Hand Raising Domestic Baby Rabbits A practical manual

Chris Mathyssek, PhD with Ciarra Rawleigh, BS Table of Contents

Preface ...... 3 About this manual ...... 4 First things first ...... 5 A real bunny mom as foster? ...... 6 The Right Environment: Where & how to house the babies? ...... 7 Living space - box, carrier or cage ...... 7 Cleaning the carrier/cage ...... 8 Providing the right environment: Temperature, light, noise and smells ...... 8 Example: my set-up ...... 11 Adding a Playground & Enrichment ...... 12 Special consideration for one single bunny ...... 13 Special consideration for same-looking babies in one litter ...... 13 A note on safety ...... 14 Weight and development ...... 16 Food & Feeding ...... 17 First feedings after you get them ...... 17 Which electrolyte solution? ...... 17 The Milk Mix ...... 18 Prepare the milk ...... 19 Milk mix additions: colostrum and acidophilus (probiotic) ...... 20 Feeding utensils ...... 20 Feeding procedure: preparing and giving the milk ...... 23 Prepare milk ...... 23 Feeding procedure ...... 23 Amounts of milk ...... 26 Clean up bunnies after milk feeding ...... 27 Help the babies pee! ...... 28 A special note on adding cecals (cecotropes) ...... 29 Transition to hay, solid food, greens ...... 32 Hygiene ...... 34 Sterilizing the environment ...... 34

1 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ Your personal hygiene ...... 34 Kitchen hygiene & disinfecting syringes and nipples ...... 35 As they grow older… ...... 37 A final important note...... 37 Resources & references ...... 38 Attachment 1: Shopping list – what to get and where to get it ...... 40 Attachment 2: Crisis – I need help NOW ...... 42 Attachment 3: How old & how well are the bunnies? ...... 44 Attachment 4: An “eye-opening” special...... 47 Attachment 5: Gas in baby bunnies ...... 48 Attachment 6: Dana Krempels’ manual – MUST READ ...... 50 Care and Feeding of Orphaned Domestic Rabbits ...... 50 Feeding the Babies ...... 52 Feeding Procedure ...... 53 How much to feed? ...... 55 Weaning ...... 57 Attachment 7: Excerpt about Cecals ...... 58 Attachment 8: Excerpt about Probiotics ...... 60 Attachment 9: Feeding and weight tables ...... 61

2 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ Preface

Raising orphan bunnies is one of the most interesting and rewarding things I have had the opportunity to do. Depending on their age, they may rely entirely on you for safety, warmth, food intake and “output”. Successfully raising these babies requires a combination of great time-commitment, rigidness and sheer luck. You are in for an incredible experience. As you start searching for information on how to raise baby bunnies, you will find different manuals, opinions, do’s and don’ts – and you’ll very quickly find that some information is conflicting. The amount of good quality research in baby bunnies is unfortunately still very limited and much “information” is based on the personal experience of people who have, by their own account, managed to raise bunny babies. However, much is still unknown and “facts” can be hard to distinguish from “anecdotes”. In addition, a disheartening long list of everything that can kill the babies will come creeping in. It is very scary to read about everything that can go wrong. Do the very best you can, but realize this is a high risk activity. Be patient with yourself. You have to learn many new skills, acquire new knowledge and no matter how much you read, at times you will still have to make many “semi-informed” (at best) judgment calls. That can be stressful because of what is at stake. Allow yourself to be insecure, frustrated and sad at times. Brief moments of despair are part of this adventure - but when you look at their fluffy faces or round milk bellies, it’ll all be worth it! Be patient with the babies, too. Sometimes they can be slow or fussy with feeding or peeing, even after you thought that they “got it”. Be persistent, yet gentle and stay calm. If they don’t want to eat, keep trying to feed them more frequently and/or in different ways. A “bad hare day” can be quite time and energy consuming. Don’t ever force them to do anything they can’t or won’t do, but don’t be discouraged or give up quickly. Literally walk away if something doesn’t work out and try again an hour or so later, with a fresh and positive attitude. Best of luck to you – and your orphaned bunny babies!

April 2016 Chris Mathyssek

3 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ About this manual

There are many web pages with tips and bits of information about raising bunnies, but very few coherent manuals for raising orphaned domestic baby rabbits. What I missed the most in my search for help were specific instructions (e.g. “disinfect” – ok, but HOW, with WHAT?), practical tips, and sometimes rationale, as well as success rate of the described method. Without this information, it was left up to me, the reader, to speculate about experience and success rate, making it extra hard to choose what to follow when conflicting information was provided. I include this information here to give you an idea of my level of experience and the success rate of “my” method. The information in this manual is based on: 1) the best and most consistent information from the most credible sources I could find. 2) my experience (those sections are written in first person to help you distinguish them from the more supported information). Feel free to deviate from the latter if you wish. Please make well-informed decisions when you choose to deviate from the former. I have had good luck with this method. All 13 babies (from 3 litters – all born outside) that came to me at ± 14 days old survived. Of the 6-kits litter that came to me at 3 days old (lost mom on day 2) 3 died within a day, the other 3 survived. By far the best information I found was by Dr. Dana Krempels, senior lecturer in the Dept. of Biology at the University of Miami and House Rabbit Society (HRS) Licensed Educator. Google her name: she wrote many instruction manuals on rabbits and is very knowledgeable. Please use her baby manual in combination with this one, as I usually don’t repeat what she already explained. She was very kind to reply to my questions by email – you’ll find relevant excerpts of the correspondence throughout this manual in the following format: Q=my question DK=Dana Krempels’ answer For Dana’s manual, see “Attachment 6”, or go to http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/orphan.html

About the author Chris Mathyssek has a master's degree in social & organizational psychology and in clinical psychology, and a PhD in child and adolescent psychology. She has always had a keen interest in animals and animal welfare, with a special interest in rabbits. She is a licensed veterinary technician and worked as a part-time vet tech while going to school. At a mere 14 years old, she was known in her neighborhood as "the angry bunny lady" because she'd reprimand anyone she caught chasing the stray rabbits. To this day, she carries this title with great honor. 4 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ First things first

Ideally, you are reading this manual without a helpless, motherless litter of baby bunnies next to you. When you raise orphaned baby bunnies, it really helps to know what to expect and what items you will need – and to have many of those items available (e.g. special nipples and milk powders have to be ordered online and will take a few days to get to you). If you DO have an orphaned litter right now and need help, go to “Attachment 2: Crisis” p. 42. Then, go to “Attachment 3: How old & well are the bunnies?” p. 44 to ensure you have domestic bunnies (not cottontails/wild bunnies), do a quick health assessment and guess- timate their age. Lastly, go online and get in touch with a local rescue or preferable bunny group and see if a) they have someone experienced and equipped to deal with an orphaned litter, and b) they have items handy you need (the right milk powder, the right nipples, syringes,…)

I think that it is really helpful to get in touch with people who have done this before. The answers I got from Dana Krempels definitely helped my babies survive – and me sleep at night. Also, don’t underestimate the benefit of social support to you – it sure feels good to share the happy (and sad) moments with likeminded people! Many people who have done this before are happy to help because they know what you are going through.

Dotum says: Enough talking - let’s get going on the content!

5 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ A real bunny mom as foster?

Before you dive into the foster mom role – consider this: orphaned babies will have the best chance of survival if another rabbit mom takes to them and feeds them. Nothing beats the real- deal mommy milk, mommy grooming, mommy belly licking to make them pee, and fresh cecal feeding. Ask around, ask shelters if they know of or have a lactating mom. You will face an ethical dilemma if someone refers you to a breeder for a foster mom. Especially if the breeder wants to potentially use (one of) the orphaned babies to breed further, you may save these guys, but by doing so, you help create more problems with the bunny overpopulation down the line. Personally, I would not consider this and decline a breeder foster mom – but you will have to make that decision for yourself. The milk production in bunny mom’s dries up after about 2 days of non-use. If milk production is slow or around the 2 day mark, ask your rabbit savvy vet about the option to inject the foster mom with oxytocin. Oxytocin is a hormone that helps stimulate milk production and fosters the nurture instinct. Don’t overload one bunny mom – if that mom already has her own 8 babies to feed, don’t give her 5 more. Rabbits feed their kits only twice a day, at dusk and at dawn. They are very quick and prefer to feed when the environment is safe and calm (i.e. when you are not in the room to witness it). Therefore, it can be difficult to tell if the foster bunny mom does feed the babies. A good sign is if the mom covers the nest with her fur. Weighing the babies is the best way to check if they are being fed. Should you have easy access to a nanny-cam – you could even consider using that! Watch out for any signs of aggression towards the babies and interfere immediately. The rest of this manual is written under the assumption that YOU will have to fulfill the role of foster mom.

6 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ The Right Environment: Where & how to house the babies?

Living space - box, carrier or cage

If the babies have their eyes still closed or barely open (0-12 days), put them in a carrier as they will want to stay mostly in their “nest”. If they are older, put them in a cage. Open-lid boxes are generally not very safe. Only keep them in a box temporarily if you have no other option and even then make sure the box walls are so high that they cannot jump out (keep in mind that they can climb more than you’d think). No matter what you keep the babies in, put it in a place safe from other animals (pets) & kids and from other environmental dangers (swinging doors, etc.). Protect from drafts. If at all possible, keep them on the floor. If for some reason you HAVE to keep the bunnies in a cage or carrier on a table, place it in the middle of the table and stay way clear of the edges. Never keep an open box with bunnies on a table. The first 10-12 days of their lives, the babies will want to stay mostly in their “nest” so give them just a small space. To replicate a nest, use soft blankets (e.g. fleece, flannel, soft cotton) and crinkle them up with nice nooks. Put all babies together in one nook and cover them lightly with some blanket – their body heat will help keep everyone warm (more on temperature control later). You can also add an appropriately small “cuddle cup”. During these early days of their lives, handle the babies as little as necessary. Once the eyes are open and they move around more, put them in a cage. Still put plenty of soft towels and blankets in there and give them their “nest” nook in one corner. Hang a towel over that side of the cage so that it is dark and protected. • Use white or light colored towels/blankets so that you can see pee stains and diarrhea stains! • WARNING: Be careful to not use towels with holes, even fairly small holes. They can poke their head through them, get stuck and suffocate. I read this advice somewhere and dismissed it as a rather unlikely scenario until I saw it happening right in front of me and had to rescue one of my babies from a stuck head. I was very lucky for that to happen with me right there (after the rescue, I ended up cutting that hole in from the side of the towel so that it was a “rip” and not a dangerous hole anymore). PLEASE heed this advice! • WARNING: Baby bunnies can squeeze themselves through openings you would not think possible. 3 week old babies can fit through metal bars of cages. 5-week old babies can

7 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ still fit though the metal bars of the larger ex-pens (see photos in “A note on safety” p. 14/15). In addition to the dangers of escaping, the dangers of getting stuck are very real. Fold towels through the lower horizontal bars of the cage and secure them with clothespins to block the lower cage bars.

Cleaning the carrier/cage

I didn’t see a need to clean the towels/blankets in the carrier during the first 1-2 weeks of their lives. Their poops are tiny and dry, and pees are also tiny (and happen outside mostly anyway). Blankets will start to smell like them and they will make their burrows in there. I’d say: don’t replace or clean them until you move the bunnies to the small cage – unless you see (smell) a good reason for that (e.g. sick bunny, diarrhea, passed away bunnies). Once the bunnies are moved to the cage – you need to clean regularly. It can help to line the bottom of the cage with newspaper to help absorb the pee – but cover it with towels/blankets. Before “setting up shop”, read the chapter on “Hygiene” p. 34 on how to properly disinfect carriers, towels, hands, and all other items that come in contact with the babies.

Providing the right environment: Temperature, light, noise and smells

To give them a stress-free environment, handle the babies as little as possible, and interfere with their environment (carrier) also only if necessary until the babies become more active and inquisitive (around 12 days old).

Temperature

Until they develop a protective fur coat (around day 10-14), bunny babies cannot keep their own body temperature. Their nest should be 78-80F. Getting the nest adequately warm was amongst the hardest things the first few days, so this will take some time to set up correctly. Heating sources to use: • “Snuggle Safe” microwaveable heating pads are great because they stay warm for a long time, about 10 hours, but they need to cool down completely before you can re-heat them, so you need 2 “sets”: one set for overnight heat and one for day heat). You can get them online (see “Attachment 1: Shopping list” p. 40). They are not cheap but I think they are well worth it.

