Help; Sick Kit

[Star and Stone Rabbitry]

The whole litter has been doing excellent. They've started eating food in the past couple of days, and they're happy and playing around in the cage. Although, I have an odd one out with bizarre problems. It almost never comes out of the nest box (if I take it out, it hops right back in) and it will normally just stay in one corner, just sitting there. I'm not for certain if it's started to eat any pellets yet, but as far as I've seen, it hasn't. And the one dreaded thing that worries me the most is that it has diarrhea. It was matted so mucharound his lower region and his hind feetthat I don't even think it could pass droppings or anything.

The only practical thing that I though of doing was washing the lower half of it's body in warm water with baby soap. I cut the matted fur off of it, and now it looks okay. But I have tomorrow to worry about... and you know what they say about kits with diarrhea... It's a deadly thing, right? I don't know. Give me some input. Recommend some medication or medicine perhaps. I'm open to any options. It's a nicely marked little dutch and it would be a pity to lose him =(

-Kiya

 

[GoinBackToCali]

Bene-Bac and the ORT therapy by syringe.. lemmie find you the link..

http://www.thenaturetrail.com/Holland-Lops-and-Diarrhea.htm

Best thing that worked for me... saved an entire litter with cecal dysbiosis with it..

Best of luck..

Z

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

Moving this to the Rabbitry where you'll hopefully get more answers!

 

[naturestee]

Bene-bac and Pedialyte or Zin's ORT (oral rehydration therapy).

He probably also needs veterinary attention, rabbit-savvy vets only. If there's no good rabbit vets around then, well stick with experienced breeder advice cause frankly theres some idiots out there.

How long has he been like this?

Is he still nursing from the mom? Can you make sure by giving him a feeding with her without the siblings?

 

[LadyBug]

good luck wit this little baby:clover:!

~A

 

[BlueGiants]

Thanks to Zin, I've used this recipe a few times.Used it for7 week old Flemish babies with the same problem. Worked in 7 out of 8 of them. I'm sure I would have lost a lot more if I didn't try. I mixed Critical Care with canned pumpkin when I started syringe feeding them.

Exactly how old is the litter? ( A lot of vets won't treat a rabbit less than 8 weeks old...) How is it today?

 

[Star and Stone Rabbitry]

Well the litter was born August 18... so about 4 and a half weeks, maybe?

I have an update; Today the bunny looks a bit better, and it was even jumping out of the box to get something to eat. I was so happy when I saw that! Although it still frequently is in the corner of the nest box in the very back, and the fur on his feet were also fairly matted as well. But I just untangled the matts and got all of the nasty stuff off. It wasn't nearly as bad as yesterday, though. It has this disgusting odor to it, not as bad as yesterday, but it's still lingering a bit. I once read that if a bunny gets diarrhea to shake it up and down to listen for a squishing sound, and if you hear it, you're supposed to "humanely dispose of it." Although I didn't hear a squishing sound when I tested that theory, so I think we're safe from that horrible alternative.

I was just so happy to actually see it take a bite of some pellets today. I do believe that the mother is still nursing them in addition to the pellets they're eating. But the little one with the problems is still a bit skinny. To my relief, it's not nearly as lethargic and weightless as it was yesterday. =]

I'm naming it Fiver, so now we can actually call it something =]

-Kiya

 

[BlueGiants]

You should try the "recipe". It will help balance the gut and may aleviate the diarrhea and smell. Usually when you get that smell, it's coccidiosis... tough on a baby.

I hope lil Fiver improves. He's got spirit!

 

[GoinBackToCali]

I just pictured shaken baby syndrome for rabbits...

 

[Star and Stone Rabbitry]

They seem to be all quite fine!! =) There doesn't seem to be any more problems. Thank you for all of your help with little Fiver.

Although I do have another question... and I don't know if the mother was just being random or what... but Betty (the mother of the litter) acted as if she was very dizzy, like she could fall over, today. At least when I went out to feed them, that's what she did. It took me a bit by surprise, because Betty is undoubtably one of the best rabbits I have when it comes to health. I took her from the cage and examined her everywhere-- especially her ears, because they are the foundation for a rabbit's balance, right?-- and I foundnothing. I will keep and eye on her. Like I said, it could have just been random.

-Kiya

 

[weedflemishgiants]

I hope mom is okay. Some people at this point would put the whole family on Corid in their drinking water for 14 days.

Corid is safe to use for pregnant does, nursing does, and all others. Sometimes with coccidiosis, it can be in the hind gut and never show up in a fecal float.

Good luck.