# Is My Rabbit Underweight?



## Rabbi3 (Aug 28, 2013)

Hey guys, I decided to create a new thread since this is an entirely different issue from my prior one. 

*First I Must Note:* 1. I do not have the option to take him to a rehab center due to location work schedule. 2. He was not taken from a nest, he was found in my front yard in the open sun. 3. I feed him KMR + acidophilus to mimic his momma's milk. 

Ok, with that out of the way, here's my question. 

When I first found him three days ago, he had a perfectly oval shape which looked healthy to me. The second day he looked a bit bloated but that bloated look went away once he finally pooped and peed, he's now doing this on his own. He's now on his third day and here's his health synopsis: 

*He's noticeably leaner and he doesn't have the same amount of fullness as he had before.* He still doesn't take to a syringe of any sort so I put drops of milk on his mouth and he laps it up. 

*I'm guessing his gaunter wait has to do with his feeding and amount? *Because I can't get him to suckle, I'm presuming his milk intake isn't as much as it normally would be. Not only that, but his hydration, though not detrimental, isn't as good as it was the day prior (before pooping / peeing). 

Should I be feeding him more frequently than once in the morning and evening? Any tips would be helpful.


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## LumLumPop (Aug 28, 2013)

Hm,I've never really seen wild rabbits before,much less a baby! So I wouldn't know the mean of their weight. However,he is very adorable!


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## JBun (Aug 28, 2013)

Are you feeding a thicker solution of the kmr? The milk that bunnies get from mom is high in fat and nutrients. So to try and get the hand feeding mix as close as possible to mom's milk, you add less water, and a bit of plain heavy whipping cream. You may also have to add an extra feeding or two in since he won't be getting as much milk in a feeding as he would from mom. 

http://www.2ndchance.info/bunnies.htm
This site recommends a mix twice as thick as the directions on the can. It gives 3 parts kmr, 3 parts water, and one part heavy whipping cream, plus probiotics, as a good consistency for baby rabbits.

So maybe a thicker more fatty mix will help the little guy put weight on better.


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## Rabbi3 (Aug 28, 2013)

JBun said:


> Are you feeding a thicker solution of the kmr? The milk that bunnies get from mom is high in fat and nutrients. So to try and get the hand feeding mix as close as possible to mom's milk, you add less water, and a bit of plain heavy whipping cream. You may also have to add an extra feeding or two in since he won't be getting as much milk in a feeding as he would from mom.
> 
> http://www.2ndchance.info/bunnies.htm
> This site recommends a mix twice as thick as the directions on the can. It gives 3 parts kmr, 3 parts water, and one part heavy whipping cream, plus probiotics, as a good consistency for baby rabbits.
> ...



Now that you mention it, I do remember reading something about adding the whipping cream! I'll see how he's doing first when I get home and then add that into his mix after he seems to not be in an emergency state.


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## Rabbi3 (Aug 28, 2013)

JBun said:


> Are you feeding a thicker solution of the kmr? The milk that bunnies get from mom is high in fat and nutrients. So to try and get the hand feeding mix as close as possible to mom's milk, you add less water, and a bit of plain heavy whipping cream. You may also have to add an extra feeding or two in since he won't be getting as much milk in a feeding as he would from mom.
> 
> http://www.2ndchance.info/bunnies.htm
> This site recommends a mix twice as thick as the directions on the can. It gives 3 parts kmr, 3 parts water, and one part heavy whipping cream, plus probiotics, as a good consistency for baby rabbits.
> ...



Also, I'm trying to find a syringe that would make feeding easier as he never takes to the rubber nipple and the one syringe I do have is too thick for his mouth and he doesn't like it inserted.

Do you have any tips?


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## RabbitGirl101 (Aug 28, 2013)

He may need more solution. Make sure to feed him twice a day and make sure his stomach gets big and round. It could be that he is growing, when the kits grow they get leaner. You have to keep in mind cottontails mature very rapidly and by 2 weeks of age they are able to leave the nest and by 3 to 4 weeks they are completely independent and start a life of there own. It seems to me that he is just growing up and becoming more rabbitish rather than piggish (ok this may not make sense, but I relate kits to little pig because when they are born they remind me of a pig and then they always have the 'belly' like a pot-bellied pig has, when they start to grow up thats when they start to resemble a rabbit more.)