8 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/

Snuggle Safe microwaveable heating pad without … and with cover. Always use WITH cover… cover.

• Water bottles: When the babies were very small and needed a very warm nest, I didn’t care much for them because the heat would not last long and I’d have to replace the water with very hot water every few hours (also at night). When the babies have fur and just need a cozy-warm place, they were fine. If you use plastic bottles, lay them down so that they can’t tip over on top of bunnies. Tightly wrap each water bottle in its own kitchen towel to protect babies from contact with hot plastic. • Electric heating pillows/pet electric heating plate: Many people do not recommend using these due to the risk of overheating, and when the babies are older – gnawing of the cord/plastic. I was struggling to get their nest warm enough and did use heating pillows in the carrier. I covered them very well (see below) and kept checking the temperature in the nest based on the setting (level I, II, III, …) of the pillow. Test this yourself, as it varies per pillow.

o TIP: Try to find an electric heating pillow that does not automatically shut off – or you will have to get up at night whenever it shuts off and start it again. o TIP: If you only have a pillow that shuts off every hour or so, try putting it on a timer and set the timer so that the timer shuts off before the pillow shuts off, and turns on asap again (my timer had 15 minute intervals, so if would turn on again after 15 minutes, which was fine. Please TEST THIS thoroughly with your items before relying on this!! In my case, it worked for the one electrical pillow that had a mechanical “on/off” switch, not the electrical switches. Set the timer so that the timer turns the pillow off before the pillow’s switch goes to off. After 15 minutes, the timer comes on again and the pillow is still in “on” switch. Repeat. o I recommend using electric heating pillows only for babies YOUNGER THAN 2 WEEKS, WHILE IN CARRIER. It is very hard to get the nest temperature up to a constant and stable 78-80 F with just the SnuggleSafe or water bottles. However, 9 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ I recognize the dangers of electrical heat and recommend eliminating this particular heat source as soon as they can hold their body temperature better, when you transfer them to a cage. • Don’t put the carrier on a radiator as that can easily overheat the carrier. Don’t use hot air blowers/room heaters that blow on the bunnies as heat source for them (in general in the room is fine, of course). • Be sure that the plastic of all heating sources are always very well covered in sleeves that close or wrap tightly, so that the babies cannot come in touch with hot plastic and burn themselves, even when they burrow under the blankets! • Be sure that you have warm hands, every time you touch or handle them. Especially in the winter, this can be hard, but imagine the cold shock on the tiny, unprotected bunny body when cold hands would grab them.

Don’t overheat the nest!

As important as giving them an adequately warm environment is to not overheat their space. Do not make the nest warmer than 80 F. And: at any time, give them a choice how warm they want to be by leaving one side of the carrier cooler. That way they can choose the distance to the heat sources. Imagine the horror of being trapped in a space that is too hot and not being able to escape! I noticed that my bunnies (especially one of them) liked hanging out on the cool end after a few days, away from the heat source and by the mesh window of the carrier. It is very important that they can go to a cooler place.

Light

I covered most of the carrier they lived in for the first 10-ish days of their lives with a heavy towel to keep light out and warmth in (but make sure enough air gets in). Even after I moved them to the small cage, I covered half of the cage with a blanket so that they could choose light exposure or darkness. I also made sure there are crinkled up towels/blankets in there so that they can burrow and crawl away (which they always did!) You can also add a small cardboard box they can crawl into/under. Especially the days after they open their eyes (at 10-12 days), protect their eyes from very bright light, also during feeding time (I fed mine on the dining room table and un-screwed 3 of the 5 bulbs of the chandelier to avoid bright light in their eyes).

10 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ Noise

Be very very quiet, I'm raising wabbits. Seriously. Loud noises can startle and stress them tremendously, so it is really important to keep them from loud noises. No vacuum, no loud TV, “excited” kids or loud dish banging. “White noise” is ok and some suggest may even be calming.

Smells

If you keep the babies near the kitchen, be mindful of strong smelling food you cook (especially if you aren’t vegetarian – the house-filling smell of a fried-up steak will just smell like death to them). But heavy perfume, scented detergent, hand lotion or alcohol vapor from hand sanitizer can also interfere with the baby bliss.

Example: my set-up

Here is the set-up I used for the three-day old babies: I kept them in a carrier that zipped up on the front and had mesh sides. That way I could create a very warm and protected space for them. I put an electric heating pillow (in its protective sleeve) on the bottom of the carrier and folded it up against the back wall of the carrier. In addition, I put 2 “Snuggle safe” heating pads in – one against the right side wall of the carrier, another in the front at the right side of the carrier. That way, the right side of the carrier had heat from 4 sides. The left side had heat from the bottom and back, but the left side wall and front were cooler and the mesh “window” let room temperature air in. I put a folded up bath towel on the bottom and up against the back (extra cover for electric pillow heat) and then crinkled another soft, small flannel blanket up pretty well so that the bunnies had nooks to lie in. The inside of the carrier was pretty crammed (about 4 inches of head space) but the 3 babies didn’t need much space to move (just being able to move right to left, warmer to cooler). I covered the outside top with an extra towel for insulation (babies came to me in the midst of the Pittsburgh winter) but made sure some air could come in. Photo of my setup the very first days, before feeding time

11 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ Once they have a nice fur coat, they will voluntarily move away from the heat sources (again: make sure they can!) At 10-12-ish days old, they will also become more active and around that time, I moved them to a small cage. I still put a 2 snuggle safe microwaveable heating pads in the cage at all times, under their “nest” blanket. Mine liked the warmth for several weeks, but they don’t need the heat anymore, once they have a decent fur coat. Electric pillows are more dangerous now because they start gnawing at a surprisingly young age.

Q: At what age can they maintain their body temperature and can I do away with my major heating set-up? They seem to move away from the heat and go to the "window" where it is pretty much room temperature. DK: I'd leave the heat source with them until they are out of the nest with eyes open.

Adding a Playground & Enrichment

Around the time you move the babies from a carrier to a cage (about 2 weeks), you should start providing enrichment – both in their new cage, and when you let them out. Mine loved the Oxbow tunnel to sit in or on top, and to nibble at – but a small cardboard box with a towel on top will do just fine. Set up a play area where they can practice their hopping, a cage is too small for that. Cover the floor with a clean sheet or blanket if the babies are not eating greens yet (about 4 weeks) to limit contact with the bacteria on your floor. Set up an ex-pen (with narrow vertical grate) or barricade their limits otherwise. The bigger the area, the better. It should allow for some decent sprints! • Always keep an eye on them when they are in the play area. • Try to put them in the play area in their “active phase”. When they are sleepy, they won’t want to play and will just curl up in a blanket anyway. • If you still have a heat source on the cage, put a heat source in the play area (see photo next page). • Always put a bunched-up blanket in there too, in case they want to shelter or rest. • Give them crawl space and tunnels! Tip: Empty oats containers. Or, drape towels over boxes.

12 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/

Jumping on and off things seemed Enrichment doesn’t have to be The whole gang on their SnuggleSafe pad to be one of the greatest joys. fancy. Here, Dotum is hanging out in an empty tissue box (I ripped out the plastic)

Special consideration for one single bunny

Bunnies from one litter always seem to sit and sleep on one big “bunny pile”. If you care for a sole survivor of a litter, it may help to put a small soft toy in there with the baby. Some rabbits really take to that and it can mitigate the stress of being away from the siblings at such a young age – which is not a natural state.

Special consideration for same-looking babies in one litter

If happens regularly that you have several babies in one litter that look exactly the same (e.g. all black ones), especially when they are very young. However, it is important to be able to tell them apart in order to keep track of development (weight), food intake and medical issues of each individual bunny. Do NOT separate them. Mark them: • On dark-colored bunnies, use non-toxic white-out to mark their ears (different number of dots or a dot at different places). • On light-colored bunnies, use a non-toxic sharpie marker to mark their ears.

13 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ A note on safety

Keeping baby bunnies safe is not always easy and they seem to have a knack for getting themselves into trouble. Be sure to keep other pets, even other pet bunnies, away from the babies (only exception is when you try a foster bunny mom)! Squirminess

Baby bunnies can be unexpectedly squirmy – even when you take this warning into account. Be prepared for that at all times. A fall from even just 1-2 feet can have devastating consequences. Especially around the 10-14 day mark, when they start moving around more, watch your routine with handling them and taking them out of the cage, or leaving the cage door open “for just a second”. Escape artists

Be sure that the babies cannot escape their territory. They can make themselves much smaller than you would ever think (see below) and jump higher than you’d expect. Aside from successfully escaping and endangering themselves by getting into unsafe situations (cables, people stepping on them) and your house (bye-bye wooden baseboards), they can get stuck, panic, and injure themselves severely. A 2-3 week old baby can fit through metal bars of CAGES.

The whole gang at 15 days old. In the background you can see how I secured the bottom bars of the cage against escaping by pinning up blankets/towels.

14 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ A 5-week old baby can still fit though the metal bars of the larger ex-pens.

Dotum at 5 weeks old. And… off… …she goes

To protect them, fold small towels through the lower horizontal bars of the cage and secure them with clothespins. For the ex-pen area, use only the smaller ex-pens with the narrower vertical grate (less than 1 inch width – like the white one in the background), or block the bottom part of the larger ex-pen appropriately.

15 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ Weight and development

Here is a guideline table for development by weight (assuming adult bunny will be about 5 pound): 1 day 50 grams Naked, navel/umbilical cord visible, eyes closed, ears flat 3 days Fur coat starts to develop 7 days 100 grams 10 days Eyes will open (day 10-12) 2 weeks 150 grams Ears will stand up 3 weeks 200 grams 4 weeks 250 grams 5 weeks 300 grams 6 weeks 350 grams

Note: This is a guideline for healthy normal bunny development. It is common for orphaned bunnies to be behind this schedule due to the disadvantages they face. Weigh the babies at least once a day, around the same time a day and always before feeding. Record that weight in a chart (see “Attachment 9: Feeding and weight tables” p. 61). Until my babies were about 4 weeks old, I’d weigh them 2-3 times a day, before each feeding. I put a soup bowl (ceramic, not plastic as that can easily tip over) with a very small towel in it (for traction and temperature control) on my digital kitchen scale and put the bunny in there. Be sure to set scale on grams. NOTE: The litter of 3 days old babies was far behind this schedule for a long time (see attachment for their food and weight notes). Still, they made it, so don’t be too discouraged by low weight alone – as long as they (slowly) gain weight! The 100g mark was crossed!! Big day!

Q: They are all almost 80 g by now, which shows great weight gain, but at 13 days old, they seem to be so very far behind other bunnies their age. Their fur looks a little greasy... They sleep all the time and just want to curl up together on the heating pad, but when I handle them for feeding, they are feisty and strong and energetic. I feel like they act "weight-appropriate", but not age-appropriate.

DK: Well, they aren't being groomed by mama, and may be getting formula on their fur from handling. But when they get bigger and start grooming themselves more effectively, they'll look better. Note: Greasy fur can be a sign of coccidia, a highly contagious parasitic disease that can be fatal. Orphaned baby bunnies are at an increased risk - keep that in mind and have your vet check to be sure.

16 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ Food & Feeding

What to feed orphaned baby bunnies may be the most contended - and hence confusing - issue when you compare manuals and advice. The nutritional value of rabbit milk is difficult to match (and not even desirable to replicate exactly, as explained below). I go into as much detail as possible about the rationale and experience with the milk combination I used. I highly recommend sticking with this milk mix: it is easy to use and dose, and I have had great success with it.

