Baby Rabbits Found - have questions!

[Danil54grl]

Yesterday I was in the back yard with a couple of my dogs & they found a rabbit nest! Of coarse they are thinking rabbit nuggets before I even realize what they had. One perished two I rescued, one out of a dogs mouth. It had issues since but seems better today. I had already touched them & wasnt even sure where the nest was at that time. Any way, I took the kits in, put them in a basket lined with a towel to keep warm. They are not very old, a week maybe? Ears still down & eyes closed. I did make up a kitten formula to give them using evaporated milk, karo syrup honey & mayo. When evening came I had found what was the nest. Made it back as best I could and put them in, hoping momma would come back & not reject them. I checked on them this morning & they seemed fine but really didn't see signs of a momma being their during the night. My question is, has anyone successful raise babies by hand. I know it is tough and a long shot with only a 10% survey val rate. Is a kitten formula what you would give them and when do they start eating greens? I was told around a couple weeks old.

Don't make fun of the zebra print, I didn't pick it! But this is a pic I took yesterday after the rescue. They are now in the nest outside in my fenced backyard. Dogs are not allowed back there right now.

 

[Brent S]

I know it's a long shot for them, but I'm glad you found the nest. It probably increases their chance. I read where a woman in Tenn. does rescues and keeps a domesticated rabbit in milk at all times. She uses multiple rabbits of course. To get the mom to take wild babies she has to hold the mama down with a towel over her head and let the babies suckle one full time. Once the babies have her milk in them she can smell it and accepts them. Pretty cool person to work as hard as she does for little critters. The milk your trying should work, but is still a poor substitute for her milk. Lets just hope she comes back.

 

[Maverick]

Grand daughter says mother only tends to the babies at night, if the baby was removed from the nest at that early stage in development it more likely wouldn't survive, the best one can do is put the baby back and rebuild the nest the best you can do. If you need to feed the little guy use petag KMR milk replacer or goats milk, the bunny needs to be upright when feeding only for 5 minutes every evening for 8 weeks, anything out those hours the bunny becomes stressed and will die. Grand daughter suggest once the bunny is put back into nest let nature takes it's course and by grace the mother may come back, if the bunnies where gone when she returned to the nest she more likely won't return.

 

[Roninsensei]

Check for babies momma at night.. Hit nest with a flashlight at a distance and look for glowing eyes...

 

[Brent S]

Yesterday I was in the back yard with a couple of my dogs & they found a rabbit nest! Of coarse they are thinking rabbit nuggets before I even realize what they had. One perished two I rescued, one out of a dogs mouth. It had issues since but seems better today. I had already touched them & wasnt even sure where the nest was at that time. Any way, I took the kits in, put them in a basket lined with a towel to keep warm. They are not very old, a week maybe? Ears still down & eyes closed. I did make up a kitten formula to give them using evaporated milk, karo syrup honey & mayo. When evening came I had found what was the nest. Made it back as best I could and put them in, hoping momma would come back & not reject them. I checked on them this morning & they seemed fine but really didn't see signs of a momma being their during the night. My question is, has anyone successful raise babies by hand. I know it is tough and a long shot with only a 10% survey val rate. Is a kitten formula what you would give them and when do they start eating greens? I was told around a couple weeks old.View attachment 7027 Don't make fun of the zebra print, I didn't pick it! But this is a pic I took yesterday after the rescue. They are now in the nest outside in my fenced backyard. Dogs are not allowed back there right now.

Are you kidding? You have a pink tractor with flowers. Do you think we care about a zebra blanket......

 

[Danil54grl]

!!

 

[Danil54grl]

So far I have not seen any evidence of mom returning. I should be seeing disturbed area where she covers them back up right? When I first touched them, I was thinking that momma would reject them like so many do, but had done some searching and found out about the only tending during night time so was hoping when I put them back she would return. It was late afternoon when put back in nest. I have been feeding them the kitten formula from a syring once a day in the late evening but bought a kitten bottle yesterday at Tractor Supply. They are still in the nest which is at a base of an old tallow tree, but we are expecting rain all this week so put a lean to over them to keep them dry. Ones eyes opened yesterday and the other has one eye cracking open, both ears still down. Just feel bad out these little guys and want to give them at least a chance. So far they both seem strong.

 

[Roninsensei]

Shes gone. At this point you should either move them to a closer location or i guess leave them be but, its gonna get awkward once they see you as momma. They will follow you around. Its best to box them until they are on to grass.

