Anyone have exp. with treating enteritis

[alsea1]

I raise a small herd of meat rabbits.
I am finding that about weaning age I am having trouble with enteritis.
I have managed to bring a few thru with a little sulmet and probitics and infant tylenol.
However, if anyone has a treatment plan that works well, I would like to know.
Its so frustrating to get them so far and then disaster.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Are they up off the ground (wire cage) and only eating one type of food?


I've been raising rabbits for several years and have never had a single case.


Maybe more info on your set-up/ care would help? Maybe look for the cause and not just the cure?


Just ideas coming to mind...

 

[Gagroundhog]

I agree with WhiteMountainsRanch and would like to add maybe you should use Corid instead of Sulmet. Use 1 teaspoon per gallon of water for 5 days. Also I've never heard of giving infant Tylenol to rabbits. Is that recommended? If so, why and whats the dosage? Sorry your having a rough time, hang in there!

 

[alsea1]

My cages are suspended above the ground in a barn. Ventilation is good.
The tylenol helps with the discomfort.
I have managed to get some of the rabbits thru this condition/disease. But I still lose quite a few. So I was wondering if anyone else had this issue and what they did.
As for the dosage I give about 3ml.

 

[Gagroundhog]

I usually don't have trouble with enteritis but the rare occasions I did it was coccidia. (had fecal done at the vet) I would try the Corid and don't use any tylenol. I've never heard of that being safe for rabbits. I do know you cannot give aspirin to cats, it will kill them! What do you feed your rabbits?

 

[alsea1]

They get grass hay and beaver brand rabbit pellets.
I will try the corid.
Thanks

 

[DianeS]

Baby rabbits gain their ability to eat something other than milk, from their mother. When they start to crawl around and taste things in the nest, they begin to nibble mother's droppings. When they ingest those, they gain the gut bacteria necessary to digest whatever mother is accustomed to eating.

So - is that scenario happening in your program? Meaning, you don't keep the nests so antiseptic that they don't get a chance to nibble mom's droppings? Some people keep the nests so clean the kits don't have a chance to gain that gut bacteria, and that's a problem. And you're feeding them the same thing (the EXACT same thing) that mom ate regularly? Some people try to add extras to the kits for extra calories, and that can cause problems.

Once the kits are around 4 months old they gain the ability to manufacture their own gut bacteria. But when they're young their mom's diet is the only thing that can help them switch from milk to solid foods.

 

[alsea1]

H Diane

I have not been changing the nest boxes extremely clean. Good point though. I change them out when they get too soiled.

I give them hay and pellets only.

This problem is driving me nuts.

After the xmas stuff with family is over I am going to srub cages down again with bleach and then vinegar.

My fool of a goat got into a lower feed bin and pulled it off, allowing two of the younger age kits to get out onto the barn floor. I I am thinking that they will get sick now too. Ugh.

I am dreading going out to check on them this morn. I am thinking I should just put them down at this point. I hate seeing them suffer.

I will give them some probiotics only this morn. At least the ones that are still alive.

 

[Gagroundhog]

How are the babies this morning? Bless your heart, I know this is frustrating. I've been trying to look up Tylenol for rabbits, did you give 3 mls per bunny or was that for all of them?

 

[alsea1]

Well, as I figured I lost two.
the remaining four are okay. Not great, but okay.
I noted a mama in another cage was looking a little messy.
I may end up losing the whole herd. Ugh.
Just gave the remaining bunnies gas meds and probios paste.
I guess they will make it or not.