First feedings after you get them

Give the babies a few hours to settle into their new nest before attempting a feeding. The stress of moving and separation of the mom, in combination with possible hypothermia, takes a toll on them and they may not be able to digest food properly. If the babies are hypothermic (they will feel cold), bring them up to temperature by putting them in their warm surrogate nest before you feed them. The first one or two feedings after you get the babies, don’t give them milk mix – just give them electrolyte solution. Offer electrolytes every couple of hours (amount depends on how old bunnies are and how they take to it. I gave the 3-4 days old bunnies 1 to 1.5 ml per feeding, but some of that got spilled (sometimes most). NOTE: Several people recommend sticking with just electrolytes for the first 24 hours. I used to do that. However, it doesn’t seem to be necessary. Dana Krempels goes straight to milk now. Also, some recommend to gradually switch to milk by adding the surrogate bunny milk to the electrolytes (so: first all electrolytes feeding, then mix in 25% milk, then 50% milk, then 75% milk, then all milk). I have never done that – Dana Krempels doesn’t find it necessary either.

Which electrolyte solution?

If you don’t have any special electrolyte powder or solution handy, use store bought Pedialyte (that’s all I had available). If your rabbit-savvy vet recommends a different electrolyte solution/powder, go for it. We recently found out about Farnam's Apple Elite Electrolyte powder. I have not tried it but it had been getting very positive feedback from several vets. It comes in big containers (for horses) and you will only use a tiny amount, so consider feasibility if you are a one-man show; but of course, you can share with a local rescue! Dose for bunnies: dissolve 1.5 teaspoons in 1 gallon of water.

17 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ The Milk Mix

1 part Kitten Milk Replacement (KMR) powder by PetAg 3 parts Multi Milk powder by PetAg 5 parts water, well boiled and cooled to 80ish degree F

Mixing directions are based on volume, not weight.

OR

2 parts Foxvalley 30/50 3 parts water, well boiled and cooled to 80ish degree F

Mixing directions are based on volume, not weight.

Store unused KMR powder in fridge (keeps for 3 months) or freezer (keeps for 6 months).

Source: http://www.melkvoordieren.nl/NL/gratis-handleidingen/huisdieren- zoogdier/konijn#faqnoanchor This is a Dutch website that specializes in instructions and supplies for raising orphaned animals. Rabbits are very common pets in the Netherlands and we’d ignore lots of valuable information and experience if we’d just focus on American websites. I used to live in the Netherlands and have dealt with (orphaned) rabbits over there too. The owner of the website, Angela, speaks English and is very responsive (NL time is +6 hours EST) and helpful.

Overview analyses of mother milk and milk powder mix (solid substances only, i.e. water removed):

Protein Fat Lactose Ash Rabbit milk: 43.0 % 41.0 % 7.0 % 6% Multi Milk + KMR: 32.2 % 49.6 % 5.6 % Foxvalley 30/50 30% 50% <8% 8%

Source: http://www.melkvoordieren.nl/NL/gratis-handleidingen/huisdieren-zoogdier/konijn#faqnoanchor http://www.journalofdairyscience.org/article/S0022-0302(75)84736-9/pdf 18 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/

Foxvalley 30/50 seems to have a very similar composition and has been recommended by the same people who used to just recommend the KMR and MultiMilk mix. I have only used the KMR and MultiMilk mix but am comfortable passing on that recommendation. Normal rabbit milk has 33-34% solids. This is considered too rich when it comes to replacement milk, and digestive issues can arise when you don’t dilute the milk powder enough. It is currently recommended to not exceed 25% solids in the milk replacement mix. SPECIAL NOTE: For some reason, Fox Valley 32/40 seems popular as milk mix for orphaned bunny babies. This *may* be suitable for COTTONTAILS but is NOT SUITABLE FOR DOMESTIC BUNNY BABIES. I know of VERY few domestic babies that survived with Fox Valley 32/40. If you already fed your babies the “wrong” formula – just switch ASAP. Don’t transition off of it, just switch! I hear that some places use distilled water to mix the milk powders with. I do not do that! Dana Krempels says it’s “not harmful, but not necessary”. Distilled water binds minerals and I would imagine that over time, that can cause more harm than good. As long as you boil the water you use for milk, it is safe to use and I recommend using that.

Prepare the milk

Make milk at least 4 hours before using it to let the milk powders dissolve well and making it easier for the babies to digest the milk (see Dana Krempels’ manual and http://www.ewildagain.org/Milk%20Replacers/solubility_tests.htm for scientific support). I’d make a fresh batch at night, after the night feeding so that it is ready to go in the morning. Mixed milk keeps for 24 hours in sealer container/glass in fridge. Boiled water should cool down to about 175 degrees before mixing it with ingredients. Mix really well, no clumps! My best way: put ingredients in tall drinking glass and whisk with “ball whisk” - I never got ‘no clumps’ with just a fork. Don’t forget to sterilize whisk before mixing milk (see “Hygiene”, p. 34). Measure the amount of milk powders and water precisely, using one of the scoops provided with the milk powders: no heaps of powder on the scoop, no large air pockets in the scoop.

Measurement scoops – they should come with the milk powders. Use them!19 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ Milk mix additions: colostrum and acidophilus (probiotic)

Colostrum

When babies lost their mom at a very young age (under 10 days?) or when they have intestinal trouble, it can help their intestinal health (and hence immune system) to add colostrum powder to the milk (see Dana Krempels’ advice in her manual). I had trouble finding colostrum capsules that didn’t have other herbs or substances added… I ended up using GNC’s colostrum (Dana Kremples okay’d this, even though it is not vegan). Amount I used: I could not find any guidelines one this. I used the content of 1 capsule per 30- 40 ml prepared milk (2-3 capsules per 75-100 ml prepared milk when they were a little older and I made bigger batches of milk. Add Colostrum powder when you prepare the milk at night, it is beneficial to have it solute in the milk for several hours as this makes it easier to digest for the baby bunnies.

Acidophilus (probiotic)

Intended effect of this is also to benefit intestinal flora (see “Resources & references” p. 38). Science is inconclusive about efficacy, but so far there are no reports of any harm to the bunny. I decided to go for it! Add acidophilus right before the feeding, NOT when you mix the milk. These beneficial bacteria can become inactive rather quickly when exposed to air. I added content of 1 capsule per feeding (so not per milk batch, but per feeding) – this was my judgement call; I couldn’t find any amount guidelines. (see ”Attachment 8: Excerpt about Probiotics”, p. 60 from www.rabbit.org/care/babies.html)

Feeding utensils

To properly dose tiny amounts of milk, you need something appropriately tiny. While the idea of milk feeding baby bunnies with baby animal bottles is absolutely adorable, they are not suitable for bunny babies. Even special baby animal bottles are too big, not precise enough and bunnies may not have enough strength to suck. Use syringes. Syringes come in different sizes and are marked so that you can see exactly how much milk you deliver. You can buy syringes with or without needles. Of course, never use syringes with needles for feeding!

20 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ You will need 1 ml, 2-3 ml, 5 ml, 10 ml and eventually 20 ml for the milk feedings. Don't jump sizes. For 2 ml and up, make sure you get the “Luer Lock” tip for the rubber nipple to fit on (see images below)

1 ml syringe – they don’t make 3 ml, 5 ml and 10 ml Luer-Lock tip “Regular” tip 5 ml syringe. Not this with Luer-Lock tip syringes suitable to be used with rubber nipples - they won’t fit.

1 ml syringe with feeding nipple 3 ml Luer-Lock syringe with on it feeding nipple on it

21 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ Use the smallest syringe that you need for the feeding. When they just eat 1.5 ml per feeding, don’t use a 5 ml syringe as you can easily overfeed them by squirting too much milk into the nipple, and hence the bunny.

Rubber nipples

I had the most success with the tiny nipples specially made for very small baby animals. They are reusable and can last very long! When you use a new one, you may have to cut the tip - but just a tiny bit. The opening is supposed to be very small, especially when the bunny is very small. The opening can be made bigger as bunny gets bigger. Too small of an opening (=milk too slow) is better than too big (=too fast →aspiration danger, pneumonia danger), but babies can get annoyed and stop eating or get squirmy if not enough milk comes out. Watch the bunny carefully while feeling and adjust the milk amount/ nipple opening.

Tiny rubber nipple I used “The Miracle Nipple” (mini and regular )

TIP: I recommend trying to avoid switching/”reloading” syringes with milk during a feeding as much as you can by using optimal syringe size. Sometimes they can have a hard time starting back up, which can be frustrating (for both of you). Sometimes it can’t be avoided and with patience, often they will start drinking again. Many people swear by the “Miracle Nipple”. My rabbits didn’t like it, maybe because they were already used to the softer rubber from the other nipple... If you try it, use the “mini” version.

22 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ Feeding procedure: preparing and giving the milk

Prepare milk

• Wash your hands with hydrogen peroxide for 30 seconds. • Pour estimated amount from pre-made milk into small dish (smallest glass pyrex bowl worked well for me). Warm it up in pan with some water “au bain marie” and stir milk to get even temperature measurement. Don’t have water boil as that can splash water into milk and dilute it. Don’t use microwave!! Microwave doesn’t heat fluids evenly, and especially small amounts of fluids like bunny milk feedings can get too hot very quickly (see “Attachment 6: Dana Krempels’ manual”, p. 50). Accidental boiling can negatively affect the nutritional value of the milk powder mix. • Add content of acidophilus capsule now, mix in. • Put disinfected food thermometer in milk. Milk should be about 100F. To be sure, do this test: put a drop of milk on the inside of your wrist. Milk should feel nice and warm, but by no means hot on your skin. Thermometers can fail. ALWAYS DO THIS TEST RIGHT BEFORE YOU GIVE MILK TO BUNNY (you’ll also feel if it is not warm enough). Just drop from the syringe with nipple on it. TIP: Milk in the small container would cool off very quickly and I’d have to reheat after every bunny feeding - they don’t like (=drink) milk that is too cold! To keep the milk at the right temperature, I’d put the “au bain marie” pot right from the stove with milk container and all on a coaster on the table where I’d feed the bunnies (be careful, of course, that bunnies can’t reach it!)

Feeding procedure

Syringe feeding vs. intubating

There is some debate about what is the best way to feed small babies – by syringe & nipple, or by intubating the babies. There are pro’s and con’s to either method. If you do not know how to intubate, you can skip this section – intubating is a medical procedure that you need to learn in person from someone with lots of experience, as you can cause great harm if you don’t do this properly.

23 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ Intubating Syringe & nipple + Avoid the risk of aspiration* (if done More natural, less intrusive way to feed. Often, properly) + bunnies start to like it!

+ It can be quicker than syringe feeding + Can be done without medical training Bunny can determine amount of milk they drink – Able to control the amount of milk the + changes can inform you about how they are babies get per feeding, BUT + doing You determine milk amount and not the - Greater risk of aspiration, if you give milk too fast bunny (risk of overfeeding/ underfeeding) - It is tricky to learn and if done wrong, can - Can be messier (more bunny clean-up) cause great harm - - It is intrusive and babies don’t like it (it Less control over amount of milk bunny actually stresses them) - gets in due to spilling *getting milk in airways/lungs, which usually causes pneumonia and can be fatal

If you CAN intubate, I recommend doing so for babies until they are ± 7-10 days old. My babies were so small and weak that they couldn’t hold themselves in position and they didn’t seem to “get” the nipple drinking, which caused them to initially not get enough nutrition. I learned how to intubate after 2 days (so when they were 5 days old) and intubated them until I noticed that they were stronger and gave more resistance to the tube. I tried nipple feeding again and then, they got it. They were about 8 days old when they did better with the nipple. However, I did not have the very small nipple available in the beginning. At 3 or 4 days old, I think they would have done much better with the tiny nipple. I do not recommend intubating longer than “necessary” (i.e. for convenience). Even if done well, it is an intrusive procedure and can irritate the esophagus and cause severe stress several times a day.

Syringe feeding

See Dana Krempels’ manual (“Attachment 6 – section Feeding the babies”, p. 52) for procedure and risks, including what to do in case of aspiration

Don’t forget to weigh the bunny before the feeding, and track the weight and feeding amount in the chart. People go back and forth about the position how to hold the bunny while feeding • For about the first week to 10 days, I would hold the babies in a clean kitchen towel, on their back, but always with their HEAD HIGHER THAN THE REST OF THE BODY (about 45 degree angle – see picture below).

