Concerns about Lazarus

Rabbits Online Forum

Help Support Rabbits Online Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

sandhills_rabbits

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2004
Messages
599
Reaction score
0
Location
The Heartland of the USA!, , USA
Today is Lazarus's 10th day of life. He'sincredibly active, has been practicing running, never mind that he canbarely even walk yet! It's amazing how his wobbly little legs get himeverywhere so fast, and boy does he love to jump!

I am worried about the pee wee, though. He's so tiny! He's much, muchlittler then my other two babies that are now 7 weeks old (give or takea few days) were at that age. He seems really stretched out for hissize... very long and slender. Too slender, in my opinion. He's soactive, and he doesnt cry like he's not getting enough to eat.... buthe just doesnt seem to have the roly-poly chubby baby bunny look thati'm so used to seeing.

I still have him in his box, complete with his dishcloth "blankie" anda heating pad that is covered so he cant get overheated. I bring hismom to him in the morning and in the evening so she can feed him. Shehates to have to feed him, and has no maternal instinct other then tolick him once in a while.

I was concerned that he's not getting enough nourishment from his mom,and we've been supplementing his feedings with some kmr. I've come upwith a technique that's made it a lot easier then bottle feeding him,and we now just use a medicine dropper, and drop one drop at a timeonto his little lips which he eagerly licks off..... it's a very timelyprocess, but it seems to work without causing him troubles, and heloves the attention. I've been worried that my little Lazarus is apeanut, but he's already 10 days old and very, very active.......

I just dont understand why Lazarus is so microscopic sized. His motheris a pure-bred show quality Holland Lop (that is very small for hersize) and her dad is a show winning Holland Lop, also. If he was apeanut would he have lived this long? He seems to have the oddhindquarters that i've heard of being associated with peanuts, but hemoves around very quickly and is even running around already.

Well, I'm so sorry about this long, long ramble! I'm just so concernedabout my little tiny bunny man. He's such an angel. I know that if hesurvives he's going to be the most amazing little creature ever.... Ijust want him to make it so badly. Any advice anyone has would begreatly appreciated!

Annie
 
im not sure but i think i read somewhere thatpenuts dont live past 3 days usually i could be wrong tho! but therecan always be a possibilty that he got the two dwarf genes to cause himto be a penut its best someone with more knowlege about t

good luck

sara
 
Sara, thanks for your reply to my post. I knowthat the possibility is there that he could have the double dwarfgene..... I too thought that peanuts could only live a couple days, butI keep running across information on the internet that contradictsprevious info that I found.

I was doing a search on the net about Holland Lops with the doubledwarf gene, and there were some pictures. I hate to say it (and Isooooooooo hope I'm wrong!) but Lazarus looks like the pictures of thepeanuts that I saw. I am really hoping and praying that maybe he's justa runt, or has another of the dwarfing genes. I do not want to losethis little guy, and I'm doing everything humanly possible to help himthrive.

I've got another question for anybody that might be able to answerit--- how do you tell the difference between a peanut and a baby bunnywith another of the dwarfing genes? I know that peanuts have aninability to gain weight, have a dome-shaped head, their ears are setback on their heads more then with normal bunnies, and theirhindquarters are often under developed. Does the same go for babybunnies that have other dwarfing genes, or are runts?
 
Spiced77 wrote:
i found a link:

http://www.shadyacrerabbitry.com/Peanut.html

unfortunatly it says that some peanuts live up to 3 weeks :( hopefullypam will post on this.. i hope your little baby is just a runt!

I hope he's just a runt, too! I really dont know what I would do if heis a peanut, and passes on. I've had animals pass away before, and I'vehad still born baby bunnies.... but other then that, i've never lost arabbit before. I've grown so attached to this little guy. I know i'llbeat myself up and feel like a failure if he doesnt make it. :-(
 


I don't know about peanuts etc but after reading your posts i wil certainly have a dig and see what i can find.

You can't beat yourself up (easier said than done I know)
You are giving this bunny the best you possibly can, you are feedinghim and caring for him and sounds like you are doing everything in yourpower to keep him going.

Maybe he is just the runt of the litter after all.

Wishing you luck :)
 
Sandhills, I was wondering how the little guy wasgetting along. Afraid I can't offer much advice about peanuts, exceptthat when previous ly people here have had them, they don't seem tohave lived for more than a few days. I will be keeping you both in mythoughts and prayers - Jan
 
Yes peanuts can live up to three weeks,I had onesurvive this long,runts look like other bunnies only smaller peanutshave eyes that are bulging.sorry to say this but if you raise breedsthat carry the dwarf gene you get peanuts and they die.bluebird
 
*True* peanuts don't live more than a few daysdue to the failure of a number of body systems. The lethalcombination of the dominant homozygous Achondroplasia form of dwarfism,the most common type of dwarfism,is always fatal.

There are hundreds and hundreds of other hereditary congenitalconditions that result in small size or failure to thrive includingover 200 dwarfism genes that have been identified. Manyresult in re-absorption or stillbirth. Some survive, while afew of the genes actually increase lifespan.

Pam
 
The only thing you can do, Sandhills is yourbest, and Lord Knows you're doing it. As mentioned, it's sohard to save "peanuts".

You'll be in my thoughts and prayers and will little Lazarus.

-Carolyn
 
Thanks so much everyone, for the informationabout peanuts, and also for the wonderful words of inspiration thatyou've all given.....

I really do hope that little Lazarus will make it. He is so feisty and active- I feel like he is a little fighter.

