Thread for lily: poorly kit

[jerseygirl]

Posting from another thread, now locked. 

Posted By lily on 3/18/2018 11:25 PM

hello! so my bunny accidently had baby bunnies and she had 5 bunnies, 1 died after 1 week, and now has 3 healthy babies and 1 sick baby. the sick baby doesnt have as much fur as the others and is alot smaller (they r 8 weeks old now). the sick baby also is blind in both eyes with a terrible eye infection and also was born with his feet curled in and cant walk to well so he drags himself around which hurts his legs and feet. the healthy babies are all fluffy and the sick baby isnt . we had to seperate the sick baby into a different cage then the mom and the 3 other bunnies because she attacked the baby and made his side bleed and i found him tipped over bleeding and having a stroke or a seizure. i realized that she is still feeding the babies but that means she isnt feeding the sick one since he is in a different cage. idk what to do about any of this, so if u could help that would be appreciated! (i am saving up to take the sick baby to get put to sleep since he is in terrible condition, but idk if that is the right thing to do!)

[jerseygirl]

Aw, poor little thing. It is a bit hard for us to accept when a Mother bun shuns a poorly kit but it’s natures way.

If they are 8 weeks old, they would not be needing much milk now, if any. But the sick one might benefit from some more. Would she allow you to hold it under her so it can suckle?

Is there a rabbit rescuer or animal re-habber near you that you can seek advice from? Or even see if they are willing to take on the baby? If the condition of the legs is spla-leg, they might be able to do something now, at this age, to improve this. Although, what you describe sounds different.  Or they could assess him to see if there are further health issues that he’s not likely to overcome. That might bring more clarity on the help make the decision about the decision to euthanise or not.

[lily]

thank u so much for the advice!! i am going to see what i can do to help the baby. i clean the little baby bunny’s eyes almost every other day or when i have time to and i also bathe him. it is benefiting him, and i am making sure he has plenty of food and water and i think he is gaining some weight so hopefully i can heal his eyes and go from there! so i have 9 bunnies all together and i am in desperate need of selling them or just giving them away for free, so do u have any recomendations for that? idk if i am going to keep the 2 original bunnies that we have (im pretty sure that we can) we just need to give away 7!

[Sirius&Luna]

I don’t think you should be bathing him. It’s dangerous to fully submerge rabbits in water, especially young ones. If he needs cleaning, then wipe him with a damp cloth, and make sure he is dried aftewards.

I don’t recommend giving rabbits away for free, as that attracts the kind of people who just want them for snake food. If you don’t want money for them, perhaps you could ask for a donation to an animal charity or something. Or send them off with bags of hay and food, and take some money for that.

Make sure that the two original bunnies are separated until they can be spayed and neutered, or you’ll end up with more litters. How do you have 9? I thought there was two and a litter of 4?

[tobyluv]

I agree with everything S & L said.

Do you have any rescues or no kill shelters in your area that you could contact to see if they have space available to take in your rabbits? Make sure that any potential adopters of the rabbits know all about rabbit care and their ways. So many people don’t understand this and are soon wanting to be rid of the rabbit. I volunteer for a rabbit sanctuary and we get so many calls and emails from people who no longer want their rabbits, for a variety of reasons. Mainly, it’s due to not knowing what a commitment rabbits are, and not realizing what goes into their care and keeping.

[lily]

i dont use soap to bathe him, i just use warm water and only fill it up a little bit so it doesnt reach his face or ears and then i put him in a towl and dry him alittle and then blow dry him on low, warm. the original two had babies before that and then when the babies were old enough to have more babies, we separated them and we accidently put a boy with 2 girls so one of them had babies and that is the babies we have now. we r trying to get people we know to get bunnies but there are not any shelters or bunny places we can give them to cuz they have long waiting lists and there isnt enough space for any more bunnies.

(the picture was when he was with the other bunnies)

[lily]

idk if the pic worked or not

[lily]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/S2a7OUp98exl7wk72

[Sirius&Luna]

It’s still dangerous to bathe him in just warm water, bunnies really don’t like being submerged in water. It’s very rare that rabbits need a bath, and even then, they generally only need thier bum bathed. Please stop bathing him. Is he doing better yet?

I would go to the bunny info section of this site and print out some basics to give to new owners – especially the diet and housing sections. I would also be wary about giving bunnies away near easter, as bunnies that are easter presents tend to be the most neglected, and often die or are given to shelters in their first year.

[lily]

ok, thx! he actually likes the bath cuz he just sits there and drinks the water and relaxes. he needs to be bathed cuz when he drags himself around, it gets poop and hay and stuff stuck to him. he isnt doing better, but i have been cleaning his eyes with room temperature chamomile tea and it helps!

