Reaching out for support / help

I've just arrived back from the Vets.

I'm happy to report that my new little rescue bun, Brer, is very well, despite the crappy start to her life, and even happier to report that she is expecting her first litter of Kittens.

My joy however is somewhat marred by my other new rescue bun, Velveteen's diagnosis.

She has clearly had a tough life, her teeth, although in an improving condition now, show that she has been malnurished and starved in the past.

She is also pregnant, but there is doubt that she will manage to carry the babies to full term owing to stress she has suffered of late and owing to the fact there is a chance she has the Myxomatosis virus.

At the moment she is only showing conjuntivitus and general ill health so I am praying to any entity that it is a simple eye infection and stress symptoms that can be cured but the vet thought it best to prepare me for the worst

She has eye drops and a 10 day window to either improve and be saved, stay the same, or take a decline in health. If she doesn't improve we'll know its Myx, she (and her in utero kittens) will be euthanized for her own comfort and for the safety of my other fur babies.

As if thats not heartwrenching enough, if it is something and nothing but the Kittens die in utero due to all the stress poor Velvet has suffered of late and she doesn't manage to either re-absorb them or miscarry them she will have to be euthanized :'-(

They say it would be too much for her to take to have the dead kits removed and left there she will get sick from having the rotting babies inside her. It's the kindest option.

Needless to say I am hoping for it to be a simple eye infection and that she will recover with plenty of TLC from the stress illness and that the babies will survive too.

Have any of you been through this before and come out the other side? Is there anything more I can do for poor Velveteen? (shes been quarantined and medicated)

Would appreciate any help.... :'-(

I'm really sorry about Velveteen. It is probably best that she has an emergency spay asap to have the kits humanely put to sleep and save Velveteen the pain and stress of labour and losing her kits (if that is possibility). One of my rescue rabbits was adopted pregnant unbeknownst to all a sundry and she delivered two stillborn kits. She was visibly distressed and pined for her babies and stopped eating for a while and began to lose condition. Thankfully she recovered and is now living the high life at the grand old age of 9 but I wish I had known about her condition because it may have been possible to avoid.

A stressed rabbit is also more likely to eat her own young in order to protect them from any danger or stress she perceives. Also if she has had a poor start to life and has had health issues in the past the kits might experience similar health problems or have a shorter lifespan. They may be born undersized and might not survive for very long anyway so an emergency spay might be the best option all round. While I don't agree with breeding animals, a mother animal should really be in peak condition to delivery any healthy babies. I've worked and kept rabbits for over 10 years now and where a pregnant mother is weak, ill or stressed or all three she often delivers dead or unhealthy kits.

So I think you should put mum first and relive her of the burden of potentially ill kits that may drain her of energy when she is trying to recover from an illness. If done humanely the kits will never ever know and go straight to a better place and then there is still a fighting chance for mum.

I've no experience of myxomatosis but it is not always fatal and it might be worth seeking out a specialist for more help. I do know some members have in the past pulled myxo rabbits through so I shall search through some past threads and post some links here for you to examine for specialised advice.

Sending vibes for Brer during her pregnancy and Velveteen. I really hope its not myxo.

I really hope you are successful with both of them and don't have the added worry of myxo. Good luck!

Thanks guys.

Sadly the vet believes that Velveteen is in no condition to undergo such an operation, that the stress of it would be too much for her at the moment. Had this all been a month or so down the line it would've been my first and fastest option. The vet says the best I can do is make her comfy and care for her at this delicate time, it's just playing the waiting game to see how it pans out.

It gives me great hope to hear that others have managed to come through Myxo.

I've brought her indoors for extra TLC and she's looking bright and eating well so I'm optimistic that all will be fine. Eye infection will be treated with drops and all will be okay. Fingers crossed we will have many happy years together.

Once we are out of the woods and she is strong and healthy enough to cope I will take her and Brer to be spay so we can avoid any issues in future! (As cute as Kits are, it's not fair to anyone to have anymore!)

Thank you for the replies x