# Red



## Victoria (May 15, 2010)

This morning our Red also went over the rainbow bridge. He was now sick for some time. We did not know what was wrong with him. He had similar problems to what Black had. He did not have treatment for them because we did not know what it was or what to do with it. Black was treated with several antibiotics and antiparasitic medications, hada blood test whichwas inconclusive,but he still died. For the past couple of weeks Red looked thin and also had episode of being weak. He never stopped eating, drinking and pooping and peeing until the very end. The test showed no problem with Blacks kidney function but his intake of water and urination was increased a lot. During the same period of time (just a few months later) Red shown the same kind of symptoms - weight loss, increased water intake and urination. 

Only yesterday he was still eating hay when I went to bed. 

I noticed that both rabbits lost weight, had choking episodes on pellets and towards the end Red had one episode of being weak and falling over. 

At the time we though that it was just lack of food as he perked up and shown no more neurological symptoms. 

We gotten him more Oxbow hay thinking that he did not have enough nutrients from the mix of oxbow and some other hays that we bought that were cheaper. 

We spoke to the vet about his problems but he told us that they do not know and to take him to the exotics vet that saw Black. But we knew from experience with Black that it is not going to help much. So we just given him more care and attention made sure he was clean and warm in his cage and had time out of it.

However this morning the symptoms gotten very bad and he lost control of his body and fell over many times and he died shortly after 10 am about 30 minutes after we found him weak in the morning. 

One of the suspected diagnosis was e.cuniculi. 

Our vet told us that even with treatment once the nodules or something like that form in the rabbit's body the damage is done which cannot be reversed. 

May be that is why they died.

Black was also similar in that he could not gain weight despite him having normal or increased food availability. We blamed the pellets but it must have been this E.cuniculi that caused neurological symptoms and eventually death. 

The vet said that there is no definitive test for e.cuniculi. But I think they were right since they did not find anything else wrong with Black.

I miss my rabbits.


----------



## SnowyShiloh (May 15, 2010)

Victoria, I'm so sorry. E. Cuniculi is a terrible thing. My boy had it and died from it yesterday. It's so scary... Do you have any other rabbits left? I'm afraid my other 3 will get sick too. Do you have any pictures of Red to share?


----------



## tonyshuman (May 15, 2010)

Oh no, I am so sorry we couldn't figure out what was going on. I'm so sorry you lost Red, Victoria. It does sound like EC could have been a factor. There is a blood test that is done here but it is really expensive and not the most useful diagnostic tool in some situations. I do hope you get rabbits again. Binky free, Red.


----------



## cheryl (May 15, 2010)

I'm so very sorry for your loss...it's been a week today since i lost my special boy Jack..it's alway's hard when we lose something special.


----------



## SOOOSKA (May 15, 2010)

Victoria, I'm so sorry Red went to the Rainbow Bridge:rainbow:.

Binky Free Red.

Susan:bunnyangel2:


----------



## Victoria (May 15, 2010)

I will post pictures of him soon. It still did not sink in I think I feel kind of detached from things. We are going to bury him at the end of the garden here when people who live in this block of units go to sleep. It is not anyones fault that we did not know. The rabbits already had the damage done and I dont think if we knew or the vet knew it would have helped because like they said that they kill the parasite but the damage is done already in his body. He died relatively piecefully and did not suffer much. I would feel worse if he did like Black (who did receive a lot of treatment) - he still could not swallow regardless of it and died choking. Sometimes this is the best way. I will have rabbits again I think. Just not from a pet shop. Our bood test was about $150 and they said it was not conclusive but they did not tell us about any other ecuniculi test at that time. thank you for your responses it helps to know there are others who have bunnies. I am sorry for your losses Cheryl and SnowyShiloh, it is hard to lose a furry friend.


----------



## Victoria (May 15, 2010)

How do I upload photos for some reason it does not allow me to paste, I must have forgotten how. ?


----------



## Victoria (May 15, 2010)




----------



## SnowyShiloh (May 15, 2010)

Awwwww, Red was SO cute! I love that coloring. What a sweet boy. I'm sorry you lost him


----------



## Victoria (May 15, 2010)




----------



## Victoria (May 15, 2010)

Snowy I am sorry about your bunny... our experience was similar . In the morning he was really weak and I took him out actually my fiance Rob did. He could not sit well upright and was half conscious. I placed a small leaf of a radicchio in from of him but he could not eat even though he tried. He just sat there with him head towards the wall in between his carry cage and wardrobe. I covered him with a towel so that he felt more comfortable and I stroked him a bit but I left him to go to the kitchen to make some mash out of boiled oats and other stuff thinking he may be will perk up, like before. By the time I got back he went into convulsions and I stayed and spoke to him and he died.


----------



## Victoria (May 15, 2010)

Snowy we dont have any more rabbits left. I read about ecuniculi that it also depends in part on rabbit's genetics. Our rabbits were from pet store which is not a good thing a lot of time. We dont know how they were bred and they could have been inbred or bred from animals with health issues and therefore weak. Some rabbits infected with this parasite live and never have any problems at all. SOme have mild problems at times of stress or other illness and some get very ill and or die. I think this can be treated on early stages when there are still no symptoms with antiparasitic medication.. I forgot what they are called and I can have a look around for you what we gave Black. If you give it to your other rabbits they will not go on to develop this full blown condition may be? but I dont know for sure.. just a thought to ask more expert at this


----------



## Pet_Bunny (May 15, 2010)

So sorry Victoria that Red passed away today. It was only this evening that my Pebbles had passed away too.


----------



## Victoria (May 15, 2010)

Red was 3 years old this month. Black would be 3 around this time too but he was gone this February.


----------



## Victoria (May 15, 2010)

I am very sorry for your loss of Pebbles


----------



## Victoria (May 15, 2010)

PS Also I want to add just for future reference re Ecuniculi - I noticed that Red's eyes looked different in colour since about 7 months ago when I noticed it first. It was not something drastic and it was just slight lightening of parts of his iris (one or both eyes, I am not sure now). Sometimes it was so small I could not see it, it depended on the light around. My fiance does not have good eyesight at all (he has partial vision due to injury) so when I shown him he did not see it at all... Now I read someone here wrote how with E. cuniculi the rabbit can have cataracts or other problems but our was so slight it was almost invisible just a little lighter and more reflective of light. I think it is one more unusual symptom he had.


----------



## kirsterz09 (May 15, 2010)

Sorry to hear of your sad loss of Red,
Binky Free Red :angelandbunny:


----------



## jcottonl02 (May 15, 2010)

I'm so sorry about Red, and Black

Binky Free little guys

Jen


----------



## Victoria (May 15, 2010)

I think that we provided the best care we could afford but I wish it has been different. I cant stop thinking that if we could do more they would still be alive. I was told by the vet that even with treatment once they have symptoms (if it was e cuniculi) it may or may not help. We will be trying to get a necropsy to find out what it was.


----------



## cirrustwi (May 15, 2010)

I'm so sorry. I wish we had thought of EC, but being completely honest, it never crossed my mind.

:angelandbunny:

Jen


----------



## Nancy McClelland (May 15, 2010)

we're so sorry to hear of Red's passing. He was a really good looking boy. Rest in peace little man and binky free at the bridge with Black.


----------



## Victoria (May 16, 2010)

Thank you for your wishes. also when I said we I thought of my fiance and I, if we could afford better veterinary care. But we did what we could, still did not work with Black when we did the tests and other things.

The vet did say that they suspected e cuniculi.


----------

