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People keep scaring me!! Reasurance appriciated!!

Axeria

Axeria

Warren Scout
I am getting a 6 week old kit on thursday, he where 4 weeks when taken from his mom and the family that bought him wanted a girl instead so now I am buying him from them. People keep scaring me tho! Everytime I mention his age they tell me he will die soon and not to buy him, the last person I talked to said he was likely to get something called Liver enteritis and would become anorexic, and that this would be something he need to battle his whole life and that the kindest thing was to cull him :cry:

I have researched abit and have never heard of Liver enteritis, but I understand that enteritis is a type of diarrhea. But if it persists he can get damaged liver and kidneys. And that keeping him on hay and pellets only for the first couple of months will help him stay healthy and not develop this. Have I gotten this right?

Can anyone reassure me abit? I am so scared for the poor mite, but I will not abandon him and let him be bought by someone not doing the proper research, just like the family that got him now. People are really bad with rabbits here in Norway. I really feel that this little guy is the right choice, but I hate how people keep scaring me so :(
 
He IS too young to have been taken from his Mum but with the right care, he stands a good chance of becoming a healthy bunny. There are risks of course, but keep him on a healthy diet, don't give him many green food stuffs until he's a little olderand his tummy can tolerate them. A probiotic may be a good idea as well.

I'm afraid I don't know much about baby buns but I'm sure there will be someone who can offer some good advice.
 
Yeah he is terribly young to be taken from his mom, but the breeder have not wanted to take him back as she is downsizing her rabbitry. I just get so scared when people tell me he will die or have trouble his whole life with liver problems... I am trying to stay positive and it is reasuring that you say he has a good chance of developing into a healthy bunny :)
 
I cared for four 4 week old babies when they were orphaned. Originally I was just fostering them while they were vulnerable, but they ended up staying permanently. All four grew up into strong adults. Cinnamon died of acute pasteurellosis when she was nearly two, but that was nothing to do with leaving her mum at too young an age. The other three are now 5 years old.

At 4 weeks old my babies were eating solid food, their diet was mainly pellets and lots of good quality hay. They did have a tiny bit of veg, but only because mum was having veg and the babies would have a little nibble, so they were already used to it when they were orphaned and came to me. I kept their diet exactly the same and I didn't introduce anything new until they were much older. Babies have very delicate digestive systems which are easily upset by introducing foods which they aren't used to. As well as watching what you are putting into them, you need to be extra vigilant on what is coming out the other end. If the normal poos become soft, squishy or liquid then you need to get baby to a vet urgently as enteritis in babies is extremely serious and can be fatal.

I kept mine indoors while they were growing up. I have other rabbits so I maintained very strict hygiene and would always wash my hands before handling or feeding them.

So whilst it's not good to take them away from mum too early, if you are extra careful and vigilant then they can grow up into perfectly normal and healthy adult bunnies.
 
Thank you for that extremely uplifting post. I am sorry to hear about Cinnamon.

I have bought a bag of pure Alfalfa hay and a bag of timothy hay both from oxbow which are supposed to be really good according to the Norwegian Rabbit association. He wil be a indoor rabbit and being a germo-phobe I wil ensure good hygiene for sure. I wil make a point of checking his droppings several times a day and to weigh him. He is quite tame already, so I can not imagine that it wil take much time before I can handle him and put him on a scale. I wil also make sure he gets enough hay, and according to my research he needs 25grams of pellets each day cause he is supposed to weigh 2kg as a adult, but some places say that young rabbits should have unlimited axcess to pellets, what is right? I imagine that nutritous hay is better for him than the pellets, digestion wise I mean?

Thankn you again! It means the world to me that he has a fighting chance even tho he is young :)
 
They may mean hepatic coccidiosis, which is a liver disease that rabbits can sometimes get, with the symptoms of a 'pot' belly, dull rough coat, difficulty gaining weight, and wasting along the back. Yes it is possible he could get it but it doesn't mean he necessarily will.

Just because your bunny is very young and was weaned too early, doesn't mean your bunny will die. Many rabbits that are weaned early grow up just fine. It just means that you need to be extra cautious as a bunny weaned so young can sometimes be more susceptible to getting ill, especially with digestive illnesses. I agree that it's important to maintain a very strict diet, not giving treats, keeping the bunny on the same type pellets for the first few weeks(as long as the poop is normal), feeding lots of good quality grass hay(making sure they are actually eating it), and keeping a close eye on the bunny's poop and making sure it stays normal(know what good and bad poop looks like).
http://imgur.com/a/5N4lD

I personally wouldn't feed alfalfa hay, as I have found that it can also cause digestive problems for some rabbits, especially ones that aren't already used to eating it, as it is a very rich hay. I would just stick with the timothy hay or any other type of non grain grass hay(eg. oat), as they are all usually well tolerated by most rabbits. You just want to make sure it is good quality and not spoiled at all. Oxbow is usually a good brand, but it's always good to check each batch of hay before feeding.

I also wouldn't give unlimited pellets as I have found this to sometimes cause digestive problems. You do usually need to feed more to young rabbits than you would when they are full grown. Usually 2-3 times the recommended amount for what your bun would get full grown. If they are feeding the right amount to him at his previous home, I would keep him at that amount and definitely not increase at all til you are ready to transition onto the new pellets(if an increase is needed). And remember when changing pellets or increasing amounts, it should always be done very gradually, over a few weeks to give the rabbits digestive flora time to adapt to the changes. When in doubt, it is always better to feed less pellets and more hay(as long as bunny is eating the hay well), than too many pellets and not enough hay. Pellets more often will be the cause of digestive problems. Grass hay rarely causes digestive issues.

