Fairly pointless attempt to save almost dead kit, suggestion

This rabbit was born the past Wednesday, 5 days old now. I have never seen him with a full tummy and I've watched him turn into a skeleton.

I decide this morning when I did my checks to at least try to help him out. I held momma and brought him to her there didn't seem to be any stress she allowed it to happen but the baby didn't even search for a nipple or make any effort to feed. Someone said they have a goat milk based food but I haven't found any yet around here. I did have KMR and figured since he was already 99% going to die I'd try that

I got some of the food in him. I cut the man of the house's best wool sock and made a mitten stuffed with some of the bedding from the nest. I am holding the baby in my Palm and can feel him moving and he seems active compared to when I found him this morning. He is so fragile feeling even gently picking him up I was afraid I'd break his bones. I can see like all his bones. He's just skin. Will this keep him warm enough? And how much liquid should I try getting in him and how often? I am aware he is almost positively going to not make it. He is in bad shape but I think I'd like to try anyway. I feel like it's my responsibility to at least try. I'd take any suggestions that could be helpful. Thank you

Honestly, I put them out of their misery at that point. It's not easy, but it seems to be the humane thing to do. I have had a couple random kits that just weren't going to make it. Even watched one attempt to suckle on two different does and still no luck (he could latch on, but couldnt' seem to get anything)... I wonder if there are underlying issues that can't be seen making eating difficult or impossible.

Hi,

you know these threads?:

formula-feeding-baby-bunnies-pics-vids-t3691.html
updated-hand-feeding-formula-t27372.html

Walmart carries evaporated goat milk, and maybe even goat milk powder.

Not that I have much hope for this kit either, but well, one can try...

Yes, Walmart and many grocery stores have evaporated goat milk with the other evaporated milk (baking supplies).

It would be better than the KMR, because KMR is cow's-milk based, and is not digested as well by baby bunnies. It may cause diarrhea. Still, it is certainly better than nothing if no goat's milk is to be found, or at least until you can find some.

Be sure to mix the KMR double strength, if you continue using it. Do not dilute evaporated goat's milk, as it is already double strength. Rabbit milk is very nutrient-dense. The first thread Preitler linked to is a basic three-ingredient formula recipe using evaporated goat's milk. The second is an improvement of the recipe by Homer... I think it has two more ingredients.

Putting the kit down is an option no one here would get on you for taking. Some members would go ahead with it at this point, while others would try for a while to save it.

I have to admit, I'd probably try to save it.

Even if you have success keeping them alive on milk there is an even bigger risk of losses when converting them to solid food without the process the doe goes through. We just can't mimic that very well yet. There's a chance if left with it's siblings while being handfed it will be weaned normally to solid food but fully removed from other rabbits I found the difficulty weaning them to not be worth it. I even hauled a large litter on vacation with me while staying in a hotel. They are quiet and don't smell so I just scooped the whole nest into a backpack and we went mobile. Going through all that trouble only to have success possibly ruined when they start eating solid food made me eventually decide to only help if they are already nibbling things around when they open their eyes (~10days) or older.

Akane has a valid point, and this is an issue some members have had. Others have not, and some have had the problem even with kits that got all their milk from their mothers. Homer's improvement on the formula recipe includes a probiotic that will hopefully clear up the main issues with handraising kits.

Oh -- and about your clever mitt!

Is that just for feeding, and you're putting him in with his littermates between feedings? If so, that's quite sufficient.

If not, it may work out better to put him in a nest box with a heated water bottle that's covered with the sock. Any fur you can give him along with it and the bedding will help. Another option is to put the nest box halfway onto a heating pad on low. Naturally, you have to watch what sort of surface you do this on, keep out of reach of small children and pets, etc.

I do like your mitt, but if it's for all the time and not just for feeding then I think it's probably a stopgap sort of thing rather than a longer-term solution... largely because baby bunnies can pee surprising amounts and at very inconvenient times! :x

I have always used probiotics on every litter. I found they love bene bac that is already in the paste. They'll gobble that stuff off your finger before they are eating anything besides formula. Sometimes it doesn't matter. I used 3 probiotic sources on one litter and still had horrible problems with several deaths after they grew just fine on powdered goat milk. I even use prebiotics with my animals sometimes. Materials that help support bacteria in the digestive tract.

