephalitozoon cuniculi to an inner ear infection to exposure to toxins.  

If the two baby bunnies were taken from their mother and not nursing at the tender age of three weeks, then that could certainly have contributed to their illness, since they are far too young to be weaned.  A bunny weaned that young will be very susceptible to potentially fatal intestinal disorders that will cause general malaise and compromise the developing immune system.  The latter can open the gates to just about any malady that can cause serious illness and death.  

If you saw any sign of runny stool, then the baby might have had an intestinal flora imbalance.  A baby bunny with even slight diarrhea can cause serious dehydration, and this alone can cause the neurological signs you witnessed.  The bloating Dot is suffering suggests that this could be the problem:  intestinal flora imbalance.  And he needs immediate veterinary care with antibiotics to check a possible E. coli overgrowth (baby bunnies not nursing are very susceptible to infection with E. coli from handling by humans), subcutaneous fluids to prevent further dehydration, and other supportive care.

Please get him to a good rabbit vet ASAP, and consider it an emergency, since baby bunnies can go downhill rapidly once they become ill.

I hope this helps.

Dana