Please help, what's wrong with my rabbit? :(

[dandan177]

I have a senior Doe mini Rex who may be pregnant. She was bred over a period of three days to make sure she had taken. It was between May 17 through May 19. Last Friday marked the 28th day. I had put a nest box inside of her cage on Wednesday (the 26th day) and she nested right away. I came back from a small vacation on Saturday (which should have been the 29th day) and found she had small portions of fur lining the nest. It has been almost a week since the fur was pulled and nothing has came yet. I've heard rabbits don't usually eat or drink the day they give birth, but she still continues to eat and drink water. She has pooped a small amount today, but has not urinated.

Could this be a sign of her going into labor?

She lays down a lot more than usual the past 3 days, could she be in pain?

Can the kits be still born since it's almost the 35th day?

Could she be stubborn and just not want to have them?

 

[molly]

It does sound like she was pregnant so if she doesn't have a litter in the next day or so, I'd be worried. It sounds like it's time for the vet, if she has dead babies inside that she didn't reabsorb, she could become very ill.

 

[Azerane]

Any more time and I would want to take her to the vet. If she is pregnant they would definitely be able to feel if there are any babies in there, and if there is they can induce labour. There is a chance that any kits may not still be alive, which means she may not go into labour of her own accord. Yes rabbits can reabsorb litters, but there is a chance that your doe may also get very ill.

I would definitely make a trip to the vet I suppose the other option is that she wasn't pregnant at all, but a vet would be able to know for sure. I wouldn't want to feel for kits without knowing what I was doing on the chance that I injured them.

 

[ladysown]

give her belly a feel, or just sit back and closely observe. If you see a rolling motion through her gut you have live babies. Does have been known to kindle late. Usually the kits are born furred then. Sometimes they are born dead.

Sometimes as well does will make a nest and not have any kits. False pregnancies do happen.

 

[dandan177]

I did in fact see a rolling motion a few days ago when she was laying down on her side. Other than that I haven't seen anything because she lays on her stomach now.

I will check to see if the vet is open today to take her, hopefully nothing is wrong. Thank you everyone!

 

[ladysown]

you have a stuck kit.
you could have a later kindler.
you could have litter of dead babies.

there are so many possibilities.

They could all be fine as well, you did say that she was bred over a period of three days so ... don't worry yet. If she's eating and drinking fine she might just be fine.

 

[majorv]

If it's day 35 I would take her to the vet. It's very possible, as ladysown said, that she has a stuck kit. There's a chance they're still alive, but the does we've had who didn't kindle until then, the kits were dead.

 

[woahlookitsme]

Today would be the 34th day from the last day she was bred. When you say she was bred did you see the buck get her or were they just left together in a cage?

Has the buck been bred before and had babies?
Has the doe been bred before and had babies?

There is always that chance she didn't catch. How old is she?

 

[dandan177]

Today would be the 34th day from the last day she was bred. When you say she was bred did you see the buck get her or were they just left together in a cage?

Has the buck been bred before and had babies?
Has the doe been bred before and had babies?

There is always that chance she didn't catch. How old is she?

She was bred over a 3 day period, and every time I watched to make sure she took. Pretty much she took every single time.

The buck was about 7 months at the time, and this would be his first litter.

The doe is 2 years as of Feb. 21, and she (as far as I know) has had one litter while I have had her. It was about 3 months ago, she had 7 beautiful mini rex/holland lop mix kits. Sadly, they had froze the second night since she did not pull enough fur the first time

 

[woahlookitsme]

I would try breeding her again with that buck or try a different buck if she doesn't have anything within the next couple of days. Does that have been bred before but did not catch can nest. We had one do it recently. I would also advise to put the box in a little later. Some does will use it as a litter box if you put it in too early (we do ours at day 28 with no problems)

Also check him over. Split penis? UnDescended testicles? Anything physically obvious that could allow him to be sterile or not produce viable sperm?

If she is definitely not acting normal I would strongly advise taking her in. A quick palpating or X-ray will be able to tell you definitively she's preggo or not.

 

[dandan177]

Okay! Well she has not used her nesting box as a litter box quite yet, so maybe that's one sign. And I'm almost 100% positive that she had taken because I had just seen her stomach moving as if babies were inside about 3 - 4 days ago while she was laying on her side. Maybe it could be her in general? Maybe she keeps absorbing her pregnancies for fear of losing another litter like her first? Idk anymore with her in particular, though I do not want to give up because she is such a beautiful rabbit.

 

[dandan177]

Sadly, I can't try breeding her again because she has a rabbit show to attend to in less than 2 weeks. If she is fine and well I will definitely try again after it. As for the nesting box, I did put it in a bit early, but she did begin to nest right away. She hasn't used it as a litter box just yet either, which is a bit strange given she's used it as a litter box during her first pregnancy.

With the buck, I will check him over to make sure he has none of that, and that he is producing viable sperm. Maybe I'll breed him to a friends rabbit and see what turns up.

She does seem to be acting pretty normal, aside from not really letting me palpate her. She seems to be eating slower now, and drinking a little less now, but her behavior is as usual. Could she just be stubborn and not want to have them at all?

 

[Watermelons]

Have you taken her to a vet yet?

 

[dandan177]

The vet here is closed on Sundays, so I will take her tomorrow on Monday, June 24.