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Update on little one

lillian03

Young Bun
Mums' stopped feeding and found it cold and weak this morning, cue a panicked phonecall to the vets this morning. Vet called back and admitted he has no experience with kits whatsoever :censored: but spoke to the nurse who said as it's had 4 days (definate) worth of mum's milk then it should be okay.

Warmed it up with a warm hot waterbottle and fleecy blanket, put the heating on full (my house isn't that warm!) and went to the chemists to buy the smallest dropper I could find.

I'm doing a 50/50 mix of kitten replacement and cows milk, with a drop of boiling water to dilute so it isn't too rich. It greedily sucked 7mls then peed on my hand :D

Nurse said I need to do this 4x a day, and keep it warm. Mum's just leaving it alone, not bothered so i figured that her warmth in the box can only do good, and hve left them. Hot water bottle left underneath (touching) with laters of newspaper as the bottle was not keeping the box warm enough.

Baby is now warm and alert again.

I'm determined that this one is now on day 6 and WILL survive, by hook or by crook, I've got to give it every chance. It's a little fighter I think :)

I will take photos, but I'm keeping the room dim, warm and quiet and don't want to damage it with the flash of my camera.

It's belly is still wrinkly after feeding, and just hoping that that's normal? The nurse said to give it as much milk as it will take, but I'm not sure how much is too much? If anyone can advise me? The vets must be sick of my calls by now.
 
I'm sorry, but you shouldnt give rabbits cows milk. Bunnys are lactose intollerant :(

Good luck, i hope this kit survives...
 
Mums' stopped feeding and found it cold and weak this morning, cue a panicked phonecall to the vets this morning. Vet called back and admitted he has no experience with kits whatsoever :censored: but spoke to the nurse who said as it's had 4 days (definate) worth of mum's milk then it should be okay.

Warmed it up with a warm hot waterbottle and fleecy blanket, put the heating on full (my house isn't that warm!) and went to the chemists to buy the smallest dropper I could find.

I'm doing a 50/50 mix of kitten replacement and cows milk, with a drop of boiling water to dilute so it isn't too rich. It greedily sucked 7mls then peed on my hand :D

Nurse said I need to do this 4x a day, and keep it warm. Mum's just leaving it alone, not bothered so i figured that her warmth in the box can only do good, and hve left them. Hot water bottle left underneath (touching) with laters of newspaper as the bottle was not keeping the box warm enough.

Baby is now warm and alert again.

I'm determined that this one is now on day 6 and WILL survive, by hook or by crook, I've got to give it every chance. It's a little fighter I think :)

I will take photos, but I'm keeping the room dim, warm and quiet and don't want to damage it with the flash of my camera.

It's belly is still wrinkly after feeding, and just hoping that that's normal? The nurse said to give it as much milk as it will take, but I'm not sure how much is too much? If anyone can advise me? The vets must be sick of my calls by now.

4 days worth of mums milk isn't adequate enough to be honest :( Many people (including Kayla) on here have tried hand rearing and all went downhill at 2/3 weeks.
You really do need to just get someone to hold mum whilst you get baby to latch on. It may be a bit stressful for mum but if you want this baby to survive, it's what has to be done I'm afraid.
Handrearing just isn't going to work... it very, very rarely does.
The vets should have advised you to feed from mum, atleast then, it only needs done once/twice a day.
I wouldn't personally put kit back in with mum as she may eat him/her...
I'm sure others will come along with advice but from the advice I've seen on here before, it'll be the same as what I've said...
 
I'm just doing what the vet nurse said to do, I didn't know :( . I asked them if they had a rabbit replacement milk and they said no. What should I give it?
 
There's no milk that even comes close to mum's and most does more harm than good Gray.

That said, I think there's a likelihood this rabbit has some sort of genetic issue that is going to make it tough for it to thrive and survive and that's why mum is treating ti as she is and why it is getting cold, etc. Are you still putting a hot water bottle under the cage? Is it still in the nest box? It shouldn't be able to get out of the nest box at all, and need to be contained in there.
 
4 days worth of mums milk isn't adequate enough to be honest :( Many people (including Kayla) on here have tried hand rearing and all went downhill at 2/3 weeks.
You really do need to just get someone to hold mum whilst you get baby to latch on. It may be a bit stressful for mum but if you want this baby to survive, it's what has to be done I'm afraid.
Handrearing just isn't going to work... it very, very rarely does.
The vets should have advised you to feed from mum, atleast then, it only needs done once/twice a day.
I wouldn't personally put kit back in with mum as she may eat him/her...
I'm sure others will come along with advice but from the advice I've seen on here before, it'll be the same as what I've said...

This is a myth and generally mummy bunnies only do this either by accident, or in situations of extreme stress if it happens (which is rare).
 
