Broken back?

[Emily]

Edna kindled this morning, and we came in and found 7 cold hungry kits and two who had died. We didn't pay much attention to Edna right away, as we were concerned with pulling fur and warming the buns up. Looks like she broke her back somehow. We attached a few kits to nurse, and thought "Wow, she's being SO cooperative!" Well, she just couldn't get away even if she wanted to.

She doesn't seem like she's in any pain at all. She's just kind of chilling next to the nest box. She dragged herself over to a piece of carrot we gave her as a treat and chowed down. Her tail moves a bit, but I haven't seen much movement in her legs. If she survives, can she raise these kits (with our help) or is the prognosis so poor that we should go ahead and put her down?

My husband thinks he did it, but looking back, I think she was like that when we found her. So if we can save her, I want to try. He's just sick over it.

 

[MaggieJ]

If she's not in pain, you could wait and see. The tail movement is a good sign. Pinch her between the toes of her back feet and hope for a reaction. Let her rest and be vigilant for signs of pain. Make sure she can reach food and water. If you can get some willow twigs, they are excellent food and also an analgesic. If she starts going downhill or you see signs of pain like tooth grinding, you will likely have to put her down, but I do think you could wait and see. More than one person has suspected a broken back and found later that it was a lesser injury and the swelling at the spine was causing the immobility. It would be a pity to lose doe and kits unless absolutely necessary.

Unless you have another doe to foster the kits to, you might want to lay in a supply of what you will need to hand-feed them. There is a sticky thread in the Rabbit Care forum that will give you good information.

BTW, tell your husband to quit kicking himself. Rabbits are subject to back injuries. They freak out and do stupid things... and that is what causes most of these injuries.

 

[Secuono]

I would keep her and put kits on her 2x a day until they can be weaned. If she hasn't managed to improve by then, cull her.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I don't know if this happens with rabbits, but milk cows sometimes get "milk fever" soon after calving, which causes collapse and progressive coma. They are treated with calcium injections. If you don't have the injectable form, giving calcium orally might help. Do you have any calcium drench that you could give her? Or Tums?

I learned this tidbit of info from reading the books written by James Herriot, and I happened to find the story just now online. His books are amusing reading, and I think you could use a laugh about now. It is the first chapter in this link:

http://www.olypen.com/gnarl/xfer4/!data ... %20Vet.txt

 

[grumpy]

This happens for unknown reasons. A normally healthy doe will "go-down" in the hind legs. She could have easily torqued her spinal column and damaged her spinal cord. The outlook isn't very good.

I've lost some very good does to this unfortunate occurrence. Up and bouncin' around before the lights go out for the night. The next morning, they're having to drag themselves around the cage. All it takes is a "twist" a certain way and they'll go down.

Grumpy.

 

[Emily]

Well, she was doing really great up until we were getting ready for bed. I went to check on her one more time and bless her little heart, she flinched at the sight of me and was grinding her teeth. We put her down right away, and my husband and I both felt really relived it was over.

We're attempting to hand raise her kits. I'm honestly not too sure how well its going. They're all still alive, warm, and squirmy - so that's good, right? I'm hoping our second doe who is due any day now has a small litter so I can foster some over.

 

[ladysown]

even if the doe doesn't have a small litter kits can survive just fine on one feeding a day. Keep them divided and just switch out the boxes morning and evening. OR bunch 'em all into one bundle and let her divide them up.

 

[Emily]

even if the doe doesn't have a small litter kits can survive just fine on one feeding a day. Keep them divided and just switch out the boxes morning and evening. OR bunch 'em all into one bundle and let her divide them up.

Thanks! I'm hoping she kindles soon. The current kit's mother kindled 30 days almost to the hour, I'm hoping for the same good fortune with the one who is due.<br /><br />__________ Thu Jun 07, 2012 4:33 pm __________<br /><br />My husband found one of the bigger kits this morning out of the nest, so he warmed him and put him back. When we went to feed them a few hours later, he was dead at the bottom of the nest. We're down to five kits now, and really hoping they make it until Honey kindles.

 

[-HRanchito]

My husband found one of the bigger kits this morning out of the nest, so he warmed him and put him back. When we went to feed them a few hours later, he was dead at the bottom of the nest. We're down to five kits now, and really hoping they make it until Honey kindles.

Poor kit. Hope the others do ok!

 

[MamaSheepdog]

So sorry you had to cull the doe, and lost a kit, too! I hope your other doe delivers quickly and has a litter on the small side!

You might want to top dress Honey's pellets with the powdered milk replacer to boost her milk production to handle the extra kits.

 

[Emily]

So sorry you had to cull the doe, and lost a kit, too! I hope your other doe delivers quickly and has a litter on the small side!

You might want to top dress Honey's pellets with the powdered milk replacer to boost her milk production to handle the extra kits.

Great idea, thanks!<br /><br />__________ Sat Jun 09, 2012 7:00 pm __________<br /><br />We lost them all. Honey STILL hasn't kindled.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Oh, no! I'm so sorry, Emily! It is next to impossible to hand raise rabbits from what I have seen here, so don't feel like it was your fault in any way. What a terrible shame to lose the doe and the litter- that must be very hard to take. ((Hugs))

I hope Honey has a trouble free delivery and gives you a nice nestbox full of squirmy, healthy popples!