Liz47
Wise Old Thumper
Four baby bunnies were abandoned at Pets at Home, the manager kindly brought them up to the vets where I work. Due to the poor prognosis of hand rearing rabbits no one volunteered so I offered to take them home hoping all would pull through but being told to expect the worse, they had their eyes open so we estimated them at being around 12 days old. The smallest didn't quite have it's eyes open and wasn't very responsive but after a gentle wipe opened it's eyes.
They took a while to get used to having milk from a syringe so tried a few routes and found a teat worked well but they still didn't accept much milk so I fed them every 4 hours until they were keen to have the milk, they soon grew to love the feeds and would binky after!
They were named pretty much as soon as I brought them home, but I stuck to calling them by size for now. Small was the first to start nibbling pellets and always keen for hay, and steadily began to put weight on but still stayed behind the rest. They began weaning themselves from milk at 4 weeks as they should and were mostly eating pellets and hay, their tummies were growing bigger but small stayed a little boney.
Yesterday morning I heard a squeal which I knew didn't sound like my rats, so I rushed to the rabbits to see small, now being called Fiver, stretch out. I quickly picked him up but he had died. The vets did a PM but didn't reveal much, likely his body just couldn't cope with the change to an adult gut. I am devastated all four didn't make it as I hoped.
Fiver, I truly hope you didn't suffer and there was nothing I could've done more to help you. I am sorry your tiny body had to go to the vets but I needed to know if there's anything that could be done to try and help your brother/sisters to survive. I will always remember you, and wish I could've seen you grow more. You had a big personality for such a tiny little one.
Binky free at rainbow bridge, please find my Boris, Gordon and Beano. xxxx
rabbits 2 by Hliz, on Flickr
rabbits4 by Hliz, on Flickr
rabbits3 by Hliz, on Flickr
38693233_1977406829218176_5422217501905780736_n by Hliz, on Flickr
38612304_223578481634891_8312290597268357120_n by Hliz, on Flickr
baby buns2 by Hliz, on Flickr
Baby buns 1 by Hliz, on Flickr
They took a while to get used to having milk from a syringe so tried a few routes and found a teat worked well but they still didn't accept much milk so I fed them every 4 hours until they were keen to have the milk, they soon grew to love the feeds and would binky after!
They were named pretty much as soon as I brought them home, but I stuck to calling them by size for now. Small was the first to start nibbling pellets and always keen for hay, and steadily began to put weight on but still stayed behind the rest. They began weaning themselves from milk at 4 weeks as they should and were mostly eating pellets and hay, their tummies were growing bigger but small stayed a little boney.
Yesterday morning I heard a squeal which I knew didn't sound like my rats, so I rushed to the rabbits to see small, now being called Fiver, stretch out. I quickly picked him up but he had died. The vets did a PM but didn't reveal much, likely his body just couldn't cope with the change to an adult gut. I am devastated all four didn't make it as I hoped.
Fiver, I truly hope you didn't suffer and there was nothing I could've done more to help you. I am sorry your tiny body had to go to the vets but I needed to know if there's anything that could be done to try and help your brother/sisters to survive. I will always remember you, and wish I could've seen you grow more. You had a big personality for such a tiny little one.
Binky free at rainbow bridge, please find my Boris, Gordon and Beano. xxxx
rabbits 2 by Hliz, on Flickrrabbits4 by Hliz, on Flickrrabbits3 by Hliz, on Flickr38693233_1977406829218176_5422217501905780736_n by Hliz, on Flickr38612304_223578481634891_8312290597268357120_n by Hliz, on Flickrbaby buns2 by Hliz, on FlickrBaby buns 1 by Hliz, on Flickr
Sweet dreams beautiful little Fiver xx