[MountainBuns]

Yeah bathing is very dangerous for bunny’s especially while they are young. They can get hypothermia and go into shock.

Oh I just read that he has poop and hay on his butt, well then just clean his butt and make sure he is dry and warm with a blanket.

Be careful who you give your bunny to! I would recommend giving your bunny to a animal shelter, that’s where I got Caroline, my bunny. There they can do background checks and make sure your bunny goes to a good home. Also you should get your bunny’s spayed and neutered which will reduce cancer risks and make them friendlier.

[alltheprettybunnies]

Please don’t take this the wrong way but I’m pretty shocked that your bunny is still alive! Sounds like a sturdy little booger in spite of the raw deal he was handed. Most rabbits don’t nurse for 8 weeks. If he is eating hay and drinking water he is probably doing well. If you’re worried, I have known people to make a mix of goat formula and heavy cream and feed it by syringe. It is very difficult (done wrong and they can aspirate) and bunnies who need to be fed that way usually die anyway.

I know a lady on a different forum who raises lionheads and she has a little one who is parapalegic. She keeps him in modified diapers and a little preemie t-shirt to protect his skin. Just an idea. Conventional wisdom is that bathing rabbits can stress them to the point of sudden death, cause ear infections and skin disease. Just like you’re not supposed to wash a down coat if you get a rabbits fur wet it can rot against the warmth of their skin. Your bunnies are very pretty. I’m sure you can sell them- then use that money to invest in care for the one or 2 you decide to keep!

Best of luck & let us know how things turn out.

[lily]

hey! it’s been a while since I last posted so I’m gonna update u guys!! so the bunnies r all ok and the sick bunny is doing so amazing! his eyes r all cured (he is still blind in both eyes) , the eye infection is gone and he is super soft an fluffy! he is still a lot smaller than the others and his legs are still curled under him, and they r getting too long for him and he is having so much trouble walking. he is eating good and drinking good and is getting bigger! I am very happy for him but my family thinks it is best for him to be put down soon because he can’t see or walk and it is very upsetting to see him struggle. I love him so much and I’m happy he healed. the other bunnies r all doing good and we managed to have someone adopt one of the babys!! I still have 8 bunnies and we r still trying to help them find homes, so if u guys have more ideas that would be soooooo helpful!

[jerseygirl]

Posted By lily on 7/29/2018 11:57 PM

hey! it’s been a while since I last posted so I’m gonna update u guys!! so the bunnies r all ok and the sick bunny is doing so amazing! his eyes r all cured (he is still blind in both eyes) , the eye infection is gone and he is super soft an fluffy! he is still a lot smaller than the others and his legs are still curled under him, and they r getting too long for him and he is having so much trouble walking. he is eating good and drinking good and is getting bigger! I am very happy for him but my family thinks it is best for him to be put down soon because he can’t see or walk and it is very upsetting to see him struggle. I love him so much and I’m happy he healed. the other bunnies r all doing good and we managed to have someone adopt one of the babys!! I still have 8 bunnies and we r still trying to help them find homes, so if u guys have more ideas that would be soooooo helpful!

This sounds exactly like results of  “max factor” genes, a thing that can happen with dwarf rabbits that I just learnt about. I was familiar with Peanuts (the fatal condition when a baby inherits dwarf gene from both parents) but not max factor kits.  They are born with eyes open, so they become infected. They also have deformity of the hind limbs and their fur is more fluffier then the other kits. 

You may want to research this and see what can be done for these rabbits, if anything. 

Below, is a little more about it. there is also an invite to contact them at the end – maybe these people would have some helpful advice for you? 

Max Factor Gene

Back in the 1980’s a group of breeders went through the complete process of documenting the animals that carried the Max Factor gene and followed the normal ratio procedure and proved the existence of the gene.

The name “Max Factor” was given to this gene after finding that an imported Dwarf buck named Max appeared to be the original carrier.

Max Factor acts like a normal recessive gene. This means both parents MUST carry the gene for it to show in the litter.

Max Factor kits (sometimes called ‘frogs’) are very odd looking. They are born with their eyes open and feet all twisted inward. The eyes will usually be infected due to exposure in the birth canal. Many times the front feet will be just “flippers” with no toes and sometimes you will get one with extra toes. The hind feet usually are turned “upside down” or turned inward.  The double Max animals will have a different type fur as well. Their fur almost feels like human hair rather than fur.

