# Pregnant rabbits dying?



## sbaker

Okay, I have raised rabbits for 14 years, and this has NEVER happened to me! About a month ago, I lost a young, first time mama halfway through her pregnancy. She was perfectly fine one day and very dead by that night. We did an at home autopsy, and everything looked normal. So, I just thought maybe something freaky happened and she died of fright, or maybe broke her neck due to a scare - I don't know what would have scared her, but that was my only thought. Well, yesterday we lost another. Halfway through her pregnancy, bred to the same buck, same exact symptoms. fine one day, dead the next. I have researched rabbit diseases, but can't find anything real conclusive. Does anyone have any idea what is going on? I'm thinking about putting the rest of my herd on antibiotics and maybe worming them just as a precaution. Any suggestions or ideas would be most welcome!


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## clearwtrbeach

I'm sorry to hear that. I can't help much since it's never happened to me either. It's strange it happens at night only. Is there any way anything got to them or around them to frighten them that badly. Just asking, they are in their own cage right? I wouldn't think buck since it's half way through preg. and both the same scenario. I hope someone has better ideas.


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## sbaker

Yes, they have thier own cages. I don't think anything's scaring them, they are used to our dogs running around and i've never seen any signs of something trying to get at them. This last one that died had a runny nose at the time of death, and that wasn't there before. She also had a wet tail- not really diarrhea, because it was more of a clearish color, and that was new too. Thinking back, I don't remember the other one doing that, so maybe it's something different, and not a virus. I don't know though, because we didn't see the first one before she died, but we actually saw the second one right before, barely alive. And they die so quickly! They were both healthy and eating the day before.


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## sbaker

Oh, and I've never wormed my rabbits, as I've never had a reason too! But, with this happening I think I'm going to. Does anyone else worm? If so, what do you use?


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## clearwtrbeach

I don't know on that, I've never wormed or anything. Maybe she had illness, or maybe the wet nose and butt were from fluid as she died. Has your weather taken any drastic changes?


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## mjgh06

What type of rabbit, was the buck used previously with good results, How old, had they been bred and carried to term previously, and how long in their pregnancy?

First things comes to mind is abortion. When a doe miscarries, she has to reabsorb the fetus. If it has been after 10 days of pregnancy, the doe has a difficult time reabsorbing it and will die suddenly. There's also a problem with a Dwarf gene which can cause sudden death in pregnant does similar to above. Or an STD from the buck causes these does to abort as above.


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## sbaker

Well, the buck was one of my worries. Both does were New Zealands, the buck a Californian. The first was an unproven doe, the second had one litter previously. The buck is a new addition, and we had only bred him to these two. Both females were right at a year old. I had wondered if miscarriage could cause it, and if the buck is carrying a faulty gene. We have a doe that isn't the greatest mama, and I'm thinking about breeding her to him to see what happens, since we've talked about culling her anyway.


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## mjgh06

New buck - yeah I'd say he is a STD carrier causing the abortions in mid-late pregnancy which will cause the sudden death.


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## sbaker

Thanks! I guess he will have to be culled, which I'm pretty disappointed about. He's a beautiful Californian. Would have added good growth to my bunnies.


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## dobe627

I have never wormed my show rabbits however, I have wormed some of the ones I have taken back(I will always take back a rabbit I bred/sold) also a few rescues. I give a pea sized ball of safegaurd, and had no problems. I also used Ivermectin on one that was losing hair, no problems either. But I can't guarantee it. Also clear watery diarrhea is a sign of something but I don't have my book right here. I want to say similar to entertoximia, but without my book not sure. I have had rabbits over 10 years and have not had any does die as you did. Sorry it happened. When you did the autopsy how did the babies seem?


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## sbaker

We haven't done the autopsy on the one that just died, but on the first one, the bunnies didn't seem right to me... but, I've never seen them that tiny before. I researched entertoxemia, but it didn't quite match up- I'll look it up again to make sure...


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## dobe627

I could be totally wrong. But I do remember in my rabbit bool something with watery diarrhea. Won't be able to look till tomorrow.


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## dobe627

Ok knew it started with an E. See Enteritis........although usually in young rabbits it can affect adults. E coli is also a possibility. But enteritis does usually kill


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## sbaker

I looked it up again, and neither does had any other symptoms that help diagnose entertoxemia. I also checked the liver in the one that we opened up, and it was perfectly healthy looking. The diarrhea-like stuff this second rabbit had was almost more like colored water, I'm almost thinking it had something to do with the pregnancy. It wasn't like any rabbit diarrhea I've ever seen. I'm just not sure! Like I said, I've done this for 14 years, and have never seen this! I've almost convinced myself that it's my new buck. I'm just so stumped by it!


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## sbaker

Checked enteritis again, and I still don't think that's it. You usually see some symptoms of that beforehand, and I saw absoloutely nothing. Thanks for all your suggestions! I really appreciate it!


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## endre

Hello if anyone has any advice experience or knowledge on this to kindly help me out with my situation, my doe rabbit was half dwarf ,she was a medium sized bunny and i bred her with a lion head buck ,she was 4 years old, he is about 7 months, she was giving birth on the 30th day i had come upstairs after breakfast she was under a sweater with her hair plucked all over around the nest making noises, i waited a few minutes ,she was making noises, i called her name and she looked up at me and suddenly died, im assuming maybe she was frightened, or couldnt push the babies out. any insight?


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## TeyluFarm

Dwarf rabbits if they don't give birth for the first time before a year old their pelvis fuses and they aren't able to give birth. I'm not sure if it's all breeds though, I just remember that from when I tried to raise dwarf rabbits


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