1 week old newborn won’t eat

[haiyela]

My rabbit recently gave birth to a litter of 8 and unfortunately only 2 survived. The two have been doing well up until yesterday morning when i was checking on them and feeding the mother when I noticed that ones stomach wasn’t as big as the others. I decided to leave it alone as the mom would probably end up feeding her. I checked on them through out the day and she was acting normal besides her obviously smaller stomach. I decided to interfere and try to help her feed by holding her under her mothers stomach near the nipple and she would not eat. I kept trying until late last night and she would begin to suckle for a few seconds and then stop. As of this morning she has still not eaten. I’m not sure what to do besides try to force feed with a bottle maybe?? Please leave advice.

 

[haiyela]

Also the sibling has been eating and it is a bit bigger than the other. I thought maybe the bigger one was not letting the little one get any milk or something so i’ve been feeding them separately to see if it helps? (The smaller one first and then the big one) It hasn’t done much as the little one has not eaten yet

 

[JBun]

If there's no other option, it's maybe worth a try. Though there's a chance there's some underlying medical issue causing the lack of nursing, like aspiration pneumonia or a genetic condition causing the small size and failure to thrive. So there's the possibility it won't survive no matter the intervention. But if it's likely to not survive without intervention, it can't hurt to give it a shot in my opinion.

I would stick with a formula without added syrup or sugar, though starting off with a little unflavored Pedialyte before giving the milk, can help restore vital electrolytes and re-energize a dehydrated kit. It's what I would start off with. Also, being very careful with syringe feeds to reduce risks of aspiration occurring.

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Baby_rabbits_(domestic)

 

[haiyela]

If there's no other option, it's maybe worth a try. Though there's a chance there's some underlying medical issue causing the lack of nursing, like aspiration pneumonia or a genetic condition causing the small size and failure to thrive. So there's the possibility it won't survive no matter the intervention. But if it's likely to not survive without intervention, it can't hurt to give it a shot in my opinion.

I would stick with a formula without added syrup or sugar, though starting off with a little unflavored Pedialyte before giving the milk, can help restore vital electrolytes and re-energize a dehydrated kit. It's what I would start off with. Also, being very careful with syringe feeds to reduce risks of aspiration occurring.

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Baby_rabbits_(domestic)

Thankyou this is helpful!!