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Full Version: Hand feeding a baby rabbit????
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I\'m sorry to bother you, but after doing quite a bit of research on
the internet on feeding baby rabbits, I\'ve a few questions, and would
love any assistance you might be willing to offer.

The two rabbit rescue organizations in my area have been unbelievably
unhelpful. One saying they only deal with wild rabbits, and the other
after keeping me on hold quite a while, and switching me from person
to person, connected me with someone who said the vet recommends KMR
once every twelve hours, with no other supplements, or additions.

I am handfeeding a baby rabbit. The mother scattered the litter
around an enclosed animal pen. When this was discovered she was
provided with a box inside a smaller (medium metal grate dog crate)
cage, and the four living babies were moved into the box. 24hrs later
two were gone, one was mangled and chewed and one was barely living.
I have taken that one home, and have been feeding it pedialyte, and
started with KMR and moved to Goat\'s milk, per the suggestion of the article I found most helpful. I also started out feeding every hour for the first few hours, and now
am at about every 2-3 hours, with a six hour break at night. I don\'t
think the vet is right about only feeding every twelve hours. The
baby is pink, and moves around alot when not sleeping, and eats 1/2 to
1 cc per feeding, pretty energetically. It\'s also peeing and pooping.
I had read that at 7 days I should collect mom\'s poop and add this to
the cage, and if it\'s not nibbled on to crush and ad to formula for
one of the feedings a day. Should I do this?

The mom rabbit is in a petting zoo about 15 miles from my house, but
I\'ll go get the mom poop if it will help the baby.

The information available conflicts quite a bit, and I\'d like to give
the baby the best chance I can. Also do I need any supplements,
antibiotics, acidophilus????????????

I have it in a small plastic animal carrier with straw and mom\'s fur,
over some rabbit bedding, and I put this whole carrier in a big shoe
box with a towel and a hot water bottle under one half of the small
carrier.

I\'m using 3 cc syringes and boiling them after each use. Do I really
throw away the remaining 3/4\'s of a can of KMR after 24 hours, and
open a new can. I\'ve been prepping each syringe from the can, as I
use it. I\'ve been offering pedialyte every other feeding. I still
have not achieved a rounded tense belly. The baby eats energetically,
one drop at a time, but is usually asleep before a cc is ingested,
though a third of that is probably spilled onto the towel. I\'m trying
to be really careful to not get too much in the baby\'s mouth, I don\'t
want it to aspirate. Am I in danger of over-feeding? Am I
under-feeding? Should I take the vets advice and only feed every
twelve hours. (This doesn\'t seem right to me.)
I
realize you are probably very busy, so let me thank you in advance for
any assistance you may have to offer.

Tanya
While a doe will only feed 1-2 times a day, I doubt you\'d be able to get as much into the kit as the doe does,as you\'ve already seen. The danger of the kit aspirating the liquid would be too great if you tried to force any more in during fewer feedings and the small amkounts you are getting in would not surfice for fewer feedings. You\'ll need to make frequent small feedings.

Reportedly PMR is closer to rabbit milk thab KMR, you might try that. Rabbit milk is very high in fat content (9%) while cat milk is lower (3%). Actually, according to RABBIT PRODUCTION, pg 259, rat milk comes closer to rabbit milk (15% fat) in composition but don\'t think you want to try milking a ratSmile You might try to find the powdered form so you can mix only what you need. Sterilization of syringes is unnecessary, simple hot water and soap should be fine.
hi tanya ive had the same problem with my first litter its not nice from what ive read your doing really well what the vet said i woul,nt go with i would feed every 2 hours i take it that yoiu are using the form,ular that you can get from the vet or pet shops if you are i would.,nt worry about vitimins and that because its all in it I know its herd to get the litle pot belly but keep at it the more you feed them they get used to it and they will get into a rutine of swallowing i was the same i was terrified that they,d ckoke i,ve never herd about the moms poo that i cant help with but when they are about 5 to 6 weeks i,d start to putonto solids the pelits are the best thats what i used now i have a healthy 3 year old smokey grey and she is amazing so i hope this help.s

let me know how your doing :)diane442
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