Palpating: How do you do it?

[Sagebrush]

Like the title says how do you palpate a rabbit? What are you actually feeling for? At what point in the pregnancy do you start trying to feel the babies?

I wanted to get advice on this before I actually need the knowledge. I don't want to hurt her or the babies if there are any in there.

 

[PSFAngoras]

I had an idea of how to do it, but it never clicked until I read the article from the ARBA. Here's the link:

https://www.arba.net/PDFs/palpation.pdf

 

[Sagebrush]

Thank you so much PSFAngoras!!

 

[akane]

Rabbit pregnancies are pretty durable unlike my chinchillas. You don't have to worry too much about harming the babies. The doe will complain of discomfort before you squish the kits enough.

Many people just cannot palpate. I know several on the forums have tried and tried without success. Some does are also harder than others. One of my mini rex never showed a physical sign of pregnancy even when she had a big litter. She did however have a hormone swing at around 2 weeks and if she was in colony with other does would start arguments.

 

[Dood]

It can be hard to feel small litters.

It's easy if there are 5 or more but I have an AmChin doe who often has less, some times only 2 and finding the "grapes" or "Vienna sausages" can be nearly impossible.

 

[Sagebrush]

I do hope she has at least five, would be nice but if only a couple that is fine as well. I will try when she gets to 10 days and see if I can feel anything. So your talking like green grapes to Vienna sausages.... Will keep that in mind.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

I do hope she has at least five, would be nice but if only a couple that is fine as well. I will try when she gets to 10 days and see if I can feel anything. So your talking like green grapes to Vienna sausages.... Will keep that in mind.

If you have another breeder friend that CAN palpate, get them to come over and show you. It really does help!

 

[Sagebrush]

I will be looking for one that is closer then Cali to me. Otherwise I think I will see if youtube might be able to help.

 

[Ramjet]

I don't , I just fail at it .... horribly.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

If you have another breeder friend that CAN palpate, get them to come over and show you. It really does help!

Yep! My Sistah OneAcreFarm flew all the way out to California to show me how to do it!

It really isn't that hard to do. I think most people don't press firmly enough- you should be able to actually feel your opposing fingers touching through the abdominal walls, depending on if anything is in the way.

You are not going to hurt anything in there as long as you go slowly. You don't want to clench your fingers together quickly like a reflexive action, just squeeze using gentle, steady pressure. If you start up high, you can then draw your fingers downward until you feel something.

I usually palpate the rabbit while it is on my lap. A nervous doe will tense her abdominal muscles, so you will need to give her time to relax. You can rub her belly, pet her, speak soothingly, etc. If after several minutes she still hasn't relaxed her abdominal muscles, put her back in her cage, give her a treat, and try again the following day.

 

[Sagebrush]

Ok. She only tenses when I try to pick her up, at almost 16lbs it can be kinda hard to pick her up. Is it possible to do it from her cage?

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Is it possible to do it from her cage?

Sure. Just hold her in place with your non-dominant head gripping her head and shoulders, and then slide your other hand under her belly. I actually lift the hindquarters up so they are standing on their toes. That way you will be able to get deep up next to her spine to start.

 

[skysthelimit]

Make a habit of palpating open does as well, then you get a feel for when something is not in there, helps you know when something is. Reading the article above, when I got the guide book, not only helped me with rabbits but with the dogs as well.

It takes practice and lots of it, and Akane is right, some people just don't have the sensitive fingers for it.

Generally I can count kits fairly well. I'm right handed, but find my left hand is more sensitive to feeling.

 

[Sagebrush]

I am right handed as well. When I touch her nose she tends to stay still. She is my only doe at the moment. Should have a couple more in 3-4 months depending.
Thank you all so much for all the helpful tips!!

 

[OneAcreFarm]

I don't , I just fail at it .... horribly.

Next time you come over, we will time it so that I can demonstrate to you. I sit with the rabbit in my lap, facing towards me. I put my dominant hand under and cup the belly, lifting their backend so that they are on their toes. Starting as deep in the pelvis as I can, I bring my thumb and fingers together, till I can feel them touch through the abdominal space. The more you try, the better you will get. Palpate all your rabbits, even bucks. Once you you get used to what an empty belly feels like, it is MUCH easier to tell what a pregnant belly feels like.

 

[skysthelimit]

The best thing about learning to palpate and palpating everyone-- I put a doe in with a buck that I thought was sterile (no kits for 16 mos) now I believe she's pregnant, but I did not write the date. Palpating every other day will give me a good idea when to put a nest in. For most of my does, I can feel the bodies of kits moving around about 5-10 days before they are due.

 

[mystang89]

The hardest thing I find about it is figuring out whether that was a kidney I felt or a baby "grape".

I normally wait till around 22 days or so. I should be able to feel the head, hands and legs by then and they should be pretty big.

 

[Sagebrush]

Well I just tried to palpate her but she was holding her stomach pretty tight. I will try again tomorrow when the kids are at grandmas and hubby is at work. Should be calmer then and maybe she will be more relaxed and let me feel for those grapes.