24 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ • After a few days, when they were a little more stable and strong, I tried to hold and support them in “normal” bunny position with the FRONT A LITTLE HIGHER than the back - and that worked well (see picture below). When they drink successfully, they will stretch out flat on their belly and peddle their front feet (when babies drink from their real bunny mom, they peddle against her belly/ breast to stimulate milk production). Since all these mommy-less babies have is a lame plastic nipple with nothing to peddle against, I would make sure that there is a towel (or the side of my hand) right in front of them so they can peddle against that. While it “looks funny” to some, it is actually sad to see them peddling air and I imagine it must be confusing to them.

Position first days of nipple feeding Position during feeding when they are a little older

Finding the right speed of providing the milk through the syringe is probably the hardest thing in the bunny raising adventure. Be very sensitive and concentrate on the behavior and reaction of the baby while feeding. When in doubt, rather go slower then faster. If you go too fast, they can inhale milk, which can get in their lungs, cause lung-infection and/or aspiration and death. Bunnies can’t cough and hence have no way of eliminating fluids from their lungs. If you go too slowly, they may get annoyed and want to try a “different nipple” (as they would in nature if one of their mother’s milk gland/nipple is dry). They will get squirmy and may not want to drink anymore (give them a break and try again a little later). The nice thing with the thin rubber nipples is that when the baby sucks the milk in, they can create a vacuum in the nipple (nipple goes from round to flat) and you can see that they drink their milk and that helps you provide the right speed.

25 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ Feeding is very time (and energy) consuming. It is stressful due to the constant risk of aspiration, them being fussy, not eating enough, them getting milk all over their fur. Never lose your cool while feeding!! Be patient and kind (it helped me to imagine myself in their situation, with me starving and then someone dripping food too slowly in my mouth, or squirting a gigantic amount of food in my mouth all at once).

Amounts of milk

Remember: The first few feedings after they come to you, just give the babies 1-2ml of electrolyte solution, 4-6 times a day (increase amount and decrease frequency if they are already older and heavier and require more intake). Then, feed them the milk mix. Feeding schedule for milk mix

Weight Amount per feeding Frequency

50 grams 2-3 ml 3x per day 60 gram 3.5 ml 3x per day 70 gram 3-4 ml 3x per day 80 gram 4.5 ml 3x per day 90 gram 5.5 ml 3x per day 100 gram 7-8 ml 2x per day 150 gram 10 ml 2x per day 200 gram 12 ml 2x per day 300 gram 15 ml 2x per day 350 gram 15-17 ml 1x per day 400 gram Dilute and/or quit*

* I milk fed them till they were 6 weeks old. Domestic rabbit mom’s nurse till even 8 weeks (see “Attachment 6: Dana Krempels’ manual”, p. 50), but for some reason many people who hand feed stop as early as 4 weeks… I did NOT adhere to the weight guideline of quitting at 400 grams, but went by age at that point and fed them till they were 6 weeks old (at the end up to 22ml 2xday) These are guidelines, of course. You can never force a bunny to eat more than it wants, but if they are eating way less than recommended in a feeding, you can try again a few hours later. NOTE: Bunny moms feed their babies merely twice a day, really quickly, at dusk and dawn. Their milk is more concentrated, that’s why we need to increase the frequency a little. 26 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/

Q: They are so greedy at milk time (2x day now) and drink up to 18 ml per feeding (usually 11-14). Is that too much, or ok if they want it? I am not sure... [at exactly 4 weeks old] DK: If their tummies are gently round and not painfully taut, it's fine.

Q: Is it possible at 4 1/2 weeks and 300g, they start weaning themselves? My biggest drinker is just not that interested in milk anymore... Eats hay and pellet mash, behaves fine. Still takes little bit of milk but waaay not how he used to. Someone told me they'd stop feeding milk at 3-4 weeks old... Isn't that too early? DK: IF they're not getting real mama's milk, they sometimes lose interest sooner. And sometimes they *never* lose interest! It depends on the individual. If you have a persistent milkie lover, you can train him/her to a little bowl, or you can slowly dilute the formula with water, day by day, until it's no longer so appealing, and bun loses interest. My jackrabbits still enjoy a little bowl of warm goat milk when the weather's cold. :)

One of my babies loved her milk till the very end. I didn’t want to just quit, so I started to dilute the milk with more water and I’d cut her off after a full big syringe. She slowly started to lose interest, making the transition to “No Milk For You” less abrupt and traumatic.

Clean up bunnies after milk feeding

After each feeding, have a cotton towel ready, moisten a corner in the still warm water from the “au bain marie” pan and wipe the snout and all the fur that may have gotten spilled milk on it (chest, front paws,… it can get all over). Clean the milk off as best you can. Caked milk can smell bad, looks bad, but most importantly, it can harbor and grow bacteria that can cause skin infection that tiny bunnies cannot fight successfully… I was struggling to find the balance between cleaning them and not stressing them out too much. Once milk is caked, it is almost impossible to get it cleaned up… Btw: Cotton towels work much better than paper towels/ tissues! I used cut up pieces of cotton t-shirts. Use clean one every time (wash them in hot water after every use).

27 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ Help the babies pee!

Very small baby bunnies need stimulation in order to pee (usually the mom licks the belly). It is very important to help them with this as their bladder can rupture if it gets too full! Excerpt from Dana Krempels’ manual (Attachment 6, p. 50):

NOTE: Many newborn mammals cannot urinate/defecate on their own. The baby bunnies will require the stimulation of the mother's grooming tongue on their bellies and ano-genital region in order to release a stream of urine and those pinhead-sized poops. Fortunately, you do not have to use your tongue.

Use a cotton ball (or even a very clean and disinfected fingertip) moistened with warm water, and gently tap/rub the urogenital area until you feel the baby's abdominal muscles tense and get that rewarding stream of warm pee! (Now you see why we suggest you use a towel on your lap.) Getting a urination response may take 15-20 seconds of stimulation, or even more. Many sources recommend doing this before feeding, and if it works--fine. However, sometimes the stimulus of a full stomach makes this easier. If the baby will not urinate before feeding, try again after feeding, and you will likely get a good response.

Failure to stimulate the babies to urinate/defecate can in the death of the baby (the bladder can actually rupture if it is not stimulated to empty!), so be sure you do this procedure diligently, gently, and patiently! It may take a couple of weeks before the babies are able to urinate and defecate on their own. Watch for signs of redness/irritation around the anus and urethral opening, which indicate you are stimulating too vigorously. Back off on the pressure, and apply a bit of soothing calendula ointment (available at health food stores) to heal the irritation.

Q: At what age can they pee alone? Some peed on me successfully (love it!) but the belly rub seems to be less successful by now... DK: You'll notice that they lose weight between feedings. That usually means they're peeing on their own. It can take 7-14 days, so when you stop getting pee from them when you stimulate, they're probably doing it on their own.

28 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ A special note on adding cecals (cecotropes)

You may or may not know this, but bunnies have two different kinds of poop: fecal pellets (or “regular poop”) and cecotropes (or “cecals”). Cecals are partially digested foods that are pooped out from the bunny and then re-ingested (i.e., they eat the cecals). Cecals are being produced in the part of the gut called the “cecum” – hence the name. The cecum contains bacteria and even fungi that provide essential nutrients to the bunny and may even protect the rabbit from harmful pathogens. It is from these cecal pellets that a rabbit gets the majority of her nutrition, not from the first passage of food through the gut. Cecals are nutrient-packed dietary items essential to your rabbit's good health.

You may not see bunny eat the cecals, but when it appears to be licking its belly and the bunny then comes up chewing, it's probably eating a cecal pellet. Bunnies may produce these cecals at a typical time of day (e.g. early morning or late afternoon), but they can produce (and eat) cecals any time a day. It is a rumor that they only produce cecals at night!

Cecals on the left… … and regular poops on the right

In a natural setting, babies start eating some of mom’s cecals around the time they open their eyes and start nibbling hay, i.e. age 10 days (see “Attachment 6: Dana Krempels’ manual”, p. 50). This provides them with loads of predigested nutrients AND it introduces these good bacteria into their digestive system, enabling the babies to grow and develop their own healthy gut bacteria and hence, healthy digestive track and immune system! It will make their gut ready for digesting hay, pellets and veggies

Orphaned babies will rely on you to find some cecals for them. Several good sources I found agree that this is probably the single most important thing you can do to help the babies establish a healthy intestinal flora. Find a cecal donor (easier said than done, I know. Alert fellow rabbit 29 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ people/local rescues that you need cecals). The fresher the cecals, the better. They can be stored in the fridge or even freezer in a ziploc, though some argue that this kills several strings of good bacteria. Sometimes this may be the best you can do and it is better than nothing. Be sure the donor bunny is HEALTHY and on a steady, healthy diet of unlimited Timothy hay and not too much pellets. Don’t give them cecals of an obese or otherwise unhealthy or recently medicated rabbit – you may introduce harmful bacteria into the baby’s guts.

More great info on cecals:

http://www.sandiegorabbits.org/health/scoop-poop

http://rabbit.org/the-mystery-of-rabbit-poop/

When and how often to add cecals

Cecals do not have to be added to every feeding, but should be added in clusters, or “rounds”, i.e. add cecals to several consecutive milk feedings for a duration of 2 days (so, assuming 3 feedings a day, you’d add cecals to 5 to 6 consecutive feedings). Most importantly, do the first “round” of cecal feeding when they open their eyes (10-12 days). It is good if you can repeat a “round” one or two weeks later, and/or before you first introduce them to greens. If you see signs of diarrhea, an extra round of cecal feedings can help re-establish a healthy gut flora and can be valuable treatment! If you are short on cecals: It is better to do one cluster/round of several consecutive cecal feedings than to spread them out over a longer period of time. I fed the babies from the “2 day old litter” two “rounds” of cecals (i.e. cecals with each feeding for 2-4 consecutive days): 1st round around age 2 weeks and again around age 3 weeks. I also added an extra round of cecals before I gave them their first greens, just to be extra safe.

Dose – how many cecals?

I would take 1-2 cecals per bunny, per feeding, for 2-3 consecutive days. Most manuals (including Dana Krempels’) say that once a day is sufficient. I had a good cecal donor and plenty of cecals, so I fed cecals with each feeding and had good results - that is all I can attest to.

30 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/

Administration of cecals

It is ideal if you can get them to eat the cecal in whole because the cecal lining may protect the bacteria from the highly acidic pH value of the stomach. I, however, never managed to get them to do that. Here is what I did: To be sure that they get the full intended amount and to not waste precious cecals, I made a small amount of cecal-milk-mesh separate from their regular milk. To do this, use a very small container. Mix about 0.5 to 1 ml milk per bunny with the right amount of cecals into a thick paste. To get fresh, soft cecals dissolved, crush them with a spoon against the wall of the small bowl you mix the paste in, or better yet, sift them through a small, fine strainer (though some cecal matter will get stuck in there and will be “lost”). Warm up to about milk temperature (don’t overheat!) Draw paste into 1 ml syringe and feed proportionate amount directly into the mouth (don’t use nipple as the cecal matter will clog the nipple). They probably won’t like it and fight back. Be gentle when you put tip of syringe in the mouth. I would have the syringe with regular milk ready to go once the cecal feeding was done to “wash down the taste”. I probably took more comfort in that thought than the babies. TIP: If the cecals are dry and hard (due to storage or a “late find” from the donor bunny), put a few drops of (previously boiled) hot water on them an hour or so before you need to use them. This will make them soft again. A little more yummy-yucky info on cecotropes in general: • http://www.sandiegorabbits.org/health/scoop-poop • “Attachment 7: Excerpt about Cecals” p. 58, http://www.rabbit.org/care/babies.html

31 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ Transition to hay, solid food, greens

Q: At what age do I need to introduce other food/ hay/ pellets? I plan to do another round of cecal feedings before I introduce solid food, and will keep the colostrum in the milk from now on.

DK: I'd leave some pellets and hay in their nest once their eyes open (around 10-12 days […])They'll start experimenting as soon as they are interested. I let the babies decide.

