Post by helix on Jul 11, 2016 8:51:12 GMT 10
Hi,
I am here searching desperately in the hope that someone here may be able to give us some advice or tell us what might have gone wrong.
Our two rabbits (Rex x lop and a Norwegian dwarf x lop) which were both supposed to be males, according to the breeder and a vet, had an unexpected litter four days ago. Unexpected as they were both supposed to be male but also because in over a year of them being together this is their first litter.
4 were born alive and one was stillborn.
Although unexpected we were excited by the situation and were really hopeful of being able to look after them and give them a good life.
On day 3 yesterday afternoon one of them, the runt, sadly passed away. He seemed healthy that morning and would run over with the rest when we opened the hutch door.
Surprisingly though the one which even that morning appeared to be doing the best passed away. We were cradling him keeping him warm as he wasn't doing well. We put him back after warming him up and shortly after we heard him let out a few final screams and then he too died.
We went to bed with only two remaining, which we tried hand feeding before bed as we felt we had little to lose at this point. My partner set an alarm to get up during the night to check on them and when she did the final two had passed away. All other than the stillborn died at the 3 day mark and all within about a 15 hour period.
The mother never pulled fur and never made a nest - we made one for her out of a small cut down cardboard box and lined it with clean rags. She did visit them on a few occasions that we saw, a few times even pulling a rag over them seemingly as a blanket for them. We never saw her feed them although I understand that this is not too surprising.
They're kept indoors with air conditioning. It's warm and the kits lived in a dark closed in section of the hutch.
The attached photo with one kit is that of the latest one to die, Pinkie, showing the condition that he was in shortly after he died.
The group photo is the four of them on day one whilst the four were still alive.
We feel devastated by the whole thing and don't have any idea what went wrong. We're also concerned she may have a second litter on the way as she still has some size about her. She was separated from the buck but not until after the kits were born and we had discovered them. If she does have another litter we would like to be much better prepared.
I understand that first time mothers are not the wisest, but to lose four all on day 3 would suggest that they were not even fed at all.
I am here searching desperately in the hope that someone here may be able to give us some advice or tell us what might have gone wrong.
Our two rabbits (Rex x lop and a Norwegian dwarf x lop) which were both supposed to be males, according to the breeder and a vet, had an unexpected litter four days ago. Unexpected as they were both supposed to be male but also because in over a year of them being together this is their first litter.
4 were born alive and one was stillborn.
Although unexpected we were excited by the situation and were really hopeful of being able to look after them and give them a good life.
On day 3 yesterday afternoon one of them, the runt, sadly passed away. He seemed healthy that morning and would run over with the rest when we opened the hutch door.
Surprisingly though the one which even that morning appeared to be doing the best passed away. We were cradling him keeping him warm as he wasn't doing well. We put him back after warming him up and shortly after we heard him let out a few final screams and then he too died.
We went to bed with only two remaining, which we tried hand feeding before bed as we felt we had little to lose at this point. My partner set an alarm to get up during the night to check on them and when she did the final two had passed away. All other than the stillborn died at the 3 day mark and all within about a 15 hour period.
The mother never pulled fur and never made a nest - we made one for her out of a small cut down cardboard box and lined it with clean rags. She did visit them on a few occasions that we saw, a few times even pulling a rag over them seemingly as a blanket for them. We never saw her feed them although I understand that this is not too surprising.
They're kept indoors with air conditioning. It's warm and the kits lived in a dark closed in section of the hutch.
The attached photo with one kit is that of the latest one to die, Pinkie, showing the condition that he was in shortly after he died.
The group photo is the four of them on day one whilst the four were still alive.
We feel devastated by the whole thing and don't have any idea what went wrong. We're also concerned she may have a second litter on the way as she still has some size about her. She was separated from the buck but not until after the kits were born and we had discovered them. If she does have another litter we would like to be much better prepared.
I understand that first time mothers are not the wisest, but to lose four all on day 3 would suggest that they were not even fed at all.