False pregnancy

[Hayley411]

Okay so Sherbert has insisted on making a nest every single night for over a week, I woke up this morning and she has now started to pull fur. There is no way she is pregnant, although apparently she wants to be. Silly rabbit.

My question is how long can this go on? I just palpated her again to be sure and I felt no babies but she is getting milk. Is this unusual?

Do you think if I found her a baby to foster that she would nurse it?Would that be a good idea? it would allow her to care for a baby, and she obviously wants to be a mom again.

Is there anyway to get her to stop pulling fur and producing milk, Could she get Mastitis from having milk but no baby to nurse?

If you haven't noticed this is the first time she has ever had a false pregnancy, and the first time I've ever been around a rabbit having one. I just don't know what to do. She also hasn't been eating hardly anything, I feed them 1/4 cup in the morning, 1/4 cup at nightand when I go to feed her at night she hasn't eaten allher morning food.
Should I be concerned?

Sorry this is so long, I just have alot of questions.

~Hayley

 

[BlueGiants]

I moved this into Behavior, since it's not a true pregnancy...

That being said...Are you sure Sherbert hasn't been near any boys? If you are sure this is a false pregnancy, let her do what she has to... let her build a nest. And give her time.

Yes, she can produce milk from a false pregnancy. It is unlikely that she will get mastitis from a false pregnancy... they usually dry up pretty quickly if there are no babies to nurse.

I would not give her a baby to nurse. She may not have all the hormones in place to raise it right.As the drive from the false pregnancy wears off, she may resent the "intruder" and try to kill the baby.

Leave her be... give her quiet time. In a couple of days, remove the nest (you may see her destroy it herself.)

 

[Hayley411]

Sherbert is around boys all the time at Agility but I'm sure she hasn't bred with any of them.

Plus about 2 weeks ago I kept my aunts buck for a few days after he got neutered, the pens were next to each other but I put cardboard in between them so there was not through the cage mating. She knew he was there and there was alot ofgrunting and stamping of the feet.

She has already had a nest box in with her for over a week now. She just keeps adding to it.

Oh I really do hope she's not pregnant.

Although in her previous pregnancies she waited till the day she had them to build the nest and pull furs. So if she was really pregnant she's doing it all differantly.

Well, I'm glad she can't get mastitis from a false pregnancy.

~Hayley

 

[BlueGiants]

How is Sherbert doing today? Still building her nest? :shock:

 

[Hayley411]

No shehas stopped after pulling most of the fur from her belly out. I am keeping the fur for other does who might not pull enough, so at least it won't be wasted. I am glad Sherbert is back to normal, I just hope this doesn't happen regularly.I wish I could just get her spayed but since I have no job at this time, it's kind of out of the question.

Thanks for your help,

~Hayley