4 days worth of mums milk isn't adequate enough to be honest :( Many people (including Kayla) on here have tried hand rearing and all went downhill at 2/3 weeks.
You really do need to just get someone to hold mum whilst you get baby to latch on. It may be a bit stressful for mum but if you want this baby to survive, it's what has to be done I'm afraid.
Handrearing just isn't going to work... it very, very rarely does.
The vets should have advised you to feed from mum, atleast then, it only needs done once/twice a day.
I wouldn't personally put kit back in with mum as she may eat him/her...
I'm sure others will come along with advice but from the advice I've seen on here before, it'll be the same as what I've said...

She won't let me put it on, she just flails her legs and scratches and gets more and more stressed until you have to let her go.
 
I'm just doing what the vet nurse said to do, I didn't know :( . I asked them if they had a rabbit replacement milk and they said no. What should I give it?

I know you didn't :( But, as I've seen and from what I've experienced, unless you have a rabbit savvy vet, you'll be misinformed.
First litters very rarely survive and I know you're trying to do your best but as Gray said, no cows milk.
You need to try and hold mum and get baby to latch on. It'll be less than 5 mins worth but will make a hell of a difference.
 
There's no milk that even comes close to mum's and most does more harm than good Gray.

That said, I think there's a likelihood this rabbit has some sort of genetic issue that is going to make it tough for it to thrive and survive and that's why mum is treating ti as she is and why it is getting cold, etc. Are you still putting a hot water bottle under the cage? Is it still in the nest box? It shouldn't be able to get out of the nest box at all, and need to be contained in there.

Will remember that for the future.

It doesn't sound good, poor little mite.
 
This is a myth and generally mummy bunnies only do this either by accident, or in situations of extreme stress if it happens (which is rare).

:/ Sorry, but that was the info I was given by my rabbit-savvy vet :S If I'm wrong, sorry :( but was just repeating what the vets told me :/
 
There's no milk that even comes close to mum's and most does more harm than good Gray.

That said, I think there's a likelihood this rabbit has some sort of genetic issue that is going to make it tough for it to thrive and survive and that's why mum is treating ti as she is and why it is getting cold, etc. Are you still putting a hot water bottle under the cage? Is it still in the nest box? It shouldn't be able to get out of the nest box at all, and need to be contained in there.

Mum keeps taking the nest material out and leaving it exposed, or tipping the nesting box up :(

Yes, there's a hot water bottle under the box, I was leaving it with a gap between box and bottle but it got cold last night so today have put it directly underneath and making it 'warm' not hot, and replacing it every hour.
 
She won't let me put it on, she just flails her legs and scratches and gets more and more stressed until you have to let her go.

I don't have any idea then, I'm so sorry :(
Hopefully someone more knowlegable than me will come along soon with better advice :D
 
Mum keeps taking the nest material out and leaving it exposed, or tipping the nesting box up :(

Yes, there's a hot water bottle under the box, I was leaving it with a gap between box and bottle but it got cold last night so today have put it directly underneath and making it 'warm' not hot, and replacing it every hour.

I'm really sorry, but that's her way of telling you this baby is not ok. Your kit is opening its eyes at 5 days old and that is an indication of a problem, probably a large one.

I think its awesome you're fighting for this kit, but please don't be surprised if it does die. Mummy bunnies are smart.

I would see if you can find a foster mummy for it, and also keep it away from mum given she is trying to kill it (same as Zahirre said, btu different reason).
 
:/ Sorry, but that was the info I was given by my rabbit-savvy vet :S If I'm wrong, sorry :( but was just repeating what the vets told me :/

No worries :) think like with everything else rabbit related, knowledge is coming along thick and fast.
 
No worries :) think like with everything else rabbit related, knowledge is coming along thick and fast.

Oh yers, I think so! Especially on here! I get so much more info on here from people like you Sky than I ever did from the vet!
 
I don't think she's trying to kill it. She'll let it sleep under her, or with her, and is quite content, she's just digging and in her attampts to dig is trashing i;s nest. I think it's pure inexperience. She's fed it up until yeaterday.

I just tried putting it onto her again (this time alone as she's only really used to me and is a bit aggressive when she feels cornered) and I can get her to stay calm enough for it to latch on but it doesn't seem to be getting any milk. Could her milk have dried up?
 
I managed to handrear a wild baby bun from a few days old using Lactol Gold Kitten Milk, fed using a 1ml syringe with a Catac teat on the end (the smallest size teat ST1, see here: http://www.catac.co.uk/shop/product.php?productid=172 )

I know people who have had success using Cimicat milk, and also Esbilac

Your baby may need wiping with a damp cotton wool ball to encorage it to toilet...it's nearing the age when it can toilet itself, so watch out for little poops in its bed.

Baby will also need a heat source, so put a snuggle safe or heat pad in its bed...but give it plenty of room to move away from the heat if it gets too hot.

Good luck.
 
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