I gave them Junior Rabbit pellets from Oxbow Essentials; these pellets are alfalfa based and higher in protein than Adult Rabbit pellets (which are timothy based). I put in dry pellets as well as some soaked ones (on separate small dish) to make eating easier. I also offered them some Critical Care (=feeding formula from Oxbow) for an extra dose of nutrients. Offer Alfalfa hay (though I put a small handful of timothy hay in their space too because it is softer and they can play with it and nibble). At that point you also want to put a small but stable bowl of fresh water in their cage. You can introduce fresh greens around 3-4 weeks. Start with just one type (e.g. lettuce or kale, NOT sugary food like carrots). I started with about a square inch amount per bunny the first day and gradually increased the amount. The first week, I washed the greens with hydrogen peroxide (see more about this in “Hygiene” p. 34 and in correspondence below). Greens are the “dirtiest” food they will be eating at this point and hydrogen peroxide kills any bacteria on the greens (including the dangerous E.coli). After washing it with hydrogen peroxide, it is important to rinse it very well with clean water so that they don’t ingest the highly oxidative hydrogen peroxide.

Q: At what age can/should I incorporate greens? They have had none so far... do they need extra cecals before I start that?

DK: If you can get cecals from a healthy bunny, offer them. They usually will eat them at a critical stage, which is a bit earlier than they are now [now=exactly 4 weeks]. The greens can follow gradually after that.

32 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ Q (paraphrased): I have a follow-up question for you regarding the timing of veggie introduction into their diet - I understand from your email that now, at 4 weeks old, they can be introduced to veggies, preferably after extra cecals. HRS guidelines advise 12 weeks… DK: Wild rabbits start experimenting with greens as soon as they leave the burrow, which is at about the age of 2-3 weeks. As long as you introduce only little bits gradually, it helps them establish a flora from an early age. I think that is probably healthier than waiting 12 weeks.

Waiting 12 weeks won't hurt. But I have always let babies experiment with hay and greens as soon as they're interested, and have had some cecal inoculation. So far, no problems. Rabbits have evolved to eat fresh food from a very early age. As long as you introduce gradually, there should be no problems. And make sure things are washed well, especially if grown in areas where hygiene and irrigation water might be questionable. :(

I sometimes even rinse with peroxide, then very well with water. That should kill anything nasty that might be riding along. (Peroxide degrades into H2O and oxygen, so it's fully safe once degraded and rinsed off. You just don't want them drinking the straight stuff, which is highly oxidative.

33 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ Hygiene

Sterilizing the environment

Orphaned bunny babies need a much more sterile environment than healthy babies with a bunny-mom. Under normal circumstances (with bunny-mom present), babies have a low-stress nest environment and drink bunny-mom milk that contains protective bacteria and enzymes that help develop the immune system. Orphaned bunny babies, depending on their current age, age they were orphaned and health status, have a weak to near non-existing immune system. Bacteria, other microorganisms and fungi are everywhere and we need to protect the bunnies as much as we can from contact with them, or, you guessed it, they can kill them. When they are just days or weeks old, you need to disinfect ANYTHING that comes in contact with the bunnies. Carrier/ cage/ ex-pen/heating pads/heating pillows and cords all may have been used for other bunnies before. Also clean the sides/walls of all these items. ANYTHING the bunny can touch. Clean everything with household cleaner/detergent, wipe/rinse clean with water. Let dry. Then, wipe or better yet, spray generously with hydrogen peroxide and let sit for 15-30 minutes*. Spray will reach parts you can’t reach by wiping. Then, rinse with water and dry with clean towel (no former bunny towel). I understand that this is time consuming but I really recommend not cutting corners here. You only clean like this when you put them in a carrier/cage for the first time (or if a bunny dies from something contagious), not every day. Wash all towels and heating pad covers on hot! If towels have been used for animals before, consider spraying hydrogen peroxide on towels and let sit for 15-30 minutes, and THEN wash on hot. Consider adding a little bleach to the laundry to help disinfect, just as long as the laundry doesn’t smell of bleach or detergent (this will depend on the type and amount of bleach, and your washing machine). TIP: pour hydrogen peroxide into clean, empty spray bottle. Some spray bottle tops will actually fit the hydrogen peroxide bottle and you can just spray right from there. Close top of hydrogen peroxide bottle well when not in use because it is so reactive, even with air.

Your personal hygiene

Hand washing

We humans are diiirty and our hands can contain E.Coli, salmonella and God-Knows-What-Else that can kill bunnies. For the first weeks (I was really neurotic about this till they were 5-6 weeks old), disinfect your hands with hydrogen peroxide EVERY.TIME before you touch the 34 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ bunnies or bunny food products. Wash hands with regular soap first if visibly dirty. Then, make sure you squirt an ample amount of hydrogen peroxide on hands, lather and leave on hands for 30-60 seconds*, ESPECIALLY after you went to the bathroom. But really – every time you handle them or their food. I used to use sanitizer gel, but found out that that doesn’t kill E. Coli (and actually doesn’t kill a whole lot of other stuff either). Yes, you can say bye-bye to your soft hands for now… Just pet soft bunnies instead. *see website CDC for why to use hydrogen peroxide over alcohol, and why these time durations. http://www.cdc.gov/hicpac/Disinfection_Sterilization/7_0formaldehyde.html Kissing

This is hard. You can hug them and (gently) squeeze them and love them and even call them George if that makes you feel better, but you cannot kiss them (unless you want to peroxide your face and mouth, which you DON’T). Same issue as with hands, our mouths contains bacteria what can be fatal to bunnies who still lack a proper immune system.

Kitchen hygiene & disinfecting syringes and nipples

Your kitchen is going to be spot-less! You are prepping their milk here, so be very thoughtful about this process. ANYthing that is used for milk prepping has to be clean and sterilized in boiling water (e.g. spoons, mixing bowls, the whisk to mix the milk). Bacteria can grow in a matter of hours even in the fridge, so be extra careful with what comes in touch with the milk that you prepare for storage. Use hydrogen peroxide to wipe the counter top if you put stuff down there (I still used clean paper towel as surface barrier in addition). Very relevant excerpt from Dana Krempels’ “The Mystery of Rabbit Poop”:

“True diarrhea is more prevalent in baby rabbits than in adults, especially if the babies have been taken from their mother before they are ready for weaning. Sadly, many baby rabbits are weaned too young to be away from their mothers. Instead of being allowed to nurse for a full, normal eight weeks, they are taken away while they are still "cute" and marketable--often as young as four weeks. This can spell death for many of them.

Without mother's antibodies, complex organic compounds and proper pH environment her milk provides to help protect the baby's intestines, these babies are highly susceptible to over-proliferation of foreign bacteria. One of the most common culprits of runny stool in baby rabbits is accidental infection by the common human intestinal bacterium, Escherichia coli. This is transmitted from humans to baby rabbits during handling, since these bacteria are all over us, not just in our intestines. Handling an unweaned infant rabbit without properly washing and disinfecting one's hands is a good way to transmit these opportunistic pathogens. Even a loving kiss on a too-young baby rabbit's lips can kill. Until a young rabbit is at least eight weeks old, she should not be taken from her mother, as mama's milk affords protection against E. coli and other bacteria until the baby's own immune system can handle them.” From: http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/poop.html 35 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ Clean and disinfect syringes and nipples

• They are supposed to be clean of any milk residue. After every use, wash them under hot running water & draw hot water into the syringe and push it out a few times. I did not use detergent, but if you do, use Dawn (blue) as it is considered safe for animals and is considered the best for cutting grease and killing bacteria. Rinse really well, of course. Don’t wait until milk dries up, that only makes your life harder come cleaning time… • Sterilize the nipple and the syringe before every use. Bring water to a rolling boil and draw boiling water into the syringe and empty it out again, repeat 3-5 times. You can reuse the syringe several times, but once the plunger gets difficult to move, use a new one. Put syringe down on a clean piece of paper towel. • To disinfect rubber nipple, put the big bottom opening between 2 tongs of a small fork so that it is stuck in there. Put in boiling water and move around (watch for air pocket in nipple, all of the rubber should be in contact with boiling water at some point) for 1 minute. Opinions differ on what time is best, I did about 30 seconds-1 minute, but this is not scientifically backed up. Best practice guideline says you have to sterilize items in boiling water for at least 10 minutes… I was worried I’d damage the rubber nipple… • Don’t forget to sterilize whisk and thermometer in boiling water too. • Be careful that after you disinfect something to not put it down on any surface that is not spotless clean or disinfected! I had a plate with a clean paper towel ready to put everything on, also makes it easy for transport from kitchen to bunnies. TIP: There are steam bags out there that moms of human babies apparently use to sterilize baby stuff. I haven’t used them but that seems like a good option to try, too.

36 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ As they grow older…

• Separate the males from the females when the males are 2.5 to 3 months, as males can be fertile at that age. Btw – they can “do it” through ex-pen bars or cage bars with no problem, so you need to properly separate them, preferably in different rooms. • Separate same-sex bunnies later, as soon as you see agitation, more than occasional humping, or fighting. Things can go south pretty quickly with adolescent bunny siblings. • Neuter males at 4.5 months. This is the generally recommended age when it is safe to be done. If you wait longer, males will start to spray (maybe they already started) and can develop aggression. • Females can be altered around the same time. Some vets recommend waiting a little longer (6 months) since the female spay surgery is much more invasive than the male neuter surgery.

A final important note

You are likely not going to be able to keep all bunny babies you raised and the moment where you ask yourself “now what?” will come. The intensity of the care you give and time you spend creates a special bond and to me, giving up a baby I raised is incredibly hard.

You are not “done” when the bunny is off milk and eating hay and veggies. Please “see it through” and do everything you can to ensure that this baby has a bunny life ahead that is worth living. Carefully screen and select fosters and adopters. Start this process early, but beware of people who are just interested in a cute baby bunny or a bunny “for the kids”. (Young) bunnies and young kids do not mix well! Adopters need to have a game-plan for the next 10-12 years. I thoroughly belief that this final step is as important as every single other step I described in this manual on how to successfully raise orphaned baby bunnies.

Lastly, ensure that they are being spayed and neutered. Ideally, keep them until they are!

37 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ Resources & references

Dana Krempels, Ph.D. is probably the most knowledgeable and experienced person we know when it comes to hand raising baby bunnies. She was very kind and replied to my questions by email. I’d keep her ‘in your back pocket’ as resource if you have questions you can’t find answers to ([email protected]) Note: she doesn’t respond to facebook questions.

1. Care and Feeding of Orphaned Domestic Rabbits – General instructions by Dana Krempels – see Attachment 6 or go to her website http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/orphan.html

2. The Mystery of Rabbit Poop by Dana Krempels – specific section on baby diarrhea, prevention, risks and treatment http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/poop.html

3. Emergency protocol for diarrhea in infant and juvenile rabbits, cottontails and hares by Dana Krempels, 2007 http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/squirts.pdf

4. House Rabbit Society website – information on non-orphaned babies, as well as some information for orphaned bunny babies. See excerpt in attachment, but read the whole thing http://www.rabbit.org/care/babies.html

Also interesting reading & good sources:

• Research article on composition of rabbit milk http://www.journalofdairyscience.org/article/S0022-0302(75)84736-9/pdf • Article showing milk powder solubility in freshly mixed vs 4 hour old milk http://www.ewildagain.org/Milk%20Replacers/solubility_tests.htm • Info on cecals http://www.sandiegorabbits.org/health/scoop-poop • More info on cecals http://rabbit.org/the-mystery-of-rabbit-poop/ • Dutch page (also available in German) with good instruction and where I ordered the nipples http://www.melkvoordieren.nl/NL/gratis-handleidingen/huisdieren- zoogdier/konijn#faqnoanchor Angela Kramer is the owner (she speaks English) Email: [email protected] Cell: 011 31 6 245 257 34 (please keep in mind that she is at +6 hours EST, we don’t want to wake her in the middle of the night ) 38 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/

Attachments

39 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ Attachment 1: Shopping list – what to get and where to get it

Ideally, you want to have milk mix, nipples and few small syringes handy BEFORE you have a littler of orphaned bunnies. Everything else you can improvise for a day or rush to a 24h store (pedialyte, hydrogen peroxide), if need be. For food/feeding

