Cottontail kits

shop deals on amazon
Shop deals on ebay
Advertise with us
Love your rabbit
Rabbits Online Forum

Help Support Rabbits Online Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Bunnylova4eva

Bunnylova4eva

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2011
Messages
2,240
Reaction score
71
Location
, , USA
I have started a thread in the infirmary but thought I may get some replies here possibly from someone who's had little buns that they've had to hand raise.
--> thread I started:

http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=72258&forum_id=16


My questions:

I'd like to give the buns cecotropes from our adult buns but they've been treated with Panacur Monday for worms. (One has had worms, the other its more preventative treatment). Should I take cecals from them or having had Panacur would it hurt the kits?

I'm giving canned KMR. I've heard (after I bought and began feeding this) that the powdered KMR is what I should be using and I also heard from multiple sources adding heavy whipping cream can help. I did this with the canned food mixed together. Should I still see if I can find powdered KMR and would that be better?

I'm mixing Benebac powder into the KMR; are there any other probiotic things that would help for me to use??

I've been doing as I've read with rubbing their tummies and rear end after eating with a q-tip but I haven't actually witnessed them going to the bathroom. I think they may be going some but I really can't tell. Any ideas? I've thought of a paper towel under but they have the whole nest that they're in, so I don't think that would work too well.

How do I tell if their tummies are round or bloated?

How much should I feed them? All the info I've read conflicts. I've given them each 1 mL 2X today.


There are 8 of them but I only took 3 out for pictures.
The one just opened its eyes for the first time today but none of the others have yet.

How old do you think they are?

(I'm sorry if the pictures are too large!)

160ojrc.jpg


34djvyq.jpg


2qkr0c0.jpg


35aswop.jpg


14yad8p.jpg




Thank you for any help you can give!
~Mia
 
Holy crap, cuteness overload.

My Molly had a litter back in February, here is a picture of when they were 3 days old. I am going to flip back through my old postings to see if I can nab some other links for you about their age progression. I am pretty sure they opened their eyes around day 9 or 10.

As far as feeding them I would wait to see what the breeders do. I think it was a good idea to cross post here just in case. I've only ever dealt with one litter, and Molly only fed them once daily for about 5 minutes. I do know they don't eat as often as puppies, kittens, rats, etc. but how often to feed orphans, I'm not sure.

The powdered KMR is just as well. They sell it both ways, powdered and already liquid.

I've never heard of mixing whipping cream in, but I know that it's supposed to be a rich mixture and that would definitely fit the bill! Anyone else have thoughts?

I use Probios from Tractor Supply as probiotics. I would recommend picking up some Critical Care though: http://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/vets/products/critical_care

Picture:

3 days old
IMG-20120207-00004.jpg
 
Thanks so much for the reply Sammy-I already ahve some critital care, but since they're still on formula isn't taht a bit young to take it?

Do you think the canner KMR will hurt?
 
Ok, does ANYONE have advice on getting them to go to the bathroom???

I haven't seen hardly any signs of such and its been a day that I've had them. I'm getting pretty worried about that.
 
As for age I would say 9 or 10 days old. Thats when the eyes start to open. Good luck with them!
Why were these little ones removed from their mother?
 
Yes, well I've tried using a wet q-tip on all of them each time after they eat. How long should I need to do it?

They were taken from their mom because our friends were digging out a septic tank and the whole area around it was being ripped out. They accidently dug into the bunny nest nost knowing it was there and lost one of the kits. The whole area was so ripped up they said there was no way they could put them back out.

We're up to 4 of the 8 with their eyes open! It's so fun seeing them grow. :)
 
I would try a cotton ball like suggested, or a warm wet washcloth. I think maybe the qtip isn't cutting it because it's not as big as a mother rabbit's tongue.

When I was fostering rat babies the qtip worked because they were so small.

I think the canned formula will be fine :)

I'm not sure if there is any age limit on the critical care. If you go to the website and poke around there are testimonials of it saving very young animals. I think one's a wallaby.

How are they doing today? :)
 
As for timeframe on getting them to eliminate, I would take ten minutes or so total to go over them all. Sometimes go over them twice if need be. This is also a bonding activity too, so the longer you take the better.
 
What I would do when going over them with the cotton ball or washcloth is start at their chest and sweep downwards past their wee tails. Then instead of the doing the middle again, do slightly to the left and slightly to the right, all in a low sweeping down motion.

