Urgent!!!...Newborn kits..Mother passed away this morning :(

[Tammy B]

Hi Everybody...

I am new to the forum..my name is tammy and i have a litter of 2 day old kits.
Mother has passed away and there is no foster doe...I have a homemade formula that i have been using today but i am not prepared or knowlegdeable about how to do this.

Can anyone give me tips?

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Hi Tammy,

I am so sorry to hear you lost your doe.

Unfortunately, it is very difficult to hand raise rabbits without any help from their mom. I hope you are able to save them, but don't beat yourself up if you lose them. The prognosis is pretty poor.

Here are a couple of threads that you may find helpful though:

formula-feeding-baby-bunnies-pics-vids-t3691.html

tips-for-handraising-kits-t2486.html

Good luck! :clover:

 

[Miss M]

I'm so sorry, Tammy!

That first link MSD gave you is my thread. I have done this with quite a few baby bunnies, and it has worked well for me. As far as I know, I have never had to do it completely without the doe, though... although it is possible that a few of the babies I have supplemented were not getting anything from the doe.

Twice a day, lots of time and lots of patience... it takes less time as they get used to drinking from an eyedropper.

Formula based on cow's milk may cause diarrhea, so goat's milk is much better. Make sure to mix it double strength, or if it's evaporated, don't dilute it. The egg yolk and corn syrup help make it very nutrient- and energy-dense, since rabbit milk is very, very rich. This is especially important since you aren't supplementing... this is the only food they will have, and they eat so little, it has to be powerful stuff.

Good luck! :good-luck: Quite a few on here have supplemented babies, so ask away!

About pottying them... we've come to believe on RT that it is actually the movement of the babies on each other in the nest that takes care of that. So as long as you don't only have one kit, that shouldn't be an issue.

 

[Marinea]

So sorry Tammy.

I cannot add to the advice that has been given, but I did want to emphasize that it is not your fault if the kits don't make it. It happens to all of us. Handraising kits is tough.

*fingers crossed the kits thrive*

 

[HoppinHalfPints]

I am so sorry you have to go through that.
I went through a similar situation with a rescue. She had a litter of 12 out in the cold and rain. I was able to warm up most of them, although 2 were dead. We fed them kitten milk replaced with a touch of cream to try to bring up the richness. Eventually, all the babies except one died. She still lives with us. Shes a healthy little booger, weighing in at 5 pounds. The reason we had to bottle feed them was because soon after that the dam got an infection that eventually claimed her life. It paralyzed her and she didnt produce any milk. I am crossing my fingers that you are successful!