Uh oh… I think she might be pregnant?

[KytKattin]

First I want to say I’m new, so I’m not sure where exactly this post should go, please move it if it isn’t where it’s supposed to be. Second, I did not intentionally breed her!!! Okay sorry, I just don’t want to be flamed for that and it clears it up right away. Now, a little history about how I acquired her;

                                

I was playing tennis at my local park where people often abandon rabbits (past Easter Bunnies and children’s forgotten playthings). The rabbits then either survive and join the feral colony or they become food. I happened to see what I thought was a young or dwarf rabbit (she’s actually a Polish) that wasn’t acting like or in the group of the established colony so I went over to her. She was very curious about me and after spending about 15 minutes gaining her trust I ended up catching her (she did scream, but it’s better than just leaving her, and I know I didn’t hurt her). I of course then brought her home, I don’t care if the park says ‘the rabbits are everyone’s pets”. At the time (about 11/2  weeks ago) I also had a mini rex (who passed away the night after I brought her home for unknown reasons ), so I didn’t want another rabbit, but was going to find a rescue to take her in (though that idea went from my mind once my mom saw her and said I could keep her). I don’t know how long she was at the park, my guess would be about a day.

Shortly after I started to realize she didn’t like to be held at all, and has bit my mom and sister (not breaking the skin though) and lunges at me if I try to pick her up. She’s missing quite a few toenails, but otherwise seems healthy. She has a tattoo in her left ear that says SPOT, but her name is now Nova. She’s almost completely house trained already, at least in the cage. She LOVEs her pellet food, but didn’t’ seem to know what to do with the hay at first and doesn’t like and treats I give her! On that note, she eats a TON of food. She eats double what my late rabbit ate, but is smaller than he was (not by much, but still). She is showing a lot of nesting behavior, and I’ve given her a makeshift nesting box filled with shredded paper towel. She hasn’t pulled fur yet though and I can’t actually feel any babies, but that doesn’t mean much. She has a constant supply of pellets and hay and I moved her into my late rabbits bigger cage (not huge, but decent enough for now. It’s a superpet extra large or whatever their biggest rabbit cage is).

I don’t know if she was pregnant when she was dumped or from a rabbit at the park or if she even is. So any and every bit of info is appreciated!

 

 

[Scarlet_Rose]

Hi lostbutnotforgot.  No worries, no flames allowed here at all (forum rule) and I am glad you let everyone know this was not intentional breeding off the bat.   What a touching story and I find it odd that the park says “they are everyone’s rabbits” that is rather odd given that these are domesticated rabbits and not used to living in the wild.  Anyway, I would say that the tattoo indicates she came from a breeder.  The gestation period is 28-31 days and a rabbit will begin to pull out fur very shortly before the birth of the babies.  Here is a bunch of info:

Pregnancy/Babies – Uh Oh, Surprise Litter?:

• http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/surpriselitter.html
• http://www.rabbit.org/care/babies.html
• http://www.rabbit.org/care/newborn.html
• http://www.mybunny.org/info/newborn.htm

There are a few others here who can give you some tips as well.  It could very well be she is scared and frightened too, she’s been through quite a lot and is displaying aggression because of it.  If she was a breeders rabbit, she probably didn’t get hay at all and little to no socialization. Here are a few previous discussions on aggression:

Aggression:

Luey Part 1: https://binkybunny.com/Default.aspx?tabid=54&forumid=3&tpage=1&view=topic&postid=7139#7313

Luey Part 2: https://binkybunny.com/Default.aspx?tabid=54&forumid=3&tpage=1&view=topic&postid=9962#9962

Lilly https://binkybunny.com/Default.aspx?tabid=54&forumid=6&tpage=1&view=topic&postid=3922#3943

Most importantly of all, give her a place that is all hers and where humans don’t venture, she needs to feel safe and it sounds like is acting out because of fear.  It takes time and patience and when you are able, take her to the vet to be given a thorough exam.  She could be hurt as well and if she is missing nails, she could have been fighting a lot, especially if she wasn’t accepted by the group already there.

 

[osprey]

Welcome to BB lostbutnotforgot,

No flames here, just bunny people!

