Baby bunny is sick

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KathyHawkins29

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Hi my name It Kat... my rabbit had babies of a litter of 12... they are 3 weeks old and one of seems to be sick! The baby looks so week compared to them and the babies eyes look dull sometimes. And the fur looks a bit weird i cant really tell. The baby isolates itself from the rest of the litter when it’s in the cage. But when I let them lose and run around she/he seems to be just fine! I dont understand and i need help please! Please please i love all my babies so much and i dont wanna lose one. It’s would mean a lot if my baby gets through this. The baby eats a lot when i bottle feed. And lashes on to mom but not for long like the other ones. The baby might be a dwarf cause of daddy. But mom doesn’t have dwarf gene.
 
It could be something that some breeders call a fader. It's basically a kit with an unexplained medical problem, that continues to deteriorate because of this unexplained problem. This could be an acquired medical issue like parasites or enteritis, or it could be a congenital medical problem. It would be hard to determine what might be going on without any other symptoms besides lethargy. Usually it is the additional symptoms like messy poop, bloated belly, weight loss(bony), etc, that helps point to what the possible issue could be.


Having diagnostics done such as blood tests, xrays, fecal test(for parasites), uninalysis, etc by an experienced rabbit vet, might help determine what is going on. But because kits are so small and fragile, it can be difficult to have some of these test done, and having them done, you may not get a conclusive answer or way to treat the kit.
http://rabbit.org/vet-listings/

Apart from taking to the vet and having tests done, as well as no other identifying symptoms to help pinpoint the problem, the only other thing I can think to try would be to treat for possible parasites. Fenbendazole dewormer is a good one that is generally considered safe for rabbits, even young ones. I would want to dose at 20mg/kg for 10 days(to cover common intestinal parasites and possible e. cuniculi), and I would keep a close eye on the kits eating and weight, as in some instances it can cause lack of appetite, and if this occurs supplemental feeding would be needed.
http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00dis/Parasitic/Pinworms_inf_lagomorphs.htm

If the kit has a pot belly and wasting along the back and hindquarters, this can indicate possible coccidiosis, and this would need to be treated with different meds(albon or ponazuril) that you would need to get from a vet. A fecal float test can help in determining if parasites are the problem, though with cocci, if it is the hepatic kind, a blood test would need to be done to rule this out.
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Protozoal_diseases/Cocc_en.htm (contains medical related photos)

One other possibility that I can think of is that you mentioned bottle feeding the kit. It's possible that this could be the root of the problem as well. It could be whatever milk you are using is causing gastric upset for the kit. Or even the possibility that aspiration has occurred(which is a common risk with bottle feeding kits) and the kit is developing pneumonia. If aspiration has happened, then you need to get the kit to a good rabbit vet immediately, and get the kit on the proper antibiotic(a rabbit safe one). Is there a reason that you are bottle feeding the kit? Was it not eating well enough on it's own?
 
So yeah I’m the beginning he was well fed all by himself with mama with the rest of the litter. His ears were already perked up. But after a while two days ago his ears went down and he begin to eat less. So i started bottle feeding him. My mom did some research and we read that apple cider is a good cleanser for rabbits. And will help his immune system. And when i gave him some banana he got enough energy to then breast feed again. But the next day i had to bottle feed. After giving the Apple cider with water mixed he’s had a little more energy and is using the bathroom. Thank you for replying . Any other thoughts?
 
Hi,
Be careful of giving rabbits banana, especially a baby. This should only be given once in awhile as a treat. Sometimes pure pumpkin can help with digestion issues. You really should consult an exotic animal vet for more information.
 

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