Urgent: Doe not lactating

[MiniLopMad]

It's been 3 days since the kits were born and I don't think my doe has fed them once. They are wrinkly and remind me of a deflated balloon.
I turned over my doe to see if she was lactating and I don't think she is. How can I tell better if she is?
I read somewhere that oxytocin can help the milk, but it only works for 48 hours after birth. I think it's been more than 48 hours.
Another website said that giving the kits a bit of honey or fruit jam can bring up their sugar levels until you work out what to do. Is this safe? Does it work and will it help them?

She is not malnourished. She has unlimited access to oxbow young rabbit pellets and unlimited access to her oaten and Timothy hay. She can run and eat grass for a couple of hours twice a day and when she is locked up I give her some parsley, more grass and a little bit of carrot. She has a water bowl and bottle.

I read that another cause could be stress. I think that if there was a cause this would be it. I have two dogs that love the run and play outside her cage. They are noisy and big and probably terrifying to a little rabbit. I also have handled the kits to check that they were alive and fed.. Would that cause her to not lactate?

Any help, ideas and advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[squidpop]

I wouldn't give the kits jam or honey. Maybe you could get some Meyenburg goats milk from the grocery but only feed a small amount to them because they are small. There are some baby rabbit feeding instructions here http://www.rabbit.org/care/orphan.html
It sounds like she is well fed and should be producing milk. Fennel is often recommended for helping milk to come in. Also, did she pull fur? Pulling fur off her belly is also supposed to stimulate milk production. Many people suggest plain rolled oats for helping with milk production, I would give her some oats. I would also maybe put puree some fruit into her water to encourage her to drink lots of water.
Can you put the dogs some where else for a few days? Or if you can't, take the dogs for a long long walk until they are exhausted so they won't make as much noise. I don't think you handling them has anything to do with it. I handle my babies on the day they are born and onwards everyday and have never had a doe have a problem with it. If she is in an outdoor hutch maybe covering it with a tarp or blanket so she feels hidden would help.

 

[Ainsleys_mommy]

Are these a dwarf breed by chance? They may be peanuts.

 

[squidpop]

I hope the mamma rabbit feeds them soon. Another thing I thought of is, if you know of any rabbitrys where you live you could try calling the and telling the your situation to see if they have a lactating doe that would be a foster mom. Odds are you wouldn't get a whole litter of peanuts, even if both parents carried the dwarf gene there would only be a 50/50 chance of peanuts.

 

[majorv]

I hate to say it but it may be too late to save them at this point, if they haven't been fed. They will be too weak to suck. Either your doe doesn't have milk or she abandoned them. You could try to use a dropper with goats milk to keep them alive but it's not sounding good.

 

[BunBun02]

She is lactating she just isn't wanting to feed her babies

 

[majorv]

When you breed it's always best to breed two at a time. That way you can foster to the other doe if needed.

 

[bright_eyes]

Any news on this issue?

 

[MiniLopMad]

Hi, thanks everyone took me a while to reply because I haven't had internet access for a few days.
It turns out that she's lactating, but she's rejected the kits. The kits are all alive and well. I've been holding mother bunny down to let the kits drink (sounds mean but it works). After they feed I simulate the bellies