Based on my experience with bunnies that come into our rescue, if your bunny is not spayed and was outside amongst other rabbits for any time at all, she is likely to be pregnant.  You can take her for an emergency spay for the first 2 weeks or so of the pregnancy, or you can wait and see what happens.  Are you sure that your bunny is a female?  It is sometimes hard to tell, even when the bunnies are adults.  The agression you are experiencing could be a symptom of pregnancy too, females with a litter get territorial and try to defend their space.  This may decrease if you have her spayed.

Your bunny eating a lot could be a sign of pregnancy, or it could just be a sign of a malnourished bunny.  When they are dumped outside, many of them do not know how to get food and they become very hungry.  She may not have been given hay before, so she does not know it is food.  She should figure it out, or you can put same hay in her litter box or bury some treats in the hay to get her to explore it.  I have also found that many bunnies who don’t take to hay right away like Oat hay if you can find some.

Good luck with your new bunny, and let us know how she does.  I cannot believe that your local park condones this feral colony of domestic bunnies.  That situation could get out of hand very quickly, as bunnies can have a litter of up to 10 kits every 30 days!

 

[KytKattin]

Thanks for all the great info and welcomes! Yes, I don’t much like how the park handles the situation of dumped rabbits. They used to have signs up that said ‘Setting Her Free Doesn’t Really Set Her Free’ and then listed reasons why, but now they just seem to not care. I actually got told off by my grandma who lives nearby for taking her (trust me, I normally respect my elders, but I do feel I know what’s best for a 2 and 1/2 pound rabbit in this situation!).

I will be getting her spayed after 3 weeks have passed if she hasn’t had babies. I would have went for an e-spay, but I choose not to since I have no clue how far along she might be as if she was a breeder’s rabbit they might have dumped her already pregnant. I am almost certain she is a she, but that being said, I’ve only checked very well once. My mom used to keep about 10 or 15 spuetered rabbits outside when I was younger (where I practically lived anyways) so I’m fairly confident in my abilities to check (and that’s probably why I managed to catch her in the first place). I will double check tomorrow though, just to be on the safe side. A dulap would hint towards female though too?

Other than the missing nails she seems to be fine. Her fur all lies smooth and I’ve checked her over closely for everything from parasites to abcesses Her nails were rather long, so I’m guessing she was kept on wire, they got caught, and she pulled them off. One seems recent, the others are all healed over and will just never grow back.

She does love her hay now, so I’m glad about that. It’s still second to pellets, but at least she eats it. I also take her outside often to graze on the lawn while I work in the garden and she likes to nibble on the grass.

Oh, and here are some pictures from the day after I got her! She’s gained some weight since then.

[Floppy]

welcome!!!

[Deleted User]

Hi and welcome! What a cutie.

I can’t believe the park considers dumped rabbits as “everyones pets”. They might as well just hang a sign saying go ahead and dump them. That was great of your mom to let you keep her. Hopefully you won’t have to deal with a surprise litter but we have a number of people who have done well with surprises. But you will find lots of support and info for any situation. This is a great board.

[Beka27]

she is beautiful. i’d still suggest taking her to the vet as soon as possible (today, tomorrow?) for an exam. the vet may be able to tell you if she is for sure pregnant, which would at least allow you to prepare. plus, she may have contracted something while she was loose that would jeopardise her health or the health of the babies.

[RabbitPam]

I was thinking that too, Beka. Welcome lostbutnotforgotten.
I think a baseline exam from your regular vet is always a good idea even if she is just fine. If she isn’t, you’ll begin treatment in time. Sorry about the loss of your mini-rex, too. Nova is completely irresistible – she’s lucky to have you.

[JK]

Yes welcome here! That just sickens me that people dump their pets. Can you get your local humane society to get invoved? Wow that is so irresponsible of the park to let this continue. 2 rabbits turns into hundreds or more! Good for you for at least rescuing one. She is a lucky bun and probably extremely scared. Just be patient with her. Do keep us updated.

