PLEASE HELP - Bleeding doe

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jimmywalt

jimmywalt

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We have a large breed (mini lop mix) doe that was given to us recently that we were told is pregnant. We have had her for about 2 weeks and can tell that she is expecting kits (she's built a nest and started to pull fur in the last 24 hours). We have also watched her over the past couple days and can see the kits kicking. Yet the previous owner didn't know the exact date she was going to be due but did say he bred her.

Tonight my wife noticed blood in her dropping pan (under the cage). We have never had a bunny this large (maybe 8 to 10 lbs or more) so we don't know what to expect..... Maybe this is normal???

She doesn't seem distressed. She is drinking water and eating hay as I am typing this. When we try to look around her to see if she has been cut, it sure doesn't look like it, so we can only guess that this is the start of her birth process.

Is this normal? Do we need to do anything? Should we be concerned?

Thank you.

This picture is from about 1 week ago...........

BlackLop03.JPG
 
There is usually a bit of blood in the process. I would watch her, but give her space so she doesn't get too nervous and stall her labor.
 
Zinnia":65lz3l03 said:
There is usually a bit of blood in the process. I would watch her, but give her space so she doesn't get too nervous and stall her labor.
Click to expand...

But she's not in the nest box yet and she seems as calm as can be, just like it's any other day. She's drinking water and nibbling on the hay like it's no big deal.

She's about 3 years old we were told............ Wonder if that matters, or changes anything?
 
A little blood is not that uncommon. If all else seems fine, try not to worry. Just keep an unobtrusive eye on her for changes, particularly signs of distress.

You could give her a tablet of fruit-flavoured Tums to give her a calcium boost. A lot of people do this routinely just before a doe kindles. Just put it on top of her food and she will eat it if she needs it.
 
I thought I had a doe peeing blood, but it was just a urine color change for some unknown reason... it went from dark red to orange now. She seems find otherwise so I have no idea.

Another option to consider (not a very happy one though) is she already kindled stillborn kits and ate them. Not pretty, but part of nature.
 
Rabbit urine can come in a whole rainbow of colours. Yellow is most common. of course, but red is observed fairly often too . . . and it can fool you if you've never seen it before. Real blood from a kindling doe would tend to be small spots and splashes and it would coagulate and look sticky. Urine is more fluid.

With wild cottontails, I have observed green, blue and purple urine in the snow in winter. No tracks but rabbit around it. I assume that something they were eating (frozen wild grapes, maybe) caused the colour variations.
 
MaggieJ":tthx9r6l said:
Real blood from a kindling doe would tend to be small spots and splashes and it would coagulate and look sticky.
Click to expand...

:yeahthat:

The birthing process has many variations- I personally was rather freaked out when I started passing blood in the early stages of labor with my third child because it didn't happen with the first two.

My midwife assured me that it was perfectly normal, and indeed it was. I had a healthy son with no complications.

Some of my rabbit does are bloody messes after kindling and with others there is no trace.

I would say that unless you are seeing huge pools of (sticky, coagulating) blood that there is nothing to worry about.

Hope all goes well with the kindling! :clover:
 
My first two rabbits kindled without a trace, the recent ones have had some noticeable blood on them and randomly smeared around the cage (mainly on the tiles I have in there for them to rest on).
 
Maybe its just me but, my young moms seem to barley pass any blood but as they get older, like three years old, there seems to be more...not sure why that is. my theory is that the uterine lining is thinner, but I'm no expert :p Best wishes on the litter..keep us posted! :bunnyhop: :bunnyhop: :bunnyhop: Oh and she is a doll sooo cute!
 
katiebear":3lxdz2yi said:
Maybe its just me but, my young moms seem to barley pass any blood but as they get older, like three years old, there seems to be more...not sure why that is.
Click to expand...

That fits with my experience birthing ColliePup! I was an "older doe" at that point. ;)
 
UPDATE..................

She had 7 kits early this morning. 1 was born DOA, the other 6 are doing well.

It's hard to see in this picture...... but all 6 are there wiggling around (and now about 16 hours old).

IMG_20150811_215608_165_resize.jpg
 
How exciting!! And even better is that I am sure they are a mystery as far as color (which is my favorite part of switching things up... not knowing what you're going to get! :lol: )...
 

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