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rabbit death - vhd???

22 10:36:58

Question
Please can you help me.  I have lost two rabbits in the last three days.  Found the 1st dead and 2nd we got to the vet just before she died.  Vet said she had a very low temperature and thought it may be VHD - we had an outbreak 18 months ago.  However from what I have read on the internet VHD causes the temperature to rise. Could it be hypothermia as temperatures have dropped outside to freezing.  Sudden death and no other symptoms and rabbits both looked really healthy.  Any advice please.  Thanks.

Answer
Hi Claire....our condolences on the loss of your bunnies.  As far as VHD, I think the risk of that depends on where you are located.  I know there have been some documented outbreaks in the US but it seems to be isolated somewhat.  I understand that isn't the case in some other countries.  I suspect if VHD were the issue here, there would be more clinical signs.  I have never dealt with VHD but have heard from some people that have and it seems the signs of that are unmistakable and horrible.  There are several things that can cause a rabbit's body temperature to drop.  Shock in reaction to a toxin or a major gut issue like stasis or ileus.  Rabbits tend to handle temps easily down to below freezing.

Normally with a situation with multiple rabbits presenting medical issues suddenly I look first for a food issue.  Mycotoxin poisoning is a very real possibility especially if you live in the US.  The weather has played havoc with the hay crop.  Some of the prime growing areas were plagued by a very wet cutting season.  This can lead to mold in the hay.  And the same hay that comes in the bales are also used to produce pellets.  The toxic level of mycotoxins are measured in  parts per billion....very small.  Sometimes a key to a food issue would be did the rabbits start to show signs of illness within a couple of days after starting a new bag of food and/or hay.  If there is any question about the security of the food, toss it.  Some of the symptoms of mycotoxin poisoning are low body temp, most likely will be lethargic, will refuse to eat and generally wants to be left alone.  They usually sit in a hunched up fashion with their eyes nearly closed, their ears back and they may feel cold.  The gut may stop moving or may produce fecal matter with a mucus surrounding it.  An x-ray will usually show a nearly empty GI tract.  Mycotoxin poisoning is a difficult issue to treat.  It has to be attacked quickly and aggressively.  In our experiences here in our rescue....a quick health downturn in normally healthy rabbits that comes up all of a sudden starts us looking at the food.

Another possibility is shock relating to a bite maybe from a spider or a venomous bug or even a snake.  If a bite event did happen, you should be able to see signs of the penetration somewhere on the body.  Many spider bites cause the immediate bite area to become necrotic quickly as the skin dies from the toxins.  

But my first thought would be to take a really close look at the food especially if a new bag has been opened jsut before this started.  The only true way to know exactly what happened, and you may still not get a good answer, is a necropsy.  Hope this helps but without a necropsy or more lab testing...everything is just guess work.

Randy