Diarrhea in a litter of 6 week old rabbits

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The Haven Rabbitry

The Haven Rabbitry

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Location
, Virginia, USA
I have a litter of 6 week old Californians. There are 6 in total. Everyone was doing just fine until 2 days ago when someone fed for me and gave the babies hay. They have never had it before, so I'm guessing that's what triggered it. The diarreah is watery and I'm really nervous they will all go down hill fast. Everyone is still eating really well and seem fine otherwise, but I just wanted to know if anyone had any suggestions for stopping the dirreah if it was caused by hay. Note: All of my other rabbits, including mom are doing just fine. The babies have never been moved from the cage they are in now with their mom.

Thanks!
 
I wouldn't necessarily blame the hay, but would be looking more at just the fact the babies went from eating from mom to eating solids too quickly. I actually encourage the eating of timothy hay and oats with babies and slowly introduce pellets as these are usually what causes mucoid enteritis.

Treat your little ones with Dri-tail and Benebac. With the Dri-tail it says a number of drops to give, but I generally give more than they ask you to. In my experience, it is not a product that can be overdosed. This will stop the diarrhea. The Benebac can be administered in the tube directly behind the teeth. Also something that can't be overdosed. This is bacteria that will get their gut back in check.

You should be treating at least three times a day. Be vigilant and stay on top of it as they will go down hill quickly.

For diet, remove all pellets from mom and babies. Mom can live on timothy hay and oats, which is actually better digestively for her and the babies. If you are concerned about their vitamin content, I've found that giving them some Nutri-cal can help to give a bit of a boost to their energy level.
 
When Harley had diarrhea the pedilyte really helped us.
As well as the critical care which I got from my vet. It was a force feed food.

We also got fluid therapy but this would be really, really expensive for six babies, so I wouldn't suggest this.

Tinysmom suggested pumpkin and this also helped us a lot. I used this with my dog too before, and it worked great.

and Infirmary Mod should be able to help you shortly and will probably give you some great advice. :)

Edit:

Also if you do call your vet and get some critical care it has the benebac inside it, you can also mix this with the pedilyte instead of regular water to make sure they stay hydrated. Good luck, I know how frustrating and scary diarrhea is... Harley was dealing with it earlier this week.
 
I do not use critical care on babies. I'm not even quick to use it on adults...but for six week old babies, it's an absolute NO. The problem with ME is that the baby has moved onto solids too quickly...taking them straight to more solid foods in the form of critical care is a poor decision. You should also not have to use pedialyte in a baby as they'll get their fluids from mom for the most part. You can try the pedialyte, but it's more important you get the Benebac and the Dri-tail in them right now. Pedialyte is OK if they will take it...but they might not. It's harder to force a liquid on a small baby than on an older rabbit. Personally, I'd give them sub-q fluids before I'd give them pedialyte, but I'm trained in that (something I think every rabbitry owner should be trained to do, IMO, as it has saved numerous bunnies in stasis and with ME for me).

Also, do not give pumpkin or any other veggies these rabbits are not used to eating or you are making the problem worse. The problem of ME exists from adding foods your babies are not used to....you are not going in the right direction if you just add more foods their digestive systems are unaccustomed to.
 
They've been eating their mother's solid food for three weeks if they're progressing normally.

Never use Dri-tail on a rabbit.

Doubt the hay had much to do with it, depending on what they;re used to. What was their diet? Pellets? How much protein? Was the hay alfalfa or grass?

Babies adapt to their mothers' diet and both should be fed a lot of variety in small bits from the get-go to avoid problems in the future.

The vet needs to do a fecal test. It could be serious. Meanwhile fiber and fluids for a day or two -- grass hay, maybe a tiny bit of oats.

Critical Care would be great but don't force feed them anything. No stress. No sugars. No carbs.

