Cecals for babies?

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 5sd replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 16 years, 4 months ago by KatnipCrzy.

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- 10/09/2009 at 6:52 PM
  Binkles
  Participant
  823 posts
  My wildlife rescue friend just contacted me and said that he had some baby bunnies who need cecatropes. Is it safe to take cecals from Little-Bit and if so how many? How would I even GET her cecals?
- 10/09/2009 at 7:01 PM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22356 posts
  I take it they are orphaned? I have read that babies ingest their mothers cecals. HRS says one a day for feeding to ophaned rabbits so I gather a cluster may contain about 8 cecatrophes? If Little Bit ingest them straight away I guess you’re not going to get them. Maybe keep a close eye on her about 4-5 hours after her morning feed? I really don’t know much about this, your friend may be able to feed probiotics instead.
- 10/09/2009 at 7:34 PM
  BunnyLiz
  Participant
  1212 posts
  Thats odd.. but it does make sense. Id just watch out for that bunny butt twitch and grab them before she does. Lol wow, the things that we talk about so openly as bunny slaves!
- 10/09/2009 at 7:54 PM
  Binkles
  Participant
  823 posts
  Ahhh I’d feel so rotten doing that though! Would it hurt Little-Bit to be deprived of some cecals? Is this something that would really help the babies or is there something else that’s better?
- 10/09/2009 at 8:10 PM
  BunnyLiz
  Participant
  1212 posts
  I dont know for sure. But I doubt taking a few would hurt her. They are all the extra good stuff, but she is well cared for so I don’t think it would be a big deal.
- 10/09/2009 at 9:39 PM
  KatnipCrzy
  Participant
  2981 posts
  I have heard about doing this with orphaned bunnies but it can be a bit problematic- usually the donor bunny (Little Bit) would have to wear an e-collar (lampshade) to keep her from eating all the cecals herself. And the cecals must be used FRESH otherwise the good bacteria they are trying to introduce becomes worthless.
  
  I have read pros and cons to the practice of feeding cecals to orphaned wild bunnies- they benefit has been debated- and most owners of healthy rabbits that could donate do not want to ecollar their bunny or watch them like a hawk in the hopes of getting a sample- too time consuming.
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