trying to save a baby bunny whos brother died URGENT

[youngbunny]

We found 4 baby bunnies in our backyard and we kept them in a makeshift habitat and tried to feed them, they rejected food so then we put them back out and today we found 1 dead, 1 with cheyynestokes but now dead, 1 very weak with normal breathing, who refuses food and we are trying to comfort him in his last hours, but one actually sprinted away from me and then we found him later. He has been eating and is skinny but stillnot  very weak. I want to know that his brothers didn’t die in vain, so i need help saving him.

[Sarita]

The best suggestion is to keep him warm and try to find a wildlife rehabber in your area. You can search on-line for your state and enter wildlife rehabber.

[youngbunny]

My question is can we keep him? And he refuses bottle feeding but if you place him in the milk bowl he will drink. It almost seems like we have to move him to get him active and give him a need to eat

[youngbunny]

Also, the other one is doing cheyynestokes now, so may he and his two brothers rest in peace. Theyre up in bunny heaven right now. I think I’m all out of tears, the other one though, is fine, what I’m afraid of is that he wont independently go and eat the greens or drink, or do you think that he will (because he does have the strength to) i dont think he would let himself starve to death, what are your thoughts?

[Sarita]

I would really suggest you find a rehabber. I would not put him in a milk bowl as he might drown.

[bunnytowne]

A lot of times when we find wild rabbits and try to feed them til they are old enuf to go out on their own.  To be honest they don’t usually make it

Calling the wildlife people will help him the best. They are experienced in this and have vets and stuff and try to make his environment as close to what is is in the wild as possible. 

However you can try to get some bunny milk or kitten milk that is sold in pet stores or feed stores.  See if he will take that.  They nurse til about 6-8 weeks then are on solid food from there on out.

tho he can eat solid food when he has hair eyes open and is hopping about on his own.  Probably about 4 weeks I think ? 

Ahh a wildlife sanctuary or wildlife rescue would  be what you can look for to get him there so he can have a better chance of survival.

I know you are doing your best for him. Even so as others have had  this experience they still usually don’t make it.

Good luck

[bunnytowne]

I have a question

what is chennestrokes? 

[Furface]

I also recently found a wild nest in my back yard. kralspace posted some good info links;
 

Posted By kralspace on 09/07/2009 03:45 PM
This link is great for estimating the age and abilities of baby cottontails
http://rescuedrabbits.org/?page_id=108

This link repeats the care hints above
http://www.2ndchance.info/bunnies.htm

[MooBunnay]

Unfortunately baby bunnies are super difficult to keep alive, which is why most of us have recommended a professional rehabilitator. The way I found one is just by googling “Wildlife Rehabilitators” and the name of the city I live in. I found a list of city approved re-habilitators and they told me exactly what to do. The two links that Furface gave I think are very good to use. I’m so sorry you had to experience this, I know it is very hard to see baby bunnies hurt and passing away like this. Rabbits at a young age like that though it are very difficult for even a professional to be able to help.

[youngbunny]

Cheynnestokes is when an animal is impossible to be rehabilitated and is lying there motionless taking random hard breaths, when all of their functions are shutting down. Also, sarita, its extremely shallow he just will drink and then jump out and lick the milk off himself. Where can i find a rehabber? And what is the chance of survival, i will explain the conditions of the habitat and the one that is not having labored breathing and is still strong. A plastic storage crate with 2 1/2 feet walls a towel on one side and then on the other side a small bowl of KMS and assorted greens,clovers,lettuce,and grass. He has been eating that and drinking and acting normal, his breathing is natural and in normal intervals. is there a chance of survival for him?

[RabbitPam]

http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contact.htm

You can try the link above to do a search for a wildlife rehabilitator in your area. It also lists other sites you can try if you can’t find one at first.

Brace yourself for the worst, but hopefully with help you can see the little one through. They are still wild, so not good pets.

[kralspace]

I’m glad to see you’ve posted over here youngbunny. It’s not good to post personal information but can you tell us what general area or state you’re in?

Kathy

[youngbunny]

I live in montgomery county in PA, by the way i couldnt find any rehabbers for small mammals in montgomery county. Will i be able to keep the bunny that survived?

[youngbunny]

Should i be bottlefeeding him?