[bunnytowne]

wow what a lucky bun. poor things. yes I am curious about her nails poor girl. maybe a vet can make the recent one feel better adn heal up right. awe so sad. and if she has a parasite or somethign they could help she is probably in good health but just to be sure I agree take her to the vet the lucky little girl. awe and your rex died that is so hard to lose a pet. sorry   oh by the way I see why you couldn’t resist her she is adorable

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Welcome-what a cute bunny!! She looks like a mini-rex maybe? Anyways-adorable and lucky to have you!!

[Beka27]

her face spots remind me of Meadow (except Meadow’s are more uniform), and she doesn’t have the mini rex fur. unless she’s a mix of some sort…

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

LOL that’s true Beka….I think any rabbit with spots is a mini-rex hehe

[babybunsmum]

wow what a story.  you’ve already gotten great advice so i’m really just posting to say i’m so glad you rescued her… she’s adoreable! 

[osprey]

Bah, I forgot to mention that almost all bunnies who spen time in the wild pick up Coccidia, an intestinal parasite transmitted in the fecal matter.  There is a simple test for it that involves collecting a fresh fecal sample and the vet doing a float test.  Coccidia is usually not too dangerous for adults, but can be deadly for babies, as it causes very bad runny stools that lead to dehydration and death.  The treatment is simple, a 7 day regimen of an oral antibiotic called Albon.  If you think she is going to have babies, you might consider getting her tested (and treated) for coccidia so that she does not  transmit it to the babies.

[MooBunnay]

Hello lostbutnotforgot!

That is the CUTEST LITTLE BUNNY ever! It is no surprise you couldn’t resist her

As far as the biting when you pick her up, she may just be absolutely panicked when you pick her up becuase she doesn’t understand that it is safe to be off the ground, its pretty scary for the bunny to be up in the air with no escape route and she is probably just scared. Also, because she’s most likely not spayed, the territorialness can come from those femal hormones like some other people mentioned. I bet whe will be a darling little rabbit once she gets to know you. I rescued a teeny little girl from an outdoor situation and though she is still shy with me, it is really obvious how smart and sweet she is.

I’d also recommend taking her to the vet ASAP. She may be too young really to be having a little so the vet can tell you if she is in fact pregnant, and also whether or not she is sick, or if it is dangerous to her or the babies if she is a very young rabbit.

Good luck – and well done on rescuing such a little sweetie!

[Beka27]

it’s silly that i didn’t think of that… how old is she approx.? do you have any idea? bunnies can get pregnant at about 3-4 months i believe. she may be younger than that…

[skunklionshow]

So adorable!  I would get the humane society of house rabbit society involved.  I’m thinking that maybe they felt people were going to do it anyway, so might as well provide a “safe environment” for the rabbits.  The ear tattoo definately makes it sound like she was from a breeder.  It could actually be maybe someone dumb, that didn’t dump her as much as they lost her.  Maybe they let her out into the yard and she ran off or escaped?  I have a “tux” tattoo on my Jessica.

She does look very young.  I would definately have her checked out by the vet anyway.  Even w/ your rabbit experience, it’s always good to get a “2nd opinion”.  Keep us posted.  What a cutie pie!  What’s a flamer?

[MimzMum]

A beautiful bun! I applaud you for stepping up for her and I do hope she will turn out to be in good health and (hopefully) not pregnant. But if so, I am confident from your posts that you know what to do. Very commendable!
Too bad about her poor little nails! The nails on my buns grow exponentially and I do weary of trimming them, but I wouldn’t want them pulling them out. Does she still try to dig at anything though? My Mim loves to dig on his pen floor. Sounds like a drum solo. I thought he was a girl bun too when I found him. Sometimes when they are very young it’s kind of hard to tell.
Either way, Nova is gorgeous. I think a higher power sent her to you, imo. I am sorry to hear about your other bun.
I agree that perhaps there is someone at your local humane society or some other authority should be notified of this “park” and it’s policies. Honestly, it is not just in the best interest of the rabbits, but the humans playing there as well. What happens if an infected bun bites a child? That’s a no win situation for everyone involved.

