micro bunny??

[bunnymum16]

i saw this bunny at my friends place and i knew i have to have it.not for personal reasons though.i felt bad for the bunny cuz its so thin and it fits right at my palm.they said they had it for 5 months now and it never grew.i tried feeding it pellets but it dont want it.i gave some hay too which he munches on once in a while.he poops really soft ones.the lil kids say they feed him bread and milk and whatever green leaf they have.
i dont know what to do with it.i hope it is healthy cuz i dont have any money to bring it to the vet for checkup.

[Beka27]

If it’s not gaining weight and having consistently soft poos it’s possible it could have Coccidia. This is treatable, but it does require vet care.

[Sarita]

That is certainly not a healthy diet for a rabbit. Did you bring it home? I cannot tell by the post? Did they keep the bunny inside or outside? I think you need to take him to the vet though because if he has really soft poops he could have coccidia. It sounds like he was neglected.

[Monkeybun]

Poor thing… bread and milk is not good for little buns Hope you can get the poor thing some help!

[bunnymum16]

he looks ok.i will bring him to the vet as soon as i get my check.im really hoping he is ok.

[Sarita]

Keep trying to feed him pellets. If he has been eating greens continue with those as well. Try some alfalfa pellets and some alfalfa hay as well.

[bunnymum16]

i left some pellets and hay in his cage.i might have to buy a hamster house for him cuz he fits on the nic grids that i have.

[Sarita]

Can you put something around the bottom of the cage so he cannot get out.

Are you sure he may not be 5 weeks? He sounds so tiny.

[bunnymum16]

im pretty sure cuz they got him last february.i was there then that’s why im surprised cuz he never grew.my 3 month old dwarf bunny is like 3 times his size

[Sarita]

Are you sure it’s not a mouse :~)

Maybe you should just get one of those small store bought rabbit cages for him for now (I can’t believe I’m even suggesting this LOL). I wouldn’t want you to put him in a hamster house.

[bunnymum16]

ok i will go at a pet store and look for some cage.his face does look mouse-y cuz its long.lol

[Beka27]

Rather than spend any money on a new cage (since you’ll need money for the vet and medication), I would just cut some flat pieces of cardboard and ziptie it around the inside perimeter of the cage, you should only have to go about a foot high. Keep us posted on how he’s eating.

[bunnymum16]

so this is how small he is.at 5 months,he’s way too small.

 

i dont know how to load the photo straight.:

[bunnymum16]

thanks beka.i will do that.right now he’s just sleeping -i think.he hasn’t moved for the past hour.i’ll keep
watching him for today

[Beka27]

I put the photo in for you. He looks so much younger than 6 or 7 months… he is very very tiny.

(Beautiful bunny!)

[bunnymum16]

thanks.he is so small.im gonna make him eat more cuz his spine is so obvious.he’s really thin.

[Sarita]

He is bitty. I agree with Beka save money for the vet bills.

[bunnymum16]

he pooped just now and it looked so weird.its like glue formed into a ball.its yellowish and it stretches when you pull it.its not brown at all.its just transparent looking.

[Sarita]

It sounds like it could be coccidia also the poor diet doesn’t help. Definitely get him to the vet when you an and ask them to do a fecal test.

[bunnymum16]

i will.for the meantime,i’ll just feed him more and make him drink water.

[4Lily]

When I got Lily, he was so tiny & boney & malnurrished (sp?) too! When I picked him up, the guy gave my Lily’s food, frozen carrots! That’s all they were feeding him! I had made a vet’s appt, even though they said they had braught “her” to the vet’s for a check up & “she” was healthy! with in a month he had doubled his size & now has trippled in size & has chubby cheeks & is perfectly healthy! They had also said that “she was full grown @ 4.5 months! at first Lily didn’t like hay or pellets either so I added raw carrots to his food! I would suggest to add whatever your bunny has been eating to his pellets & hay & gradually decrease the amount.

[Beka27]

It is possible there’s nothing wrong with the bunny and it’s just due to the horrible diet and insufficient quantities of food, but a vet check should be done to rule out any health problems.

[Sarita]

The gooey poops sound very much like coccidia and that does have to be treated. I know this bunny will be treated better now and get the proper care and food but she still needs to see a vet.

