ALL baby bunnies died from the same litter! Please help idk what to do :(

[BUNSinTHEoven]

My BEW Lionhead rabbit had babies June 22 2022. They all have been thriving until a week or even some days after they opened there eyes. It started with the weakest one. When I found him in the corner of the cardboard box they have been living in he was cold. I did everything to warm him but sadly he had passed with his legs sticking out. I didn’t think much of it as it is normal for babies to die sometimes. Then a few days later another one was sick. Just like the black one he was acting like he was having a seizure and wasn’t walking correctly. He was gasping for air as if he couldn’t breath, just like the black one. He died soon after. I tried doing re-search about it but nothing, absolutely nothing popped up. Now today, 2 of them have passed, exactly how the black and white one did. There is a harlequin VM and a Extremely Lightly eye-liner Tri baby Left. Both of them are acting sick. The Harlequin didn’t want to eat, I’m not sure if the Tri one would eat as I haven’t checked but I doubt so. Please keep in mind ALL of them are having the same symptoms. Here are the symptoms, Yawning/gasping for air, fall over to there side and stick there legs out like in the picture below, look like they are having trouble walking or having seizures. ALL of them also stick the legs and front paws out when they die like in the picture below. In the picture below the Broken VM is dead and a lightly marked TRI eye-liner is alive but staying in that position. He only moves very little when I touch hand he made a squeak with yawning/gasping for air.
In case your confused there is 2 TRI”s 4 WHITEs/Broken Black VM and a One harlequin VM…sorry if this doesn’t make sense, I’m typing fast and I’m just really devastated right now..

here is some information about the doe’s Past Litter. Her last litter ( first Litter ) was a Miscarriage. there was only 2 babies in that litter. Right now ( with this litter ) there was 7 but 1 black one died during birth. Leaving me with 6. Now 2, who will probably die by morning….ANY help is appreciated!

 

[ladysown]

colour doesn't matter when you have babies dying. Gasping tends to mean respiratory issues. with kits this young that means (generally) that you are looking for mould or dust. OR if you are in an area with high heat... heat issues can kill young rabbits as well.

so they are about 2.5-3 weeks old? Are they out of the nestbox? Or did you have them still in? I tip my boxes in hot weather right around day 10-12 max. Solid or wire bottomed cages? Inside or outside? AC or no? Do you use bedding.... if so, what type? The more information you can give us the more we can help.

Mind, if its respiratory issues... hard to solve in little ones.

Your eyeliner babies are probably lightly marked charlies. (in whatever colour)

 

[BUNSinTHEoven]

colour doesn't matter when you have babies dying. Gasping tends to mean respiratory issues. with kits this young that means (generally) that you are looking for mould or dust. OR if you are in an area with high heat... heat issues can kill young rabbits as well.

so they are about 2.5-3 weeks old? Are they out of the nestbox? Or did you have them still in? I tip my boxes in hot weather right around day 10-12 max. Solid or wire bottomed cages? Inside or outside? AC or no? Do you use bedding.... if so, what type? The more information you can give us the more we can help.

Mind, if its respiratory issues... hard to solve in little ones.

Your eyeliner babies are probably lightly marked charlies. (in whatever colour)

Thank you for helping me!
They must have had respiratory issues ☹

Yes they are around that age. They still have there nest box because I have the AC on in my apartment and since there mom lives on a solid floor cage she makes messes with her water bowl ( she spill’s her water on the solid floor and if I’m not there I don’t want the babies to step in the water and get wet ) and litter box so I don’t want them stepping in water or anything. They are currently indoor rabbits. Here is the bedding I use in the picture. I don’t have any bedding in there Nest box ( just very little ) but I do have a shirt. The 2 babies that I are acting sick are inside the nest box right now. Everyone else died..

 

[ladysown]

is that cedar bedding? it was hard to see in the picture. Cedar bedding can cause rabbits respiratory distress.

 

[MaggieJ]

Just want to say that I agree with everything Ladysown has said about this -- including that the more we know, the more we can help you figure it out.

I'm sorry you're going through this -- it must be extremely distressing.

 

[BUNSinTHEoven]

is that cedar bedding? it was hard to see in the picture. Cedar bedding can cause rabbits respiratory distress.

No I don’t think so. It is sophresh natural softwood. I really hope not though because when I searched cedar bedding it was one of the items that popped up…if not it is probably mold or dust from my apartment vent. ( I will no longer be raising them inside my apartment either way as I am moving ) meanwhile I probably won’t have any more litter’s until move..
.

 

[BUNSinTHEoven]

Just want to say that I agree with everything Ladysown has said about this -- including that the more we know, the more we can help you figure it out.

I'm sorry you're going through this -- it must be extremely distressing.

It’s okay and I really do appreciate the help!

 

[BUNSinTHEoven]

is that cedar bedding? it was hard to see in the picture. Cedar bedding can cause rabbits respiratory distress.

Thank you for you helping me,I really do appreciate it!
After doing some research about the bedding I had realized it was the cause for making the bunnies sick…I have now taken the shirt and everything out of the next box for the sick bunnies. I put a new shirt and everything for them, I really hope they survive but this is my fault for getting this bag without doing research and just listening to the star ratings instead of looking at the reviews. But once again thank you for helping me figure the cause, if no one had commented I would still be using the same bedding and harming more lives..i am now going to throw out the bedding and get a new kind tomorrow morning!

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

Their next box is a cardboard box with a shirt and a little bit of bedding in it?

 

[ladysown]

I would suggest giving Mama a water bottle so she can't spill water or a bowl that you can attach to the side of the cage, and letting those kits out of the box... Once you get better bedding.

 

[BUNSinTHEoven]

Their next box is a cardboard box with a shirt and a little bit of bedding in it?

Yes as there mom didn’t pull out any fur so I just used a shirt and some bedding

 

[BUNSinTHEoven]

I would suggest giving Mama a water bottle so she can't spill water or a bowl that you can attach to the side of the cage, and letting those kits out of the box... Once you get better bedding.

Yes I am going to go to the pet store soon to get her a water bottle. Sadly the 2 kits had died the same exact way, with there legs sticking out..from now on I will be getting paper bedding.

 

[Olbunny]

I would put a water bottle in. They can drip so I wired a little metal bowl under it. Just spitballing here. If the doe isn't getting enough water maybe she isn't giving enough milk to the kits. They need water full time. It looks like the doe does not have full access to nurse when she wants/ needs. Because she isn't nursing her milk production is down. And her body isn't producing enough milk.
We leave our kits with the does for 5-6 weeks. Full time. Does generally feed babies only 2-3 times a day. I would would keep them together and provide clean water full time. I use a water port lower area of the pen for the kits to drink from. The doe will teach them to drink from it.
If you have access to birch or willow trees. Get some small branches for them to chew on. These trees have beneficial trace minerals in them that are good for health. And helps keep teeth healthy. Helps with boredom n stress.
Good luck n stay positive