BABY BUNNY how to care for one???

[HHRP]

Moms boyfriend's rabbit had first litter and killed & ate all but one. I have fox valley & want to know how often to feed and how to care for it. I am thinking to do the same thing as I would a squirrel. Am I right? Can anyone give me any info? It was born today

[lilidukes]

I have always had to tube feed baby cottontails. 3x's a day. I know others use a syringe but I never had any luck. I also had better results using the goats milk recipe. Bunnies are so hard. Good luck!

[Milo's Mom]

send a PM to Squirrelsrule&Bunniestoo...she does LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of bunnies every year.

They have all kinds of special needs when they are that young. She tubes all of her bunnies and I believe she has a pretty sweet success record with them too.

[cuteascnb]

Bunnies are what im used to...99% of the time a rabbit will kill or abandon her first litter! It's very upsetting and its very hard to rehabilitate harder then squirrels...at leadt from what ive been through...! Best bet is the goats formula...esbilac always worked well for me...they need to be fed ateast 3 times a day...u will see the belly fill with milk. Don't over feed, about 3-4 cc's depending on the rabbit....dwarfs id say 3 but meat rabbits or flemish giants can eat up to 5 cc's a feeding....be sure to keep warm. If they start to have labored breathing its a bad sign...like squirrels they need there mothers formula that first 24 hours...its filled with vitamins and antibodies that store bought formula does not replace....Good Luck! Oh they need to be on formula at least 6 weeks....eyes open at 5 weeks and can be given solid food then.

[HHRP]

Thanks guys, sounds like I am up for a challenge! Oh man, I now am worried, hope I can save the lil guy.

[cuteascnb]

well either way whatever happens just know that you gave him a shot at life...Sometimes its just not meantto be :-(!!! Keep hoping though!:grouphug

[gs1]

runestonez does a lot of work with domestic rabbits ....

but this is a really hard situation....

i've heard that with suckling animals it's better to feed them with a syringe rather than tubing...

what i've heard with rabbits eating their litter is that they're anxious and in a sense trying to protect their babies.....

rabbits are total vegetarians...

i hope that your boyfriend will spay this rabbit asap ...85% of females will get uterine cancer before their 3rd birthday....

:grouphug

i'll see if i can find out some info for you ...

fox valley does sell baby cotton tale formula ...maybe you could ask nick if you can use the squirrel formula ...just for now...

the other big problem is that this bunny didn't get colustrum so his digestion is going to be off....

do you have a good rabbit vet?

:grouphug :grouphug :grouphug

[HHRP]

Its not my boyfriend, my moms and no rabbit vet. I have my dogs vet that I have taken my squirrels to, but what could and would the vet do for the baby?

[HHRP]

also do i need to wake up during night every 4 hours and feed? I was told to feed 3x per day. So?????

[gs1]

http://www.rabbit.org/care/babies.html#Are_The_Babies_in_Danger?



Infants lose the suckling instinct quickly, so if hand feeding is to be attempted, it must be started within 48 hours. Kitten nursers are much too large for the mouth of a baby rabbit. Toy doll bottles are sometimes small enough. If the baby has lost the suckling instinct, a tuberculin syringe (with needle removed, of course) can be used to carefully administer formula. Allow the babies to swallow naturally, or it may aspirate (breathe fluids into its lungs.) Be sure that the formula is warm, the babies are warm and that the bottle or syringe is sterile. Serious pathogens may be present in both the nursers and the formula, if not prepared correctly


what could a rabbit vet do??? no idea but maybe advise on how to treat a newborn rabbit... or maybe a tech there would be willing to raise it???

i'm not sure......

:grouphug

[cuteascnb]

U might want to feed him once at night....if he doesn't want it don't force it...