Link in the next post.

sas
 
Never use Dri-tail on a rabbit? Sorry, but I can't disagree more. I've had ME in babies and the Dri-tail has saved all of them. I'd also disagree on the critical care. The digestive system of a small baby can't take critical care. I'm not even a big fan of it in larger rabbits as there are far more options than critical care that don't just sit heavy in their stomachs. Baby rabbits can get mucoid enteritis up until around 10 weeks of age...so getting it at six weeks is actually a common age. Those of mine that have gotten it do get it around 6 weeks old. The Dri-tail and Benebac fix it....but you don't have to take my word for it. I just raise rabbits and have about 25 babies currently in my rabbitry. What works on an adult rabbit does not work on a small baby. JMO
 
I brought Harley to the vet, and he was who recommended critical care and pedilyte.

I'm also assuming they were eating pellets, just not hay. I doubt they would still be eating from the mother at this point.

Harley was also six weeks old when my vet recommended this also.

Just my opinion. :3 Just trying to help since I dealt with this last week and he is happy and healthy now and is a poop machine again (normal ones!)

I think Pipp gave some good advice too about checking for Cocci.
 
murph72 wrote:
You should also not have to use pedialyte in a baby as they'll get their fluids from mom for the most part.
Click to expand...
Sorry but this is very wrong. I have five or six week old babies here who haven't nursed in weeks but suck up water from their bowl like little siphons. Fluids are THE most important thing, tho water will do unless they're dehydrated.
Click to expand...


murph72 wrote:
Also, do not give pumpkin or any other veggies these rabbits are not used to eating or you are making the problem worse. The problem of ME exists from adding foods your babies are not used to....you are not going in the right direction if you just add more foods their digestive systems are unaccustomed to.
Click to expand...
This is good advice but I wouldn't extend it to hay and other sources of high fiber.

Agree that a little Benebac or another pro-biotic is a good idea.

Always a good idea to get moms and babies used to canned pumpkin as a treat. Really pays off down the road.


sas
 
Unless you introduced Cocci or new rabbits that carry it, it's not as likely as ME. My six week olds are still eating from mom at that point. As show animals, I do not take them from their mom until eight weeks. Babies can still get ME even in the week or two following leaving mom.

Point is that treating a baby is WAY different than treating an adult. Adults get diarrhea for different reasons than babies and should be treated differently.

Critical care should only be used when other foods are not being taken in...which is what I'm assuming was the case with your rabbit Jynxie. Your rabbit I'm also assuming was older than this baby as it's at least illegal in my state to sell a rabbit at six weeks (which is a good idea since their digestive systems are not that tough at this age). Pedialyte is a good idea as an adult, but I've found sub-q's work even better. Exercise in an adult is also a good idea. In a baby, however, exercise for ME doesn't necessarily help matters.

 
No my bunny was eating normally, it was to get him hydrated + get some fiber in his system.
Critical care also has probiotics in it, so I am assuming that was another reason my vet gave it to us.

Also my bunny was a day before six weeks (so technically 5 weeks and six days), my breeder gave him to me way to early. She assured me he was okay to leave his mother, when apparently he's not. Not the best breeder to say the least. She was also more interested in covering her ass when I was telling her he was sick (I was just updating her since she wanted updates...)

Not trying to sound rude either, just incase I am coming off that way. Just letting you know :)
 
Pipp, I'm assuming that the babies are still with the mom and still nursing. I hesitate to have someone forcing pedialyte on a baby as the baby could easily asperate. Sub-qs would be much safer than forcing pedialyte, if you learn how to do it safely. Babies do drink water at this age, but they should also still be nursing too. I'm saying she shouldn't "have to" use pedialyte if they're getting a source of fluids elsewhere. Babies are more likely to choke than adults on forced fluids, IMO.