• Electrolyte solution:  Bottle of Pedialyte (available in drug stores)  Or: Farnam’s Apple Elite Electrolytes (online available), or other vet- recommended electrolytes • Multi-Milk powder (from PetAG) available on e.g. Amazon AND • KMR (Kitten Milk Replacer) powder (both from PetAG) available on e.g. Amazon • Alternatively: Fox Valley 30/50 – only on their own website http://www.foxvalleynutrition.com/product-lines/milkreplacers/day-one-3050/ • Measurement scoop – should come with the milk powders • Colostrum - GNC store or online (others may be fine too, just be sure you find one with just colostrum, and no other active ingredients/herbs) • Acidophilus – regular store brand capsules (no other active ingredients/herbs) • Syringes (without needles)- you will need 1ml, 2-3ml, 5ml, 10ml and 20ml for the milk feedings. Don't jump sizes. For 2ml and up, make sure you get the Luer Lock tip for the rubber nipple to fit on. If babies are already a little older, you may not need 1 ml and 2 ml for milk but may need them for medication so have them handy anyway). • Nipples:  The Miracle Nipple (google the name, by now widely available, including on Amazon)  Tiny rubber nipple – I ordered this from the website in the Netherlands http://www.melkvoordieren.nl/NL/webshop/product/88- konijnenspeentje/category_pathway-20 • Food thermometer for the milk • Good whisk (ball whisk) • Several small mixing bowls, ideally glass (for au-bain-marie heating) and with lid for storage (e.g. small Pyrex) • Oxbow Critical Care (for babies 12 days and older) • Alfalfa hay (for babies 12 days and older) • Oxbow junior rabbit pellets (=alfalfa based; for babies 12 days and older) • Print or make chart to track food and weight of each bunny

40 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ For their living space/safety:

• Heating pads:  Snuggle Safe microwaveable heating discs (at least 2, preferably 3 or 4) – available from Amazon  Electric heating pillow (ideally without auto shut-off – otherwise, try to find one with mechanical switch that flips for shut-off and buy a timer  Hot water bottle (with cover, or towel to wrap it in) • Carrier (if babies are 0-12 days - I prefer one with mesh sides and front that zips open) Otherwise, make sure babies can’t escape/get stuck in the carrier door grate • Cage (preferably with narrow horizontal bars) • Light colored towels / small (flannel) blankets without holes for in carrier/ cage • Plenty of small cotton towels (or cut up cotton t-shirts) to secure metal bars in cage • Ex-pen with narrow vertical bars (LESS than 1 inch; 2-3 feet height is sufficient for now) • Large sheet / blanket to cover floor in play area/ ex-pen area

Other important items:

• Digital kitchen scale that can be set to grams (not just ounces) • Ceramic bowl that fits bunny baby to put on scale • Hydrogen peroxide 3% (make sure it is not expired or left open for long time, as oxidation will affect effectiveness of this substance). Available in drug stores. • Spray bottle for the hydrogen peroxide • Even more small towels/cut-up cotton t-shirt squares to wipe spilled milk (works much better than paper towels!) • Sharpie marker or non-toxic white-out (to mark same-looking babies to tell them apart) • Clothespins to secure small towels/ around cage or ex-pen • Dawn (blue) detergent

Medical supplies (ONLY FOR TRAINED CARE-GIVERS – ONLY USE AFTER CONSULTING VET)

• Simethicone (Little Tummy’s Gas Relief Drops) in case of gas – available in drug stores • Ringer solution (fluids) in case of de-hydration – available at vet

41 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ Attachment 2: Crisis – I need help NOW

This is a quick-and-dirty short list should you have a litter of orphaned domestic bunny babies NOW and have no special products available – and no idea what to do. Step 1a: Disinfect your hands Wash hands thoroughly and disinfect with what you have handy (rubbing alcohol, hand sanitizer (let evaporate all alcohol before handling babies) or ideally 3% hydrogen peroxide). Alternatively, use rubber gloves. Don’t pet the babies unnecessarily, do NOT kiss them!! Step 1b: Put them somewhere safe, calm and warm Take a clean box with high enough walls so that they can’t climb out (keep in mind that they can climb more than you’d think). Put this box in a warm, non-drafty, silent place that is safe from other animals (pets) & kids and from other environmental dangers (swinging doors etc). Don’t put the box on a radiator where it can get too hot. Fill some (small) bottles with hot water, wrap each of them in a kitchen towel and lay them in the box against 2 or 3 sides of the box. Don’t stand them up - make sure they can’t tip over on the bunnies and they don’t leak. Always leave one side cooler so that they can escape to the cooler end if it gets too warm for their liking. Nest should be 78 F. If bunnies already have a fur coating, they may prefer it a little cooler. Crinkle up soft towels/a blanket and put on top /in between the wrapped heating bottles. Make a little nook, not too deep. Put all babies together in the nook and cover them lightly with some of the blanket. DON’T START FEEDING THEM QUITE YET. If babies have a fur coat and eyes are open, put in some hay and a small dish with water.

Step 2: Quickly assess how old/well the bunnies are

See “Attachment 3: How old & how well are the bunnies? “p. 44 Step 3: Go shopping Go to a drugstore/Walmart/Target and buy: • Electric heating pillow (if babies are less than 2 weeks old) • 3% Hydrogen peroxide • Empty spray bottle (for Hydrogen peroxide) • Bottle of Pedialyte (baby section)

42 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ • Small syringes - 1ml/2ml if eyes are still closed, 3ml/5ml if eyes are open (also try pharmacy, vet clinic) • Food thermometer • Dawn detergent (blue) Now, go to a pet store and buy: • The very smallest rubber feeding nipples you can find • Small syringes (if not available at the other places). • Try to avoid the specially designed baby feeding bottles, which are not suitable for bunnies. • Milk powders: Check if they have KMR (Kitten Replacement Milk) powder and Multi Milk, but it is VERY UNLIKELY they will have it. DO NOT get tempted to buy any other milk mixes aside from these. • If babies are likely 2 weeks or older (eyes open, fur coat), buy alfalfa hay and Oxbow junior rabbit pellets. • Oxbow Critical Care

If you decide that the best option is for you to try and raise the babies, go to the “Shopping List” p. 40 ASAP and order the proper items right away (if necessary, choose 1-day shipping). Step 4: Get to work: Feed them Pedialyte After a couple of hours in a warm, calm, dim environment, you can offer them some Pedialyte. For amount and feeding technique, see this manual, p. 17, 20 and 23 . Wash your hands with 3% hydrogen peroxide for 30 seconds before you touch the babies. Wash nipples with Dawn (blue), then rinse well and boil rubber nipples before using them. Make sure you have warm hands before touching babies! Warm Pedialyte to about 80°F (use food thermometer). Start your notes on how much you fed each of them, and at what time. Step 5a: Get connected Get in touch with a (local) rabbit rescue and see if they know someone who has experience with raising orphaned domestic bunnies. Manuals are good - experience is better. It is good to have someone to consult or even help if (when) you run into any problems. They may also have supplies you need (the right milk powders, rabbit suitable rubber nipples) Step 5b: Get a cup of coffee and start reading the whole manual. Carefully. Please.

43 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ Attachment 3: How old & how well are the bunnies?

Whether you find a litter and are sure they are orphaned, or someone bring them to you – always try to obtain as much information as you can about their past. Write it down. Distinguish in your notes between information you know for sure and what you are guessing. Cottontail or domestic bunny?

If you find a litter of babies outside, it can be cottontails or domestics that were released and had a litter. Depending on age of the babies, they can be hard to tell apart, especially if they are naked. The coloring of cottontails is brown and gray ("agouti" coloring) and they often have a white streak on the head as babies. They have noticeably long slender legs and their face is longer, thinner and more pointed. They do not have the more rounded head and chubby cheeks of the domestics. Cottontails also have ears that are very thin and almost opened flat and wide at the top whereas domestic's ears are thicker and roll in a bit more. If you find a whole litter with only agouti colored babies, it is very likely that they are cottontails. Leave these babies alone unless you are very certain they need help. Cottontail mothers have and keep their babies in shallow holes. They stay away from them as much as possible to avoid attention from predators, and only stop by at dusk and dawn for a few minutes of nursing. This is normal and doesn’t indicate neglect. Contrary to popular belief, the mother will not reject her babies if touched by humans. It is illegal to care for or keep any wild animal – even baby bunnies – unless you are licensed with your state's Department of Environmental Protection. Our domestic rabbits are related to the European rabbit and NOT to the American cottontail. DOMESTIC BUNNY BABIES NEED DIFFERENT MILK THAN COTTONTAILS. FOX VALLEY 32/40 IS NOT SUITABLE AS DIET FOR DOMESTIC BUNNY BABIES. Great website on this topic: How To Care for Orphaned Wild Cottontail Bunnies by Ron Hines DVM PhD http://www.2ndchance.info/bunnies.htm

Are they healthy?

Unless you are a bunny trained vet, there is no sure way to tell, but here are some signs to look out for:

44 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ a) Do they feel warm? Their whole body and their ears should feel nice and warm. Hypothermia (=low temperature) is a big problem with babies, especially the youngest ones, since they cannot maintain their body temperature. Put cold bunnies in a warm “nest” replicate ASAP (see manual for temperature and environment control). b) Are they responsive to gentle nudging, do they hold their body tension when you pick them up? That’s good! Appearing limb and/or lethargic (I don’t mean sleepy) and not holding some body tension (e.g. their head) when you pick them up are signs that they may be sick. Healthy bunnies should feel nice and warm. Another sign of a baby not being well is that the other babies move away from one, or one moves away from the group (though this can also be random behavior). c) You can very gently try to check their hydration status – this is called checking their “skin turgor”. On their back/neck, very gently pinch some skin between your thumb and first finger and let go (look up Youtube videos if you have never done that). In a hydrated animal, the skin will go back to being flat again within one second. Skin that goes back to flat slower than one second suggests de- hydration. De-hydration is a very serious problem that required immediate medical attention (fluids). d) Does any baby have diarrhea stuck to their legs/behind? Diarrhea is also a very serious problem that requires immediate vet care.

Take ALL of them to a rabbit savvy vet ASAP for diagnosis and treatment. Print out the following document and take it with you: http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/squirts.pdf Even a rabbit savvy vet may benefit from this information by Dr. Dana Krempels. How old are they?

Here is a guideline table for development by weight (assuming adult bunny will be about 5 pound): 1 day 50 grams Naked, navel/umbilical cord visible, eyes closed, ears flat 3 days Fur coat starts to develop, navel visible 7 days 100 grams 10 days Eyes will open (day 10-12) 2 weeks 150 grams Ears will stand up 3 weeks 200 grams 4 weeks 250 grams 5 weeks 300 grams 6 weeks 350 grams

45 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ This is a guideline for healthy normal bunny development; it is common for orphaned bunnies to be behind this schedule due to the disadvantages they face. I recommend checking Youtube for videos of bunnies growing up with age indications, especially because that will show you the range of size and development you can see. These videos are almost all of non-orphaned bunnies, so they will likely be bigger and have nicer fur. Mine were way behind the development guidelines in terms of weight, but eyes opened and fur still came in according to schedule (mostly).