[RabbitPam]

skunklionshow,
I think a flamer is someone who responds to a post online with excessive outrage, a verbal attack, or something like that. They “flame up” and write a tirade against someone about a hot topic. (at least hot to them.) It’s not pleasant to be the butt of someone’s flame. I think BinkyBunny doesn’t allow that here. (You’ll get deleted.) Usually easy to spot due to excessive use of capital letters AND AND AND EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!!!!! GET IT?? HUH? hUH? GET IT???? Sorry. like that.

[skunklionshow]

I’m probably one of the few Gen X’er’s that really knows very little about computer lingo and text abbreviation thingies….Thanks, you don’t want to know what I knew the term to mean LOL!

[KytKattin]

Sorry it took me so long to get back to this! I’ve been very busy these last couple of days. Thank you for all the warm welcomes and advice! I haven’t been able to get her into the vets yet, but so far she’s still doing good and will try to get her in early next week. I haven’t actually held her since I moved her into a bigger cage as the doors are narrow and she’s very prone to lunging to bite me (and she won’t come out when I just leave the door open either), so I have yet to double check her gender. I can still check her feet though when she’s walking around. She is building a huge nest and digging constantly (gah! I’ve never had a rabbit that loves to dig so much!). She’s also much more comfortable in the new cage and no longer lunges at me when I walk by. Since the cage is on the floor I think that helps.

I don’t know how old she might be, but I would guess she’s at least 6 months? The vet might know, or maybe not. I’m not sure there’s really a way to tell other than their size. Seems to have kind of large nipples, but I don’t really have other female rabbits to compare to and don’t know if male rabbits also have them (I know male rats don’t, but that’s obviously not the same). So at this point I’m just trying not to disturb her too much, as I’ve read that Polish rabbits can be finicky mothers and don’t want to stress her out more than she already is if she is a she and pregnant.

[RabbitPam]

I would urge you to read up on what to do as soon as babies are born, so you won’t be caught by surprise. It does sound like she is pregnant, and if not, well, you’ve learned something. There are a couple of very informative threads already posted here that helped with surprise litters. Was it Ospry with the surprise litter in the night? Anyone know which link? I think now would be a good time to read it. If you can’t find it, just do a bit of reading and write here for the experts to advise you as needed.

[KytKattin]

I’ve been doing a ton of reading on what to do if she has any babies. So far
she has built quite a nest. Do rabbit sometimes just like to do that? She
was in a really good mood today and as it was cage cleaning day I was very
glad for that! She seems much more relaxed and comfortable, though she still
won’t hop out of her cage on her own (she’ll hop back in though). She gets
along very well with my chihuahuas and isn’t nervous around them at all.
She’s much bigger than before, but neither my mom or I can feel any babies
and as I mentioned before, she seemed skinny. It’s only been two weeks since
I caught her though, so I’ll check again closely in another week. She is
also for sure a she. We’ve all double and tripple checked. Plus she doesn’t
smell nearly as bad as my late male and she’s basically already litterbox
trained! I’m so happy! Being on what I think is a good food (Oxbow T) her
nails have been growing like crazy! She’s good about letting me trim them
and I’m thankful they are white so it’s easier for me to work towards
getting them back to a normal length.

I’ll try to get some more pictures of her actually moving around and
exploring tomorrow. I haven’t got her to play much yet, but I’m hoping she
will as she becomes more comfortable.

[babybunsmum]

good that you’ve been reading up on what to expect if she has babies… some rabbits build nests if they’re having a ‘false pregnancy’ but in your circumstance i wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a litter coming soon.  i do not have personal experience with this… i’m just going by what i’ve read about others who have posted questions about nest building.  another member here adopted a rabbit & the vet couldn’t tell that the rabbit was pregnant at the time, so i think it can be quite difficult to tell based on a physical exam only unless done by a very experienced person / rabbit vet.  if she is ready to have a litter she may turn a little more agressive about the area around her ‘nest’.   glad you’re doing so well with her…  pics would be great!