[kralspace]

I had this article bookmarked from a while back, it goes into a lot of detail, but what caught my eye was the photo at the top showing how they hold baby and use a small syringe to feed.

http://squirrelworld.com/RabRehab.html

[youngbunny]

The problem is that he wont open his mouth when we try. I’ll try again tomorrow.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I think you should try to find a rehabber in your area as others have said. You can use the link or just google ‘wildlife rehabilitation’ + your state/city

He needs to be kept warm-try a hot water bottle (make sure it’s not too hot) under his blankies-they rely on mother’s fur and other babies to keep warm and he will need you to make up for that.

You should be giving goat’s milk not cow’s milk when given to another species-it’s easier on their stomach. You can buy this in most grocery stores.

He won’t open his mouth but you can poke the syringe into his cheeks-they have front incisors then a gap with no teeth then back molars-you can squeek it in between the gap of teeth easily.

Can you please post pictures of the babies so we can see approximately how old they are? They do start eating solid food incredibly young and may eat hay if he were offered (the babies I’ve seen ate hay and pellets at 4-6 days of age!!-they obviously still nursed but were eating solid food).

[BinkyBunny]

Okay, so I found some information about wildlife rehabilitation in PA. http://www.schuylkillcenter.org/departments/wildlife/
Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic (SWRC)
Fall Hours (starting September 15)
Monday through Sunday, 10:00am – 4:00pm
calll 215-482-730 (In the link – They said to call in order to locate the closest one in your area)

Also, in the link if you scroll down, you may be to locate the closest one to you.

Here is the link on from the same site about what to do if you find baby rabbits in your backyard. http://www.schuylkillcenter.org/dep…abbit.html

At the point your are at right now it looks like they say to keep the baby in a dark quiet warm box while you call a Rehabber ASAP to get further instructions. 

Edited to add: My opinion about keeping a wild bunny is that you should not do this.  From what I have read, they can be more nervous and become more aggressive as they mature.  Since it’s illegal to keep them, then I’m not sure how you would get him neutered if you ever wanted to settle down his hormones.  Many people think they are are very similar to our domestic bunnies, and yes, in many ways they are, but domestic bunnies have been bred by humans over a couple of hundred years to get a type of temperament  that fits with being domestic.   I would figure a wild rabbit would have stronger instincts and behaviors that would make him mark more, desire to mate, and just all around would be happier, even if his/her life would be shorter, in the wild.  

Keep us updated. 

 

[Binkles]

Yeah, I agree with BB. Wild bunnies are meant to live in the wild, so if you or someone else can rehab him to the point he is strong and old enough to survive I think you should let him fly the nest.

HOWEVER, if for some reason he turns out weak or incapable somehow, there ARE some people on BunSpace who have had to keep rehabbed wild bunnies in the house and have had great success, and their temperaments are nice. My general understanding though, is that the only thing is that they don’t seem to live as long as house bunnies -usually topping around 5 years or so. But that’s to be expected since the average life expectancy of a bunny in the wild is 2-3 at the absolute max.

[youngbunny]

Thank you guys so much for the info. Here is his status, if you put him near the edge of the bowl, he will go in and drink about 1 cc, which i know is not enough. He has been ingesting bits of clover which he seems to like. He hasn’t been taking milk from a dropper or a bottle but we’ll try what you said Kokaneeandkahlua. I’ll do anything to keep this one alive. I don’t want his brothers to die in vain. I will do whatever it takes to save him, all this makes me want to buy a baby rabbit. Once we get this all sorted out, do pet stores sell young dwarf rabbits? Also, i think we can bring him to a rehabber today. By the way, the thing says the pictures are too large, there like 1.3 mb when it only accepts 300kb. Although from the websites you gave me it looks like theyre about 2 1/2- 3 weeks old/

[youngbunny]

Also, the time is 3 hours behind even though i set it to eastern

[RabbitPam]

I know this is a lot to read, but it’s copied from a PA Wildlife Center (Webfoot) that has specific listings of where to go if you’re in your county of PA. What BB copied is listed here among others, so I would try them first.

I would look into getting a new baby bunny for yourself from a shelter, and read the info. on this site to be able to prepare for a new bunny in your life. 

D OR WATER TO INJURED OR ORPHANED ANIMALS. Each species has its own unique nutritional requirements and many of these animals have sustained injuries that require attention. The BEST thing that you can do for an injured or orphaned wild animal is to bring it to a rehabilitator as soon as you have found it.

All wildlife are protected under state and federal laws and can only be treated by licensed wildlife rehabilitators. It takes years of training to become a licensed wildlife rehabilitator and we are capable of providing the specialized care required to treat injured and orphaned wildlife. If you are interested in becoming a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in Pennsylvania, please visit http://www.pawr.com. If you are interested in becoming a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in Connecticut, please visit http://www.crawildlife.org.
on’t Kidnap Healthy Orphans!