I used to brux at the baby rats (the soft, content teeth chattering) while I did it. Sometimes the soft cooing helps let them relax enough to release.
 
That's a good idea-I hadn't thought about the size of the q-tip being small. I'll try the cotton ball this morning.

How much do you think they need to be fed? Yesterday I think each had 2 1/2-3 mL. spread out over 3 meals. I'm thikning maybe I shouldn't even do it as frequently but I want to be sure they're getting enough.

Yes, they seem to be doing well this morning. I was so happy when I looked in this morning to see 2 more had opened their eyes overnight and were peering up at me. They still seem very active and don't look bloated which is a good sign. The fact that they're not looking bloated makes me wonder if they are going to the bathroom but if in all the nesting material I just can't see it. hmmm.

I'll check about the critical care. I'm hesitant about adding in new things though if they don't have enough good bacteria yet in their gi tract. I'm giving Benebac but I odn't know if that's enough for probiotics.

The bunny I'd have to get cecals from just had Panacur Monday. Would that hurt the kits to have cecotrpohs from her?
 
I'm not sure how much they should be getting as far as meals. I've never hand-raised buns before :( Are there any pages out there online that give any idea? Maybe search "raising cottontails" or "how much to feed baby rabbit?" something like that.

The Fish and Game website in your local area might have a page on it. I think I've seen something similar on mine before when I was looking up turtle stuff.

If they were bloated I think you'd be able to tell. They'd have their little arms and legs kind of out to the sides and making pretty pitiful sounds. They wouldn't be, I believe, crawling around and active.

Based on the pictures I'd say they are going in the nesting material. When my kits were that small their wee poops were like pencil/graphite tips. Not like the regular adult pellets we're used to. Keep up with the cottonball though! :)

The Critical Care actually has the nutrients needed in their GI tracts, just like probiotics. It's actually redundant to use probiotics AND critical care because they contain the same thing. Benebac is good; I used to keep it on hand till switched to the new brand. I think Benebac will cover your bases as far as beneficial bacteria for them. As they grow though, they are going to start outweighing the doses that come in the smaller tubes. You'll have to switch to the powdered benebac that comes in the tub.

I wouldn't give cecals from the bun that had Panacur. I don't know for sure that it would hurt or not, but my gut says don't do it. Just my personal opinion.

Do you mind sharing what state in the US you're in? Maybe someone on the forum could provide some cecals to you?
 
I know just getting through the now is a big deal, so I can appreciate that and the hard work you're putting into these guys - but what comes next when they're ready to be on their own? I don't know that they can be released after being handraised...will you find homes?

Pick me! Pick me! :p
 
One of the things I wanted to mention and forgot to was that the difference between regular probiotics and Critical Care brand is that Critical Care can replace an herbivore's ENTIRE daily consumption (not including water). Probiotics can't do that. Probiotics are meant to supply the GI tracts with nutrients to help them run efficiently, but you could not take away everything and ONLY give probiotics. It doesn't include vitamins and other minerals needed for healthy life. Critical Care DOES include those.

Probiotics = regular diet booster.
Critical Care = regular diet REPLACER.

What that means for wee babies though, I'm not positive. I don't know if you can replace formula with C.C. A vet or their website might be able to tell you, like I said in the above mass postings :p
 
Warm wash cloth, wipe down where there pats are until they start to go. Dont handle them alot you want them to be afraid of people not comfortable.
 
As for releasing them, I'm not sure how tame or wild they will be. The hope and ultimate goal is to release them but if they are somehow overly overly tame, I don't know what we're going to do. I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Right now we're just taking it one day at a time, trying to keep them going, strong and healthy.

I"m a bit hesitant to do critical care right now; they are really little and it seems they're a bit young for it. Maybe at like 2 wks or close to that adding it in to their diet would be a big help when they're supposed to be eating veggies, hay etc.
 
As of tonight, the buns aren't as active. Still to some extent but not as much. I really think they need to go to the bathroom but after trying everything I could think of, haven't gotten them to go...until just while I was feeding them 1 went for the first time. Never thought I'd cheer so much for a bunny peeing. LOL There's paper towels on the bottom of the nest, and no one's gone. The nest doesn't feel at all wet either which leads me to believe they haven't gone there either..I'm really worried about them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top