[Scarlet_Rose]

Here are a couple of other discussions on surprise litters:

Babies – What to do about a surprise litter:

https://binkybunny.com/Default.aspx?tabid=54&forumid=2&tpage=1&view=topic&postid=23891#23891

https://binkybunny.com/Default.aspx?tabid=54&forumid=3&tpage=1&view=topic&postid=31205#38125

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

*can’t wait for pictures*

[KytKattin]

My goodness, with finals this week it’s been crazy, but thankfully that was over Thursday. Today (well technically yesterday since it’s past midnight now) I work up and Nova, who normally greets me in her own ‘feed me!’ way didn’t leave her nest. I pretty much knew right then and there that she was having babies. I’m not sure how long she was in labor, but she had pulled a ton of fur, and popped the first one out within minutes of my noticing. Unfortunatly the bub was dead. We took it out and tried to stimulate it, but we had no luck. It was beautiful and perfect looking, the same color as Nova. We decided to leave her alone for a few hours (about 3-4) though I checked on her often. After that time I noticed she was getting ready to push another one out. It looked the same as the other bub, and unfortunatly held the same fate. No signs of life, just seemingly perfect in every other way. It’s been about 5 or 6 hours since then and she seems done and relaxed. She passed and ate two placentas and has eaten, drank, and pooped. Based on the size of the babies I think she has pushed them all out. I could certainly see her being able to hide two babies of that size, but three would have been hard for me to miss. They were purebred Polish, through and through. So I’m certain now that she was dumped pregnant by a breeder. My cousin who was in 4-H also said that her missing toenails might have been purposfully torn out by a breeder if they were the ‘wrong color’ so that the rabbit had a better chance of winning at shows. I’m absolutly disgusted with people right now! Who would do something so cruel? It makes me so sad.

 

Now, since she has no babies to nurse and probably needs a little nutrient boost I would love suggestions as to how I should help her through this difficult time. I was thinking of mixing in a touch of alfalpha hay with her timothy, but I don’t know if that would help. So please, any suggestions are great and very welcome. I know I promised pictures, and I will try to get them once she’s feeling a little better. Hopefully the territorialness was from the pregnancy and I will have a very nice and snuggly bunny soon! And if not, well, I’ll still accept and love her.

 

[Deleted User]

That is a shame about the babies, but she is so lucky to have you to care for her. I have no idea what to do for a rabbit that lost its babies, but I am thinking, that since they can get pregnant right after giving birth her body will respond to not having kits to nurse and the milk will dry up on its own.

[rabbitsmba]

Awwwww, on Mother’s Day, too…..

I can’t offer much advice either but I can suggest a tip. Buy some little stuffed toys – 2 or three – really small ones as close to baby size as you can and give them to her. Someone told me they did this for a bunny going through a severe false pregnancy (no babies were ever born, she was never pregnant but had built a HUGE nest!) and this helped the bunny – she snuggled with the “babies” and groomed them constantly. After a few weeks, she eventually got over it and they became “toys” again.

I would still get her to a vet as soon as possible. Two babies seems like a very small litter – I would worry there were still more dead ones inside – sorry, just me, I worry like that!

And it is not unusual for babies to be born dead or to have an entire litter not make it. Just a sad fact of life.

[osprey]

I am so sorry that she had to go through all of that and then the babies were stillborn.  Perhaps a breeder dumped her because she was not a good “producer” and had too many still born litters.  I don’t know how often litters are stillborn, but I do know that young mothers have a tendency to lose babies because they don’t know what to do.

As to caring for the mother, I think the addition of some alfalfa hay to her diet would be a good idea.  Her body has used a lot of energy bringing those babies to term, so the extra calories will be good for her.  Given that she was dumped, she might have been underweight when you found her, and that was masked by the pregnancy.  I would say 2 weeks to a month of extra calories for her, then get her spayed and back onto a more normal adult rabbit diet.  Thank you so much for caring for this little girl.

 

[kimberleyanddarren]

i am sorry to hear the babies were stillborn, thats awful, people are very cruel and will always be its just a fact of life, i cant believe people would do that either it disgusts me. I am sorry you had to go through that, keep us posted on the bun and how she is doing.

[JodiM]

so sad! I am thankful that you found her when you did! You are a truely kind soul!

