what could it have been?

[revenknight99]

Recently my 2 year old rabbit Zooni passed away and I'm puzzled as to why. She was completely healthy and ate right and all until about a week ago when she started urinating blood. After we took her to the vet in a couple of days they checked her and prescribed some antibiotics. The antibiotic seemed to make it worse she was still urinating blood and passed away2 days later. I was wondering if I could have done anything differently or what it could have been.

 

[Pipp]

So sorry for your loss. . . Poor bunny.

Did the vet take x-rays? Give her subcutaneous fluids? (injected under the skin). Blood in the urine can mean bladder or kidney stones. Very painful. An infection can go hand in hand with this.

There are other causes I'm sure, but this is a common one.

Do you have other rabbits?

:rip: Zooni.


sas

PS: Can you please put your location in your profile? Ailments and treatments can differ with location.

 

[tonyshuman]

I'm so sorry. It must have been shocking to lose her so suddenly.

Bladder and kidney stones are possibilities, as well as urinary tract infection, uterine infection, or uterine cancer. If she wasn't spayed, uterine infection and cancer are quite common among rabbits. I would look into a different vet, because with all these different possibilities, more diagnostics need to be done to determine what to treat for. UTI needs to have a culture of bacteria isolated from the urine, stones need to be determined by ultrasound or x-ray, uterine disease should be treated with a spay and biopsy of the uterus. Because antibiotics can cause GI stasis in rabbits, it's best to prescribe them only when you know for sure you're dealing with a bacterial infection.

In any case, I'm so sorry you lost Zooni. Hopefully in the future, your vet will be more comprehensive in diagnosing your animals. You did the best you could for her.
:rainbow:

 

[ra7751]

Condolences on your loss. It is never easy when this happens.

I would be interested in knowing exactly what the vet did as far as diagnostics....urinalysis, blood work or anything. And if you could post what antibiotic was prescribed. Some rabbits' urine looks like blood....and some of the best of us have been fooled by that. If you could also post what you fed her....brand names, amount, etc....we might be able to help you deal with this.

Again, so sorry. Many Zooni binky free.

Randy

 

[Pipp]

tonyshuman wrote:

If she wasn't spayed, uterine infection and cancer are quite common among rabbits....

I don't think a two-year rabbit is likely to have these problems? I know its a concern with older bunnies.

tonyshuman wrote:

... Because antibiotics can cause GI stasis in rabbits, it's best to prescribe them only when you know for sure you're dealing with a bacterial infection.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think when there is even a possibility of stones or sludge, they will prescribe an antibiotic. There is a substantial risk of infection.

And if they did a urinalysis, I do believe the infection would have shown up and from there they would have done a culture and sensitivity test.

We really can't speculate much without more information.

Again, sorry for your loss.


sas

 

[tonyshuman]

Oh, I guess you're right Pipp. I just found a site that says the incidence of uterine cancer is 4.2% in 2-3yr old rabbits and 79% in 5-6 year old rabbits. http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Valley/1155/UC.html The consensus appears to be that rabbits over 2 years are more likely to have uterine cancer. http://www.bunnybunch.org/spayneuter2.html So it is unlikely to have been uterine cancer.

re: antibiotics, I just worry about stasis so much in rabbits that I would want my vet to do a culture and sensitivity test to determine exactly which antibiotic will work before putting my guys on just any antibiotic. That may be the accepted procedure, but I think a good treatment would be pushing the fluids (maybe even sub-q) in a rabbit with sludge or blood in the urine until urinalysis comes back with which antibiotic to use. I guess it's just a personal thing, since I worry so much about the GI flora of bunnies... perhaps a bit paranoid!

In any case, I'm sorry we can't find a reason for Zooni's death. It is difficult to look back and not know what you could have done, but in this case it happened so quickly I don't know what could have been done.

 

[Hazel-Mom]

Just because the incidence of uterine cancer is only 4.2 % at 2 years old, doesn't mean it doesn't happen.
Also, there is a chance of pyometria, a uterine infection, which can develop into cancer, and also causes bleeding. The chances for that are much higher, even at 2 years old.
Hazel was 2 when she had an emergency spay because of bleeding, and pre-cancerous lesions were found in her uterus.
Her vet said thry find those quite often in rabbits spayed that late.