advice required as getting paranoid!

Hello

For those who don't know I have been hand rearing 4 wild baby bunnies for the past 6 weeks. I lost 2 at 3 weeks, and 1 at 6 weeks which was a total shock and now I am completely paranoid over the last one.

I have spent the last 2 hours following her about making sure she did some poos before I put her back in her cage as 2 of the other bunnies (if not 3) all died from bloat and I have read that when they stop passing droppings there is something wrong.

All she seemed to produce (and this took about an hour after milk) was lots of caecotrophs no mucus on them just normal smelly black ones. She wasn't at all interested in eating them (do they at 6 weeks old?) and I was getting quite panicky that no normal poos had been passed.

Eventually they came and shes done quite a few but now I am getting slightly panicky about a few things so would appreciate some help! :?

I am keeping her (Spudsy ) on milk and hay until she is 12 weeks old, I did give two of them grass/dandelion leaves a couple of weeks ago with no apparent problems but stopped them after advice from others about them not having it. 12 weeks is a lot longer than normal for them to still be having milk but both the rabbit welfare and rabbit society have agreed that this is the best thing to do.

I am feeding supa forage excel is this best or should I get some other hay like the timothy one which seems highly recommended. Pets at home have some timothy hay but it is a herbal one.

Do the nomal poos normally take a while after the caecotrophs appear?

And is she too young to eat the above????


thanks!
Suzanne

I've never seen any caecotrophs although mines only 4.5 weeks. He doesn't poop right after drinking as he usually spents atleast half an hour after eating napping on me. Thinking about it we had him out about an hour and a half the other day after feeding and only two (normal) poops in that time. Did she have access to her cage? I get the impression this one might be holding on to go back in sometimes

I've been feeding one drop of infacol and one dob of fibreplex before each feed to help prevent bloat.

I had one of the babies I lost pm'd and the vet said the gut was working perfectly, it seems like you just can't win.

I'm totally dreading the 6 week mark after having lost my others the same age as your first two :?

Tam

Its all a big worry isn't it!? Very rewarding though and learning lots at the same time.

Just looked up caecotrophs using the search facility, don't think there is much for me to worry about it seems not many young bunnies eat them straight away as they don't need them.

I have got some infacol and fibreplex so could try doing what you have been with yours.

yes had full access to her cage but prefers sitting on one of us!

Good luck with your remaining bunny, what are you going to do with him if he survives?

I don't know how you have both managed. Well done and I really hope they both make it through.

If it makes you feel any better (probably not!), my Smokey doesn't always eat her caecotrophs straight away (she is a bit older then your bun though).

Regarding hay, Super Forage Excel is good, my lot adore it. Hay wise, I'm trying to think of somewhere near Welli that has Timothy hay. You could try ringing Collin's Petfoods in Hardingstone (off the A45), they sometimes have Oxbow Timothy Hay. If not, Dust-Free Hay (http://www.dustfreehay.co.uk) has Timothy Hay in it and my lot love the stuff.

Perhaps someone more experienced with wild baby bunnies can advise but would it be worth trying that 'Burns Real Food for Rabbits' (http://shop.burns-pet-nutrition.co.uk/acatalog/Food_For_Rabbits.html)? They do herbal mixes that you can add to hay and I guess it would be similar to what they have in the wild.

Good luck, I think you're doing really well.