worried about new baby rabbit

[Lucianne]

Hi there,

I haven't been on here (or had rabbits)for quite a while, but I justfell in love with a baby lionhead in a petshop, and brought her hometoday. She's around 8 weeks old, and she is friendly, curious andbrighteyed. The problem is, when I hold her, she's so skinny that I canfeel every one of her bones - vertebrae, ribs, everything. Is thisnormal in such a young rabbit? In the petshop they said she eats lotsof everything they give her (hay, pellets, fruit and veg), and on thethree occasions I observed her in there, she was happily eating hay andpellets. She has been eating plenty of hay since she got here a fewhours ago. Could she have been the runt of the litter - but thenwouldn't she have put a bit on weight on in the pet shop? Could shehave worms? Or do they usually feel this fragile; I've never had such atiny rabbit before?

I'm rather concerned, and would appreciate any advice.
Thanks!

Lucy

 

[bluebird]

Even if she is the runt of the litter she wouldnot feel bony.You should not be able to feel her spine.She may not be 8weeks old, pet store bunnies are usually weaned too early sometimes asyoung as 4 weeks.She could be sick.She needs to be seen by a vet.Inever ever feed babies this young fruits and vegetables it can givethem diarrhea which can be fatal in a rabbit.bluebird

 

[Lucianne]

Hi Bluebird, thanks for your reply.

I'm reluctant to pay (quite high) vet's consultation fees when shedoesn't seem ill in any other way. I also understood that kits thisyoung shouldn't be on fruit and veg yet, so I haven't given her anymore. She's had plenty of pellets and hay since yesterday afternoon,and she's drunk ALOT - she seemed to be at the water bottlef or ages.She's full of beans, defeacating fine with no trace of diarrhoea. Herbelly is round and feels ok, it's just all of the other bones - hips,shoulders everything! Can you think of anything that would cause this?

If she seems ill in any other way, or fails to flourish within a week or so, I'll take her to the vet.

Thanks for your advice,

Lucy

 

[Shuu]

It may be she was getting dehydrated from thefruits and veggies they had her on, but that would more likely kill herbefore she got so skinny. If you can't afford a vet visit, give herhigh protein foods such as alfalfa hay, alfalfa based pellets and mixin a tiny bit of oats into her food if you can. She should put onweight fairly quickly if she's underweight.

 

[Lucianne]

Thanks Shuu, I'll try that and monitor her closely.

Lucy

 

[Shuu]

Also, if you don't notice any weight gain in thefirst little bit but she's eating a lot, she probably has some sort ofparacite in her stomach that's eating the food. Just keep that in mind.

 

[Lucianne]

Yes, I did wonder if it might be worms, becauseshe does seem to be eating fine. I read up about worming meds, but I'mloathe to give her anything when she's so frail. I called the petshoptoday, and they spoke to the breeder who said that the mother is veryslender too and it's nothing to worry about. I'm sure she shouldn't bethat bony though!

Thanks for your help.

 

[samandshawn]

I have thaught the same before but I have feltloads of baby buns and they all seem a bit boney, I have always beenable to feel their back bone

 

[FreddysMom]

The way you are describing the way you can feel her bones doesnt seem good...

I understand that vet prices can be quite expensive but with any petthey should be going in for a yearly check up ..and with this being anew pet even if she wasnt sick she should go in for a once over and tobecome an established patient.

If you do believe she has worms based on her size she needs to betreated asap for them they will suck all the nutrients away from herand the most efficient and proper way to have them diagnosed would beby a vet.

If everything is all well and good and she just turns out to be skinnyyou can bulk her up with some oats and nutrical .. the nutrical besidesbeing high in calories will stimulate her to eat more..

and is she on free feed? Being under 6 mo. she should have a supply of pellets for her to eat round the clock.

Good Luck with the new baby and Congrats!!