I found a baby bunny in my driveway with his eyes still closed.I have been taking care of him and now his eyes are opened. I need some help on weaning and how do I get him to drink water?
Thanks for all the responses back for the baby bunny. I did take the bunny to a vet thinking he was a wild rabbit and they said he is a domestic bunny. So we decided to keep him and take as best care of him as we can. So we did do everything as the mother bunny would do and he is doing GREAT. We think he is around 5weeks old and I dont think he is drinking enough water or any at all. I still am weaning him from the milk he is slowing down. Also I found when he urinates it looks like a white paste,so I did some research on the web and it said maybe not enough water intake or possible urine infection. I tried water but he is not drinking it for me. Should I stop the milk all together or keep until I see him drink more????? Thanks so much for all your help.. S.
We found a baby jack rabbit once ant the zoo said to feed it Kitten mild replacement with an eye dropper. We did. It worked though we had to jam it into its mouth the 1st time. Later we added pablum and even though the Zoo promised it would not live in captivity, she lived with us for 8 years.
J.
I used to do wildlife rehab in Corvallis, and baby rabbits are extremely difficult to keep alive. Feed it Kitten Milk Replacer or even goat milk replacer (they come in huge bags at the feed store though), feed it clover, and you can try water, but it's probably not ready for it yet. Continue with KMR in a dropper or kitten bottle, and you MUST stimulate it's bowels, like a mother licks its baby, you take a cotton swab and stroke its belly from top to bottom. The trick is to try and not handle it very much though, it can die from stress.
It you need help, I can probably try, or I would take it to a vet clinic and ask what you or they can do. Hope this helps!
I used to save little bunnies all the time when I was a kid. Unfortunately rabbits one they have the human scent on them will not be accepted or taken care of by other rabbits in the wild world. I used to give water through a tiny little eye dropper when they were little and then if they made it to the release stage which they seldom did but sometimes they did I put a light coat of baby powder on them and sent them on their way. Consult a vet and they might have some suggestions on how to wean.
I just know that our baby bunnies don't usually learn to drink from a water bottle until they are three to four weeks old. I also know that most baby bunnies open their eyes at 10 days. I would keep feeding the baby milk until three weeks and then follow the suggestion of the eyedropper for water.
Wow this site is fun for suggestions for everything!
Good Luck,
jem- Mom to seven -keeper of many rabbits
I recommend you call a vet. Dr. Williams at Eagle Veterinary Hospital is wonderful.
Call the Living Desert in Palm Desert or Pet Samaritans in 1000 Palms and ask for advice. If you found him with his eyes still shut and away from mama, there's a good bet he was a coyote snack that got dropped.
Hi S.. I have done both rehab on wild baby and raised baby domestic rabbits. Can you tell if it is a wild or domestic? What color is it? (Brown like dirt most likely wild) Are its ears up? (Wild are always up) Wild bunnies have short compact bodies and short ears, but it is hard to know without comparing. I know it might be hard to tell, but it will make a difference in the long run. (I might be able to tell with a picture).
Do you want to keep the bunny? If it is domestic it could turn out really nice if you raise it. But if it is wild it will never tame.
Baby rabbits are VERY hard to keep alive. If you have a wild bunny I recommend taking it up to the Portland Audubon Society on Cornell road. I found this web site that I think has valid info on it. (easier than typing a bunch).
http://www.wbvc.bc.ca/orphaned.htm
Good luck and I hope this works out for you. Feel free to send me an email if you have more questions.
S.
I inherited many baby bunnies when I just delivered a new baby by C-section. I had to get up every few hours to hand feed them with a dropper and some liquid milk from a local pet store for orphaned small animals. They could tell you at what age to change the diet or you could look online or call a vets office and ask. Thats my favorite and best advisaries over the years on animal questions.
