What's Wrong With This Kit?? Wry Neck?!

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Bad Habit

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This kit has been like this since day one. He's not gaining weight like the others, his tummy is never round and full, and I am nursing him by hand off both Crystal and Hannah, to make sure he's getting fed. He doesn't seem to be able to hold his head properly, and he circles and ends up rolling around. None of the others in the litter have this issue - one is a foster by the same buck, that one's sibling was culled due to deformity. All of the others are fat and sassy and moving correctly.

Link to short video

Any ideas? Advice? I wonder if I'm doing the wrong thing by helping him nurse, if I should just let him live or die on his own.
 
It does look neurological-- a birth injury, maybe? If he is not improving, I would end his life-- there is no sense in spending energy keeping him alive when no improvement is shown-- and letting him live/die on his own would be cruel- as he would be suffering from dehydration and starvation.. and both are painful.
 
I agree, I'd cull, that looks like something fundamentally wrong with his nervous system. No way to know for sure what it is though. Shame, he looks like he's got some pretty markings.
 
Kyle@theHeathertoft":2yueeobj said:
I agree, I'd cull, that looks like something fundamentally wrong with his nervous system. No way to know for sure what it is though. Shame, he looks like he's got some pretty markings.
Click to expand...

I think that is the only broken doe that I have. The one from Hannah is a buck, I think the one from Star is a buck, and I think the other broken from Crystal is a buck as well.

So, between this and the deformed kit that Crystal had, should I sell the whole lot and not keep any back for breeding?
 
hm... hard decision but i think if it were me i would end it. poor thing cant do anything really and if it lives to weaning age i dont think it would be able to eat very easily if it cant control its head movements.

if its only one or two out of the litters then i'd wonder if ya kept one doe from each litter and bred back to the dad if that would have problem buns in each litter if its the dads genetics at fault.
since the problem kits were from 2 different moms. unless the moms are related?
 
Moms are not related, no.

I actually sold the dad, he went to a pet home. They had said something about getting him neutered, but I am not wondering if I should send them an email and let them know about this, in case they decided to breed him. He's a gorgeous boy.
 
I don't *need* a broken, I just really like them, and finally get some with nice markings(from a VM doe, btw dood), and one's gone all wonky. I definitely don't need another buck.

Tough choices. I think I am going to continue to help it nurse, at least until siblings start getting out of the nest. I keep hoping that it's just a runt, and that because it isn't getting enough food, it's like this because it is weak. Either way, I know my new reptile person would be happy to have it, regardless of size. So, if it improves, super awesome. If it doesn't improve, too bad, but it'll at least be a bigger meal for a snake.
 
I can hope, right? I asked another lionhead breeder I've been talking with via FB, and she says it's probably not going to get better. I nursed him twice today, once on Crystal and once on Hannah, but Hannah has started drying up, and I think Crystal had already fed her bunch.
 
Bad Habit-- why not try a replacement formula, then? That way, at least, it has a better chance if the does are drying up---
 
not to be a downer but... i've bottled 3 rabbits... all with my own raw goats milk (i had just used my saved colostrum before the one baby!)... all kicked the bucket within 2 days. i would leave baby in the nest and just take it out to feed.
one baby i fed twice a day. second baby i fed 3 times a day. third baby i said heckwithit and pretty much carried it in my sportsbra in a little bundle (one good thing about no cleavage xD sorry if thats too much info hahahhaha) and fed it a tiny bit that it would eat every ten minutes or so.
and like i said. all died.

oh and the first one i added egg yolk to the milk because i had read it would add more nutrients to the milk, like faux colostrum.
 
I had a doe who's milk didn't come in, and I lost a kit waiting so I pulled remaining kits and tried to bottle feed. I got some great advice on here including a recipe for formula, and I followed the instructions to the letter. Only one kit responded well, the others would barely eat the formula...and the one kit I managed to feed well died anyway. It was like...two days, three tops, and they were all dead. Bottle feeding is to me a last resort, so if your does have ANY milk, I'd keep him nursing on those.
 
I would continue having him nurse from the does as well. Try to get an extra feeding in for him.

With the jerky head movements I think the danger of him aspirating the milk would be increased if bottle fed. But if you want to try supplemental feeding, you want to buy powdered milk replacer so you can mix it double strength. I have Sheep Milk replacer, which is probably more similar to rabbit milk than products made for kittens or puppies, but it comes in a fairly large bag so that may not be the best option for you cost wise.

You can try KMR, but I would recommend mixing that with fluid goat's milk rather than water. I have found that even when feeding kittens with KMR, they have very loose stools. Adding goat's milk to the formula firms the stools up.

Some people will add an egg yolk or a little molasses to the mix as well.
 

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