we found a bunny-baby-wild. eyes open, brown andfits in the palm of hand...what do we feed her? how do we care for her?she likes being held, and hops around well....does not seem scared, butwe want to do what is right...can anyone help?
baby bunny
- Thread starter Krista
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dootsmom
Well-Known Member
Hi, I know she's a cutie but, the best thing todo is to put her back where you found her. Wild rabbits do not do wellin captivity. It's best to let her go. She can take care of herself.Charlotte
edwinf8936
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I had three wild baby rabbits in my yard. Thebest thing to do is leave it where it was . I found the mommy feedingthem one night. The smallest one eventually died but the two othersgrew up and moved on.
Ed
Ed
Buck Jones
Well-Known Member
Probably not want you want to hear, but theposters above are quite right. For some pertinent informationregarding rehabbing cottontails, please link to:
http://www.wildliferescueleague.org/report/nova_rabbit.html
Be sure to read the entire site, as it gets more specific with its recommendations as you get more deeply into the reading.
Buck
http://www.wildliferescueleague.org/report/nova_rabbit.html
Be sure to read the entire site, as it gets more specific with its recommendations as you get more deeply into the reading.
Buck
angoralover
Well-Known Member
Here is some instrustions on how to feed the wild bunny without letting it die.
[align=justify]FEEDING PROCEDURE[/align]
[align=justify]Sit or lie on the floor to feed the bunnies, using atowel as a cushion for the baby being fed. Baby rabbits are wiggly, andunpredictable. They jump suddenly and unexpectedly, and must be on thefloor so that they don't hurl themselves off a chair or table andinjure themselves seriously. A drop of only one or two feet can befatal.[/align]
[align=justify]Buy a Borden Pet Nurser from the pet store or vet. Buyat least half a dozen extra nipples, because you'll probably have topuncture several before you get it just right. The key to success isThe Perfect Nipple. The Perfect Nipple should yield a fine spray ofmilk when the bottle is gently squeezed--not a big stream or tinydrops. [/align]
[align=justify]Heat a clean needle over the stove, let it cool for asecond or two (so it doesn't burn the rubber, which will make it smellnasty and unappealing to the babies) and puncture the tip of thenipple. You may wish to shave down the tip a bit, since the rubber isfairly thick.[/align]
[align=justify]The nipple will seem too big for the baby's mouth, butyou can gently pry the baby's mouth open with a fingertip and slip thenipple tip inside. He'll try to spit it out. Keep trying, making surethe tip of the bottle is coated with a bit of milk formula (recipebelow).[/align]
[align=justify]DON'T SQUEEZE THE BOTTLE!! This is likely to causeaspiration of the formula, which can kill the baby, either immediatelyor later, due to respiratory infection.[/align]
[align=justify]Hold the baby upright in one hand, and the bottle in theother. If you wrap the bottle in a washcloth or cotton pad, allowing afold to drape over your hand with the nipple protruding, the baby willbe able to "paddle" with his front feet, as he would his own mother'sbreast.[/align]
[align=justify]The first few days are critical. At first, the babieswill NOT want the nipple or the formula! They'll act as if they HATEit! Be persistent and gentle. If you can keep them hydrated and fedagainst their will for a few feedings, they will eventually learn tosuck on the nipple. If you're lucky, the babies will quickly learn theTurbo Suck (tm): this can empty 15 cc's of formula in as little as 9seconds![/align]
[align=justify]FORMULA RECIPE (initial quantity is for newborns)[/align]
[align=justify]*Canned Kitten Milk Replacer (KMR) from pet store or vet (NOT Esbilac!)[/align]
[align=justify]or pasteurized goat's milk from the grocery store[/align]
[align=justify]5 cc per day [/align]
[align=justify]*Lactobacillus acidophilus powder: one capsule (from health[/align]
[align=justify]food store) dissolved completely in about 2 cc of water.[/align]
[align=justify]Add 1 cc of this liquid to the 5 cc of KMR[/align]
[align=justify]*Heavy whipping cream [/align]
[align=justify]Add 1/4 - 1/2 ccof this to the 5 cc of KMR or goat's milk[/align]
[align=justify]Each newborn should get this mixture once per day.You'll probably have to do it in two or three feedings, at least in thebeginning. Don't be concerned if they don't want to suck the bottleimmediately: keep trying. The suckling reflex can be lost in 48 hours,so be persistent. It's much more difficult to raise a baby on aneyedropper or syringe than it is on a bottle, with the babies sucklingon their own.[/align]