Zapfino at 7 days old (at 44 grams, much Zapfino and Vivaldi at 12 days old (at 64 grams) smaller than he should be)

46 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ Attachment 4: An “eye-opening” special

There is a sensitive period for eye development between 10-12 days, which means that their eyes have to be open on day 12 (no matter if the babies are behind in their development). According to Dana Krempels, this is a firm cut-off: if eyes are not open on day 12, the sensitive phase is over and the bunny may go blind or at least vision impaired. What if you don’t know the exact age of the babies? That will be a difficult call to make... Keep in mind that it seems uncommon that bunnies don’t open their eyes on time so please don’t “help” them with their eyes unless you have reason to believe that they are 11 or 12 days old. Consequences of opening undeveloped eyes too soon will be more devastating than having a vision impaired bunny. If eyes are not open by the end of day 11, start helping them: Take a small cotton ball or Q-tip, moisten it in water (boiled and then cooled down to lukewarm) and gently put it to each eye without any pressure for a few minutes in total. Baby will likely not like it and move around, so be gentle but keep trying. Use a clean cotton balls/Q- tips for each bunny. Then, take a moistened Q-tip – put one finger right above the eye socket and very gently use the Q-tip to stroke the skin under the eye downwards. I didn’t apply any pressure to the eye itself but merely worked with the skin above/below it. You should see some slight tension on the eye slit, maybe even revealing the thin, light membrane that holds the eye closed. Be really, really careful here, this takes finesse and patience. If successful, you will at some point see the slightest, pin-sized opening in the membrane. Stop right away, as that eye most likely will take care of the rest itself. Don’t overdo it in one session (1-2 minutes of Q-tip work max). It took me, for example, 4 sessions over more 24 hours with one baby’s eye to get it to that point. Plan ahead here if you think you need a vet for this: if day 12 falls on a Saturday or Sunday where it is hard to get to a vet, line something up, or go a day early instead of later. DK: […] …once their eyes open (around 10-12 days; if they don't open by then, contact your vet to see if they need help, since they will be blind if their eyes do not open during the critical period needed for proper innervation of the eye). […] Q: Eyes are still closed. Can we wait till e.g. day 14 (Monday) due to the disadvantage they faced and the fact that they are behind in development, or is the sensitive period over by then (is day 12 the cut-off?) DK: Sensitive period for eyes is sensitive period. I would try applying moist, warm cotton balls to the eyes to soften the suture area, and then seeing if you can very gently get the eyelids to part with a cotton-tipped swab. You don't want to press down on the eye; just apply gentle pressure to the eyelids and see if they will come apart without too much struggle. If they don't, then I'd get them to the vet ASAP to ensure that they don't suffer any permanent visual loss. My response: […day 12] They now keep their eyes on a slit - open, but not wide open. DK: That's all they need for proper development

47 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ Attachment 5: Gas in baby bunnies

Gas in baby bunnies seems to be a leading cause of distress and pain – and death. Don’t be fooled by the name and think “oh, I have gas sometimes”. It very often leads to death in rabbits. Little is known about the causes or treatment of gas.

Symptoms of gas can be: hard belly, “inflated” belly which is painful to the touch, bunny presses belly to the floor, “sits funny”, lethargic, doesn’t want to eat, hypothermia, and dehydration. If you know your babies well, the first thing you may notice is just that the baby is “off” and acts differently than usual (which is the sign of general illness).

Good hygiene is key to prevent gas! E.coli overpopulation in the guts, which is a common cause of gas, and can be prevented by closely following the hygiene guidelines in the Hygiene chapter.

Treating symptoms:

• Gas can cause hypothermia, so be sure to keep the babies adequately warm (normal body temp is 101-103). • You can very, VERY gently tap the lower belly with one finger (warm hands!), this can help the bunnies get rid of some gas and relief the pressure. Don’t massage the belly, as you can easily cause internal injury and damage. • If the babies are dehydrated, try to give oral fluids (electrolytes). The quickest way to get them re-hydrated is to administer SubQ fluids (Ringer solution). HOWEVER: Because babies are so tiny and the spinal column is so close to where the needle would go, AND they are so squirmy and hard to control – this is a very risky thing to do. Even if you are otherwise experienced in giving SubQ injections – be EXTREMELY careful and have someone help you. You can very easily paralyze or kill the baby.

When you suspect gas in babies, always get them to a rabbit savvy vet ASAP.

• To treat gas, I have used simethicone in the past (“Little Tummies” gas relief drops for humans). • Some recommend adding (extra) cecals to the milk (or electrolytes). I have no experience with that and can’t attest to it helping or not, but it is a low risk treatment and probably worth trying. • I have heard of people giving distilled water (or using it to mix milk) when babies have gas. I am unaware of any benefits of that, as is Dana Krempels (just sterilize the tap water by boiling it).

48 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ • Gas is very painful – check with your rabbit savvy vet if/which pain medication can be given. • Because gas is already very hard on the liver, extra care has to be given in the choice of medication to be administered.

Q: Did you write ANYTHING on treating bloat/gas in babies? […] It seems to be nr 1 killer here... How to prevent? Treat? […]

DK: No one is sure why they get gas, but it's likely bacterial overgrowth. Clostridium perfringens? If so, metronidazole (=Flagyl). E. coli? If so, oral ciprofloxacin. I did some cultures on baby hares who had severe gas and diarrhea, and all had serious E. coli overgrowth. That's when I started steaming everything and disinfecting with H2O2, including my hands.

49 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ Attachment 6: Dana Krempels’ manual – MUST READ

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

Care and Feeding of Orphaned Domestic Rabbits

by Dana Krempels, Ph.D. University of Miami Biology Department

The following information is for DOMESTIC RABBITS ONLY. If you are concerned about apparently orphaned wild rabbits, please link to this site on wild baby cottontails, which are completely different in their needs.

Before you take the baby domestic rabbits into your care and attempt to bottle feed them, please consider...

Unless the mother rabbit is known to be dead, there is a good chance that she is feeding her babies, even if she seems to be ignoring them. A mother rabbit does not constantly tend to her babies the way a mother carnivore does. Rabbit mamas feed their babies only twice per day, and then leave them alone. This is normal and natural: in the wild, a mother rabbit not in the process of feeding her offpsring stays as far away from the nest as possible to avoid attracting predators to her babies.

If mama rabbit seems to be "ignoring" her litter, check their condition before you interfere. If the babies' tummies are round and full-looking (you sometimes can see a whitish patch where the milk-filled stomach shows through the thin skin of the belly), they are warm, their skin is a healthy, dark pink, and not overly wrinkled, and they are sleeping calmly in the nest, then mama is feeding them. If the babies are very wrinkled, cold, bluish in color, have shrunken bellies, and perhaps are even crawling around looking for mama (instead of nest-sleeping, as a well-fed baby should), then you may have to intervene.

Before handling the babies, wash your hands well with disinfectant soap and hot water. Your hands are covered with bacteria, no matter how clean they may seem, and these can be dangerous to babies whose immune systems are not yet mature enough to 50 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ control bacterial growth, should harmful microbes be ingested. Once they're clean, rub your hands in a bit of clean, fresh hay and on mama's fur to scent your hands.

If the mama bunny is healthy and active, put the babies in a secure nest box in a place easily accessible to her. The box should be shallow and long enough for mama to jump in without stomping on her babies, but too tall for the babies to accidentally crawl out. Line the bottom of the box with a soft towel (no loose strings or holes! These can tangle around tiny necks or limbs and cause life-threatening injury or death!). Place a thick (3") layer of soft, grass hay or straw on top of the towel, and make a small "well" in the hay. If the mama has already built a nest of her fur, place the fur in the "well" and gently transfer the babies into the nest. If she did not pluck any fur for a nest, and if she is calm, you may be able to gently clip some away from her chest (Not too much! A handful is fine.) and line the well of the straw nest with it.

Before you handle the nest and babies, love and stroke mama rabbit to calm her. She is unlikely to be disturbed by your activities if she is loved, and trusts you.

Make sure mama sees the babies in the nest and can easily join them. Place the box and mama in a quiet, private place (a clean, disinfected bathroom with a baby gate in the doorway is a good choice) and let her get acquainted with her surroundings and her family's location.

If the mama has been separated from the babies for more than 24 hours, and refuses to feed them, you can try to gently, but firmly hold her over the babies until they can get a meal. Stroke the mama, talk to her gently and love her, making her feel secure. After the first feeding, you probably won't have to do this again. She will take care of the babies on her own.

If the mother rabbit is very ill, dead, or exhibiting aggression towards her babies, you may have to remove them and feed them without her help. Before you take on this formidable task, consider the following:

• Did the babies get any mother's milk? If not, you'll have to provide the babies with a special, immunoglobin-rich substance called colostrum. For the first few days of lactation, a mother mammal produces colostrum, which contains antibodies that help destroy foreign bacteria. Without a colostrum "starter", the babies have a lower chance of survival.

If the babies really are orphans or have been abandoned by their mother, here's a protocol that's been successful for us.

51 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ 1. Keep the babies in a warm (about 75o - 78o Farenheit), quiet place in a nest similar to the one described above. (Bunny fur is the best lining, but clean cotton wadding will do as a substitute. Just be sure the babies do not get tangled in it.) DO NOT use an electric heating pad. Two or more babies usually are able to snuggle and keep each other warm if they have a good, padded nest. If there's only one baby, a warm water bottle wrapped in a soft towel can provide an excellent artificial heat source, but be sure the baby can crawl away from the bottle if it feels too warm.

2. The nest box should be at ground level, in a room where small children and pets are not allowed (at least until the babies are eating solid food and out of the nest). For the first few days, keep the room relatively dimly lit and quiet.

Feeding the Babies

Formula and feeding supplies

You will need:

• plastic sterilizing steam bag (available at most pharmacies, these are used by women to disinfect breast pumps and other nursing materials) • very small nursing nipples

There are many different types, and unfortunately few pet supply stores carry the smallest nipples that are best for baby rabbits. If your local pet supply store doesn't carry nipples suitable for baby squirrels and rabbits, then the ones for kittens are the next best thing.

• nursing bottle or syringes

The type of bottle or syringe you buy will depend on the nipples available in your store. They usually are paired. A variety of feeding supplies are available online from The Squirrel Store. Order them while you use the kitten supplies locally available, and you'll have better nipples and syringes in a few days.

• Formula recipe o fresh, whole goat milk - 1/2 cup o KMR (Kitten Milk Replacer by PetAg) - 1/2 cup

52 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ o lyophilized (freeze dried) colostrum - contents of 10 capsules, or 1-1.5 Tablespoons

This is available at most high-quality health food stores, either in bulk powder form, or in capsules. It's ex-pensive, but will give the babies their best head start.

o heavy cream - 3 cc (a cc is the same as one ml, or milliliter), equal to about 1/2 teaspoon

Mix ingredients together in a lidded container, and shake very well until colostrum is dissolved. It's best to mix this a few hours in advance so that the colostrum has time to soften and suspend easily. Heat the formula to about 105o Farenheit (you can gauge this with a common, quick- read plastic rectal thermometer (unused, or fully sterilized!) from any pharmacy.) and keep it warm in a water bath while you feed the babies. They are generally more eager to accept warm formula.

Feeding Procedure

The most important thing to avoid is aspiration (inhalation) of formula by the babies. The smallest drop of formula in the lungs can cause fatal pneumonia within a few hours.

1. Steam disinfect all syringes, bottles, and nipples as per instructions on the disinfecting bag.

2. Sit or lie on the floor to feed the bunnies, using a towel as a lap cushion for the baby being fed. Baby rabbits are wiggly, and unpredictable. They jump suddenly and unexpectedly, and you must be on the floor so that they don't hurl themselves off a chair or table and injure themselves. A drop of only one or two feet can be fatal, especially if the baby has a stomach full of milk.

3. Hold the baby horizontal in one hand, and the bottle/syringe in the other. If you wrap the bottle in a washcloth or cotton pad, allowing a fold to drape over your hand with the nipple protruding, the baby will be able to "paddle" with his front feet, as he would his own mother's breast. 53 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ 4. Babies often resist feeding at first, and you must overcome the temptation to force feed. If the baby spits out the nipple, then simply wet the baby's lips with a drop of warm formula so he'll lick it off. Once he's swallowed that, repeat the procedure over and over. Be persistent and gentle. If you can keep him hydrated and fed--even against his will--for a few feedings, more often than not, the baby will start to lap or sip at the drops you provide, though he may not do this on the first feeding. (If you're lucky, the baby will quickly learn the Turbo Sucktm : this can empty 15 cc's of formula in as little as 9 seconds!)

5. DO NOT SQUEEZE TOO MUCH FORMULA INTO THE BABY'S MOUTH! It's better to err on the side of caution than to have the baby inhale milk!

6. Baby rabbits may lose the suckling reflex in only a day or two. If the baby grabs the nipple and begins suckling, allow him to do so without adding any pressure yourself. DO NOT squeeze the nursing bottle or put pressure on the syringe plunger. The baby should be able to suckle with enough strength to empty the bottle or syringe (as long as the plunger is adequately lubricated in advance with a bit of pediatric simethicone suspension) without any help from you. If you provide extra force, the baby may accidentally aspirate formula that's coming in too fast!

7. If the babies do not suckle, it's not a major problem. Most will learn to lap/sip from the tip of the nipple, and this is actually safer, in terms of reducing the risk of aspiration. Try to hold the nipple sideways or downpointed, relative to the mouth, to further reduce the risk of aspiration.

