Rabbit Ethics Question

[Graceful Meadows]

I have a doe that had a litter a little less than a week ago. Two kits have died and I don't want to lose another...... but I just found one outside the nest box with a leg turned in and immobile. It looks underfed, but that could just be because it missed feeding time. Would it be cruel to try to save it by taking it and the mom out and giving it a better chance at getting a meal?

 

[Zass]

It is not unethical or cruel to try. It works best if you can catch her right before feeding time, when she has plenty of milk.

Here are some formula feeding threads as well:
formula-feeding-baby-bunnies-pics-vids-t3691.html
tips-for-handraising-kits-t2486.html

 

[Miss M]

I agree with Zass, it's not unethical to give it a chance, and see what comes of it.

 

[ladysown]

I would be inclined to plunk it back into the nestbox so it can get good and warm with the rest of the kits and get caught up. One missed feeding doesn't tend to slow them down too much.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

I agree with Ladysown, put it back. If it does not look fed in the morning, then do a supplemental feeding.

 

[Prisma]

Its not cruel or unethical to try to save, like every one else has said. Just being a caring and hopeful person. However you still may want to consider, is this a splay leg baby or how is the leg turned exactly? Are you willing to keep up with special care should it survive and not be able to go any where else and him/her have issues getting around at all if the leg is that bad? I hate to loose any babies, but if its a severely turned leg, it may be best to put him/her down now instead of waiting. I've heard of splay leg, with supports, getting a bit better...but the few cases I've had never ended good. If its just where it is weak and the leg was smashed against some thing or caught in wire, it may very well straighten on its own though.

 

[Dood]

with a leg turned in

personally it would be depending on which leg and how damaged it is.

If its a broken hind I would likely cull but a front leg without a joint fracture I would likely try and save it

 

[Graceful Meadows]

Thanks for the feedback everyone! By now that baby is as fat as all his/her siblings again, so it must be a fighter . Unfortunately, it is its left back leg that is hurt. The leg is kind of scrunched up to its body and maybe a little fatter than the other (swollen?), I tried to work it back and forth, but the baby wouldn't let me and kept trying to wriggle away. It is fine now since it is only a week old, but how will this affect it as it grows older? :bunnyhop:

 

[Prisma]

Leg could be unusable, either drug or held up or may never know difference. It sounds swollen, should go down with in a day or two (may take several if pinched really bad though but shouldn't be weeks). Give it time to heal, don't pull or prod the injury other than need be checks to make sure blood flow is still good in the leg and its not an issue otherwise. Dragging is no good and can cause more damage than the initial issue. If the leg is held up and can clean/care for itself as normal, may make you a good pet but not breeding or show or a rabbit I would place with some one else. I do not know what purpose you are raising your rabbits for, nothing bad meant by any thing. Personally, because I breed for show and am starting to keep those not show/breeding quality imo for feeding purposes, I'd keep to see how turns out and term cull when big enough to feed if the injury did not heal enough to be a good breeder or show prospect for me. Chances of a complete recover 50/50 shot, not seeing it can't say better or worse odds and then never know. I've seen some pretty awful looking baby legs where they got stuck in wire, cut them out, and by the time they were 2 months old couldn't see any thing.