Most Max factor kits die shortly after birth but if they do survive they take an awful lot of dedication and care. Most rabbits with the defects listed above will need constant cleaning as they urinate on themselves and can’t clean themselves properly. They also have severe eye problems which can be very costly and time-consuming.

If you have a Max factor rabbit we’d love to hear from you. You truly are a rabbit owner! Send us your story and some lovely photos of your unique little friend.

Source: http://www.justrabbits.com/dwarf-rabbit.html#maxfactor

[LittlePuffyTail]

I’m glad to hear everyone is doing well!

Very interesting, Jersey. I’ve never heard of that before.

[lily]

thank u so much!! i will definitely look into the max factor genes! I will try to post some pictures, but I’m not sure how… also littlepuffytail, ur bunnies r so adorable. not to sound rude but what does rb mean?

[lily]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/h54xrcQTCKCJ9VZr9

[lily]

i hope that link works so u can see the photos

[MountainBuns]

From my knowledge, RB means Rainbow Bridge. Meaning those bunnies have passed away. I could be wrong…

[lily]

thank u, I’m am sorry for u losses littlepuffytail

[lily]

hey everyone! update time: I just noticed today that the sick bunny has got the eye infection again and I started crying. I feel so bad for him! do u guys have any tips or help for me? it would be greatly appreciated! ♡♡

[Sirius&Luna]

Is he a year old now?

I’m afraid eye infections can’t be treated without a vet visit. He’ll probably need some antibiotic drops.

How’s he doing otherwise?

I would say to start a new topic, as generally that is advised, but there’s quite a lot of useful background info here so I’m not sure!

[lily]

he is about a year and 2 months now and what do u mean by start a new topic? like a new forum on this website?

[Sirius&Luna]

Yes, if you go back to the main house rabbit Q&A page, there’s a ‘new topic’ button on the top left, and you can start a new topic about the eye infection and you’ll probably get more replies than when you reply to one of your previous topics

[Bam]

You can start a new topic if you like, but the backstory in this thread is really helpful. 

Here is a lin k you can use if you want to start a new topic, you can paste a link to this thread that people can follow for the backstory. As S& L says, you are likely to get more answers if you start a new topic: 

https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/afv/post/aff/2/Default.aspx

If you want any help with this, just PM me or one of the other forum leaders!

As for the eye-infection:

A real eye infection needs antibiotic drops. All you can do at home is to rinse with 0.9 % saline solution (human eye wash for example), gently pat the eyelids dry with highly clean compresses and see if that makes a difference. Never let the same equipment (tweezers, drippers, compresses etc) come into contact with both eyes, since it is possible for eyes to be infected by different pathogens – you dont want to transfer pathogens between the eyes.

How is he doing otherwise? You must have done a great job with him, seeing that he’s 14 months now.

[lily]

ok thank u so much! I may start a new thread but I’m gonna talk with my parents to see what we can do for the bunny because my dad thinks it is best for him to be put to sleep since he cant walk very well since his legs are deformed. I’ll submit pics on here if I can, but I’m at school rn so I’ll have to do it later!

[bonnie_bunny]

If he’s over a year old, is eating, pooping, playing, and acting like a bunny then there’s no reason to put him to sleep. Plenty of humans walk a little funny and live perfectly fulfilling lives. If he can get checked out by a vet so you can get confirmation he’s not in any pain and is otherwise healthy, maybe that will change your dad’s mind. He might need a little more help than the other guys, but I bet you anything that as long as he isn’t in pain, he’ll be as happy as a bunny can be.

[lily]

ik, I love him so much ❤ but when I got home from school, i took him out of his cage for a bath and he rlly isn’t looking good! he can barely walk and I cant see him struggle anymore. my dad said I have to put him down this weekend cuz he rlly isn’t doing well at all, my family rlly cant afford all of the medical treatment he needs. he can barely up to get a drink because his legs can hold him up. I’m so sorry guys, I rlly tried my best to help him ?

[lily]

hopefully u guys can see these pics: tell me if u can!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/TcHtBnLnM5XzxF9R9

[lily]

this is what he looks like now, ik he looks horrible?

[Sirius&Luna]

The poor baby certainly looks quite sick. Thanks for doing so much for him.

When you take him to the vet, maybe you can ask their professional opinion? It may well be that he is too sick to ever live a happy life, but it may also be that with dedicated treatment, he could live a semi-normal life. If the vet thinks that treatment could help him, perhaps you could see if there was a rescue willing to take him on and cover his medical costs?

[lily]

I’m not going with my dad to the vet because it’s just rlly sad, but I’ll try to ask my dad to see if there is anything else we can do for him. I just hope that it is not in pain. ?

[Author]

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