I was worried because his hindquarters had that odd look to them thatpeanuts often have, but I'm happy to say that his head appears normalshaped, and his eyes dont bulge out at all. The more I think about it,aside from being a little skinny boy, he looks like a normal baby. Ireally hope i'm not deluding myself and giving myself false hope aboutthis, but I just feel that he CAN'T be a peanut!

This last week and a half have been really weighing on my mind. All mythoughts are centered around Lazarus, and it will be so hard ifsomething were to happen to him. This whole situation has made mereally appreciated my mother, because she had 4 of us at once. We were3 months premature, and I weighed only a pound at birth. I know thatmany people would argue that rabbits and people are nothing alike, butI feel like worrying about Lazarus and hoping for his survival must bevery similar to how my parents thought about us babies (except they had4 babies to worry about as opposed to one!).

Being so concerned about Lazarus's weight has also made me think alotabout what my eating problems are doing to my family. While I think I'mfine, my family constantly says i've got to gain a certain amount ofweight before I can do certain things. I thought my family members werethe ones with the problem- they were just exagerating thesituation.....

Since Lazarus has come into the world it's made me appreciate the factthat maybe my family is genuinely concerned about my weight becausethey dont want anything bad to happen to me. God knows- this is exactlyhow I feel about Lazarus. I keep thinking "if i could only get him togain X amount of weight, then he might be in the clear".



 
Wow, Annie, I didn't know you were one of quadruplets!:)Cool!

>>>I've got another question for anybody thatmight be able to answer it--- how do you tell the difference between apeanut and a baby bunny with another of the dwarfing genes? I know thatpeanuts have an inability to gain weight, have a dome-shaped head,their ears are set back on their heads more then with normal bunnies,and their hindquarters are often under developed. Does the same go forbaby >>>bunnies that have other dwarfing genes, orare runts?

I've mentioned this before, but when my Bub was a baby he was abouthalf the size of the others, shriveled, wrinkled, domedforehead,small hips and legs,and bulgy eyes. Hisbrother was the same way. They were so ugly!

Anyway, both survived and thrived without intervention, thankfully.While his brother remained small but healthy, Bub grew....andgrew...and grew!!! He weighs probably around 10 lbs. now.

I hope he makes it!!!

Rose



 
rabbitgirl wrote:
Wow, Annie, I didn't know you were one of quadruplets!:) Cool!

>>>I've got another question for anybody thatmight be able to answer it--- how do you tell the difference between apeanut and a baby bunny with another of the dwarfing genes? I know thatpeanuts have an inability to gain weight, have a dome-shaped head,their ears are set back on their heads more then with normal bunnies,and their hindquarters are often under developed. Does the same go forbaby >>>bunnies that have other dwarfing genes, orare runts?

I've mentioned this before, but when my Bub was a baby he was abouthalf the size of the others, shriveled, wrinkled, domed forehead, smallhips and legs, and bulgy eyes. His brother was the same way. They wereso ugly!

Anyway, both survived and thrived without intervention, thankfully.While his brother remained small but healthy, Bub grew....andgrew...and grew!!! He weighs probably around 10 lbs. now.

I hope he makes it!!!

Rose

That's wonderful that your boys survived and thrived despite theirsmall size at birth! I sure hope that Lazarus accomplishes the same! Itwould be so wonderful to one day be looking at a healthy, happy, activeadult bunny boy and know that he used to be so little and fragile. Itwould feel like such blessing to know how far he has come.

I'm sure you feel the same way about your boys! Give them both bigbunny kisses from me, and tell them that I'm so happy that they grewand grew!!!


 
Goodness, Annie, I didn't know you were aquadruplet - that makes you even more special! I certainly thinkLazarus was given to you for a reason, and perhaps making you thinkabout taking care of yourself was a big part of it. You are doingeverything you can for the little man, and hopefully he will turn outlike Bub - a big beautiful healthy bun :D. Take care of BOTH ofyou!_ Jan
 
Hi Annie, Lazarus sounds like my Runty. I thoughthe was a peanut until I was told peanuts don't live for that long. Helived for about 8 weeks, he just didn't have the strength to carry onany longer, I was heartbroken. I really hope your little guy makes it,he sounds like a little fighter. Hopefully he will be another Bub andhe gets a growth spirt soon.I am sure your doing everythingin your power to make sure that he does.

Love and Prayers

Vickie
 
I should mention that Bub was undersized for quite awhile before he took off, at least a couple weeks.

His brother, at 9 wks., was definitely the smallest of the litter, buthealthy, aggressive, and perfectly formed. He had a narrow head andrather bulgy eyes (like his mum), but had major attitude. Bub, by thattime, was the most passive of the nine, but his size put him in themiddle of the pack. The only clue I had about his future size was hisincredibly large ears. They were so heavy they fell over, so for awhilethere I had a large orange lop.:D

How is he doing today??

Rose
 
Just wanted to let everyone know that littleLazarus passed away tonight. This morning when it was time to feed thelittle guy he was crying because his body was convulsing. He seemed tobe very lethargic and weak after that. He would not eat anything today,and just stayed curled up in a little ball for much of the day.

This evening I could tell that he wasnt going to last much longer.....I left him in his spot, where he could rest and stay warmed by theheating pad, but then a little while later he started crying again. Ipicked him up, and just held him all curled up in my hand. I washolding him when he took his last breaths, and I was giving him as manylittle (very delicate) bunny kisses that I could so he'd have plenty topass around once he got to the rainbow bridge. I know I only had him inmy life for a week and a half, but I really loved that little baby. Ifeel as if my heart has broken.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top