Please Help A New Bunny Mom

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 4sd replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 8 years ago by Bam.

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- 04/02/2018 at 11:28 PM
  Shady
  Participant
  9 posts
  Hello! So I recently adopted a baby bunny (yesterday, I’ve named them Frankie) from my cousin and I’m having some issues. The bunnies are Dutch and they were born around the first or second week of February (I just assume they’re Valentine’s Day babies). The mother died a while after giving birth, not sure if it was the same day or later and my cousin doesn’t even know how, but that was immediately a red flag for me. I honestly have no idea how the babies survived because I know they need the mother’s care for a while and the father is aggressive and keeps attacking them.
  
  Anyway, here’s where my issue(s) comes in— firstly, from what I could tell after a phone call with my cousin, it seemed like the bunnies aren’t getting proper care. I don’t know what kind of pellets or hay they’re being fed, but it seems like a commercial brand and whatever cheap alternative they could get their hands on. I don’t think they even know how to care for them, feed them, etc because I asked her what hay she’d been giving them and her answer was very… uneducated. Something along the lines of “I get it from a farm store, it’s very cheap.” Maybe it’s just me, but that doesn’t sit well so it was a second red flag. I did a lot of research on bunnies and diets and I know that for the first couple months, they need alfalfa hay and alfalfa pellets so there’s that.
  
  Secondly, they ran out of hay when my mother brought the bunny home so it’s just been eating the pellets they provided quite often. I’m getting some new food tomorrow, alfalfa pellets and Timothy hay (Timothy because I’m scared the bun might get too much calcium, I’ll get into that in a bit).
  
  Thirdly, I noticed last night that my bunny’s pee was a milky yellow and that shocked me. Earlier today, I noticed that it was thicker, more chalky looking. I looked that up and apparently my bunny has “sludge.” I’m not sure if the pellets and/or hay are providing it with too much calcium, or it’s not drinking enough water, or there’s another issue at play here. I called my cousin to let her know and her response was “oh yeah, that’s how they pee!” Um… no, it’s not. “Sludge” is abnormal from what I gather.
  
  I need some help here, guys. I’ve never owned any other pet other than a dog and I’m terrified. I want to take it to a vet, but my primary vet doesn’t specialize in exotic animals and the one they referred me to gave me a bad feeling. They’re charging $90+ for a physical exam (I add the + because I know they’re going to charge more than what they’re offering after the checkup is over) and I’ve looked at their reviews, as well as every other exotic animal vet around me, and they’re not good. I’m not made of money, money’s tight right now and I just don’t know what to do. I’m not sure if the bunny will improve with a new diet and I’m at a loss. Please help me.
- 04/03/2018 at 2:23 AM
  Bam
  Moderator
  17033 posts
  Hi and very welcome to Binky Bunny! Thank you for adopting this baby baby!
  
  First of all, just so you don’t worry too much, chalky pee is ok. Bladder sludge is thick, like fine wet concrete. Chalky pee is just excess calcium that bunnies expel via their urine, whereas most other mammals dispose of surplus calcium via the feces. Give the bunny water in a bowl if you aren’t already, they drink more from a bowl than from a bottle.
  
  If you have alfalfa pellets, you don’t need alfalfa hay, so that’s correct. The feedstore hay your cousin has been giving the rabbits is ok. All hay that a horse can eat, a bunny can eat. It’s great if the babies have been started on hay really early in their lives, because hay is the most important component of a rabbit’s diet. If young rabbits get unlimited “normal” rabbit pellets or just a larger portion-size normal pellets, that’s fine too. Alfalfa is convenient and keeps portion sizes down, but it’s not absolutely essential.
  
  Baby bunnies can technically survive without their mother as soon as they can eat solid food. That’s around 3-4 weeks of age. It’s of course not ideal, ideally kits should be with their mom until they’re 6-8 weeks, but if the mother passes, there’s obviously not much choice. Rabbits don’t “lay” with their kits like dogs and cats do, so for comfort and warmth etc, baby buns rely on their siblings.
  
