My doe just gave birth to her first litter & when I checked I can see 1 wiggler in the nest and the other was out in the hutch with the after birth and cord still attached. What happened & it looks dead :-( Help!!!
Dead baby? URGENT
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MamaSheepdog
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It might not be dead- you may save it yet. Warm it up. Put it into your shirt for now. Put a couple of towels in the dryer to warm, and then make a small hollow in the towels. Place the kit in there and close the door.
Then make a thorough search all around the cage for any others.<br /><br />__________ Tue Aug 20, 2013 5:01 pm __________<br /><br />We have a saying here that a kit is not dead until it is warm and dead.
I hope that is the case here. :clover:
Then make a thorough search all around the cage for any others.<br /><br />__________ Tue Aug 20, 2013 5:01 pm __________<br /><br />We have a saying here that a kit is not dead until it is warm and dead.
I hope that is the case here. :clover:
:yeahthat:
I see MamaSheepdog beat me to it, but it bears repeating!
Warm it... It may just be chilled. I don't know what to suggest about the cord and afterbirth, but I would likely tie off the cord with thread and then sever it below the thread. Assuming that once warmed there are signs of life.
Remember... with rabbits the kits are not dead until they are warm and dead. If they are still chilly then there is a chance of saving them. Hold them against your body or warm them in a container with a hot water bottle. Some people put them in a baggie and float them in warm water. I've never done that, but some people swear by it.
I see MamaSheepdog beat me to it, but it bears repeating!
Warm it... It may just be chilled. I don't know what to suggest about the cord and afterbirth, but I would likely tie off the cord with thread and then sever it below the thread. Assuming that once warmed there are signs of life.
Remember... with rabbits the kits are not dead until they are warm and dead. If they are still chilly then there is a chance of saving them. Hold them against your body or warm them in a container with a hot water bottle. Some people put them in a baggie and float them in warm water. I've never done that, but some people swear by it.
Thanks, have done that with the dead one. I just went and checked back and the one that I could see wiggling I can't find!! Is it ok to disturb the nest to look for it? I can hear a tiny clicking sound coming from somewhere? Help!!
Cottie
Well-known member
Go ahead and look. None of my does have had a problem with me poking around directly after kindling.flipp":226a2ylo said:
How long does it take for the dead one to show signs of life if it isn't dead?<br /><br />__________ Tue Aug 20, 2013 8:34 pm __________<br /><br />There appears to be just the one that is alive. It is buried down very deep under loads of fur. I pray it will survive! The dead one has not shown any signs of life yet so I think it must have died :-(
Flemishstar
Well-known member
Has it stiffened up?.... and like MJ and MSD said....If its warm and still lifeless then you must have lost the baby 
fingers crossed on the other(s)?
fingers crossed on the other(s)?No, it hasn't stiffened up yet but it's still not moving. Do you think it could have been dead on birth seeing as she didn't bother to clean it up and it was outside with the cord and after birth still attached? The other little one is making lots of noise and wiggling around furiously! She has dug a very deep hole in the hay to put it in - it is deeper than from your finger tips up to between your elbow and wrist and it took me ages to find it. Is this too deep for her to feed it? I hope it will survive on its own! I have read first time does often lose their litters but I will be very sad if it passes when it is so actively alive right now!!
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What breed of rabbit is she? If she's a medium to large breed, she may actually not be done giving birth yet. If she's small, then she probably is.
The reason I bring this up is that you may need to bring the surviving baby inside, and take it out to her twice a day to feed. It's difficult for a singleton to stay warm enough to survive at first. You can bring the baby, some hay, and a bunch of fur in and set it up in a box if the doe is large and might have more kits still. Or you can bring in the whole nest.
You can put the nest or box with the baby in it on a heating pad on "low", with only half of the box on the heating pad. This way, the baby can get away from the heat if it needs to.
Or you can put a hot water bottle in with it, or a bottle of heated water with a sock covering it. The baby will need help for a week to 10 days, possibly, to be able to keep warm.
I'm sorry it sounds like you lost the other one. Yes, if you got it warm, and it still didn't move, it's dead. I've gone through this several times myself, warming kits to see if they're alive.
The reason I bring this up is that you may need to bring the surviving baby inside, and take it out to her twice a day to feed. It's difficult for a singleton to stay warm enough to survive at first. You can bring the baby, some hay, and a bunch of fur in and set it up in a box if the doe is large and might have more kits still. Or you can bring in the whole nest.
You can put the nest or box with the baby in it on a heating pad on "low", with only half of the box on the heating pad. This way, the baby can get away from the heat if it needs to.
Or you can put a hot water bottle in with it, or a bottle of heated water with a sock covering it. The baby will need help for a week to 10 days, possibly, to be able to keep warm.
I'm sorry it sounds like you lost the other one. Yes, if you got it warm, and it still didn't move, it's dead. I've gone through this several times myself, warming kits to see if they're alive.
She is a mini lop, she hasn't birthed anymore at this stage, I assume she is done and it was her first litter. I bought her hutch inside a week ago in preparation for the babies arrival so she is in a quiet room where the wind can't get them. If I do take the baby out and keep it in a box with a warm pad, when I return it to her will she go and feed it straight away? Do you think I should take the baby and keep it warm or will it be okay by itself considering the cage is indoors?
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Inside or out, the baby will not be able to keep itself warm very well at all.
With the cage indoors, it should be fine to leave the nest with her, if you put something in the nest to help the baby keep warm. If you're going to use a heating pad, you will have to take the nest out. Make sure to put it in a secure place, where no other pets can get to it.
If using a heating pad, make sure to put it on a surface that can take the heat. Like on top of the washer or dryer. Heating pads are notorious for fluctuating heat levels, even suddenly going rather hot even on low after a few hours. That's why you put the nest only half on the pad.
With the cage indoors, it should be fine to leave the nest with her, if you put something in the nest to help the baby keep warm. If you're going to use a heating pad, you will have to take the nest out. Make sure to put it in a secure place, where no other pets can get to it.
If using a heating pad, make sure to put it on a surface that can take the heat. Like on top of the washer or dryer. Heating pads are notorious for fluctuating heat levels, even suddenly going rather hot even on low after a few hours. That's why you put the nest only half on the pad.