[align=justify]Once the babies are feeding well, you'll need togradually increase the amount of formula as they grow. By the age of1-2 weeks, each baby should be getting 15-25 cc per day. By two weeks,they should be getting 25-27 cc per day. By three weeks and over, 30-35cc per day should do. [/align]
[align=justify]Don't let a baby rabbit overfeed at one sitting! Oncethey learn the Turbo Suck (tm), they can suckle so quickly that theycan ingest a volume too great for their little tummies, causing a fatalrupture. Don't give them more than the above quantities, even if theyask for it. About five minutes after the meal, the stomach stretchreceptors kick in, and they'll be rotund, happy and sleepy![/align]
[align=justify]**VITAL PROCEDURE: Stimulation to urinate/defecate. Manynewborn mammals cannot urinate/defecate on their own. They require thestimulation of the mother's grooming tongue on their bellies andano-genital region. No, I am not suggesting that you lick the babies.[/align]
[align=justify]However, you must use a cotton ball moistened with warmwater and a tiny bit of unscented vegetable oil to gently dab at thegenital area for 15-20 seconds, or until the babies yield some pee andpoops (which will be smaller than pinheads at this stage!). This can bedone shortly after a feeding, after the baby has had time to rest for afew minutes. [/align]
[align=justify]If the feces come out liquid or "smeary", it's a sign ofpotential trouble. You are wise to consult your rabbit-experiencedveterinarian at the first sign of diarrhea.[/align]
[align=justify]Until they open their eyes (at about the age of 10-12days), handle the babies as little as possible when you're notfeeding/grooming.[/align]
[align=justify]If the babies' bellies look round, their skin is pinkand they're warm to the touch, they're probably doing fine. If theystart to look shrunken, bluish and very wrinkled (a bit of wrinkle isnormal), and they're cold, you need to take them to the vet for care.Let's hope it doesn't come to that.[/align]
[align=justify]WEANING[/align]
[align=justify]A mother rabbit feeds her babies for about 8 weeks,gradually decreasing the frequency of feedings until they loseinterest. Your baby bunnies will start to nibble on pellets and solidfood at about the age of three weeks, but this does NOT mean they areready to be weaned. In fact, it's even more important that you continuefeeding Lactobacillus-enhanced formula to help keep the intestinal pHregulated as well as possible, in the absence of mother's natural pHbalancing care. [/align]
[align=justify]If the babies still beg for nursing by the age of six -eight weeks, you can begin to dilute the formula with clean drinkingwater. Start with 25% water to 75% formula, and gradually increase thepercentage of water until the babies lose interest. It's less traumaticfor you *and* the babies to gradually wean them thisway. I hope thishelps!Cassandra[/align]
[align=justify]FEEDING PROCEDURE[/align]
[align=justify]Sit or lie on the floor to feed the bunnies, using atowel as a cushion for the baby being fed. Baby rabbits are wiggly, andunpredictable. They jump suddenly and unexpectedly, and must be on thefloor so that they don't hurl themselves off a chair or table andinjure themselves seriously. A drop of only one or two feet can befatal.[/align]
[align=justify]Buy a Borden Pet Nurser from the pet store or vet. Buyat least half a dozen extra nipples, because you'll probably have topuncture several before you get it just right. The key to success isThe Perfect Nipple. The Perfect Nipple should yield a fine spray ofmilk when the bottle is gently squeezed--not a big stream or tinydrops. [/align]
[align=justify]Heat a clean needle over the stove, let it cool for asecond or two (so it doesn't burn the rubber, which will make it smellnasty and unappealing to the babies) and puncture the tip of thenipple. You may wish to shave down the tip a bit, since the rubber isfairly thick.[/align]
[align=justify]The nipple will seem too big for the baby's mouth, butyou can gently pry the baby's mouth open with a fingertip and slip thenipple tip inside. He'll try to spit it out. Keep trying, making surethe tip of the bottle is coated with a bit of milk formula (recipebelow).[/align]
[align=justify]DON'T SQUEEZE THE BOTTLE!! This is likely to causeaspiration of the formula, which can kill the baby, either immediatelyor later, due to respiratory infection.[/align]
[align=justify]Hold the baby upright in one hand, and the bottle in theother. If you wrap the bottle in a washcloth or cotton pad, allowing afold to drape over your hand with the nipple protruding, the baby willbe able to "paddle" with his front feet, as he would his own mother'sbreast.[/align]
[align=justify]The first few days are critical. At first, the babieswill NOT want the nipple or the formula! They'll act as if they HATEit! Be persistent and gentle. If you can keep them hydrated and fedagainst their will for a few feedings, they will eventually learn tosuck on the nipple. If you're lucky, the babies will quickly learn theTurbo Suck (tm): this can empty 15 cc's of formula in as little as 9seconds![/align]
