Keep fur when cleaning nestbox?

[powellanimals]

I have six 12 day old kits and the nest box is beginning to smell. The doe's fur is still in it. The eyes have opened although one kit's eye looks like it has a little crust on it. When I take all of the straw out and refill it, do I save the fur and put it back in or discard it? They are kept outside so I want to make sure they are not too cold. Thank you!

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I discard any fur that is obviously soiled, but reserve the clean fur and put it back into the box.

You can swab the crusty eye with warm water, or better yet a solution of chamomile tea with raw honey added if you have it. The sooner you treat nestbox eye, the faster it will heal generally.

The bacteria thrive in moist, dark environments with low oxygen levels, so getting the eye open and keeping it open (by treating several times a day if necessary) is best.

 

[powellanimals]

Great, thank you so much for the response! I will do just that first thing in the morning!

As for the eye, I just wiped it with a wet towel and it opened right up to match the other eye instead of being a little squinty so it is looking good! I will be watching it but hoping that was all of it.