Pregnant Doe not well

[Amy]

My doe's appetite hasn't been normal lately (maybe a week now). She is pregnant, but instead of eating more she is eating less. So, I pulled her grain and have just been giving her oatmeal and extra hay for several days now. She eats hay, a little oats (not a lot) and likes dried strawberry leaves that I've been giving her. She also isn't drinking much water. I made the banana electrolyte mix, but not sure if she drank any or not. She acts normal as far as I can tell. Her poop is back to normal again. (For a couple days, there were smallish wet looking poops)
I got the probiotic paste, started giving it last nite then again this morning and nite. How much should I give her (she's 12+ lbs.)? What is the best way to give it?
I picked up some tums, could it be a calcium issue??
I also looked at infant gas drops, they have a natural one w/ ginger and fennel in it, along w/citrus extract----would that be safe? I don't know if she has gas, just saw that on another post..
I have the dried rasberry canes w/ leaves on top of her cage. The leaves have absorbed some of the moisture from the air, so I just give her the canes. But, I'm going to take the canes down tomorrow, just in case she's getting those leaves, could that be a culprit?
I had added some alfalfa pellets awhile back and she would always leave them in her feeder, then gradually she was leaving more and more of her other food everyday. Should I try another kind of hay? The hay I'm giving the rabbits is like a mixed grass hay. I'm considering trying alfalfa hay to see if that makes a difference.
The grain mix is oats, wheat, barley, and BOSS
I have 2 other rabbits that seem fine on the same feed. The only difference is the rasberry canes aren't on top of their cages (willow branches instead).
Any ideas would be great!!

 

[skysthelimit]

Yes it could be a calcium issue. That is one possibility. I put the paste on the face or paws. Plain gas drops are fine.

Raspberry leaves are good for rabbits, should not have been a problem with them.

Keep the diet simple, as simple as possible. Stick with the oats and hay for a while, until she seems ok.

 

[Amy]

About how much of the paste? Pea size?
Should I give her 1 tums? Will she just eat it?
The rasberry leaves were dried, but since it's been so rainy-they've absorbed moisture from the air-that's why I thought it might be a problem..?

 

[Miss M]

I did some poking around online, and some people measure it (2.5 - 5 lbs get 2mL (2cc) twice a day, smaller get 1mL, larger get 3mL), and some don't (a "mouthful" twice a day).

Like Skysthelimit said, you don't have to put it directly into the mouth. If you put it on the paws, they will lick them clean. After all, you've "dirtied" their paws.

Give 1 fruity Tums, and she will eat it if she needs it.

It is possible you've got some mold starting on the raspberry leaves and/or canes. Moisture by itself won't be a problem, but mold definitely is. Maybe give those canes a really close look.

Also like she said, oats and hay for now. Easy on the system. If you need to tempt her a little, coat the oats with a little bit of blackstrap molasses -- high in nutrients, and tasty, too. Just don't use very much.

 

[AnnClaire]

You also don't mention whether you provide a mineral block, so you might want to add that to all the bunnies diet as nothing else you mention (aside from the pellets they don't get a lot of) addresses the trace minerals and salts that the rabbits need. For the best price, a Goat Mineral block from the feed store, but that may be a bit much for you with only 3 adults, so the RED mineral block from the pet/farm supply store is the one you want. Not the white one. Good luck!

 

[bitterroot]

Didn't see anyone ask this question, and I'm far from an expert, but how far along is your doe? I'm guessing it's not at all uncommon for them to eat less before kindling, as my does have done so and then resume eating me out of house and home once the babies have been born.

 

[skysthelimit]

Didn't see anyone ask this question, and I'm far from an expert, but how far along is your doe? I'm guessing it's not at all uncommon for them to eat less before kindling, as my does have done so and then resume eating me out of house and home once the babies have been born.

Good question. I didn't ask, because another post said she was two-three weeks along. I have never had a doe stop eating before kindling. They eat voraciously and kindle a few hours later. The only time anyone here stopped eating, they aborted the litter several days later (ketosis) or died shortly after.

 

[ZRabbits]

My one time experience with Luna, is that she ate like there was no tomorrow until the day of her kindling. That day she barely touched her pellets, only occasionally eating hay. Even turned up her nose to her greens, which was very rare. She loves her greens. That night, haystache and pulling fur. The next day, after kindling 4, she started to eat again.

Karen

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

Your does is normal.. Give everything back as you were.. If she is2 to 3 weeks along.. All my rabbits do this a week or two before. THis is how i also know they are pregnant for sure. They will eat hay and anything else you give them. But there normal food is barely eaten. You will see as soon she has those babies. She will pig out. lol<br /><br />__________ Tue Nov 20, 2012 7:11 am __________<br /><br />If you are feeding her only grains.. no pellets. You need the alfalfa hay not grass hay.

 

[Amy]

Thanks everyone for your input.
Yes, she is 2 1/2 wks. along, this started about a week ago. They all get mineral blocks.
I'll have my husband pick up some alfalfa today. I had bought alfalfa pellets, she is the only rabbit that won't touch them.
I'll have to look up ketosis and I'm prepared for a not so good ending just in case she doesn't improve...but still slightly hopeful for this 1st ever litter!
I can't remember--When do you start giving the pregnant doe more feed? Is it right after kindling?
Thanks again, I should would be lost without you-RabbitTalk people!<br /><br />__________ Wed Nov 21, 2012 8:11 pm __________<br /><br />I got some alfalfa last nite, all 3 rabbits were thrilled!
Poops seem to be normal. Even though she is not eating very much still, I'm starting to feel better about her. Of course, now the other pregnant doe I have is doing the same thing with her food, so maybe it's just that they are pregnant??? She didn't eat the tums I gave her yesterday.
I made some healthy bunny bars, hopefully I can get them to eat those.

