something is wrong, urgent!

[Foobun]

 I just rescued a bunny yesterday from going to the meat man! She is a very large Californian, I’ve named her Happi! I know nothing about her background, she is “mature”  she has a large dewlap. They warned me she may be pregnant as I was walking out the door. That was yesterday afternoon. I gave her a small amount of parsley and a couple pieces of carrot to get her to warm up to us nice humans. Her litter pan was used, and nothing unusual looking except poops with no hay matter in them, I also loaded her up on timmy hay and she devoured it!! Wet wood pellets meant she was peeing! 

This morning I get up and greet her good morning, and there is evidence of blood and urine!! She has made a makeshift nest in her hay box I have provided her and pulled a little bit of fur out during the night……I’m trying not to panic, I’m telling myself that the blood is due to pregnancy/soon birth…am I right?? Gotta go and check her, I’ll keep you posted, any advice is greatly appreciated!  

[rabbitsmba]

Oh boy, I have no advice to offer but here is some helpful information….

http://www.rabbit.org/care/babies.html

Good luck and keep us posted!  And thanks for rescuing her!

[Sarita]

Thank you for rescuing her! I think the article rabbitsmba has posted is the best to help you out.

Keep us posted and good luck.

[Foobun]

 Thank you, sorry I’m in a panic, it was the blood. It is not a huge amount, but it really showed up on the wood pellets in the litter pan and being that I know nothing about her, I’m worried! All signs point to pregnancy and she is not acting sick. (although she could be hiding it) I’m off work today and can keep a close eye on her. 

I don’t want to mess up her digestive system, but she goes wild over the bits of parsley and carrots I give her! Do you think I could go ahead and give her some green leaf lettuce as well? She deserves nothing but the best and I want to give it to her! 

I made a nest box for her and after reading the article, I made it all wrong….poor Happi, the things she has to put up with! So back to the drawing board for me!    

[Sarita]

Yes, go ahead and give her what you think will make her happy and you happy too! I can imagine how stressed out you are – I would be the same way.

[Sica]

Please read this article as well, Red Urine normally is not a problem and usually doesnt have blood in it!

 

http://www.rabbit.org/journal/3-1/red-urine.html

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

First {{Calming Vibes}}

Generally if urine is red, it’s not blood-just from carrots or beet tops or other veggies coloring the pee. However if she’s pulled fur and there is blood, she’s likely giving or given birth.

It may look like fur but poke your hand in gently and feel for babies. It’s OK to touch them, most breeders handle babies from day one, and its important to remove stillborn babies from the nest-so it’s fine to just see if there are any there.

Their are lots of us who’ve been through the surprise/accidental litter so we can certainly help you along! Kudos for saving her!! *hugs*

[Foobun]

 Hey, I’m back. No change since this morning. She is very relaxed, acts like she owns the house already.  Here is a thought, maybe she “lost” the babies this morning and what I was seeing was fluids/blood. It was blood, not red urine……it was thick and stuck to my finger tip.  I want to pick her up and have a look at her privates and nipples and her nails are horrible, I just don’t know if she should be put through the stress right now?? 

She loved the green leaf lettuce!! 

More bad news……she has fleas! What is safe to use?  Poor girl! Thanks for all your help! It is nice to know you care! Hugs, Dani 

[rabbitsmba]

What ever you do, don’t use Frontline – it can be fatal for rabbits. For fleas, you can use Revolution.

[Sarita]

That is possible that she lost the babies – I’m glad she is doing okay and enjoying her lettuce.

Yes, what rabbitsmba said…NO FRONTLINE – Revolution is okay if you have that or your vet carries it.

[Sarita]

And for the nails – I agree, wait a few days to let her relax before you tackle that job. It might be a good idea as well in the next few weeks to get her an appointment with the vet for a thorough exam and then schedule her spay at that time.

[Lisa_43]

Expert: Dana Krempels, Ph.D. – 12/16/2008

Question
WHAT IS THE BEST TREATMENT TO GET RID OF FLEAS ON RABBITS? I WAS TOLD TO BATH HER AND THAT WOULD GET RID OF THEM BUT IT HASN’T WHAT DO I DO NOW?

Get the answer below

Answer
Dear Cynthia,

A rabbit should never be bathed. Please see:

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/buttbath.html

if your bunny is dirty.

But for fleas, the best treatment is Revolution (selamectin) from your vet. Advantage will also work. DO NOT use Frontline (fipronil), which is deadly to rabbits. You’ll need to get the Revolution from a good rabbit vet:

http://www.rabbit.org/vets

The topical medication lasts about 3-4 weeks, and will also protect against mites and roundworms.

Hope this helps.

