semi wild babies they,re dying HELP!!!!!

the week before last i took in a mum and 7 babies mum is domestic dad was wild they,ve settled really well, i was advised by my vet to take babies away cos we suspected she was expecting again (she gave birth last tuesday to 7 more) the babies were all eating hay pellets and veg no problems till yesterday.
1 of the babies was very quiet he was cold to the touch and wasnt moving i put him on a hot water bottle and rushed him to the vets he went to the bridge 15 minutes lata
tonight, another baby is very quiet ive seen him drink and have a nibble but i know he,s definetly sick the other babies wont go near him ive had terrible experience with the night clinic i know they would put him down there is no diarrea he is just sitting i feel he is slipping away
any ideas what this could be any suggestions of what to do the night clinic won,t even try to save him i feel so helpless HELP!!!!

how old are the babies who are becoming poorly?
were they slowly weened onto pellets/veg? if not they could be developing bloat maybe? Are there poops normal? any signs of the runs? are they drinking?

semi wild babies

their poo,s are normal, no diarrea and they are drinking and eating except this little 1 who now is in my arms im sure he is slipping away they are about 5 weeks old

oh the poor little bun im hoping someone with baby experience will read this and give some advice as ive never had really tiny babies. Its good that there is no diarrhoea.. does this baby have a swollen tummy at all?

semi wild babies they,re dying

no his tummy isnt swollen ive syringed a few drops of water into his mouth and he,s taking that really well so at least he wont become dehydrated looks like its going to be a very long night its heartbreaking the other babies wont go near him its as if they no

Unfortunately baby buns are so delicate they are really hard to nurse. I lost 9babies in the space of about a week and a half, at the age of 5 - 6weeks. They had similar symptoms to yours, fine one minute, then quiet and withdrawn the next. The vet checked them all over before they died and carried out pms after but couldn't find anything wrong with them. We had to just assume there was some genetic defect. It was a heartbreaking time and I really feel for you. I do hope yours pull through. I think the most you can do for them is keep them warm and as you are doing, syringe feeding the weak one. I really do hope yours pull through.x

Hello,

So sorry to hear about your bunnies.

Taking the babies away from mum can cause them a great deal of stress and this may have caused the baby to die. There is another girl on a different forum experiencing the same thing. The babies have been seperated from mum and have started to die.

Babies should remain with their mum for 8wks. Seperating them from their mum too early causes the babies a great deal of stress. If they are taken away early it can predispose the babies to a number of fatal illnesses, one of which is mucoid enteritis. Here's some info:

Rabbits have very sensitive digestive systems and are prone to diarrhoea (scours). Baby rabbits are particularly prone to a condition called Mucoid Enteritis and is nearly always fatal. The rabbit starts passing clear or yellowish mucous from it's back passage, may not eat very much and spends much of it's time crouched by it's water bottle or in a corner. You may also notice the rabbit grinding it's teeth, this can be a sign of pain. Dehydration and death often occurs within 5 days and treatment is generally unsuccessful. Sadly, this condition is found in many baby rabbits purchased from Pet Stores because of the extreme stress they have undergone in being separated from their mothers, sent to the pet store with unfamiliar food, and then on to their new home with yet another change of feed.

MUCOID ENTEROPATHY.

The term "mucoid enteropathy" is now used to describe a poorly understood condition in 4-14 week old rabbits, characterised by the presence of thick gelatinous mucous production in the colon. Affected animals are depressed, dehydrated and exhibit abdominal pain. The caecum is often impacted. Both diarrhoea and constipation can characterise clinical signs of ME, which is quite confusing to the owners. The constipation is caused by a buildup of mucous forming a plug leading to a transient intestinal obstruction. Anorexia, depression, abdominal distention, grinding of the teeth (sign of pain), and perineal staining are also common. It is thought that hyperacidity of the caecum from changes in volatile fatty acid production/absorption, or excessive fermentation of carbohydrates is involved, plus alterations in the normal flora.

The feeding of plenty of good quality hay and little concentrates is preventive, again emphasising the importance of a high fibre diet. Treatment is aimed at supporting the patient and returning the gastrointestinal tract back to normal function: fluid therapy, probiotics, and plenty of hay .


How old are the babies? Where are you based?

L O L,

Nicola and Harvey xxx

5-6 is the most likely time for death of baby buns, I've lost them at that age without no symptoms before hand, even when they were still with mum.
If your vet can't advise you, you need to find another as most vets know this is a common problem and can offer solutions to it.

How are the babies today?

Hugs,

Nicola and Harvey xxx

if mum has given birth again im guessing the babies are around 4 weeks old .
at this age they still need milk.

you could try getting some cimicat (kitten milk ) from the vets . it is very difficult to syringe feed babies without drowning them but maybe they would take it from the water bottle if they are drinking water from it . theyll still need it 3 times a day in small amounts . (dont leave it in the water bottle all the time or it will go off) or you could get a kitten nursing bottle but they are not easy to use.

i fear theres not a lot you can do for the little one who is fading but i hope you can save the rest .