URGENT - Doe has diarrhoea - how to treat her?

[Tbgb1912]

My doe who is nursing five four week old kits, has suddenly got diarrhoea. I'm not sure if it's because I've fed her a stray toxic weed, or what has caused it, but I'm worried since it seemed like a lot. It wasn't just the odd small runny poop that you might see from time to time, but a large pile of it in her litter box.

How can I treat it? What should I be aware of?

She is seeming quite lethargic and not interested in oats, linseed or hay that I've put under her nose

Unfortunately it is a public holiday weekend, so not many shops are open. Is there anything I can purchase from a supermarket that could help?

 

[katiebear]

From what I know I would keep her on hay and water...Maybe some large flake oatmeal...most important is keep her drinking. Some electrolyte solution like you give to infants, or some diluted tea...Mine like the raspberry ones. If she has had poisonous weeds you may not be able to pull her out of it, but I believe I have read where someone has, using this diet.
Smeone with more experience should chime in here soon.....

 

[Miss M]

I'm not sure what else you could get at a supermarket to help. Try coating the oats lightly with molasses -- blackstrap, if you have it. If you don't have molasses, then a VERY light coating with some other syrup.

You must make sure she keeps drinking, even if she stops drinking on her own. You can give her gatorade or diluted sweet tea to help entice her to drink, or water with a little molasses in it. If she will not drink, you should slowly syringe fluids into the back of her mouth.

She needs to eat to keep her gut moving, so she won't go into gut stasis. Continue to try to tempt her with the oats and hay, and she can have things like blackberry/raspberry/rose leaves, strawberry leaves, plantain (the lawn weed) leaves, dandelion leaves, and the leaves of some thistles (must ID first). None of this can be sprayed with pesticides, fertilizer, etc. Sometimes, you can find dandelion leaves with the salad mixes and fresh herbs in a grocery store.

If she will not be tempted by any of the above, then you will need to tempt her with anything you have around that is safe for rabbits. Fruit (even canned), bits of toast, baked potato skins, etc. Just about anything is on the table for a rabbit that has stopped eating or drinking. Fruit can give a rabbit diarrhea (which can kill if it continues), but stasis will definitely kill a rabbit -- you can't restart the system once it stops. So it becomes a matter of risking things to try to save the rabbit. <br /><br /> -- Mon Jun 01, 2015 1:17 am -- <br /><br /> I see Katiebear beat me to it with some good info. Yes, there have been a few members who have saved rabbits that have eaten something toxic. It's not easy, and there's nothing sure about it. All you can do is keep the rabbit comfortable, eating, and drinking... and wait and see.

 

[Tbgb1912]

Thank you so much for your advice. I've managed to get a few strawberry leaves and a bit of grass into her since posting this, so I'll keep an eye on her and continue putting food under her nose.

Will this effect the kits by any chance?

 

[Susie570]

Thank you so much for your advice. I've managed to get a few strawberry leaves and a bit of grass into her since posting this, so I'll keep an eye on her and continue putting food under her nose.

Will this effect the kits by any chance?

I'm sure that depends on what is causing the problem.
Some toxins can be passed through the milk and many diseases can be passed from contact with her feces (and possibly through her milk). You will just have to wait and see since they have probably already been exposed to whatever it is.

 

[MaggieJ]

At four weeks the kits should be able to handle being weaned if the doe's condition doesn't improve or if you lose her. Hay and kitchen oatmeal are excellent for weanlings, along with whatever you usually feed your rabbits.

I strongly advise never to feed any plant you have not identified. Right now, the strawberry leaves along with raspberry leaves, blackberry leaves, plantain and shepherd's purse are all excellent for fighting diarrhea. I know you are in New Zealand and your plants are different than ours, but the plantain and shepherd's purse are European invasives and you likely have at least one of them. The plantains are a large family of plants so if you have a related plantain speciies, you can use that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago_major
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsella_bursa-pastoris

 

[Miss M]

The plantains are a large family of plants so if you have a related plantain speciies, you can use that.

I was wondering about this! I do not seem to have Plantago major anywhere, but I have tentatively identified a narrow-leaved Plantago that is everywhere. Don't know species yet, but I'm pretty sure it is plantain.

 

[MaggieJ]

As far as I know, all the Plantago species are safe for rabbits and share similar properties. I tend to mention Plantago major because it is common almost everywhere and easy to identify. It was also known as White Man's Footprint because it spread just about everywhere during the era of exploration and settlement.

 

[Miss M]

Marvelous! I'll post a pic in the Plant ID group on FB and report back. But not in this thread.

 

[Tbgb1912]

Well I've been keeping a close eye on my doe, and it seemed to only be a one off thing. Odd, but she seems back to normal now

 

[Susie570]

Well I've been keeping a close eye on my doe, and it seemed to only be a one off thing. Odd, but she seems back to normal now

Thanks for the update and glad she's ok!

 

[katiebear]

:cheer1: :cheer2: :bananadance: :bananadance2: Thats great news!! keep her on the hay and water minimum pellets for a few days though..just to be sure that her gut is good. So glad to hear this I needed some good news!

 

[Miss M]

That's wonderful! :mbounce: I agree with Katiebear... easy on the pellets. Mostly hay, and you can add in some oatmeal if you like. Slowly move her back to pellets over the next few days.