baby with FRS?

[pinnipedia]

okay so ive checked dozens and dozens of forums, blogs, and vet sites about this- i have a about 4 week old baby wild rabbit (rabbit mom got in an accident, called an animal line and the guy told me to take him in from the rain and monitor him (the baby)

he has been doing really well, but im the only one who is able to feed him as he wont take food from anyone else in my family (or so my mom says, i just dont think theyve tried). i got home later than usual today and he was lying on his side. i nursed him a little and he responds, and is able to move his head a little bit.

i know i should probably take him to a vet but there are none near me and my mom would never let me regardless. she says its pointless to try to nurse him to health and that hes dying but im going to keep trying through the night.

also, i think itd be helpful to note that ive noticed the days ive had him that he has these little jerks sometimes, and i saw one forum where their rabbit did that as well following FRS. help please!
edit: pattern ive noticed is that he lies down like usual with only being able to move his legs and neck, then has this weird fit of jerks and sporadic movement before closing his eyes for a moment and then waking up, feeding and going back to the first movement. is this a sign of recovery?

 

[pinnipedia]

i feel so terribly bad and ive been doing everything in my power to help him. hes on a low-setting heating pad and responds a little with his head when i look over him but the rest of his body other than his neck is flaccid. ive seen banana and tomato works for some of these cases but he only takes milk. (KMR)

 

[pinnipedia]

okay as i was writing this he was originally lying with his eyes closed until the jerking motion started again, like flailing around and now his eyes are open and he was willing to eat for a moment but nothing else.

 

[joey&boo]

Gosh, what a difficult situation you're in. It was kind of you to try & help this bunny & it must be frustrating your parents can't support you to get to a vet. I don't know much about FRS but my previous vet (retired rabbit specialist) was interested in it & wrote this paper

https://www.harcourt-brown.co.uk/ca...dings of FRS,Guillan-Barre syndrome in people.

This talks of pallliative / supportive care & meloxican helping & that although the outlook looks bleak many rabbits can recover in several days. I guess the issues are you don't know whats wrong with the rabbit. If you can't get to a vet can you contact a wildlife rescue centre?

I honestly wouldn't bother with the banana or tomato - I dont see how they'd help. I would try & offer anything more rabbity - herbs, fresh grass. I'm a little worried my "milk". If its cows milk this would be totally unsuitable, you'd need to research hand rearing kits to find a better formula.

Lots of well wishes for the little bun

 

[Shimmer]

I had an adult rabbit with Floppy Rabbit Syndrome once. Bananas provided additional potassium and the rabbit made a full recovery with a lot of nursing care.

A 4 week old baby really needs a professional examination and diagnosis. Their digestion is different from that of an adult as they are just starting to eat grass, etc. If you can't physically get to a vet, you can still ring for advice (although they are most likely still going to want to examine bunny). Getting a video of the patient may help. A wildlife centre is the other place to try - again, ring up and have a video of the baby so they have a better idea of what the situation is. They may be able to give general advice on appropriate feeding, etc

Taking bunny in was a compassionate thing to do. Baby rabbits are notoriously difficult to hand rear so I wish you well.

 

[InspectorMorse]

okay so ive checked dozens and dozens of forums, blogs, and vet sites about this- i have a about 4 week old baby wild rabbit (rabbit mom got in an accident, called an animal line and the guy told me to take him in from the rain and monitor him (the baby)

he has been doing really well, but im the only one who is able to feed him as he wont take food from anyone else in my family (or so my mom says, i just dont think theyve tried). i got home later than usual today and he was lying on his side. i nursed him a little and he responds, and is able to move his head a little bit.

i know i should probably take him to a vet but there are none near me and my mom would never let me regardless. she says its pointless to try to nurse him to health and that hes dying but im going to keep trying through the night.

also, i think itd be helpful to note that ive noticed the days ive had him that he has these little jerks sometimes, and i saw one forum where their rabbit did that as well following FRS. help please!
edit: pattern ive noticed is that he lies down like usual with only being able to move his legs and neck, then has this weird fit of jerks and sporadic movement before closing his eyes for a moment and then waking up, feeding and going back to the first movement. is this a sign of recovery?

I am late to this, but I am wondering if the Kit is still alive ? Sadly it sounds as though the prognosis would be grave at best. At the age of 4 weeks he will be exceptionally vulnerable. The symptoms you describe sound to be neurological. The causes could include hypocalcaemia (low blood calcium concentration) or Encephalitozoon Cuniculi (EC)- a parasite that enters the bloodstream, often whilst the kit is still in the mother’s womb. Not sure what country you are located in, but if Racoons are present in the area then another possibility is Baylisascaris, a roundworm carried by Racoons. My money would be on hypocalcaemia as being the most likely.

FRS is thought to be related to hypokalemia (low potassium), hence the suggestion of feeding banana or tomato to try to increase blood potassium levels. Personally I don’t think introducing either to a 4 week old kit would be a good idea. The risk of causing serious gut problems would be significant. It can help adult Rabbits though, I have first hand experience of that. If supplementation were to be given it should be under Veterinary supervision in the form of an IV solution containing various electrolytes including potassium.