[4Lily]

Ya, I had made an appt for Lily for a check up & spay, “he” was healthy, just malnurrished! Lily’s spine was like that too! I could barely pet him cause it felt so boney! POOR BUNNIES! So happy I got Lily, he deserves a good happy life, after what he had been through! Bunnymom16, really hoping yours turns out to be healthy & you got him in time to save him & give him a happy & healthy long life!

[jerseygirl]

Hi Bunnymum16

I really think this is a baby bunny. It even has fur like the baby ones do. Do you think the parents could have just been replacing them so as the little kids wouold not be upset? Like when one passed away, they’d get another and not mention it to the kids? Did they have other rabbits?

If you can take this bunny on, that’s great! But you should not feel obliged to. You’ve already done a good thing by removing it as it probably would not have survived. If you feel you can’t take on the responsibility try ring some animal resuces to get advice or see whether they can take it.
This bunny appears to already be sickly and vet bills add up. I really hope you can get some help for it. Best of luck!

[bunnymum16]

i do hope he’s healthy.i gave him a handful of hay before i left and 3 hours after its all gone.i just gave him alfalfa pellets and he’s been munching on it.his poops are getting better too.

i am brushing his fur as much as i could cuz its kinda matted.

im gonna do all i can to make him healthy.im gonna take him to the vet next week.

[bunnymum16]

i let him out last night for 2 hours and he loved it.he was running around and exploring everything.haven’t seen him binky yet.
when i woke up,he don’t have no pellets at all.im free feeding him just to plump him up.

his fur still looks like its always wet so more brushing for him.

[bunnymum16]

jerseygirl,they dont have any other bunny.the mom said that the lady they got him from gave him away cuz he’s the only one among the litter that never grew.im thinking its a result of wrong breeding.

[KatnipCrzy]

It is going to be really important to get him to a vet as soon as you can.  You can call your vet and see if they will check a fecal sample before seeing the bunny for an appt.

I am perplexed about this bunny.  It sounds like some type of abnormal development- maybe dental, GI, or overall genetic problem or malnutrition.  But if the bunny was like to to start- and it was not caused by human error- most likely the bunny will have special needs to keep him/her healthy.

Kinda reminds me of when people talk about peanut babies or other runty babies that usually do not survive- but maybe this one did??  If the bunnies health is so delicate it may be possible to lose him/her earlier than a typical bunny. 

[bunnymum16]

im thinking too that he might be a peanut.i will take him to the vet next week.

[Elrohwen]

I have read about peanuts that live for a few months, but they do eventually pass on 🙁 I hope he’s just a runt and not a peanut!

Let us know what the vet says. I really hope whatever he has is treatable.

[bunnymum16]

i took her to the vet earlier cuz she’s having poopy butt for the past 3 days.they had to keep her.the vet said it might be an inflammation inside her that causes the pot belly.vet’s gonna do another fecal float too and if there’s worms in her,she’s gonna be dewormed.im gonna pick her up tomorrow.

[Sarita]

Please keep us updated. Vibes to Micro Bunny.

[Beka27]

I’m glad the vet is checking on her again. I’m so curious about this little bunny, what an odd situation…

(((Vibes!)))

Does she have a name yet?

[Karla]

Couldn’t he be a dwarf? I met someone who had a dwarf dog – the breed was tiny in itself, but their dog never got big and always looked like a puppy, so they took it to the vet, who told them it was a dwarf.

I hope Micro Bunny feels better after the treatment!

[Beka27]

^^^Interesting thought! So not just, this is my “dwarf rabbit”, but… my “dwarf rabbit” is a dwarf, making him/her even smaller…

(Maybe that’s Monkey’s situation? Lol…)

[mocha200]

oh poor baby bunny!
((((((((((((((healing vibes))))))))))))))))))))

[Monkeybun]

Monkey was the runt of her litter, her siblings were all twice her size

Vibes for Micro-Bunny!

[bunnymum16]

we named her Chance.were thinking of changing it to Micro.oh and he’s a she-vet confirmed.

[Free2Dream]

Poor little thing… he is VERY tiny! Be sure to let us know what the vet says. I’ll be thinking of the little guy. <3

What is it with people trying to feed rabbits bread and milk?

[bunnymum16]

i called the vet and he did confirm that she has coccidia.im gonna be picking her up after work.vet said he’s gonna prescribe some medications.not sure yet what it is.i will let you guys know as soon i find out.thanks for all the healing vibes.