 

[skysthelimit]

Thanks everyone for your input.
Yes, she is 2 1/2 wks. along, this started about a week ago. They all get mineral blocks.
I'll have my husband pick up some alfalfa today. I had bought alfalfa pellets, she is the only rabbit that won't touch them.
I'll have to look up ketosis and I'm prepared for a not so good ending just in case she doesn't improve...but still slightly hopeful for this 1st ever litter!
I can't remember--When do you start giving the pregnant doe more feed? Is it right after kindling?
Thanks again, I should would be lost without you-RabbitTalk people!

__________ Wed Nov 21, 2012 8:11 pm __________

I got some alfalfa last nite, all 3 rabbits were thrilled!
Poops seem to be normal. Even though she is not eating very much still, I'm starting to feel better about her. Of course, now the other pregnant doe I have is doing the same thing with her food, so maybe it's just that they are pregnant??? She didn't eat the tums I gave her yesterday.
I made some healthy bunny bars, hopefully I can get them to eat those.

Are they related? Like MaryAnn said, it could be normal for your lines, as opposed to mine, where that would signal a problem.
Mine do not eat the tums until they are close to kindling, but TrinityOaks puts calcium drench in their water.

 

[Amy]

No, they are not related. Could it be common in certain breeds? They are American Chinchilla's. I'll continue to watch them closely.
How long should I continue to give the 1st doe probios?

__________ Sat Nov 24, 2012 7:38 pm __________

Update on my 2 does....
They will both eat hay (#1 loves the new alfalfa, #2 doesn't) and dried strawberry leaves. They aren't eating much of their feed and haven't been too interested in the bunny bars that I made (molasses, banana, pumpkin, and grain). Doe #2 ate the tums, #1 didn't.
I've been giving them both ProBios for a few days to a week now.
Part of me thinks this is just their pregnancy, but another part of me worries that they are sick.
#1 doe sounds a little raspy, could this be snuffles? No sneezing, no snot. I've researched these symptoms and I'm not getting anywhere.
It seems it's fairly normal for does to stop eating right before they kindle, but #1 started at about 2 wks. into pregnancy, #2 2 1/2 wks. into pregnancy.
We'll be putting the nestbox into #1 cage tomorrow as it'll be 27 days.
When she kindles, should I keep the kits away from her as much as possible, in case she's contagious???
Any insight would be helpful, otherwise I'm just hoping for the best..

 

[Miss M]

My does typically almost stop eating several days before they kindle. I had never heard of it happening so early! But hey, hormones do weird things.

Raspy is not good, and it could be any one of a number of respiratory illnesses. Really, if possible, you should quarantine her and her kits. I don't know that you need to keep them away from her, but you need to keep them all away from the others.

 

[Amy]

It's a lot easier to seperate them in the summer!
Since both does have symptoms (eating less) should I think about seperating both does from the buck?
If that's the case, I could put him outside somewhere and leave the does in the chicken coop.? This would be easier then moving 2 does ((possibly) and I wouldn't have to worry about the kits getting cold.

 

[Miss M]

If the other doe has no other symptoms, I would not keep her around the raspy doe. Since some of the other members have does that go off of their feed that early, it is possible that that is all it is.

I know the difficulty of quarantining when you have no place to do it. This was my situation at my uncle's house. I ended up not quarantining, except for when I added a new doe in April. I finally figured something out for that. But I had a buck with a white discharge from his eye, and I gave him shots, but did not quarantine. Some time before, we were given a doe, and I did not quarantine. I did not have very much wiggle room there, and it was hard to figure out how to house a rabbit outside of the rabbitry.

Even now, I have a non-working doe named Nibbles who should have been quarantined. In the few weeks after we moved, I started breeding all of our does. I even bred Nibbles, because we have a couple of girls lined up for pet bunnies, and figured that a Nibbles x Thumper mating would produce some pretty darned cute bunnies.

After putting those two together, I put another doe in with Thumper. This doe was giving me a hard time, so I figured maybe a change of buck would do the trick. It didn't, but she did eventually mate with Pinto. Pinto bred all the other does. Then suddenly, Nibbles started sneezing, and it looked like she blew a piece of white string out of her nose.

Everybody was already exposed! She had just been with Thumper, then he had been with another doe, then that doe had been with Pinto, who had been with everybody else. Add to that the fact that I did not yet have all of my stuff from my uncle's, and I don't think we had the shed yet, I didn't have any bins or anything to quarantine her with!

Two months later, and she still sneezes some, and still blows a short white string now and then. No other symptoms, no rasping, and nobody else ever got sick. I think she's allergic to something around here. :shrug:

If you can, though, if at all possible, if you can figure out a way to shelter her and her kits, do quarantine her.

 

[Amy]

Ok, will try...thanks, Miss M

 

[Miss M]

Ok, will try...thanks, Miss M

You're welcome.

I hope my post did not downplay the importance of quarantine... I have been very fortunate. There are many on here who have not quarantined, and paid dearly for it.

 

[Amy]

After listening to her breathe along with the other rabbits, they all kind of sound the same, and it might be normal--it sounds like they are sniffing me, but they are-maybe that's just what they sound like??
We decided not to quarantine unless other symptoms come up. I think in this stage of pregnancy(due Fri/Sat) it'd cause a lot of stress to her and it'd be harder to keep her and the kits warm and sheltered. Hoping we won't regret it.

 

[Miss M]

I don't know... I can't honestly say that I've ever heard a rabbit breathing.

Hopefully, it is all actually normal, and everything goes well! :clover:

 

[ZRabbits]

Z Tribe sending their well wishes that all turns out fine. Please keep posting on how it goes.

Karen