Delivery Troubles

[Longslides]

I raise/show Lionheads. A 5 year old doe who is outstanding I got from a breeder friend of mine. She told me that the doe was not having as many kits in her litters as she did, which is to be expected. I have bred her 4 times now. The first 2, the kits delivered two days late and were dead. The later times there were only one kit and always at least two days late. She is an outstanding doe and if I could get at least one kit to carry her on I would pet her out afterwards. But I really want that one kit!!! She is now two days late and I can palpate and feel at least one kit. Can anyone give me any advise? I am a retired Vet. Tech so know most of the ordinary stuff. Any help out there?

 

[ladysown]

you can try to encourage her to kindle by
- feeding a tums, having a buck mount her, give her some extra exercise, feed some lavender

Worse case scenario is to cull her, remove the kit and foster it. BUT that's a very much last case resort. I would ONLY do this is the doe was in bad shape and not likely to survive AND if I had a doe I could foster a kit to.

 

[Longslides]

What does the Tums do? If it is to throw her into labor, how long after eating does it take?

 

[MaggieJ]

TUMS gives the doe a calcium boost. It is usually an easy way to get the extra calcium into them... They like the fruit flavour.

 

[trinityoaks]

After losing an entire litter and almost losing the doe to a calcium deficiency, I started putting a teaspoon or two of calcium drench (for goats) in my does' water bottles during the last week of pregnancy and while they are nursing.

 

[skysthelimit]

After losing an entire litter and almost losing the doe to a calcium deficiency, I started putting a teaspoon or two of calcium drench (for goats) in my does' water bottles during the last week of pregnancy and while they are nursing.

thanks for that tidbit. i had a doe lose an entire litter to it; normally if it was a dog, i would feed it ice cream, but i had no idea what to do about the rabbit.

 

[Longslides]

She ate the Tums and runs circles around a pen from my buck so got plenty of exercise she wasn't doing anything for days but sitting still. LOL Mostly they all just sit still tho. Anyway have done advised so will see what transpires from this. Thanks for the quick advise.<br /><br />__________ Mon Apr 02, 2012 1:58 am __________<br /><br />Well an update for anyone who may be up at this unheard of hour of the early A.M. , almost 2:00AM EST. My Rose has delivered 3 kits so far, looks like one is dead, but I am so grateful for the babies I have. I only found the website today (yeaterday) and joined. I received the help and I do feel it was because of the help I was given that I didn't end up with nothing again. Now I can/retire this wonderful Lionhead. Her line will go on thru her kits. Thanks so much!!!

 

[SarahMelisse]

I'm so glad to hear it all turned out well. Best of luck with those kits!

 

[ladysown]

two kits will have a hard time keeping warm together so you may wish to foster them if you have a litter to foster them with. Or even to add one from another litter to assist them in keeping warm.

 

[MaggieJ]

Ladysown is right. Kits keep warm by combined body heat and two often have problems. If you can't foster or add a kit from another litter, you might want to bring them indoors and just take them to the doe for feedings twice a day. I usually just bring the cage in, doe and all if that happens. I like to keep momma with her kits. You could also provide supplementary heat... a hot water bottle every few hours is a cheap fix or a heat rock or pad intended for reptiles. Anything electric brings the risk of the doe chewing the wire, so please take precautions to prevent this.

For a quick hot water bottle, take a screw cap wine or liquor bottle (or even a soda bottle) and prewarm it with hot tap water. Then refill and pull a sock over it. Lay it along one side of the nest box so that the kits can gravitate to it or away from it as they need to.