Indiana is still swinging without restraint — 20s to near 70 and back again. That kind of instability stresses, bodies, lungs , anything that has to regulate temperature to stay alive. We are at three losses. I expect a fourth today despite intervention. A younger harlequin litter has taken the worst of it. I’ve already lost two of Foxy’s bucks. Her doe began showing symptoms last night. We also lost a Red New Zealand doe. Necropsy showed sudden, acute pneumonia — lungs completely saturated with pus, consistent with a silent presentation of Pasteurella. No sneezing. No discharge. No crusted nose. No drawn-out warning. The only visible sign came at the end — head extended back, labored breathing, then dead within hours. At that point you are not reversing anything. You are watching the body fail. The farmhand and I feel the pressure shifts too — congestion, fatigue, headaches. We compensate. Young rabbits often cannot. Rapid temperature swings, barometric shifts, warm rain to freezing snow — that combination stresses the respiratory system hard. Anything marginal goes first. So far it has affected only a few. I am monitoring closely. Anyone even slightly off gets pulled and watched. The wetness visible around the nostrils in the photo was from Vet-RX I applied in an attempt to help open the airway while antibiotics circulated. It was not discharge. This was acute. When a rabbit extends its head straight up with the neck fully stretched, it is attempting to maximize airflow. By the time that posture appears, lung involvement is already significant. Antibiotics require time — usually 48–72 hours — to reduce bacterial load. In cases like this, treatment would have needed to begin days earlier, before visible respiratory distress. Once gasping begins, you are behind. Silent Pasteurella does not always present with obvious upper respiratory signs. Sometimes there is nothing outward until the end. The only early indicator I’ve consistently seen is subtle: Off feed.

Let's Talk epidemiologically. EC Risk, Shows, and Responsible Biosecurity Any time you attend a rabbit show, there is inherent exposure risk. Multiple herds, shared airspace, transport stress, and handling all increase the potential for disease transmission. That is simply the reality of livestock exhibition. What should never be brought to a show: – Rabbits with active nasal discharge (“snot”) – Visible ear mite infestation – Active neurologic signs (head tilt, rolling, ataxia) – Any rabbit currently ill or untreated That is basic biosecurity and basic ethics. However, it is important to distinguish between an actively infected animal and a past, isolated case that was properly managed. Most rabbit diseases — including Encephalitozoon cuniculi — are endemic in domestic populations. Many rabbits are exposed at some point in their lives. Stress can trigger clinical signs. Exposure does not automatically mean every animal in a barn is infected or shedding. The more important question is not: “Has this barn ever had a case?” The better question is: “How was exposure handled?” Responsible management includes: –Culling or Immediate isolation of symptomatic rabbits – Appropriate treatment (e.g., 28-day fenbendazole protocol for EC) – Quarantine of potentially exposed animals – Strict sanitation to prevent urine contamination – Monitoring for new clinical signs – A meaningful symptom-free observation period If symptomatic rabbits were isolated or culled, treated, and no additional animals have shown clinical signs after an appropriate quarantine window, then the remaining asymptomatic rabbits are not automatically a higher risk than any other rabbit at a show. That does not eliminate the need for caution. You CAN dose every rabbit returning from a show with a knock back 1cc safeguard and often I do post show intervention as a precaution. That includes electrolytes, safeguard for 3days and probiodics. Good biosecurity should always be practiced — at home and at shows.

Quarantine Is Not a Suggestion Quarantine is not optional. It is not “extra careful.” It is not “paranoid.” It is basic livestock management. Any time a rabbit leaves your property — show, auction, transport, breeding trip — it has been exposed to unknown pathogens. Shared airspace. Shared surfaces. Stress. Handling. That is reality, not accusation. Stress alone lowers immune function. Add novel exposure and you have a measurable increase in disease risk. That doesn’t mean your rabbit will get sick. It means you do not gamble your herd on hope. What Quarantine Actually Means Quarantine means: Physical separation — minimum 20 feet from healthy stock. No shared airflow if you can control it. No shared bowls, crocks, carriers, or grooming tools. No shared ground space. No “just this once.” Handle healthy rabbits first. Quarantine rabbits last. Change clothes. Wash thoroughly. You are the main transmission vector. Not the rabbit. The Purpose Quarantine serves two functions: Incubation window observation Containment if something surfaces Most common rabbit pathogens show clinical signs within 3–14 days under stress conditions. A 14–30 day quarantine window after shows is disciplined management, not drama. If nothing surfaces, excellent. You lost nothing but a few weeks of patience. If something does surface, you just prevented a barn-wide outbreak. The Hard Line If a rabbit develops active respiratory discharge, neurologic signs, severe diarrhea, or declines despite appropriate treatment within 3–5 days, you reassess. In commercial and production systems, culling is frequently the correct decision. Early. Clean. Controlled. Dragging out illness : – Spreads disease – Burns feed and labor – Compromises genetics – Prolongs suffering That is not kindness. That is avoidance. The Exception There are occasional cases where you may attempt salvage — for a special animal being retired, or a line you are preserving under strict isolation. But that is an intentional containment decision, not a casual one.

Indiana weather lost its mind this week — tornado heat, sideways rain, then a snap to 20° with ice and snow. The barn felt it. So did the rabbits. From Foxy’s litter, three marked harlequins were held back. Two are solid and growing. The third was always small — fiery personality, undersized frame. Cute doesn’t equal capacity. When he started gasping overnight, we intervened hard — antibiotics, probiotics, glucose, warmth, airway support. He still didn’t see morning. Regardless of the intervention and my lack of sleep. Failure to thrive isn’t poetic. It’s physiology. If a kit never builds reserve, a stress spike will find the fault. Raise livestock long enough and you will bury some of them. That’s natural selection pressure. We root for every one. But we breed for the ones built to survive Indiana’s chaos.

A rabbit fishhooked herself on a toy and tore her left lip. It looked dramatic. There was blood. There was panic. These are the moments that separate emotion from training. Here’s what matters in situations like this: First — control the rabbit. Most damage happens during panic. Immediate secure restraint prevents further tearing and spinal injury. Remove the object carefully. Slow everything down. Second — calm before you assess. Lip tissue bleeds heavily because it’s well supplied with blood. That doesn’t automatically mean catastrophic injury. Once the rabbit is stable, check: • Depth of tear • Gumline or tooth involvement • Ability to close the mouth normally • Signs of shock (pale gums, weakness, rapid breathing) Treat the patient, not the drama. Third — make a clear decision. Consult someone experienced if needed. Decide whether it’s: • Monitor and allow to heal • Vet repair • Or, in severe cases, mercy cull Rabbits heal soft tissue surprisingly well if eating and occlusion remain normal. The big risks are infection and scar contraction affecting function. This is also a reminder: enrichment isn’t automatically safe. Anything with hooks, loops, or catch points can eventually snag a lip, eyelid, or toe when a rabbit bolts. If you keep animals long enough, emergencies will happen. The goal is not perfection. The goal is calm response, structured assessment, and ethical follow-through. Breeding isn’t just cute photos. It’s responsibility under pressure. Video of the event posted for Premium Members