[align=justify]FORMULA RECIPE (initial quantity is for newborns)[/align]
[align=justify]*Canned Kitten Milk Replacer (KMR) from pet store or vet (NOT Esbilac!)[/align]
[align=justify]or pasteurized goat's milk from the grocery store[/align]
[align=justify]5 cc per day [/align]
[align=justify]*Lactobacillus acidophilus powder: one capsule (from health[/align]
[align=justify]food store) dissolved completely in about 2 cc of water.[/align]
[align=justify]Add 1 cc of this liquid to the 5 cc of KMR[/align]
[align=justify]*Heavy whipping cream [/align]
[align=justify]Add 1/4 - 1/2 ccof this to the 5 cc of KMR or goat's milk[/align]
[align=justify]Each newborn should get this mixture once per day.You'll probably have to do it in two or three feedings, at least in thebeginning. Don't be concerned if they don't want to suck the bottleimmediately: keep trying. The suckling reflex can be lost in 48 hours,so be persistent. It's much more difficult to raise a baby on aneyedropper or syringe than it is on a bottle, with the babies sucklingon their own.[/align]
[align=justify]Once the babies are feeding well, you'll need togradually increase the amount of formula as they grow. By the age of1-2 weeks, each baby should be getting 15-25 cc per day. By two weeks,they should be getting 25-27 cc per day. By three weeks and over, 30-35cc per day should do. [/align]
[align=justify]Don't let a baby rabbit overfeed at one sitting! Oncethey learn the Turbo Suck (tm), they can suckle so quickly that theycan ingest a volume too great for their little tummies, causing a fatalrupture. Don't give them more than the above quantities, even if theyask for it. About five minutes after the meal, the stomach stretchreceptors kick in, and they'll be rotund, happy and sleepy![/align]
[align=justify]**VITAL PROCEDURE: Stimulation to urinate/defecate. Manynewborn mammals cannot urinate/defecate on their own. They require thestimulation of the mother's grooming tongue on their bellies andano-genital region. No, I am not suggesting that you lick the babies.[/align]
[align=justify]However, you must use a cotton ball moistened with warmwater and a tiny bit of unscented vegetable oil to gently dab at thegenital area for 15-20 seconds, or until the babies yield some pee andpoops (which will be smaller than pinheads at this stage!). This can bedone shortly after a feeding, after the baby has had time to rest for afew minutes. [/align]
[align=justify]If the feces come out liquid or "smeary", it's a sign ofpotential trouble. You are wise to consult your rabbit-experiencedveterinarian at the first sign of diarrhea.[/align]
[align=justify]Until they open their eyes (at about the age of 10-12days), handle the babies as little as possible when you're notfeeding/grooming.[/align]
[align=justify]If the babies' bellies look round, their skin is pinkand they're warm to the touch, they're probably doing fine. If theystart to look shrunken, bluish and very wrinkled (a bit of wrinkle isnormal), and they're cold, you need to take them to the vet for care.Let's hope it doesn't come to that.[/align]
[align=justify]WEANING[/align]
[align=justify]A mother rabbit feeds her babies for about 8 weeks,gradually decreasing the frequency of feedings until they loseinterest. Your baby bunnies will start to nibble on pellets and solidfood at about the age of three weeks, but this does NOT mean they areready to be weaned. In fact, it's even more important that you continuefeeding Lactobacillus-enhanced formula to help keep the intestinal pHregulated as well as possible, in the absence of mother's natural pHbalancing care. [/align]
[align=justify]If the babies still beg for nursing by the age of six -eight weeks, you can begin to dilute the formula with clean drinkingwater. Start with 25% water to 75% formula, and gradually increase thepercentage of water until the babies lose interest. It's less traumaticfor you *and* the babies to gradually wean them thisway. I hope thishelps!Cassandra[/align]
angoralover
Well-Known Member
But if the wild rabbit does have a mother and youknow the mother isn't dead, I would put the rabbit back to where youfoundher.Cassandra
Buck Jones
Well-Known Member
My, oh my! How wonderful of you to takeall that time to answer the original post. I don't know ifyou are aware of it, or not, angoralover, but Krista posted that backon June 7th, two months ago. That rabbit she wroteabout has most definitely passed on, or suvived, as the case may be.
Your post would be most beneficial if some one posts again with the same question(s).
Than was really kind of you to do all that.
Buck
Your post would be most beneficial if some one posts again with the same question(s).
Than was really kind of you to do all that.
Buck