It is perfectly normal for certain species to leave their young unattended for periods of time. Young RABBITS and FAWNS will spend the majority of their time away from their parents. They do not need to be brought into a rehabilitation facility. If you are concerned that they have been orphaned, call a rehabilitator for more advice BEFORE containing them.

Have you found an injured or orphaned wild animal in Connecticut?
Please call the DEP hotline at 203-389-4411.

PA Rehab Facility Contact Information
Connecticut Wildlife Rehabilitators Association
http://www.cwrawildlife.org
203-389-4411

Department of Environmental Protection http://www.ct.gov/dep
860-424-3333
PA Rehab Facility Contact Information
Diamond Rock Wildlife/Malvern, PA
http://www.diamondrockwildlife.org
610-240-0883

Schuylkill Center Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic/Roxborough, PA
http://www.schuylkillcenter.org/departments/wildlife
215-482-8217

Main Line Wildlife/Ardmore, PA
610-649-0117

Aark Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center/Newtown, PA
http://www.aark.org
215-968-4953

Brenda Malinics/Philadelphia, PA
For bats only
215-482-4356 (home)    215-707-7652 (work)

Red Creek Wildlife Center/Schuylkill Haven, PA
http://www.redcreekwildlifecenter.com
570-739-4393

Mercer County Wildlife Center/Lambertville, NJ
New Jersey wildlife only
http://www.nj.gov/counties/mercer/community/wildlife/
609-883-6606

Dauphin County Wildlife Rescue/Harrisburg, PA
717-566-2613
 

[kralspace]

How is it going this morning, Alex?

for those who didn’t get to read his original post under Support, Alex is {in her teens} and I think doing a great job of trying to save these babies.

You’ve done your best and most impressively, made the mature decision to find a rehabber to give the baby his best chance for survival. that means you’re thinking more of the little cottontail than of yourself, I know how tempting it is to want to keep it.

If you’re successful in getting the baby to someone, ask if they will keep you updated and possibly let you be there at the release. I follow a rehab group on yahoo and I love the fact that they invite ‘guests’ to their releases.

If you want me to resize your photos, click on my name and email them to me.

Lot’s of thumps to you, Kathy

[youngbunny]

Here’s the thing, my parents do not want to pay 100’s of dollars on a rehabber. At the moment, (this is not because i want to keep him), i have learned how to sustain him, every few hours we go to him and place him next to his milk bowl and he drinks it. If we put a piece of timothy hay at his mouth he will eat. So, how expensive are rehabbers?

[Sarita]

Rehabbers don’t charge you for their service – it’s a volunteer position. However you may be required to get the baby to them.

[katie, max & penny]

everyone on this site is going to advise STRONGLY not to buy a rabbit from a pet store. There are hundreds of homeless rabbits up for adoption- please adopt instead of buying. You’d be saving another life.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Yes you don’t have to pay anythign for a rehabber-you saved the wildlife-they take over Just give them a call

I’d look into adopting a bunny afterwards if your interested in owning one. The major advantage is that you know how big they are, b/c they are full grown-you know their personality b/c they are full grown and you can adopt them spay/neutered already-that’s a pricey but necessary surgery so it’s a big bonus to get one who’d one already. We can help you track down a shelter in your area when your ready.

[Binkles]

You have my highest respects. You’re more mature and sensitive to the animal’s needs even than most adults are, and THAT is a precious gift! Most people don’t encourage kids to own bunnies because of the responsibility they require, but I think you’re more than responsible enough. The fact alone that you’ve been so proactive and have done so much research just to keep the wild baby alive is a testament to how serious you are about caring for animals. You obviously have a true love for animals.

[youngbunny]

Thank you binkles, I have always loved animals. I mean, i dont even kill bugs. We named the rabbit Swayze after Patrick Swayze because this rabbit is such a fighter. Every few hours me or my mom goes down to him and will stick our (clean) finger in his milk bowl and rub it on the rim. Then we place him next to it and he licks it off the rim and will drink from the bowl. I’m home sick today so ill be able to care for him more. We are eiether going to bring him to a rehabber OR we will release him when he is ready. When is a good time to release a bunny back into the wild? Also, if we adopt a bunny, is it possible to adopt a young dwarf bunny?

[youngbunny]

I couldn’t figure out how to make his picture 300kb or less so im making it my profile pic.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Yup it’s possible to adopt all ages/breeds of rabbits!