Probably one of the biggest problems for bunnies getting sick is the stress of being in a new home, and this can't always be controlled(though some things can be done to help minimize it). Rabbits that are nervous and stress more easily, will be more prone to developing illness, as it directly impacts their digestive system. So that is something you are going to want to keep an eye on. If your new bunny adapts to the change well, I don't think you are going to have any problems.

I also had a very young bunny come to me, at 4 weeks old. She was weaned far too early and improperly, but with a lot of care she grew up just fine and is now a healthy girl at 3 years old.

Like Tracy said, you do need to be more vigilant, but also try to enjoy having your new bunny. They are so cute and so much fun at that age. Take advantage of that time. It only lasts a few weeks before they are grown up and become moody teenagers :)

Sorry for the essay :)
 
Very goods encouragments ladies ! Very professional advices from experienced people with baby rabbits. People outside always tend to discourage so, dont listen to them and just follow the good avices here. Enjoy the little chap an I wish you a longue life together
 
Jbun said:
They may mean hepatic coccidiosis, which is a liver disease that rabbits can sometimes get, with the symptoms of a 'pot' belly, dull rough coat, difficulty gaining weight, and wasting along the back. Yes it is possible he could get it but it doesn't mean he necessarily will.

Just because your bunny is very young and was weaned too early, doesn't mean your bunny will die. Many rabbits that are weaned early grow up just fine. It just means that you need to be extra cautious as a bunny weaned so young can sometimes be more susceptible to getting ill, especially with digestive illnesses. I agree that it's important to maintain a very strict diet, not giving treats, keeping the bunny on the same type pellets for the first few weeks(as long as the poop is normal), feeding lots of good quality grass hay(making sure they are actually eating it), and keeping a close eye on the bunny's poop and making sure it stays normal(know what good and bad poop looks like).
http://imgur.com/a/5N4lD

I personally wouldn't feed alfalfa hay, as I have found that it can also cause digestive problems for some rabbits, especially ones that aren't already used to eating it, as it is a very rich hay. I would just stick with the timothy hay or any other type of non grain grass hay(eg. oat), as they are all usually well tolerated by most rabbits. You just want to make sure it is good quality and not spoiled at all. Oxbow is usually a good brand, but it's always good to check each batch of hay before feeding.

I also wouldn't give unlimited pellets as I have found this to sometimes cause digestive problems. You do usually need to feed more to young rabbits than you would when they are full grown. Usually 2-3 times the recommended amount for what your bun would get full grown. If they are feeding the right amount to him at his previous home, I would keep him at that amount and definitely not increase at all til you are ready to transition onto the new pellets(if an increase is needed). And remember when changing pellets or increasing amounts, it should always be done very gradually, over a few weeks to give the rabbits digestive flora time to adapt to the changes. When in doubt, it is always better to feed less pellets and more hay(as long as bunny is eating the hay well), than too many pellets and not enough hay. Pellets more often will be the cause of digestive problems. Grass hay rarely causes digestive issues.

Probably one of the biggest problems for bunnies getting sick is the stress of being in a new home, and this can't always be controlled(though some things can be done to help minimize it). Rabbits that are nervous and stress more easily, will be more prone to developing illness, as it directly impacts their digestive system. So that is something you are going to want to keep an eye on. If your new bunny adapts to the change well, I don't think you are going to have any problems.

I also had a very young bunny come to me, at 4 weeks old. She was weaned far too early and improperly, but with a lot of care she grew up just fine and is now a healthy girl at 3 years old.

Like Tracy said, you do need to be more vigilant, but also try to enjoy having your new bunny. They are so cute and so much fun at that age. Take advantage of that time. It only lasts a few weeks before they are grown up and become moody teenagers :)

Sorry for the essay :)
Click to expand...

I love essays so just keep em coming ;)

I was told by the Norwegian Rabbis Association to feed lots of Alfalfa hay until he was 7 months because of it being rich on calsium and protein, they told me was gonna get brittle bones if he did not get enough because he would use the calcium in his bones. I bought 8 pounds of the stuff so he could get enough, and not cheaply I might add. I have the oxbow baby rabbit pellets for him which we will switch to after he have been here a couple of weeks. Now he is on the Cuni Nature by versele laga, and they just fill the bowl and refill when empty... He have also gotten apples from their yard and other produce. Which I wil put a stop to when I bring him home!

I wil try to minimize the stress of moving, giving him plenty of hideys and cover some of his pen with a blanket for privacy. I hope he copes well. And when he is ready to great me I wil make sure to fully enjoy him with lots of playtime and cuddles.

Thank you so much for the good information, I feel alot better now that I have gotten so much great advice and reassurance :)
 
These were my little orphans at 5 weeks old. Nutmeg was very tiny compared to her brother and sisters, but she still made it. She is still small compared to Saffron and Pepper, but what she lacks in size she makes up for in attitude. :lol:

BabyBunnies%2525201a.jpg


And here's a recent photo of Pepper, Nutmeg & Saffron age 5 years.

Nutmeg%252520Saffron%252520Pepper_snuggling.jpg
 
Awww! They are super cute! I am also getting a harlequin :) I am glad they made it, I hope we will be as lucky :)
 
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