[mocha200]

i am glade you found out what was wrong! ( not glade that she/he is sick though ) hopefully she/he will feel better soon!!!!!

[bunnymum16]

i got her from the vet already.vet gave me sulfamethoxazole/trimeth. which i should give orally 2x a day for 14 days.hopefully she’ll be fine.

one more thing,is the coccidia transferrable to humans?

[Lintini]

I am so glad that Chance will be alright!

I read that certain types are only passed from dog/cats and some are transferred to humans; (Toxoplasma and Cryptosporidium). I am sure your vet would have told you if she had the type that can spread to humans because then the vets office would have been at risk?

Which reminds me…did anyone else catch that episode on Animal Planet about Cryptosporidium? It was a few months ago but I guess some people were getting it from contaminated water and they died from it. I think they were in countries without water systems. I didn’t even realize that it was something that could be in a rabbit.

[bunnymum16]

Lintini if my boyfriend finds out about that Cryptosporidium,he’s gonna go nuts with diainfecting himself and everything else.he’s really freaked out with parasites and stuff like that.LOL.

i want to watch that too.maybe there’s a link somewhere in the internet

[lashkay]

Bunnymum, I came across this info about sulfa which May be what your vet prescribed or related to it. I’m sure your vet knows what’s best for your bunny and is using the sulfa medication with great care, but I think you might want to bring this to his or her attention and confirm it with them. The info is from a breeder I find reputable, sincere and loving of bunnies who referred me to the equally reputable and caring breeder who I got my Dustor from. This is from Barbibrownsbunnies.com, way down on the list under Medicine Chest:

Sulfaquinoxaline, Sulmet or Corid powder is used to treat coccidiosis by many breeders but should be used with great care as there can be many side effects from using sulfa.

Best wishes! – Lashkay

[Sarita]

Your vet most likely is prescribing Albon supsension. This is sulfadimethoxine – it’s commonly used and it’s perfectly safe.

[bunnymum16]

the label says SMX/Trimethon.and its a pink liquid.i tried looking it up and i found out that its Bactrim.im not sure though.is that safe?does it have any side effects?

[Sarita]

Bactrim is perfectly safe – I’ve used it frequently for my rabbits. Is this what he gave you for her coccidia?

[bunnymum16]

yeah thats what the vet gave me.i asked if i should give some to my other bunny too just to make sure he didnt get any.he said it wouldnt hurt him if i did.the only contact they had was when i first brought her home.they sniffed each other through the wires.

[lashkay]

Thanks, Sarita, for your feedback, I’m glad it’s safe. Bunnymum, that’s great that your little one is on the road to recovery. Yay! Healing vibes, Lashkay

[lashkay]

I don’t know if you know this already, but t’s important that you disinfect the bunny’s cage with a 10% ammonia solution so the oocysts will be killed and can’t reinfect your bunny: I found this under coccidiosis in the Merck Veterinary Manual: http://www.merckvetmanual.com or http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/171332.htm

Treatment will not be successful unless a sanitation program is instituted simultaneously. Elimination of fecal-oral transmission of infective oocysts is achieved by preventing feed hoppers and water crocks from becoming contaminated with feces. Hutches should be kept dry and the accumulated feces removed frequently. Wire cage bottoms should be brushed daily with a wire brush to help break the life cycle of the protozoa. Ammonia (10%) solution is lethal to oocysts and is the best choice to disinfect cages or ancillary equipment exposed to fecal material

Healing vibes to your bunny – Lashkay

[bunnymum16]

this is her 2nd day of Bactrim medication.she put up a fight this time unlike yesterday so i had to do a bunny burrito and force her to take her meds.she’s doing better.her tummy is still bloated.im hoping that will go away.her tummy’s way too big compared to her teeny weeny head and paws.

the vet did a good job with her because when i got her,she was so clean and her fur was so shiny.they took care of her thats for sure.

