Baby Flemish Giant issues: UPDATE

[SpaceLeporidae]

I originally made this post back in November:

I took home a baby Flemish giant in late October, later found out he was weaned too early (5 weeks) and the mother had had a pretty horrible diet ("alfalfa pellets and grass.") A trip to the vet revealed ear mites and coccidia, both of which he's been treated for. There's some clear nasal discharge as well. I've got him on probiotics, I'm adding a bit of unprocessed apple cider vinegar to his water, and the vet prescribed Baytril to be taken after the first round of probiotics. Essentially we're trying to knock out any infections and infestations, then bolster his immune system. I knew he was going to be small (his parents are around 12-13 lbs,) which, although I'd have preferred mid-sized, is fine with me since they had such great temperaments. However, this baby is half the size he ought to be (9 weeks and 2.1 lbs.) Should I expect him to be significantly smaller than his parents? Should I expect him to survive at all? He seems pretty happy and inquisitive, but this is a lot of health problems.

Edit: This wasn't a breeder I got him from, this is just someone whose rabbits had babies.

To make a long story short, the vet and I threw everything but the kitchen sink at him. He's not totally out of the woods yet (still has eye crusties and a bit of nasal discharge, for which we're trying him on Baytril,) but he is doing much better! He's put on weight, his coat is far less ratty (appears to be turning a lovely black steel color as well,) he's more active and alert... annnd that mischievous "puppy stage" is in full swing. I have him in a bathroom until we've reached an accord with litter training, and the place is now a fortress built around a can. Barricades built everywhere to protect the plumbing. Latches on the cabinets. Handles removed on said cabinets. I've booby trapped the sink (nothing that'll hurt him, he just gets a water squirt when he jumps in,) and when I open the door in the morning, this is what I find.

I think the kid has claimed his throne.

 

[Madelyn L.]

I hope he’ll turn out to be happy and ok!! He is so cute!

 

[SpaceLeporidae]

I hope he’ll turn out to be happy and ok!! He is so cute!

You and me both. There's been a great deal of improvement, no two ways about that.

With as much time as he spends hanging out on the john, I'm kind of wondering if I could get him to do his business in there, even if flushing is out of the question...

 

[Mac189]

He is ridiculously cute! Long live the king! I can't believe he can get up there without slipping.

 

[SpaceLeporidae]

He is ridiculously cute! Long live the king! I can't believe he can get up there without slipping.

He gets up there without slipping, lies down, gives me that indignant stare if I barge in and interrupt him ("Hey, man! Occupied! Do you mind?!") We go to the vet on Thursday, and I wasn't kidding about asking if it'd be possible to train him to pee and poop in the toilet. If he's going to be up there anyway, it doesn't seem too far out of the realm of possibility to leave the seat up and put some diamond mesh over the bowl when I'm not using it.

Even more of a shock is that he voluntarily leaps into the bathtub... and BINKIES back and forth all around the thing before he hops out. And I don't even know how he fits in the sink, but fit in there he does, and I've had to get creative about keeping him out, because just leaving a little water in there means it's a drinking bowl. Cute, but he has his own bowl, he does not need one with residue of soap, shaving cream, toothpaste, cleaner, and whatever else goes down your average bathroom sink flavoring the water.

 

[JBun]

The real trick would be to train him to open and close the lid

You have one quirky and adorable rabbit there!