Babies!

[Markw]

- Location: Baltimore, MD

- Description 3 wild babies. Mother was killed.

- Age: Under one week, eyes still closed.

- spayed/neutered? Id imagine not.

- Notes on Fecal and Urinary Output
- are the bunny's poops and pees normal? Havent had them long enough to tell.
- When did they last use their litterbox? Theyre still hairless. No litterbox.
- Any unusual behavior? They dont have much behavior yet.

- Medical History -- has s/he been to the vet or been sick before? No.

- Diet - what does your bunny eat? Formula
- when and what did s/he eat last? Not sure, but id imagine this morning.

- movement - any unusual movements? Is s/he hopping normally? No, and no hopping yet.

- are there any plants, chocolate or other substances within reach? No.

- has the rabbit been outdoors? Came from outdoors.


Ok, so today, I was brought three rabbit kits, mother was killed. I was told to feed pedialite, 2% cows milk, KMR formula, and a few other diets. I dont know which one to go by. Also, ive read to feed them via syringe, eyedropper, and a few other methods. I have them in a shoebox nestled on a pillowcase with a heating pad under the box itself set on low. Any help with what to do as to feeding these little guys would be great.



Thanks.

Mark

 

[Maureen Las]

http://chesapeakewildlife.homestead.com/REHABBERLIST2.html

The most important thing that you can do is get them to a rehabber. Even on the correct formula (which is not KMR) it is almost impossible to raise wild babies at this age even if they are in the best of hands.

if you cannot get through to a rehabber or the list doesn't seem current please post again and I'll try to find another one..

keeping them warm is fine but the important thing is to get them to the right perosn and/or facility

 

[Markw]

What should I do until then?

Mark

 

[Maureen Las]

Did you call?

 

[tonyshuman]

Keep them warm until you can get them to a rehabber. Use towels warmed from the dryer (not too hot), or put a heating pad under part of the box they're in (not in the box, as they may chew on it or get too hot), or fill an old sock with dry rice and microwave it for a minute or two, or even a hot water bottle.

At this age, the chance of saving them is so little, even in a rehabber's experienced hands.

Another link to rehabbers:
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contact.htm

Also our library article on wild bunnies:
http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=15487&forum_id=17

Finally, are you 100% sure the mom was killed? Many moms leave their nests unprotected in order to keep predators away from the babies. They only visit 1-2 times a day.

 

[Markw]

Yes. She was ran over in the driveway as she left the babies this early morning. Poor critter, and the babies..

Mark

 

[Maureen Las]

Did anyone call you back yet?

 

[Sweetie]

I will email Randy as he knows what to do in this situation and see if he knows anything else that could help.

Markw: Randy is our wild rabbit specialist, he knows about the wildlife animals and has rehabilitated them I believe. I will get him to see your post.

 

[tonyshuman]

Oh dear. That must have been hard to see. Unfortunately, Randy (ra7751) is on a break from the board as his work has gotten to be very time consuming. If you have his email address, that may help, but PMs are currently disabled for him.

I do think the best thing you can do is get them to the nearest rehabber. It can be difficult to bottle feed baby rabbits, as it is common to get the formula not into their bellies but into their lungs (aspirate the formula). Even experienced rehabbers have difficulty with this. Also, the gut of a baby rabbit goes through a very dramatic change once they start to eat solid food, and this can be very scary and life-threatening if not prepared for properly. A baby with its mom will survive this much better because they get some intestinal microbes from their mom directly.

I know our local humane society has a wildlife rehab crew as well, in case you can't find someone on the list. Yours may too.

 

[Sweetie]

I have Randy's email address, but I haven't heard back from him yet. I will keep checking my email and I will post what he says. Hopefully he will get back with me on this.