I think my mama doe has a fever...

[FourRingCircus]

I have a mama does with eight 3-week old kits (as of today!) and I am pretty sure she's running a fever. I usually rub them a couple good times from head to tail and this evening her ears with definitely warmer than all the other adults. I felt under her belly and didn't notice any swollen areas, but might have missed something. The lights on my hat are getting dim so I couldn't see real well to check her out. I have noticed her getting thin, but figured that was from nursing 8 hungry babies. Anything else to consider? She seems to still be drinking... well, as of yesterday anyway. I am trying to remember if I refilled her bottle last night or this morning... I think it was this morning. There were a couple inches missing.

 

[alforddm]

The first thing I would think of would be mastitis.

 

[FourRingCircus]

That's my thinking as well... maybe just the start of it since I didn't feel any obvious lumps or bumps?

Aaaannnnddd.... even though it's mentioned all over, it's almost 11 and I am going to bed. What is it again I need to do for it? This would be my first experience with it in a rabbit (unfortunately I know all to well what it feels like from past experience... ugh).

 

[Miss M]

Here are a couple of threads on treating mastitis:

mastitis-t22629.html
a-possible-treatment-for-mastitis-and-other-inflammations-t22697.html

You can give willow or baby aspirin for pain and inflammation. Baby aspirin can be given up to one whole pill twice a day.

Penicillin G is about $10 at a feed store, and some of them sell syringes and needles as well. Get the smallest syringes (3cc/mL) and needles to go on them. Maggie says to use size 20 needles, as the PenG is thick. I have no idea what size I used. I have given 1/4cc once a day for five days to a rabbit that was just under 5 pounds. Dosage is 20,000 - 60,000 units per kg of rabbit weight. My Pen G was 300,000 units per cc, so I did the math from there. If you need help with the math, just post the weight of the rabbit (and the strength of the Pen G, if it isn't 300,000 units/cc).

I remember what it feels like, too. Not fun at all.

 

[FourRingCircus]

I do have some PenG already from when I realized I had one with vent disease...

I went out again this morning and flipped her over... I couldn't see anything off, and no nipple/teat (not sure the correct term for a rabbit) felt different from another. Should I still treat her? She doesn't feel as warm this morning as she did last night (at least in direct comparison to those around her)... could it have been a fluke some how? It was around 70 and humid last night so pretty neutral for temps.

 

[Susie570]

I do have some PenG already from when I realized I had one with vent disease...

I went out again this morning and flipped her over... I couldn't see anything off, and no nipple/teat (not sure the correct term for a rabbit) felt different from another. Should I still treat her? She doesn't feel as warm this morning as she did last night (at least in direct comparison to those around her)... could it have been a fluke some how? It was around 70 and humid last night so pretty neutral for temps.

Personally, since rabbits are so sensitive to treatments, I would keep a close eye on her and see if she seems off or if she's acting normal. I wouldn't rush to treat a nursing doe unless you're pretty sure she has something wrong with her.

 

[Miss M]

I agree. If none of her teats felt hard or hot this morning, I'd just chalk it up to a fluke, but keep an eye on her.

Maybe give her some BOSS here and there to help her not become too thin.

 

[FourRingCircus]

I gave her some oats, and need to get some new BOSS - what I have is pretty old. I assume it can go rancid like other seeds and nuts?

 

[Miss M]

Yes, it can. You should be able to smell it if they've gone rancid. Rancid oils all have similar sharp, biting odors that assault the nose. Some oils are more stable than others, and a lot depends on storage. So give a sniff... you should be able to tell. Maybe pop a few open, or crush them a little to get a good whiff.