This is a good source to read: http://www.massaudubon.org/Nature_Connection/wildlife/index.php?id=70


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## JBun (Aug 28, 2013)

Using a syringe can be tricky because you have to be really careful so they don't aspirate the liquid. I read about someone just dipping a butter knife into the milk and letting the bunny lick the milk off so there was less of a chance of aspiration. If you do use a syringe, a 1cc syringe would probably be the best to use. I think just letting a drop at a time of milk on the lips is probably the safest way to feed. But very time consuming. You could probably find some you tube videos of different methods of hand feeding.


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## RabbitGirl101 (Aug 28, 2013)

Rabbi3 said:


> Also, I'm trying to find a syringe that would make feeding easier as he never takes to the rubber nipple and the one syringe I do have is too thick for his mouth and he doesn't like it inserted.
> 
> Do you have any tips?



When I had to syringe feed one of my young rabbits the vet said the most important thing is to keep the rabbits head up you dont want to give it to them lying down they could choke that way, especially because your administrating it and the kit isnt able to drink it like he could from a mother. Give it to him in small amounts if you give it to him all at once he could choke on it. Rub his neck and belly to help the mix go down. If you think about it when a kit is drinking from its mother the mothers belly is rubbing against the kit, this can help the milk go down and help prevent choking. Also make sure you use a small syringe I had originally got a syringe meant for cats and it didnt work because it was to big for my rabbits mouth so I had to get a smaller one I believe it was a 1cc syringe, it worked a lot better and it was easier for my rabbit to get the food down. (It was a kit around 6 weeks of age and he couldnt eat or drink because of him having wry neckso I had to feed and give him water multiple times a day, he had a 50% chance of living and the vet thought he wasnt going to make it but Bevolio is still going strong to this day waiting for his forever home, he is able to eat, drink and walk on his own now, so proud  )


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## Rabbi3 (Aug 28, 2013)

RabbitGirl101 said:


> He may need more solution. Make sure to feed him twice a day and make sure his stomach gets big and round. It could be that he is growing, when the kits grow they get leaner. You have to keep in mind cottontails mature very rapidly and by 2 weeks of age they are able to leave the nest and by 3 to 4 weeks they are completely independent and start a life of there own. It seems to me that he is just growing up and becoming more rabbitish rather than piggish (ok this may not make sense, but I relate kits to little pig because when they are born they remind me of a pig and then they always have the 'belly' like a pot-bellied pig has, when they start to grow up thats when they start to resemble a rabbit more.)
> 
> This is a good source to read: http://www.massaudubon.org/Nature_Connection/wildlife/index.php?id=70



Someone mentioned in another thread that this kit is around a a week old. In the past two days he's already gotten a lot furrier and the slits in his eyes are becoming more pronounced. 

I'll check him when I get home and will be sure to follow the advice someone mentioned where they told me to put whipping cream in his formula. 

Thanks for the heads up, Rabbit Girl!


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## Rabbi3 (Aug 28, 2013)

JBun said:


> Using a syringe can be tricky because you have to be really careful so they don't aspirate the liquid. I read about someone just dipping a butter knife into the milk and letting the bunny lick the milk off so there was less of a chance of aspiration. If you do use a syringe, a 1cc syringe would probably be the best to use. I think just letting a drop at a time of milk on the lips is probably the safest way to feed. But very time consuming. You could probably find some you tube videos of different methods of hand feeding.



I have a syringe that looks a bit like (with a blunter end) this and I gently put a drop in his mouth then let him lick it down before putting the next drop in. 

The process is a bit of a hit or miss depending on his mood. Sometimes he licks most of the formula, other times it just dribbles off the side of his mouth. 

With a syringe this side, would it be possible to feed him a thicker formula with a hole that small? I think I'd do better using a pipette if he's going to have a thicker formula, what do you think? 

I did go to youtube for some help, their kits, unlike mine, are more keen on suckling and licking vigorously though. Maybe my milk needs to be warmer for him to get that lust for feeding like the ones in the vids.