8. IN CASE OF ACCIDENTAL ASPIRATION. We hope this doesn't happen, but if the baby does aspirate formula, it can completely block the airway and cause the baby to pass out. This does not have to be a death sentence, but the following "Bunny Heimlich" maneuver is the only hope of saving the little one. And it's scary.

o hold the baby very firmly between your palms, one on each side of the rabbit o stabilizing the back and neck firmly so they do not move at all, raise the baby above your head, so his nose is pointing skywards. o with a firm, downward motion (not too fast!), swing the baby downwards towards your feet, (being very careful not to come too close to the floor!)

54 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ o repeat the procedure two or three times, as necessary. The weight of the baby's internal organs pressing against the diaphragm when you swing downwards ususally provides enough pressure to expel air from the lungs, as well as the drop of milk blocking the airway. o Once you feel the baby begin to move, STOP THE MANEUVER IMMEDIATELY. o Consult with your veterinarian about whether or not to place the baby on prophylactic antibiotics to prevent aspiration pneumonia.

9. Until they open their eyes (at about the age of 10-12 days), handle the babies as little as possible when you're not feeding/grooming.

How much to feed?

The following information on feeding quantities are from the House Rabbit Society FAQ on Feeding Orphaned Baby Rabbits, which is an excellent source of additional information on this topic.

 Newborn to One Week: two - two and a half cc/ml each feeding (two feedings per day).

NOTE: Many newborn mammals cannot urinate/defecate on their own. The baby bunnies will require the stimulation of the mother's grooming tongue on their bellies and ano-genital region in order to release a stream of urine and those pinhead-sized poops. Fortunately, you do not have to use your tongue.

Use a cottonball (or even a very clean and disinfected fingertip) moistened with warm water, and gently tap/rub the urogenital area until you feel the baby's abdominal muscles tense and get that rewarding stream of warm pee! (Now you see why we suggest you use a towel on your lap.) Getting a urination response may take 15-20 seconds of stimulation, or even more. Many sources recommend doing this before feeding, and if it works--fine. However, sometimes the stimulus of a full stomach makes this easier. If the baby will not urinate before feeding, try again after feeding, and you will likely get a good response.

Failure to stimulate the babies to urinate/defecate can in the death of the baby (the bladder can actually rupture if it is not stimulated to empty!), so be sure you do this procedure diligently, gently, and patiently! It may take a couple of 55 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ weeks before the babies are able to urinate and defecate on their own. Watch for signs of redness/irritation around the anus and uretrhal opening, which indicate you are stimulating too vigorously. Back off on the pressure, and apply a bit of soothing calendula ointment (available at health food stores) to heal the irritation.

If the feces come out liquid or "smeary", it's a sign of potentially serious trouble. Consult your rabbit-experienced veterinarian at the first sign of diarrhea, as this can be fatal in only a few hours in a baby rabbit.

 One to two weeks: 5-7 cc/ml each feeding (two feedings per day). The amount will depending on bunny, and may be much LESS if the baby is small.

NOTE: Do not allow a baby rabbit overfeed at one sitting! Once a baby learns the Turbo Suck (tm), he can suckle so quickly that it's possible for him to ingest a volume too great for his little tummy. Although it's unlikely for the stomach to rupture, stretching it too taut can cause pain, gas, and make the baby sick. It is better to underfeed slightly than overfeed. If in doubt, let the baby rest for about a minute after feeding, then offer the nipple again. This gives time for the stretch receptors to respond and let the baby know he's really full.

 Two to three weeks: 7-13 cc/ml each feeding (two feedings). Domestic rabbits' eyes open at about 10 days of age. Start introducing them to timothy and oat hay, pellets and water in a shallow dish.

 Three to six weeks: 13-15 cc/ml each feeding (two feedings) As always, quantity may be LESS depending on the size of the rabbit.

NOTE: At the age of about three weeks, babies will begin to experiment with solid food. Not only is it important to continue enriching the formula with colostrum, but at this stage it is time to inoculate them with normal rabbit bacterial flora from a healthy, parasite-free adult rabbit. Start to scout for a potential cecotrope donor when you first take the babies into your care. When they're about 2.5 - 3 weeks old, obtain a fresh cecotrope and mix it into a small quantity of formula. You will probably have to feed this as if it were medicine, as most babies do NOT enjoy this "special" formula. But it will help to establish their normal flora at a time when the stomach pH is likely not to interfere with proper colonization of healthy bacterial flora farther down the

56 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ intestinal tract. Inoculation for 2-3 days in a row seems to be sufficient for establishment of normal flora.

Weaning

A domestic rabbit feeds her babies for about 8 weeks, gradually decreasing the frequency of feedings until they lose interest. Your baby bunnies will start to nibble on pellets and solid food at about the age of two to three weeks, but this does NOT mean they are ready to be weaned. In fact, it's even more important that you continue feeding colostrum-enhanced formula to help control the growth of potentially harmful pathogens as the babies introduce new bacteria into their systems.

If the babies still beg for nursing by the age of six - eight weeks, you can begin to dilute the formula with clean drinking water. Start with 25% water to 75% formula, and gradually decrease the percentage of milk until the babies lose interest. It's less traumatic for you and the babies to gradually wean them this way. (And it's a great little trick taught to me by my own pediatrician father, Geza J. Krempels, M.D.)

Return to RABBIT HEALTH CENTRAL

Visit H.A.R.E., Inc.

Visit the National House Rabbit Society

57 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ Attachment 7: Excerpt about Cecals

This text is taken from “Domestic Baby Bunnies and Their Mom” by Sandi Koi http://www.rabbit.org/care/babies.html (House Rabbit Society)

NOTE: I don’t know about the milk mix they suggest on that page… please do extra research if you feel compelled to use that.

Feeding Orphaned Baby Rabbits The most likely potential disease to cause infant/weanling mortality is mucoid enteritis. Although it does occur occasionally in weanlings who have been fed by their mothers, it is seen much more often in hand-fed babies and those who are removed from their mothers before eight weeks of age. It manifests as severe diarrhea, anorectic behavior (refusal to eat) and may contain blood or mucous. It also causes bloating and gas.

Mucoid enteritis is caused by a pathogenic bacterial overgrowth, usually of Clostridium spiroforme, in the hindgut (cecum) of the baby, as the normal microflora are attempting to establish. These normal microflora help the baby achieve adult digestive capabilities.

Adult rabbit stomach pH is 1-2, but a neonates' stomach pH is much higher; the stomach and gastro-intestinal tract of neonates is also sterile (containing no living microorganisms.) As babies wean off of milk onto adult solid foods, the gut pH gradually changes by getting a lot of help from the mother's changing milk constituents.

By ten days of age, the babies eyes will have opened, and they will begin eating their mother's cecotropes, (also called "night feces" or "cecal droppings"). Cecotropes help provide the babies with essential nutrients and later, inoculate the hindgut with the essential flora that is needed to metabolize a diet that is changing from milk to solid foods.

Cecotropes are clustered, soft gel-like "bunches" of fecal matter, which are covered with a light mucous film and resemble a mulberry in shape and size. They are manufactured in the adult cecum through "hindgut fermentation," and contain high concentrations of proteins, B and K vitamins, fiber, ash (nitrogen-free extract) and unidentified "energy" elements, as well as the hindgut microbes. Cecotropes are an important part of a healthy rabbit diet and are usually eaten directly from the anus as they are produced.

Remember that our domestic rabbits were developed from the wild European rabbit, whose native diet was lacking in many nutrients. Cecotropes, a self-manufactured source of proteins and other nutrients, provide rabbits with the necessary nourishment to sustain their lives.

Infant rabbits also have an antimicrobial fatty acid in the stomach that differs from digestive gastric acids. It is produced only from an enzymatic reaction with a substance found only in the mother's milk. This action controls the gastro-intestinal microbial contents in the babies' tract. 58 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/

As the babies begin to wean, at four to six weeks of age, they lose the guardianship of the mother's milk/stomach enzymatic reaction and gradually develop the adult pH of 1-2. Often babies will seem to do fine until this critical stage is reached. It is at this point that both the mother's milk and her cecotropes begin introducing the necessary adult flora (to digest solid foods) into the babies' gastro-intestinal tract.

Note that a diet low in fiber and a high level of grain have been documented to cause enteric disturbances in adult rabbits as well as weanlings. Toxic microbes proliferate in the cecum due to the high-carbohydrate levels, and the lack of dietary fiber slows down the gut motility, providing a perfect environment for the toxins to grow.

In hand-raised babies, it is essential to provide adult cecotropes to the babies after their eyes are open. Usually, the babies will eat the cecotropes immediately, because it the natural thing for them to do. However, if the babies do not eat the cecotropes on their own, add two to three of the individual pellets in the cluster to the formula at one feeding per day for three to four days. As the babies begin to explore adult foods, it is impotant to monitor their fecal output. At the first sign of "mushy" stool, re-introduce cecotropes to them, in formula if necessary.

Depending on the infant's dietary status and stress factors, that may include the babies' immune system (which varies greatly from genetic factors,) the infants' sterile gut may be unable to colonize with normal adult microflora. The gut would then become overloaded with abnormal bacteria, which leads to bloat, electrolyte loss and death from mucoid enteritis. The most common pathogens found in weanling rabbits that died of enteric disturbances are E. coli and Clostridium spp., and protozoa such as Coccidia spp.

Intravenous or intra-osseous fluid therapy supplied by a veterinarian experienced in rabbit medicine may help in some cases, as the ensuing diarrhea severely affects hydration and electrolyte levels. Oral hydration would be of little help in this instance, and the use of antibacterial agents in infants is not advised. Administering antimicrobials in an attempt to control abnormal gut flora may further disturb development of normal gut microflora. Products such as Baytril (enrofloxacins) are extremely detrimental for use in baby mammals.

59 ©Chris Mathyssek 2016 Domestic Rabbit Baby Manual - Version 1.0 https://babybunnymanual.wordpress.com/ Attachment 8: Excerpt about Probiotics

This text is taken from “Domestic Baby Bunnies and Their Mom” by Sandi Koi http://www.rabbit.org/care/babies.html (House Rabbit Society)

Some practitioners and rehabilitators use "probiotics," theoretically establishing the correct pH environment in the cecum to allow the "good bacteria" to proliferate, and thereby crowding out the "bad bacteria." The addition of Lactobacillus acidophilus cultures to baby formula may be helpful by acidifying the gut, although no scientific documentation has proven the theory. (There have been several studies done, with inconclusive results.) While acidophilus is not a normal flora in the rabbit gut, it may help produce an environment which helps normal flora establish and grow. Other studies claim that none of the living cultures in acidophilus can survive the high pH in the stomach and therefore it is a wasted effort. However, this may be a clue as to why conflicting evidence is found: as the weanlings' gut pH is undergoing drastic changes very quickly, the actual age of the baby may have a profound effect on whether or not the addition of acidophilus or other probiotics is effective. The addition of acidophilus has never been shown to be detrimental, at any rate. Yogurt with live cultures has been used as a source of acidophilus and has been used in baby formulas. Adult rabbits do not produce lactase, the enzyme which digests lactose sugars (milk) and I advise against using yogurt as a source of acidophilus, if one chooses to supply it. Because a weanling rabbit's gut is changing so drastically, it would be realistically impossible to determine at what exact moment a weanling rabbit develops intolerance for dairy products. Freeze-dried, organic acidophilus cultures are available at better health food stores and would probably be a better, safer choice than yogurt, in my opinion. The probiotics "Bene-bac" (providing "beneficial bacteria" for avian species) and "Probiocin" (used most often for canine and feline species) have also been used to provide beneficial bacteria in rabbits and rabbit babies. The banana flavor of Bene-bac is popular with rabbits, which makes it easy to administer. No documentation has proven either product to be detrimental, although likewise, none exists supporting its use (except manufacturer's claims.) Fox Valley Animal Nutrition, Inc. also has a product called "Formula L A 200," which is a viable lactobacillus acidophilus that acts in the same way as Bene-bac. The telephone number for Fox Valley is 1-800-679-4666 Unfortunately, because so little actual documentation exists regarding the use of probiotics, there does not exist a formulary regarding appropriate dosages, either. Too much could be as detrimental as the problem itself.

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