[Beka27]

i’m sorry the babies were stillborn. but i think it’s for the best. has she been checked by the vet yet? i would take her in the next couple of weeks and see when the vet recommends spaying.

[Scarlet_Rose]

I too am sorry to hear about the babies. You’ve done such a wonderful job of giving her a chance at a happy life and your conceren for her has me very tahnkful she found such a caring human to love her. I ditto what Osprey said about the feeding. Give her some extra love and attention and perhaps by helping her through this, you’ll both form a stronger bond together.

[MimzMum]

Oh, I’m so sorry the babies didn’t make it. I would echo rabbitsmba and make sure she sees the vet to determine if she still carries any others, as they could turn septic and she would get very sick and possibly die. I am sure that you will do your best for her, as you are obviously a very caring person. My condolences again that the babies were stillborn.
Lots of love and noserubs to your momma bun. I’m sending lots of healing vibes for her! (((((((((Nova))))))))))))

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I’m soo sorry to hear what happened! I hope she’s doing well now. I like that idea of giving her some small cuddly toys to mother for a while

[Floppy]

I hope Nova is doing well…sorry about what happened.

[RabbitPam]

While she was off to a tragic start, you have saved her from a tragic end.
That’s so sad about the bablies, but she’s obviously a baby herself. She will have a lovely life with you.
Do over!

[Gravehearted]

what a sad thing for you both, but it sounds like she is awfully young. I think lots of love and time will help her heal. And please get her spayed soon.

[KytKattin]

I was only able to call the vet since my funds are sorely depleted from taking care of my elderly chihuahua. I almost wish I had waited to take Nova in until now (I took her in before she had babies). They said I should just keep a very close eye on her and bring her in immediately if I notice any odd behavior at all. They recommended I wait a month or more until I get her spayed because she did mask her pregnancy because she’s underweight (it’s obvious now that there’s no babies).

She’s currently ‘nursing’ a very small loofah dog and a tiny pillow. She seems very happy with the both of them and I see her in her nest twice a day. Thank you so much for the suggestion! Though she’s plucked her self practically bald in some places and still is doing so a little bit, I’m happy that she’s not digging in the litterbox anymore and doesn’t rip up as much of the paper towel that lines her cage. I can tell that she’s much more relaxed and I think we’re both looking forward to this whole thing being over so she can be a normal happy bunny!

[Beka27]

she’s so lucky to have you!!! give her extra hugs and kisses for us.

[skunklionshow]

I’m so sorry for baby Nova’s loss.  I’m so glad that you took her in.  Who knows what would have happened if she gave birth in the wild, in her underweight state and/or away from a watchful eye.  Here’s wishing her extra ounces!

[KytKattin]

I was wondering, could anyone recommend any type of high fat foods I could give her? Particularly something I can mix in with her normal pellet so that it will last a little longer since I’m going though it like crazy and she still seems skinny (though perhaps I’m just being impatient in wanting her to gain weight, I don’t like my animals to be skinny). Normally I mix in rolled oats, I don’t know how fattening they are so I’ve avoided them. Needless to say, I’m learning as much as I can about rabbit diet, and am heading over to read stuff in the diet thread right now, but anything posted will be appreciated too, especially given the slightly unusual circumstances.

[Beka27]

i think that rather than adding in fattening pellets, you should just concentrate on giving a really nutritious, well-rounded diet. plenty of veggies, a high quality timothy pellet and unlimited hay. there is no telling how long she was out there, she might have lost the weight over a long stretch of time, or just never gained any weight. after a bun gives birth they can have alfalfa hay while they’re nursing… you could try to add some of that in with the regular timothy hay… but you would want to wean her off of that in a month or two.

i’m not a vet, so this is just what i think… but i think it will probably be a lengthy process to get her up to a good weight. i think you should take her in to the vet ASAP so he can do an exam and get a baseline weight for her. there might be something else wrong since she’s been out for so long. also, the vet will be able to give you an idea of what her ideal weight would be and more tips on diet.

[skunklionshow]

I’m also wondering if you could add critical care to her diet?  Especially if the vet agrees that she needs to gain weight more quickly.

[Author]

Messages