This is a 4 day old litter from a NZW doe. When they were born, they were all the same size, all well fed, and very active and noisy. We checked them Saturday a.m., and they were all fine. Sunday they didn't get checked, we were in a hurry. This morning when I checked, I have one that doesn't look like it's going to make it, and some that are fed, but just ok.

But this morning some seem to have this skin thing going on, and I don't know what it is! Can anyone tell me what this is, and what we should do for them? I have not ever seen this before in any of my litters.

It's not like urine. They don't smell, and the nestbox is not wet, mom is very good with her nestbox. The hair and hay are not wet where they were laying either.

Sorry, crappy cell pictures.





This is the one I'm thinking isn't going to make it, but this one seems to have the most of whatever this is.






It's on the feet as well, and those that have this are darker skinned on the belly, and legs.

Well I am no expert, nor a Veterinarian, but my first thoughts were Cheyletiella parasitovorax. It may be mites.

Here is a link: http://www.rabbit.org/journal/4-9/skin.html

Good luck!

honestly from the pics they look like wet kits. I can't see anything beyond that.

They are not wet at all. I'll bring my camera out there, and get a better pic.

My humble opinion would be dehydration. Wrinkly skin like that could mean they aren't getting enough milk.
I could be wrong, it's happened before...

I should add, what I'm questioning is the brownish patches. These are out of two NZW, so I'm expecting white kits. What are the patches?

Momma bunny peed on them, the urine has dried and stained the fur same thing happened to me, I just gave them a little rub in a warm wet towel to clean them up.
The smallest kit in the litter had the worsed of it as she was at the bottom of the nestbox.
I could be very wrong though.

Yea, it could be urine irritation, as this is more likely.

It may be just urine... I've seem those bars (more faintly) on our occasional white kits. I suggest you bring the worst one in, use a cotton ball and warm water to spot clean an area and see if the fur looks normal once dry and clean. If it looks better, it is likely just urine; if not you will have to consider other possibilties.

What happened? How are they doing?

Sorry for taking so long to get back to this......busy day yesterday. Anyhow, it is urine. It washed right off. Unfortunately, the little one in the pictures, whom I thought wasn't going to make it, had passed by the time I got back out there. This morning, there are 2 more, potentially 3, that will not make it, and I'm thinking I may just cull the 2 of them for sure, and hope the 3rd does better.

I don't get it. This doe was a VERY good producer! This is her 3rd litter in a row that have not thrived like her normal litters, and she's never peed on them before. She's in good shape, she's getting free choice pellets, and a mix of alfalfa and grass hay. She's not fat, or underweight, and half of the kits do good. At this point, I've got 3 upcoming junior does who will be ready to breed in a month, and once they are breeding this doe will be culled. I don't want to mess with this anymore.

Thank you to everyone for the responses, and information!!

Where is the nest box? Is it over her potty corner? Try moving it...also, are you sure it is the doe? I know that sounds weird but I have one that I thought was peeing but it ended up being the month old litter next door. They were hopping up onto the top of the nest box and peeing thru the wire into the other nest box...

weirder things have happened! (re kits peeing on them).

Sometimes there's a change in the rabbitry.
Sometimes it's just the doe.

At this point I would simply foster the kits to another doe OR remove the nestbox and only bring it to her for feedings.

Thanks for the thoughts!!

No one to foster these with at the moment, the only other doe close has 9 of her own a week older, and I don't want to put anymore with her. I pulled the nestbox out.



It's in a corner that she rarely uses, and the same corner I always put her nestbox in. No chance it's anyone else, there's 2' between each stacker, and her cage is not accessible by anyone else. Just one of those things I guess.

2' really isn't that much space for a very determined sprayer...I've been hit a from an over excited teenager from the other end of the rabbitry, so don't count it out. It only takes a little bit to make an issue.