Help please! rabbit in labor for over 2 hours!

[beccaboo]

I have a lionhead who was bred to a polish and was due today
as far as I know this is her first litter, I've only had her since october but they said she was about a year when I got her.

there was a drop of blood on the edge of her nest box last night around 5 but she was acting normal other than that so I thought I'd wake up and see babies

but when I woke up there she had pulled out a bunch more fur and put it in her nest box, she wouldnt touch the food I gave her.

About an hour later she jumped in her nest box and started having contractions, this was around 10:20 this morning, it's now 12:45, but about a half hour later she jumped out and there was only some blood. Now she's been sat in the same place for an hour or so and I picked her up to make sure there wasn't a stuck baby or anything and I don't see any signs of a kit on its way out but there was a small puddle of blood

I'm getting worried because it's been 2 1/2 hours now and I don't know what to do.... HELP?!

 

[MaggieJ]

Sometimes a rabbit will deliver her whole litter within half an hour, but it is not uncommon for it to take considerably longer. A calcium boost might help. If you have some TUMS antacid, give her one. If she needs the calcium it contains she will likely eat it. Don't panic! Rabbits rarely have major problems giving birth. But do give us an update soon so we can advise you.

 

[beccaboo]

thank you! I don't think I have any tums... I will check the bathroom. What are some fruits/vegetables that might have calcium?

 

[LeAnn24]

I agree with MaggieJ no real need to panic yet. Only thing I would add is if you can check her to see if a kit is possibly stuck. Hoping for some healthy kits for you shortly.

 

[akane]

It's not uncommon for them to take 24hrs. Occasionally they even deliver a few more than a day later.

 

[MaggieJ]

Dark leafy greens have calcium: dandelion, alfalfa, beet tops etc. Be sure NOT to give her any antacid that is not calcium... some of the other types could be dangerous.

 

[PistolPackingMomma]

Kale, turnip greens, arugula, broccoli, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, almonds, oranges, and dried figs. I am new to rabbits though, and do not know if these are safe to feed. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[beccaboo]

well I picked her up to check for a stuck kit but she wouldn't really let me hold her long enough to get a good look but there wasn't like a head protruding or anything...

I was just reading some things that said not to breed rabbits past a year old if they hadn't had a litter before that and their pelvic bones fuse? I thought that was more of an issue for guinea pigs...and I got really nervous because they said she was about a year in october which would make her what 16 months now having her first litter (as far as I know at least).

also this is only my second experience with rabbit pregnancy, and the first litter (my mini lop's) was a total non-issue and she delivered 2 healthy babies while I was at school but they escaped the nest box 2 days later and died from the cold.

thanks for your help- I'm going out to get tums now. I also checked that I have mineral oil in the cabinet in case the kits get stuck.<br /><br />__________ Tue Feb 19, 2013 1:13 pm __________<br /><br />Thank you guys so much for all your help- will keep you updated as we are now approaching the 3 hour mark.

should I just let her do her thing overnight and if there's still no kits by morning talk to a vet?

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

I think the pelvis fusing thing isn't actually true with rabbits, but someone with more experience than I have would know better.

Best of luck, hope she has some healthy kits soon.

 

[akane]

Pelvic bones fusing is a myth in all animals. However the tissue does become less pliable making it harder for the bones to separate if the animal has never had any offspring. 1 year is not that old though. People on here have had them at 2 or 3 years old for the first time. I've bred 2 at 1 year old for the first time. If you show the rabbit you don't want to breed it so you end up waiting for the season to get over and the next spring to come around before breeding and easily end up at 1 year old.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

:welcome: to RabbitTalk, Beccaboo!

Sorry you found us due to a possible problem with your doe. Hopefully she is just slow to give birth, but just in case, I would recommend reading this:

http://www.thenaturetrail.com/rabbit-br ... kits-help/

Rabbit's pelvises do not fuse, but the uterine wall and ligaments do lose elasticity over time. Your doe is still very young, so even that is not an issue.

Good luck! I hope everything turns out well.

 

[beccaboo]

okay thank you- the pelvis fusing thing is what was worrying me most!
I'm not as concerned now because she was due today so the babies won't be overgrown, and she was bred to a buck about 2/3 her size.

also, this might be a strange question, but I took my mini lop Serenity out of the room hoping to give the lionhead Juliette (the one in labor) some peace and quiet... should I put her back in? they don't get along but their cages are on opposite sides of the room and as long as they stay in the cages they don't bother each other.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Having the other rabbit in the room wont bother her at all, and removing her might even be stressful.

I have 12 cages for producing does, touching back to back and side to side, so none of mine ever have any privacy while giving birth.

 

[beccaboo]

Thank you everybody!

mama sheepdog: I did read that earlier actually, preparing for the worst case. I have mineral oil in the cabinet and sent my sister out to get tums.

updates: it has now been 3 hours, she has passed one kit in her litter box, it is very long and deformed looking, also it is dead. I have removes it and will post a picture in a moment. she does not appear to still be having contractions; if she had another kit would the contractions have started right away?

 

[MamaSheepdog]

The elongated kit is typical of a stuck kit. If she is pregnant with a very small litter, it was probably very large.

It is possible that she only had one kit this pregnancy, but more likely is that she is just taking a break in her labor. When under stress animals can stall their labor until they feel safer.

If you see her straining without delivering another kit, it may be a good idea to squirt some mineral oil into her vaginal cavity for extra lubrication. You can do this with a rubber bulb syringe.

 

[beccaboo]

picture below

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Aww.

Too bad- it had nice markings.

Hopefully you'll see some healthy kits shortly. :clover:

 

[beccaboo]

I wasn't expecting more than 2 kits- the buck only "popped" off her once (is that the proper terms?) and she didn't much like me trying to palpate her so I didn't have any idea how many babies she had but was expecting between 2 and 4.

She made a beautiful nest though- too bad she decided not to use it. Hopefully she has a healthy little one in there still. Will probably try breeding her again in the future.

(also, this might be worth mentioning: her previous owners that had told me she was about a year old also told me she was an angora, and when I got her it looked like her nails had never been cut. And she did grow some more since I have had her- so maybe she was younger than a year. )

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

Sorry about that kit, but hopefully she has another one in there. Either way I would for sure breed her again, sometimes their first litter doesn't work out but they go on to be great next time.

 

[beccaboo]

updates: nearing 4 hours since the start of her labor this morning, and she is now acting normal and eating her food which she didn't touch earlier this morning.

some questions:
1: how long should I be expecting another kit?
2: should I try to palpate to see if there is another kit?
3: when should I remove the nest box if she doesn't have another kit?

also I really like this website and I will definitely be on it more, you all are very nice and I thank you greatly for being so helpful!