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## majorv (Aug 28, 2013)

I also understand that goats milk is a good alternative. If you can easily get some you could try that also.


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## Rabbi3 (Aug 28, 2013)

*I ended up getting some heavy whipped cream with a high fat content* and mixed that in with his formula as some of you've suggested and he ended up lapping that up a bit more enthusiastically than normal! This is what he looked like after feeding. I fed him again after an hour or so just to get him a little bit more substance and hydration, just in case he didn't get a whole lot in the first feeding. 

*I noticed however that he was a bit chilly compared to his normal warm temperature*, and though he sits up like an adult now, he was moving in a slightly lethargic manner. To boost his warmth up a bit, I adjusted his area to look like this, where he has a moderate heat lamp (normally used for my gecko) and a temperature calculator.* It reads 83º and I'm wondering if this is too little or too much heating. *


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## Maureen Las (Aug 28, 2013)

Dana Krempels article is an EXCELLENT resource ..yes, I know that this is information overload but it may help to read it 



http://www.2ndchance.info/bunnies.htm


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## Rabbi3 (Aug 28, 2013)

angieluv said:


> Dana Krempels article is an EXCELLENT resource ..yes, I know that this is information overload but it may help to read it
> 
> http://www.2ndchance.info/bunnies.htm



Thank you! I remember reading something about a heat light / pad in an article and was trying to remember where I got the info from, this was the article.  Thanks so much! 

The temp is reading around that range, it fluctuates from around 75-83, because of that I've moved half of the box out of direct light so he has the option to moderate his temp.


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## Rabbi3 (Aug 29, 2013)

My bunny is still doing pretty decent, he's got good hydration (his skin goes almost immediately back down when tented) and he's still using the bathroom. 

I noticed however that when I take him out,* he will do this thing where he wobbles back and forth in a somewhat vigorous manner when touched or stimulated for a brief period then stop*. Is this a sign of something bad?


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## rebeccalyn7 (Aug 29, 2013)

More photos!!!


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## Bunnylova4eva (Aug 29, 2013)

I use a lot of the guidelines from the above link when rehabbing buns. It works best for me when using 3 parts KMR 3 parts whipping cream to 1 part water. I also add powdered Benebac like every other day to the formula. Transition them to veggies just with giving grass (that you're sure if fertilizer free!). Adding leafys can be really bad, one time we lost 4 in one day from adding just a little bit of green leafys- I think it caused fatal dysbiosis.

when they're around 10 days old, I normally have them take around maybe 5mLs per feeding. 
1mL syriges like this: http://www.ebay.com/bhp/1cc-syringe If you have a vet nearby, you can likely go in, explain the situation and they may be willing to give you a couple.

I highly recommend using a postage scale that measures in grams and checking the weight 2X a day (keep track of all the weights in a notebook).

Also, when you introduce grass when the bunny is older and just as the bunny grows, but sure to put a shallow dish of water. The buns get so thirsty. Note: go very slowly with introducing greens! It's very easy to overdo it and a seemingly small amount can quickly be too much. 


One other thing is if at any point it's too much or you're worried the bunny may not be doing well, see if there's a bunny rescue nearby or even find a rabbit savvy vet and they will likely have a permit for rehab and be willing to take the bunny.


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## Rabbi3 (Aug 29, 2013)

Bunnylova4eva said:


> I use a lot of the guidelines from the above link when rehabbing buns. It works best for me when using 3 parts KMR 3 parts whipping cream to 1 part water. I also add powdered Benebac like every other day to the formula. Transition them to veggies just with giving grass (that you're sure if fertilizer free!). Adding leafys can be really bad, one time we lost 4 in one day from adding just a little bit of green leafys- I think it caused fatal dysbiosis.
> 
> when they're around 10 days old, I normally have them take around maybe 5mLs per feeding.
> 1mL syriges like this: http://www.ebay.com/bhp/1cc-syringe If you have a vet nearby, you can likely go in, explain the situation and they may be willing to give you a couple.
> ...



The syringe you've linked seems about like the one I use. I'll start weighing him so I can get a more accurate take on his weight, thanks!