Dana
 

[Lisa_43]

The dosage rate also came from Dana Krempels.

Hope this helps

Revolution (selamectin) comes in two concentrations: 120mg/ml and
60mg/ml. The former is sold in tubes for larger dogs, and the latter is
sold in tubes for smaller dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens. If you’re not
sure which solution you have, check the box. The concentration is listed
there, usually in very fine print.

Either solution will work for rabbits. It’s the amount that must be
modified to give the correct dose, which is 6mg/kg.

Note that a cubic centimeter (cc) is the same as a milliliter (ml). If you
are using the more concentrated solution (120mg/ml), then use a
*needle-less* 1cc syringe (from your vet) to draw up 0.05cc per kg of
rabbit. For example, a 4kg rabbit would get 0.2ml of the 120mg/ml
solution.

If you are using the less concentrated solution (60mg/ml), then use the
1cc syringe to draw up 0.1cc per kg of rabbit. The same 4kg rabbit as
above would get 0.4ml of the less concentrated solution. Obviously, you
need an accurate weight for your rabbit to determine the correct volume
of Revolution. (Note also that 1kg = 2.2lb)

Squirt the Revolution onto the skin (part the fur, and gently press the
tip of the (NO NEEDLE!) syringe to the skin) on the back of the neck area,
just above the shoulders. This dose should last 2-4 weeks, but you should
always consult your veterinarian about proper dosing, and not use any
medications on your rabbit without first consulting your vet.

 

[MooBunnay]

Congratulations on your new bunny! And thank you so much for rescuing her. I have worked with several Californian bunnies while volunteering with rabbit rescues, and they are excellent pets. They are much more calm, and social than many other breeds of bunnies, I think that you will really enjoy having her.

I’m not quite sure what was going on with the blood in the urine, as I am not very familiar with un-spayed rabbits and pregnancies, I’m glad that you were able to build her a nest box just in case. Lots of timothy hay is great for her, and dark leafed vegetables like the red or green leaf lettuces, and parsley are good for her as well. I would slowly increase the amount you are giving her, my large bunnies get up to two cups of leafy veg per day and sometimes even a bit more than that. I wouldn’t do a whole lot of the carrots, just a piece here and there because those are more fattening and more likely to upset her digestive system.

After a few days I would recommend taking her to the vet to get looked at, it sounds like she was in some very bad conditions. You’ll also want to get her spayed soon because the risk of uterine cancer is very high in unspayed female rabbits. The website http://www.rabbit.org has some very good vet recommendations if you are looking for a vet in your area.

Good luck and keep us updated on Happi!

[BinkyBunny]

How wonderful of you to save her. How is she behaving? Is she aggressive at all during this time?
My vet recommended both Revolution and Advantage. (Revolution works for both fleas and mites) My vet gives dosages based on weights of my bunnies.

i also ditto getting her checked up and established with a rabbit-savvy vet. Here’s a link/reference to rabbit savvy vets in PA. http://www.rabbit.org/chapters/se-pennsylvania/vetlist.html#Penn

You should still double check that they have a rabbit-savvy vet on staff though because sometimes these lists can be outdated.

[jerseygirl]

I want to echo the others also and thank you for rescuing Happi – and possibly her babies. Also want to stress it’s important to have her looked at by a vet. I don’t know if the other articles mention this….and sorry if it’s first time you’ve heard of it…..Sometimes Does will eat a kit that is born dead or of incomplete form. This way they retain protein to be able to provide for surviving kits. So she may have miscarried one but you would need a vet to check if she has retained any unborn kits.
Best of luck!

[Foobun]

 Thank you, thank you, thank you! Oh, did I forget to say thank you? THANK YOU!     You should see my happy HAPPI bunny! She is hopping around the room….into everything….like she owns the place! (she does! shhhhhh) I’m calling the vet on monday for Happi, so she can get checked out and some flea med too! I really want to see how old the vet thinks she might be. I feel a lot better today about her health, no more blood! Poops look good, she is enjoying her hay and fresh veggies and humans! I’ll post some pics soon, I know you can’t wait to see her and I can’t  wait to show her off!  

[Lisa_43]

Yes please we love bunny pics

[LittlePuffyTail]

You sweet angel for rescuing her from such a terrible fate! I’m glad things seem to be going better now. Can’t wait to see lots of pics!!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Ohhh Can’t wait for pictures!!

[MooBunnay]

I can’t wait for pictures either – and if she’s like the Californian buns I’ve met before, she definitely DOES own the place One lady that adopted a Californian named Mayberry from me, and she said that within a few hours of being in her new house, Mayberry declared herself a free roam bunny and hopped out of her cage!

[Author]

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