[RabbitPam]

It sounds like Micro-Bunny is in the best possible hands, between you and the vet. If she pulls through this episode and heals, she will probably live a lovely long life with you. Possibly a feisty one like Monkey.
{{{{{{{{{{{Quick recovery vibes}}}}}}}}}

[RabbitPam]

Posted By lashkay on 07/28/2010 06:22 PM
I don’t know if you know this already, but t’s important that you disinfect the bunny’s cage with a 10% ammonia solution so the oocysts will be killed and can’t reinfect your bunny: I found this under coccidiosis in the Merck Veterinary Manual: http://www.merckvetmanual.com or http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/171332.htm

Treatment will not be successful unless a sanitation program is instituted simultaneously. Elimination of fecal-oral transmission of infective oocysts is achieved by preventing feed hoppers and water crocks from becoming contaminated with feces. Hutches should be kept dry and the accumulated feces removed frequently. Wire cage bottoms should be brushed daily with a wire brush to help break the life cycle of the protozoa. Ammonia (10%) solution is lethal to oocysts and is the best choice to disinfect cages or ancillary equipment exposed to fecal material

Healing vibes to your bunny – Lashkay

Bunnymum16, we seem to have 2 similar posts going for you, so I copied Sarita’s advice regarding the cage cleaning. I think it’s helpful since you have so much on your plate with Micro Bunny that you know you can safely keep it clean simply and easily. Lashkay, thank you for the information above. I trust Sarita’s experience here and wanted to share both your suggestions with Bunnymum so she can have all her options available.

Sarita said:
I think as long as you change the litterbox often and clean with vinegar and water you will be fine. I’ve treated rabbits with coccidia before and just kept their areas cleaned and medicated them and it cured them.

I agree with your boyfriend on this…keep it clean, change the litter often, medicate. It’s always worked for me and I’ve never gone to extreme measures like the ammonia or disinfecting.

[Sarita]

Thanks RabbitPam.

Many of these websites that recommend this huge disinfecting are more for a rabbitry or shelter type situation. In a clean, stress free home environment you really don’t need this. Micro bunny is isolated, you clean her area and change the litter box daily (at least change the litter box daily for the first couple of days of treatment) then this should keep it under control. A good home environment is vastly different from the shelter or rabbitry. We don’t keep our rabbits on wire cages either which I think harbor alot of bacteria because they aren’t easy to clean. Also the stress level and cleanliness level of a home environment are far better than the other situations.

[KatnipCrzy]

Some of the information that you find online can be not as relevant to treating house bunnies as what is ideal.   Some of the drugs that can be used to treat rabbit coccidia- and that are used in large rabbitries- are actually large animals (cattle, etc) medications.  And that is why you can worry about overdosing, side effects, etc- when you are using medicine developed for a 1000+ animal on a small, maybe a couple of pounds rabbit.

But following the recommendations by your vet and the prescribed meds is ideal for a pet bunny.  Just make sure (as others have mentioned) to keep the area cleaned daily to prevent recontamination (the bunny reinfesting itself) from poos and be sure to check a fecal AFTER treatment at the interval when the meds are done that your vet recommends.  You want to do this to make SURE that it is completely cleared up.

Griffin had coccidia when I got him- I treated him with the meds- and then had a fecal retest a few weeks later as negative.  Griffin was kept away from the other bunnies at first as a general precaution anyway- and I fed, handled the other bunnies first and THEN Griffin.  I am sure that Griffin was eating his cecals- but he was not reinfected with coccidia as the spores are rarely in the cecals.  So it was actually quite easy to treat and just took general, mild extra precautions when having other bunnies in the house and to prevent reinfestaion.

Having coccidia diagnosed before the bunny has runny, bloody diarrhea can make all the difference between life and death- that is why I recommend anyone with any bunny, young/adult/etc- have a fecal test done ASAP- especially if you have other bunnies in the house.  It is easier and cheaper to treat one bunny than to treat 2,3, etc……

Many of the websites from breeders may mention using large animal products that are added to the water- but this often only CONTROLS the parasite and does not treat it.  Controls means keeping the parasite to a manageeable level- often not ever eliminiating the parasite completely.  TREATING means giving a course of medication to eliminate the parasite.   Bunnies in rabbitries probably do quite weill with a schedule of treatment that keep the parasite under control- but what happens when the bunnies are then going to a pet store or a private home and not receiving their medication to “control” the parasite load?  The parasite can multiply and make the bunny ill.

Coccidia is a common parasite- but it is possible to eliminate the parasite completely.  Especially with house bunnies that are getting individual care and treatment.