I would still hesitate to give pumpkin to a baby with ME if it and its mom never had it before. Why add a fruit or veggie the baby is not used to if the problem likely came from a change in diet? In my experience, timothy hay is always good for their digestion and removing pellets and replacing it with oats is easier on their system until they get over ME. Slowly adding the pellets back after the babies are over all ME symptoms for at least one week.
 
murph72 wrote:
Never use Dri-tail on a rabbit? Sorry, but I can't disagree more. I've had ME in babies and the Dri-tail has saved all of them. I'd also disagree on the critical care. The digestive system of a small baby can't take critical care. I'm not even a big fan of it in larger rabbits as there are far more options than critical care that don't just sit heavy in their stomachs. Baby rabbits can get mucoid enteritis up until around 10 weeks of age...so getting it at six weeks is actually a common age. Those of mine that have gotten it do get it around 6 weeks old. The Dri-tail and Benebac fix it....but you don't have to take my word for it. I just raise rabbits and have about 25 babies currently in my rabbitry. What works on an adult rabbit does not work on a small baby. JMO
Click to expand...
Its actually breeders with the limited food mindset causing the problems to begin with IMO. Rabbits being fed a wide variety of food from the nest box will adapt way better and have a healthier array of fresh nutrients and better immune systems.

Moms should be getting hay, fresh grass, bits of veggies and pellets (preferably a mix). They also need fresh air, proper housing (multi-levels and/or ground space, burrow-like enclosures) and other enhancements to mimic their natural environment.

I believe the exposure to all the different pathogens found everywhere may be more dangerous for a few but ultimately way healthier for the rest.

PS: I have a broken arm, can;t type well, this isn't directed at Murph, no idea re: diet and housing. Only the reference to diet changes. Babies exposed to variety don't have to worry so much.

sas


 
murph72 wrote:
Pipp, I'm assuming that the babies are still with the mom and still nursing. I hesitate to have someone forcing pedialyte on a baby as the baby could easily asperate. Sub-qs would be much safer than forcing pedialyte, if you learn how to do it safely. Babies do drink water at this age, but they should also still be nursing too. I'm saying she shouldn't "have to" use pedialyte if they're getting a source of fluids elsewhere. Babies are more likely to choke than adults on forced fluids, IMO.

I would still hesitate to give pumpkin to a baby with ME if it and its mom never had it before. Why add a fruit or veggie the baby is not used to if the problem likely came from a change in diet? In my experience, timothy hay is always good for their digestion and removing pellets and replacing it with oats is easier on their system until they get over ME. Slowly adding the pellets back after the babies are over all ME symptoms for at least one week.
Click to expand...

Agreed, good advice.


sas
 
Jynxie,
You are not being rude at all. I'm sorry your breeder was irresponsible and made you go through what you did. You are very lucky to have been able to save your bunny. I have numerous individuals that have given me horror stories of bunnies they weren't able to save because they were given bunnies far too young.

I always keep Benebac on hand in the tube form. I find the probiotics in a tube of benebac is easier to give to a rabbit because you can insert the tube behind their teeth and squeeze. They seem to take this form much better than a liquid. Some bunnies will not take a critical care mixture or even a liquid such as pedialyte. I just got a bunny through stasis that she got during a huge change in temps we were having. She would not take anything other than benebac, nutrical, and the sub-q fluids (which she didn't have a choice on).

If your bunny was eating normally, I wouldn't have added the critical care. I'm not a big fan of the stuff and only use it when I absolutely have to (i.e. bunny has not been eating anything other than the nutrical for a day or two).
 
Pipp wrote:
murph72 wrote:
Never use Dri-tail on a rabbit? Sorry, but I can't disagree more. I've had ME in babies and the Dri-tail has saved all of them. I'd also disagree on the critical care. The digestive system of a small baby can't take critical care. I'm not even a big fan of it in larger rabbits as there are far more options than critical care that don't just sit heavy in their stomachs. Baby rabbits can get mucoid enteritis up until around 10 weeks of age...so getting it at six weeks is actually a common age. Those of mine that have gotten it do get it around 6 weeks old. The Dri-tail and Benebac fix it....but you don't have to take my word for it. I just raise rabbits and have about 25 babies currently in my rabbitry. What works on an adult rabbit does not work on a small baby. JMO
Click to expand...
Its actually breeders with this mindset causing the problems to begin with. Rabbits being fed a wide variety of food from the nest box will adapt way better and have a healthier array of fresh nutrients and better immune systems.