  If your bun seems fine, it might not be worth the expense to take it to a non-rabbit savvy vet for a general exam. If money is short, you could consider saving the money for necessary vet care. Things to look for during a health exam are, of course: clear eyes, good solid poop with perhaps the occasional extra cecotrope and good appetite. Check the little anal area once a week so everything looks good there, check feet, check incisors so they look aligned. The bun should be lively and alert when it’s awake, but it should also sleep a lot because all baby animals sleep a lot. Make sure there’s appropriate weight-gain (it’s advised you weigh the bunny weekly in a bowl on digital kitchen scales and note down the weight so you can make a weight-curve).
  
  You seem like you’ll be a really great bunny mama. Please keep asking questions!
- 04/03/2018 at 3:30 AM
  Shady
  Participant
  9 posts
  Thank you so much! Frankie has 24/7 access to fresh, clean water and pellets since I’ve gotten him. I’m honestly not sure if he’s drinking enough water because the amount in his bowl doesn’t go down all that much when I check it. He has a few occasional sips though from what I’ve seen so maybe I’m just being paranoid and he actually is drinking water, I just don’t see it? I dunno. His water is in a bowl, though!
  
  I’m glad to hear that chalky pee is okay, although it does seem on the thicker side. I’ve put a few doggy potty training pads on the flooring of his temporary cage while I try to potty train him and his pee is very yellow and there’s a thick chalky substance that is sometimes left behind once the urine has been soaked up, but again, I’m probably just being paranoid. To be honest, he seems okay and kind of happy. He was really scared because of the new environment the first night, but he’s come out of his shell quite a bit and he’s been doing these little head shakes and hops (I think they’re called binkies) and I’ve seen him flop over and stretch maybe twice today. I think that’s a good sign. He’s a curious and energetic little bun. And what are incisors?
  
  I plan on saving some money for the next few months in order to neauter him, I just hope the price isn’t astronomically high. Thank you so much for responding, I was absolutely freaking out and now I’m more at ease! Thank you again!
- 04/03/2018 at 3:53 AM
  Sirius&Luna
  Participant
  2320 posts
  Hi
  
  I know you’re waiting to get hay, but hay really is the most vital part of a bunnies diet! He should have 24/7 access to hay, and be given a serving of pellets a couple of times a day while he’s young his pellet portion shouldn’t interfere with his hay consumption
  
  Honestly, rabbit pee often varies in colour and thickness, it can be bright red and still not be something to worry about!
  
  It’s great that you’re doing so much research. Have a look at the bunny info section too, it has loads of great tips on housing, diet, litter training etc
- 04/03/2018 at 3:57 AM
  Bam
  Moderator
  17033 posts
  It’s wonderful that he’s binkying and flopping! Those things means he’s feeling great and also safe.
  
  The color of a bun’s pee varies a lot, from light yellow to bright red, and it’s still normal. It’s primarily about the plant pigments in the food. A bunny’s urine should never be completely clear and colorless. The chalkiness can be rather marked. Here’s an informative article with very good pictures of how bladder sludge looks compared to normal pee: http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Uro_gen_diseases/generalities/Sludge.htm
  
  Is he getting hay? He should have unlimited access to grass hay (timothy, orchard, oat, any type of meadow mix) 24/7. (ETA: Sorry, missed the part where you said you were getting timothy hay tomorrow!)
  
  Incisors are the front teeth. Here’s a good picture of how the incisors should look: http://www.petcha.com/rabbit-teeth-good-bad-and-ugly/
  
  The inner teeth (molars) can’t be seen without an otoscope. Grass hay is vital for good dental health in rabbits.
  
  Prices of neutering varies quite a bit depending on where you live. In some places you can find clinics that do lots of neuters for shelters. They tend to have lower prices and lots of experience.
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