 

[Danil54grl]

Since I am stressing over the rain chances this week, when I got home from work they went into a playpen that I have kept other critter babes in. Lined it with a bunch of pine needles to make it feel more homey for them. They are noe eating twice a day, once in the morning and again during evening. Hunny took care of this morning since I did the 4 am shift but he said that one would just eat a little and the other not at all. He tried a few hours later and both seemed to eat. When I got home they both ate very well so when I go back tomorrow I will just get up a little earlier to feed them. I had to take one kit out of a dogs mouth and the little guy has just not been right. Its head always tilts to one side and at first continuously rolled over. I thought it may have gotten a spinal injury and if swelling goes down maybe it would straighten out. Its is still tilted and still rolls like equilibrium is off? But not as much any more.

Poor thing " gets around" but it is very sad looking. Can you give baby aspirin as an inflammatory to a bunny? It doesn't seem to be in any pain. Worried about an eye infection so trying to keep it moist. And ears still down on that one so can not hear yet. The other is doing very good and for the most part stays with its sibling.

 

[Roninsensei]

No to aspirin. They are simply too young yet. The youngster may simply have a head injury causing swelling of the brain. It may get better with time. Also are you stimulating them to eliminate? Do it before they eat. That's the way momma usually does it.

 

[Danil54grl]

I just read yesterday to start tapping with a cotton ball after eating. Ones tummy started looking like it has bloat. Melted a gas x in some water to give to him.

 

[Danil54grl]

I stressed over the one with bloat. Know that could be fatal especially one so young. After I gave the gas x I massaged its belly. After an hour, gave another dosage and kept up the massaging. Honestly when I got up this morning, I halfway expected to find a dead baby, but it survived the night and tummy is back to normal. It is not interested in the bottle right now, so just giving Gatorade to keep hydrated. Today it is more active so hopefully out of danger stages. The disabled one also seems better. Head is still tilted slightly, but ears are now up and seems to be getting around a little better so hopeful it will straighten out eventually. I would really like to release them when they get big enough if that is possible. Not sure on the disabled one though. Playpen was moved from the back porch to the bedroom last night so I could keep an eye one little ones and it started raining this morning so they will stay warmer. Baby rabbits have been and still is a learning experience. I've raised calves, piglets and baby goats before . . . wiped a few butts in my lifetime when they weren't cleaned, but stimulating to actually do their business is a new thing.

 

[Brent S]

I stressed over the one with bloat. Know that could be fatal especially one so young. After I gave the gas x I massaged its belly. After an hour, gave another dosage and kept up the massaging. Honestly when I got up this morning, I halfway expected to find a dead baby, but it survived the night and tummy is back to normal. It is not interested in the bottle right now, so just giving Gatorade to keep hydrated. Today it is more active so hopefully out of danger stages. The disabled one also seems better. Head is still tilted slightly, but ears are now up and seems to be getting around a little better so hopeful it will straighten out eventually. I would really like to release them when they get big enough if that is possible. Not sure on the disabled one though. Playpen was moved from the back porch to the bedroom last night so I could keep an eye one little ones and it started raining this morning so they will stay warmer. Baby rabbits have been and still is a learning experience. I've raised calves, piglets and baby goats before . . . wiped a few butts in my lifetime when they weren't cleaned, but stimulating to actually do their business is a new thing.

Use a warm wet washcloth to stimulate them. It simulates the mom licking them. I'm really impressed that you've gotten this far. Guess you're going to be the bunny whisperer from now on.

 

[Danil54grl]

Use a warm wet washcloth to stimulate them. It simulates the mom licking them. I'm really impressed that you've gotten this far. Guess you're going to be the bunny whisperer from now on.

We'll have to see about that. I've been using a squeezed out cotton ball dipped in warm water. Seems to be doing the trick. The one that had bloat yesterday ate some formula a little while ago finally. Not gulping from the bottle nip, I am now just squeezing the bottle and letting him lick. Hoping that will reduce the gas in his tummy. Last night I was lifting his hind legs up a little bit by placing my finger on the underside of his belly towards his back legs trying to get the gas out which seemed to help with the massaging.

 

[Roninsensei]

 

[Kevin L]

Good luck.

Rabbits are vegetarians, so kitten milk might cause problems.

I do know that there is a milk substitute for guinea pigs, and guinea pigs are vegetarians and in a closely related species, so this type of milk substitute might work better than kitten milk.

Wombarro milk replacer from Passwell.