Moms should be getting hay, fresh grass, bits of veggies and pellets (preferably a mix). They also need fresh air, proper housing (multi-levels and/or ground space, burrow-like enclosures) and other enhancements to mimic their natural environment.


sas
Click to expand...
Please don't lump me in the bad breeders category. My rabbits live in what my friends call the Taj Mahal of rabbit buildings. They prefer kale in their veggie selection and get Cheerios as a treat every day. Timothy hay is a staple in the barn and encouraged constantly. My rabbits also have time to run (not together, but on a schedule so all get free time).

I'm assuming that these rabbits are not getting a multitude of options in the dietary department in the fact that she states that the rabbits were given hay and didn't get it before. The fact they weren't at least getting timothy hay scares me. Unfortunately, at this stage, adding a bunch of veggies and such that they're not used to is going to make the problem worse. Timothy hay, IMO, did not cause the problem. If their diet consisted of timothy hay, pellets, mom's milk and water...my money is on the pellets being the major contributor. I introduce my babies slowly to pellets. If I see they're pigging out at the dish, I give more oats. The ones that pig out on the pellets are usually the ones that get ME in my experience.
 
I guess I was lucky, Harley loved his critical care.
I didn't really even have to force feed, he would even eat it off my finger if it got on me.

I think the main idea is to get the babies hydrated at this point, call your vet and see what they suggest?

Also... Aren't young rabbits suppost to get alfalfa? I've been giving that to Harley.One of myvets said timothy the other said alfalfa.Also everyone on here says alfalfa. I'm a little confused :p
 
I've had excellent results with Critical Care and NutriCal as well, but which one depends on the circumstances. I use Critical Care when fiber and fluids are needed (ME), Nutrical when calories are needed (anorexia, etc). Big difference here.

sas
 
Jynxie wrote:
Also... Aren't young rabbits suppost to get alfalfa? I've been giving that to Harley.One of myvets said timothy the other said alfalfa.Also everyone on here says alfalfa. I'm a little confused :p
Click to expand...

Young rabbits need higher protein, calcium, so alfalfa is usually recommended, but you also want them eating grass hay. A mix is best. You also have to balance it with the rest of the diet. High protein pellets, more grass hay; low protein pellets, alfalfa.

Murph, I wasn' referring to you, sorry. Shouldnt have included your quote like that.


sas
 
Jynxie, I personally never feed alfalfa. It's pretty high in sugars. I find that the timothy works well at any age to help keep their digestive system on track. Your vet may have given the critical care in lieu of the benebac as that is what they had on hand with priobiotics in it. If the rabbit takes the critical care easily, that's fine. If not, benebac is easier to force into them for the necessary beneficial bacteria.

I give Nutri-cal on any animal that is not eating as much as they should be. For stasis it does help to get the gut moving. For ME I only use it if I see them off of food. If they remain on food, Nutri-cal isn't needed as they can get the nutrients they need from the foods they are eating. When an ME baby stops eating, that's when I'd go to the Nutri-cal. So far, she says hers are still eating, so I would allow them to eat on their own...encourage the timothy hay and oats that are easy on the gut, and not force feed unless I had to. Forcing the benebac is worth it, IMO for ME babies...but if they're still eating they should not be forced to eat what you choose to force on them. That adds unnecessary stress.

Pipp, Why are you so against the use of Dri-tail? It has worked wonders for me with ME. I generally give them an entire dropper three times a day. It stops the runs and then the benebac helps to get the proper bacteria levels in the gut. The combination of the two has saved every ME case I've had since another breeder suggested it to me.
 
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