Here are some links for you

http://rabbit.rescueme.org/Pennsylvania

http://www.montgomerycountyspca.com/Display.aspx?sel=Animals

http://www.petfinder.com/search/search.cgi?pet.Animal=Rabbit&pet.Breed=&pet.Age=&pet.Size=&pet.Sex=&location=Montgomery%2C+PA

[kralspace]

If you like the wild bunny type, you could adopt an Agouti. I’m not sure if it’s a coloring or a breed, but they’re beautiful. This is my Hershey, I adopted her from the North Texas Rabbit Sanctuary, she looks just like a wild rabbit.

 

How’s the baby doing today?

 

[youngbunny]

The baby is fine. He is adorable, as always. Im about to go down and put him next to his bowl again. It seems that he eats timothy hay independently, but will not go over to any of his food bowls or milk bowl. Is this a good milk formula to prevent diarrhea? 1 part KMR to 3 parts water.

[youngbunny]

My mom is a nurse and she brought a syringe home from work today. He refuses the syringe. Although we probably will bring him to rehab soon. Why wont he drink from his bowl independently. I mean, if you rub some milk on the rim of the bowl and then put him next to it he will lick the rim then drink from the bowl, but its only about 1/2 cc, how much does he need to survive?

[bunnytowne]

Oh so the young one is hanging there oh good.  I so hope he makes it

[youngbunny]

I am so sad to say that he passed away last night. He would not acept milk and he would only drink if we put him next to the bowl and he would drink about 1/2cc, i feel like this is my fault, like we could have done better. We were going to bring himn to rehab on sunday but my dad says its closed. So, i just feel like i could have done better, i am so sorry to all of you…

[RabbitPam]

I’m so sorry he passed. As others have said, it is very hard for wild bunnies to survive, and you did all you could.
Certainly no need to apologize to us!

If this has given you some experience with bunnies, and taught you something about the wild vs. domestic ones, as well as how many really can thrive under our care, then their lives were not lived in vain. You are a compassionate person willing to help helpless animals, and that’s a wonderful way to be.
Perhaps you and your Dad could go to a shelter and look at the little bunnies that still need to be rescued, and give one a very loving home. After a certain age where they are weaned, and especially if already spayed or neutered, you can plan on a bunny in your home for many, many years to come.

[kralspace]

RabbitPam said it better than I ever could. You did the best you could and no need to feel guilty about trying. Baby rabbits are so frail. Maybe there’s a bunny at the shelter waiting for you. This is a great site to explore if you want to learn about day to day living with a domestic bunny. They’re so different from cats and dogs.

I think you did an admirable job, Alex.

Binkie free little bunny, Kathy

[jerseygirl]

Binky Free Babies!

I absolutely agree with Pam and Kathy. You & your family took on the task admirably and it is no easy one. Others at this site have tried save wild babies but their mortality rate is really high. If the experience has brought to you a new love for rabbits, then that is great. If you do decide to get your own pet one in time – do continue to research as you have done during this experience. And as others have suggested, do look into adopting from a shelter. There’s a saying that by adopting you really save 2 lives – the one of the bunny you adopt and another that can take it’s place in the shelter.

[wendyzski]

I’m so sorry.  If it helps, I’ve read that even professional rehabbers only have about a 20% success rate in hand-raising orphans.  Thank you for trying.

[Deleted User]

Alex, I’m really really sorry that you had to go through that. I know that you tried very hard, and I know that when you are putting so much effort into saving a little one you can become very attached to them. I have been through it before. You tried your best, you should be proud of that.

I hope that you will go to a shelter to look for a new bun of your own. I am sure you could give it a very happy home, and you can always come here with all your questions about the new bun.

[youngbunny]

Thank you for all your support. What I’m looking for is the youngest agoutii a shelter is allowed to give. I would like to raise it from before it goes through bunny puberty so i can bond with it, I’ve noticed that when an animal knows you when it is still a puppy, or a kitten, or (well in this case, i call rabbits adults and bunnies the baby version) bunnies are easier to bond with.

[youngbunny]

I am continuing two topics from this thread, one in Rabbit Q+A for anyone who would like to give feedback about what kind of bunny i should get, where, how.. etc. The other will be in support for remembering the lost baby bunnies. Any final notes about my last post are welcome in this thread.

[bunnytowne]

Awe he passed.  You tried so hard too.  Sorry he didn’t make it.  They usually don’t.  I guess it depends on the age they are found. It isnt’ your fault he passed you did your best.

So you have decided on a bunny of your own.   I am sure you will really enjoy the new family member.  Buns are fun.

[Author]

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