The mit was to keep him warm while I tried to feed him outside the nest. He was pretty active while he was in it for a little bit. It didn't work he was too far gone. I had to run kids to the dentist and he died in the nest while I was away. I thought keeping him warm and the smell of his nest would make it easier for him to eat but he was this small. The others were 3x his size.

First kit I've ever had die but it wasn't as upsetting as I thought it would be, then again I expected this result. She still has 11 of her 12 kits and all of those appear to be healthy and we'll fed.

Heritage seems to have been right I had a responsibility to my animal but I think it was to put it out of its misery not prolong it a few more hours as I may have. Lesson learned. Thank you everyone.

Fall mom":2bz9z774 said:

The mit was to keep him warm while I tried to feed him outside the nest. He was pretty active while he was in it for a little bit. It didn't work he was too far gone. I had to run kids to the dentist and he died in the nest while I was away. I thought keeping him warm and the smell of his nest would make it easier for him to eat but he was this small. The others were 3x his size.


First kit I've ever had die but it wasn't as upsetting as I thought it would be, then again I expected this result. She still has 11 of her 12 kits and all of those appear to be healthy and we'll fed.

Heritage seems to have been right I had a responsibility to my animal but I think it was to put it out of its misery not prolong it a few more hours as I may have. Lesson learned. Thank you everyone.

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I'm so sorry . You made a valiant effort to try and save it... and now have some knowledge and experience to lean on if it happens again! Out of the 14 or 15 litters I have had, there were 2 that just didn't do well for whatever reason...

I'm sorry he didn't make it. It's all a learning experience, for sure!

heritage":331f9vj7 said:

Honestly, I put them out of their misery at that point. It's not easy, but it seems to be the humane thing to do. I have had a couple random kits that just weren't going to make it. Even watched one attempt to suckle on two different does and still no luck (he could latch on, but couldnt' seem to get anything)... I wonder if there are underlying issues that can't be seen making eating difficult or impossible.

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Curious how you put the kits out of their misery? I have yet to have a kit in bad condition but would like to know how everyone goes about doing this so when the time comes I will know what to do.

Kenzierey":3cc8jpp7 said:

heritage":3cc8jpp7 said:

Honestly, I put them out of their misery at that point. It's not easy, but it seems to be the humane thing to do. I have had a couple random kits that just weren't going to make it. Even watched one attempt to suckle on two different does and still no luck (he could latch on, but couldnt' seem to get anything)... I wonder if there are underlying issues that can't be seen making eating difficult or impossible.

Click to expand...

Curious how you put the kits out of their misery? I have yet to have a kit in bad condition but would like to know how everyone goes about doing this so when the time comes I will know what to do.

Click to expand...

Cervical dislocation... I have used scissors/pruners on newborn kits if I am prepared (something I learned when dealing with suffering chicks). There was one time I had to do it by hand because I heard a kit screaming - found the doe eating it alive from back to front :shock: . I didn't feel like I had time to run and get anything, just needed to get it done. That wasn't easy.

Generally, my husband dispatches the kits that we feel should be euthanized. He usually removes the head quickly, with a heavy blade or with his hands, like heritage just mentioned, deepening on just how much suffering the kit may be experiencing.
I think, doing it immediately like that shows an awful lot of compassion, since it's probably one of the hardest ways possible for the human, but the very fastest for a suffering kit.

When I have had to dispatch very small animals myself, I always opted for quickly crushing the skull.

Hand pruners are what I use, they are quick and very easy to use.

For the transitioning from milk to solids I have watched many litters and one thing I have noticed, if kits get the chance, they will hoover up their mothers poo pellets any chance they get to eat them. Many of my best does start pooing in the nest box right about day 10 or 11 so now, if I have a litter doing a bit poorly I make sure they have access to fresh mother poo.

They do seem to come on better after I give it to them.

I am so sorry your little one died but as has already been stated, we all learn MUCH more doing something like this than when everything goes well.