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## Rabbi3 (Aug 29, 2013)

Hey guys, I came home and though he's alive, he was a lot more dehydrated that normal and he seemed a bit skinnier and wrinklier than normal. 

He wasn't eating as enthusiastically so I added a wee bit of sugar to his formula which seemed to have gotten him to eat a little more than normal, though he still doesn't suckle. 

I'll keep you guys updated on his health over the course of tonight.


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## Rabbi3 (Aug 29, 2013)

I forgot to upload the photos for today. Here's what he looks like now compared to how he looked then. 

Someone on another thread of mine mentioned that he was older than a week so he's maybe round 1.4 weeks old? I know he's supposed to be a lot fatter and muscular than he is, so this is bothering me as his weight was much more decent just 24 hours ago.  

Do I need to increase his feeding? His current formula is: KRM, acidophilus, and heavy whipped cream.


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## rebeccalyn7 (Aug 29, 2013)

Most important thing is that he needs to be drinking lots more, if his not peeing it means his body is holding onto any liquid it can. He needs more water


Sent from my iPad using Rabbit Forum


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## Rabbi3 (Aug 29, 2013)

rebeccalyn7 said:


> Most important thing is that he needs to be drinking lots more, if his not peeing it means his body is holding onto any liquid it can. He needs more water
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Rabbit Forum



Ok, I'll add more water to his formula so that he can get better hydration / nutrition. I can never tell if he's peeing but he does poop frequently. Thanks for the tip! I'll give updates so people can see how he's doing.


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## majorv (Aug 29, 2013)

You might try giving him some unflavored pedialyte, by itself, to help keep him hydrated.


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## Zeroshero (Aug 29, 2013)

Being that young he should be stimulated to fully eliminate his bladder at every feeding, he is urinating on his own because it is so full. I just went through the joys and tears of hand raising an orphaned kit and I don't envy you. 

My experience has been that they actually lose their desire to suckle rather quickly. I used a smaller 1 - 3cc syringe as they are easier to handle and stick less. The pharmacy will give them to you for free if you ask! Be extremely careful not to feed more than one drop at a time and make sure he swallows. 
It is a good idea to read about the bunny Heimlich maneuver jus in case he does aspirate formula. Scroll down to section 8 in this article for the proper way to do this:
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/orphan.html

I am not sure what formula you are following but I found this article to be extremely descriptive:
http://www.rainbowwildlife.com/baby-rabbit.htm

My kit developed mucosil enteritis at 11days old, the veterinarian I took him to reccomended removing the heavy cream from his formula which I regret doing to this day. If there is anything I can pass down from my experience is follow the formula 100%. His digestive problems did not stop there. I am not sure what the risk would be in switching its formula entirely. I am in NO way reccomending you do this it would be at your discression. There is a wildlife rehabilitator here that uses goats milk replacement formula with high success. It's called Does Match by Purina, you could find it at a feed store near you. The trick is to double the amount of powdered formula that is mixed with the water. This provides enough fat and also sugars in their diet. Unfortunately they come in huge pails but is much less expensive than buying cans of KMR formula every few days!

Good luck with the little one


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## Rabbi3 (Aug 30, 2013)

majorv said:


> You might try giving him some unflavored pedialyte, by itself, to help keep him hydrated.



Considering that I've raised many rodents on pedialyte, I feel stupid for not even considering this for my rabbit initially. Thanks for knocking some common sense in my head!


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## Rabbi3 (Aug 31, 2013)

Hey guys, I've been giving my bun pedialyte and he's stopped wobbling, is hydrated, and pooping / peeing like crazy! So he seems to back on track.


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## rebeccalyn7 (Aug 31, 2013)

That's awesome! 


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## Rabbi3 (Sep 5, 2013)

Hey guys! The issue on this thread has been resolved, *though there seems to be a new issue concerning redness around his anus*, so any tips on this new issue would be great!


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## Maureen Las (Sep 6, 2013)

Why don't you start a new thread in order to get more replies 

If the anus is protruding and red could be a prolapse of the rectum but otherwise I am unsure; he is really cute


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