Warming Chilled Kits

[Susie570]

What worked in our emergency was to stick them in a ziplock bag and put that in a pot of water filled with hot tap water on the stove so they got all the heat of the water but not wet. It was only for a short time though to avoid them running out of oxygen since I closed the bag to reduce risk of water getting in. Also probably would have looked rather disturbing if anyone had shown up at the house. :lol:

:shock: :shock:
Bunny boil-n-bags?!? :x

 

[akane]

Thinking about boiled baby bunny now makes me think of balut. (If you don't know already you may be better off not googling)

 

[Zass]

Thinking about boiled baby bunny now makes me think of balut. (If you don't know already you may be better off not googling)

I know what that is.

 

[Miss M]

Okay, the award goes to... M4G!!! :hooray:

For the resurrection of a five-year-old thread. Definitely a record. :lol:

 

[Susie570]

Thinking about boiled baby bunny now makes me think of balut. (If you don't know already you may be better off not googling)

I know what that is.

So do I...

 

[michaels4gardens]

Okay, the award goes to... M4G!!! :hooray:

For the resurrection of a five-year-old thread. Definitely a record. :lol:

I thought -- that ,before I made a new thread, I would search to see if anyone had already posted on the subject -- and " obviously " - they had. --
I see people talking about trying to warm up baby rabbits from time to time, and the methods they employed, -- and thought I would mention something that works, and works quickly, - the faster the kit is warmed [without burning it] the higher the degree of success you will have saving the kits. I have "saved" kits found with frost on them.

 

[Susie570]

Okay, the award goes to... M4G!!! :hooray:

For the resurrection of a five-year-old thread. Definitely a record. :lol:

I thought -- that ,before I made a new thread, I would search to see if anyone had already posted on the subject -- and " obviously " - they had. --
I see people talking about trying to warm up baby rabbits from time to time, and the methods they employed, -- and thought I would mention something that works, and works quickly, - the faster the kit is warmed [without burning it] the higher the degree of success you will have saving the kits. I have "saved" kits found with frost on them.

Frost!!! :shock: wow...

 

[Rainey]

We don't have a clothes dryer which seems to be often recommended. When we needed to warm kits this spring we used the heat lamp that we decided not to use for brooding chicks because it kept the whole box they were in too warm. It was quick and worked well for us for the rabbits--we kept an eye on them so they wouldn't get over heated. I liked that we could see them while they were warming--when we tried putting hot water bottles near them and keeping them under some fur, we kept uncovering them to check. With the lamp, that wasn't an issue.

 

[Miss M]

Okay, the award goes to... M4G!!! :hooray:

For the resurrection of a five-year-old thread. Definitely a record. :lol:

I thought -- that ,before I made a new thread, I would search to see if anyone had already posted on the subject -- and " obviously " - they had. --
I see people talking about trying to warm up baby rabbits from time to time, and the methods they employed, -- and thought I would mention something that works, and works quickly, - the faster the kit is warmed [without burning it] the higher the degree of success you will have saving the kits. I have "saved" kits found with frost on them.

Oh, I wasn't fussing at you, just having a little fun.

 

[michaels4gardens]

Okay, the award goes to... M4G!!! :hooray:

For the resurrection of a five-year-old thread. Definitely a record. :lol:

I thought -- that ,before I made a new thread, I would search to see if anyone had already posted on the subject -- and " obviously " - they had. --
I see people talking about trying to warm up baby rabbits from time to time, and the methods they employed, -- and thought I would mention something that works, and works quickly, - the faster the kit is warmed [without burning it] the higher the degree of success you will have saving the kits. I have "saved" kits found with frost on them.

Oh, I wasn't fussing at you, just having a little fun.

don't worry I did not notice any "fussing" in your message...

 

[Miss M]

don't worry I did not notice any "fussing" in your message...

Oh, good!

 

[wamplercathy]

Proven doe kindled 3 on the wire and 3 in the nest. Their not stiff so I'm hoping the dryer will bring them back. Yesterday she spent the whole day sitting in her box only left it to eat and went back to it. So I gave her some BOSS with her dinner thinking she would kindle very soon.

How long does it take to re-warm kits? (average time) When should I stop trying?

 

[Rainey]

We've only had to warm one litter but my understanding is that until they're warm you don't give up. When they're no longer cold but still show no sign of life, you know they're dead.

 

[michaels4gardens]

as I mentioned earlier in this thread, ... I have had far more success using hot water to warm, and revive newborn kits quickly , than any other method [and I have tried a few other methods] - just be sure to dry them off as soon as they start wiggling well and are taken out of the hot water. [and just to repeat myself, do not submerge the nose and mouth area.] water hot, but not hot enough to be uncomfortable to your hand.

 

[Easy Ears]

What worked in our emergency was to stick them in a ziplock bag and put that in a pot of water filled with hot tap water on the stove so they got all the heat of the water but not wet. It was only for a short time though to avoid them running out of oxygen since I closed the bag to reduce risk of water getting in.

I've done several methods that work well, this included.
If you have one or a few kits, you could also fill a baggy up with hot tap water and seal it and put the baby on the bag (Yes, like a hot water bed :lol: ) just keep flipping the kit over until it's warm on all sides. I saved a kit by doing this.
The throw-the-towel-in-the-dryer works too! I saved 5 out of a litter of 8 that way.

Also, a tip for those who have had just one kits in a litter and don't have a doe to foster to, I recommend putting them in a Tupperware full of fur, and putting it on a heat pad. I did this with a litter I had later this year. There was only one kit born ( :shock: ) and I put it in a Tupperware full of fur with a wire mesh (kitchen utensil used for putting over sauce pans so it doesn't splatter) over the top (and wrapped a rubber band over it so it stayed on) so if my cat could reach the heights of the top of my dresser in my bedroom, (were the kit was located) the wire mesh would save the kit. For the first few days of the kits life I had the heat pad on low, (and usually only at night in the house) but it was still a little hot, so I used a towel in between the bottom of the tupprware and the heat pad. After a few days I changed back to without the towel, but the kit seemed to be getting hot, so I moved a portion of the heat pad over so that half of the Tupperware (with the kit in it) rested on my dresser, and half on the heat pad. It was fun to watch the kit make laps around the container! :lol: She'd get too hot and race to the cold side, then get cold and race back to the heat. Once her eyes were open, I moved her to a nest box and had the heat pad on for a few minutes a day to warm it up before I brought the kit's momma in for some grooming/family time, to let her have quality time with her kit.

 

[Oscar]

Did the kit survive? :x

 

[wamplercathy]

Mine didn't. I must have got to them too late. Not a mistake I'll be making again. If this can happen with a doe who has had many successful litters than it could happen to a first or second time mother. What gets me is they were all right beside the feeder. As if she was too busy eating dinner to bother with getting to the nest. :evil:

 

[Marinea]

Sorry Cathy. It happens, and you did all you could.

 

[Easy Ears]

Did the kit survive? :x

Mine? Yes, she did. She is actually a spoiled member of Petlover500's household (a member on Rabbit Talk).