 

[foxtailskies]

Re: Merck manual… the most recent edition of the Merck is still a few years old and is generally not hip to the “house rabbit” vibe yet Therefore, a lot of its rabbit advice, while still medically sound, is geared toward labs and production units and not house pets. So, ammonia to kill coccidia is probably great but may be overkill, as other people here have noted

[bunnymum16]

thanks you guys.now i can finally relax from all this sanitizing and disinfecting ive been doing.its good to hear that all i have to do is keep her area clean.i just dont want her to be reinfected plus im trying to keep my other bunny healthy too.

i actually barely finished cleaning her cage and giving her a butt bath because she pooped all over.i hope all this ends soon.i want to see her healthy.

KatnipCrzy,did you ever bond Griffin with your other bunnies??im thinking of not ever bonding my 2 bunnies because of the risk of infection but at the same time,i dont wanna have to handle them separately forever.

[bunnnnnnie!]

Can I just say I’m so glad this bun has you?  You’re doing a great job being so proactive about this.  Sending good vibes that microbunbun is in the fast lane to recovery!  

[KatnipCrzy]

Bunnymum16- Griffin is in 2 ex-pens hooked togther with a divider down the middle- he is housed next to Schroeder.  They are not bonded and living together (though I have seen some grooming thru the bars!) but I am not at all worried about the poos that get kicked over from one side the other or any contact between them.

Once you treat and get a negative result a certain amount of days after treatment (cannot remember time frame- but your vet will know what time frame depending on what treatment) then there is no chance of reinfestation- so it is perfectly safe to bond with another bunny.  Coccidia is not at all like pasteurella or E Cuniculi- as those a bunny can have and can always have and be symptom free and spread to other bunnies.  Coccidia can be treated and completely cleared up.  So as long as you get a negative fecal- and your vet might suggest getting 2 negative fecals to make sure coccidia is cleared up- then it should no longer be a concern.

 

[bunnymum16]

ok thanks.she’s on her day 4 of meds. i will let you guys know if she gets better

[lashkay]

Your very welcome Bunnymum. As Sarita, Rabbitpam, Foxtailsskies and others have noted, the recommendation from veterinarian Merck’s manual I offered may be extreme, geared toward rabbitries, shelters, labs, etc. rather than toward a houserabbit and may be outdated but as it was endorsed from the pages of the HouseRabbit Society and no one had previously brought up the importance of deep cleaning the bunny’s environment up to that point in your threads, I thought this one seemed worth a mention as it dealt with coccidiosis. Just to answer your previous question which is moot point as it turns out, but if you ever decide to use Merck’s endorsement of the ammonia solution, , you wouldn’t need to find a commercial disinfectant that contains ammonia, you would just use 10% ammonia in 90% water. Because this seems very strong, you might reduce the amount of ammonia to just half of 10%. And never mix ammonia or bleach together or with any other cleaner, it would be toxic to the nasal passages of humans and animals. I use Sarita’s recommendation of half vinegar/half water for my bunnies and as you know, it’s an excellent one for us houserabbit ownders. Thanks Sarita, Rabbitpam, foxtalisskies and any one I’ve left out, for offering advisory on the cleaning point that may be more appropriate for little Chance. And, healing vibes little Chance, get better soon!

[jerseygirl]

Your right & it’s difficult to find information on treating the environment. Ideally it would be good if the was a pamphlet from the vet clinic on this sort of thing. Or somewhere we could easily access the cleaning protocol for different infestations or infections.

[Beka27]

There’s always a chance of two bunnies spreading something, whether it be something like coccidia, or more serious like EC. But I think the benefit rabbits get from living in a social situation far outweighs any small risk of contracting illness. And as long as you follow thru with treatment, I can’t see any reason why they wouldn’t eventually be allowed the chance to bond.

[bunnymum16]

its been 8 days since she started taking Bactrim.her pee started to stink soooo bad so i have to change her litter box like twice a day.i give her a butt bath every other day because she still gets poopy butt.she is still bloated though.will update again….

[KatnipCrzy]

I would call your vet and talk to him about the bloating- that is not a common side effect from coccidia. 

[bunnymum16]

so yesterday was her last day of taking Bactrim and there’s still some left.should i continue giving it to her?

also,what should i do next?do i have to take her to the vet again?

oh and she still have a big tummy and she gets mushy poops still.i also noticed that her poops are big and some are oval.

[Sarita]

I definitely would take her back to the vet for another fecal and address the big tummy and mushy poop problems.

The vet needs to do a fecal to see if the coccidia is gone.

[bunnymum16]

ok thanks.im gonna schedule an appointment now

[Author]

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