Possible Pregnancy - Please Help

[Hop.And.Skip]

We got our french lop rabbit about 2 weeks ago, over the last few days she has been building a nest, growls when you touch her and seems have drooping nipples.

Ive never bred rabbits before, any we kept have always been a pet, nor have I wanted to breed. The lady we got the rabbit from said she had a male but seperate cages. She told me that she let the male one go about 2 weeks before we got our girl. It was my husband that went and collected the rabbit (his car is bigger and we got a free hutch!) and she told him that the male died at christmas!

When she started nesting I tried to phone the woman, she did tell us that she was moving, but I thought that she might of been lying about that too! Anyway phone was cut off and Ive no way of knowing if this girl is infact pregnant.

My friend suggested I feel her stomach to see if I can feel any lumps/bumps, I cant. I dont want to feel her stomach too much incase she is pregnant. Im hoping this is a phantom pregnancy, we have no idea what we are doing and it terrifies me.

I got hold of our vet and he says to give her 3-5 days and if she is still showing signs of being pregnant, to bring her in. Before building this nest she would eat like a trooper, now shes barely eating much.

I have to lift her from her hutch to put her in her run and im scared to do this. Should I leave her in her hutch until we know for sure?

There are some pictures below taken 2 days ago. There is normally straw were shes sitting but shes moved all up to her sleeping area. My husband had just gone to get shavings to put in her toilet area so please excuse the dirt .

http://i466.photobucket.com/albums/rr29/Moments-Choice/Rabbit001.jpg

http://i466.photobucket.com/albums/rr29/Moments-Choice/Rabbit002.jpg

 

[fuzz16]

Its hard to tell when a rabbit is pregnant.
Just in case she is, I would throw a nest box in there or even a litter box would work for now. Just something for the babies to be in. Give her plenty of fresh water and food. The irritability and building a nest may mean she is...or she can be faking it.

Nothing you can do but watch and wait

She's very pretty btw

 

[Hop.And.Skip]

Thank you, we love her to bits. Its been about 2 years since we owned a rabbit and I feel like a newbie again at it.

My husband is building more hutches just incase she is pregnant. If she isnt then we might consider taking on some rescued rabbits.

I really am terried that she is pregnant, ive been reading up as much as possible. Is it ok to lift her out of the hutch to go in the run? The first time she made a nest with her fur in it, I thought she was just moulting and cleared it all out. However another nest arrived overnight.

We have also decided that if she is pregnant then we will keep any bunnies and they all get spayed (including her).

 

[HopsandLops]

It is really hard to tell, and if she is building a nest its a good chance she is! We have had rescues to the whole false preg. thing, but with out palp you can't be forsure. I would just take her to the vet if she doesn't give up the nesting in a few days.

Side Note: We have a rescued a lionhead that was kept with a boy, so we assumed she was pregnant but in fact she was going though the false thing. The only way we knew it was a false was she started to produce milk (rabbits don't produce milk until after labor, told by our vet).

 

[Hop.And.Skip]

No milk that ive seen, just growling, nesting etc.

Any advise for me if she is pregnant? I know not to touch the young until at least 2 weeks, and if one falls out of the nest to get my hand covered in her scent before putting it back in the nest.

If she is pregnant ive no idea if she has had any before, it wasnt something I asked.

 

[HopsandLops]

If she does have a litter you need to check them about once a day (to make sure all are alive), and I always, even when the babies are older, rub my hands on momma bunny and then rub some droppings in my hands (I know its not pretty). I always remove mom first as well as you never know if she is going to give you a good nip when you go for the babies. Remember to increase her food intake and fresh water, and lots of good hay. As for a nest box, you can use a good weighted litter box. We line our nest boxes with aspen and some straw mixed with a bit of hay. If you have any other question please feel free to ask! We have raised several rescue litters and currently have one litter that is almost 2 weeks old!

 

[tonyshuman]

Hi, I'll move this to the Rabbitry where more people who breed rabbits hang out. They should be able to help.

 

[Hop.And.Skip]

Thank you, im scared that im going to do something wrong. Any advise is welcome, big or small xx

 

[TinysMom]

I touch the babies from day one - for one thing - you need to check to make sure they're getting milk and also - it helps to socialize them.

It does sound to me like she is pregnant - especially since she remade her nest overnight. She looks like she could be pregnant in one of those pictures.

She will probably be fine - just keep an eye out on her and check for babies every day....I'll try to find a link for you on pregnancy, etc - but it sounds like she knows what to do and is going to follow her instincts if she's making a nest. (Then again - my Buttercup made a gorgeous nest and when she had her litter - she stuck her HEAD in the nest and had them on the wire - but I was there to rescue them).

 

[Hop.And.Skip]

Was up a few times during the night to check on her and just after giving her, her morning feed. Now if I even put my hand in with her to put food in, shes growling.

She isnt sleeping in her sleeping area, shes sleeping in the larger area of the hutch.

If it is a phantom pregnancy, is there anyway of stopping it or is it a matter of letting it run its course?

If someone invented rabbit pregnancy tests they would be millionaires lol.

 

[BlueGiants]

If it is a False pregnancy, there is really nothing you can do, except let it run it's course. If she is pregnant, again, not much you can do at this point... Just wait it out.

You might want to put a Nestbox in her sleeping area to keep any babies together. Put it in the same spot she has been building a nest and put any of "her" material in the box. If the babies crawl off they can miss feedings or chill to the point of dying.
As Peg said, feel free to handle them and check them daily. If necessary, distract Mom with a treat in another part of the cage. You have to make sure they are all getting fed and the nest is clean. (If Mom is pooping or peeing in the nestbox, of if she isn't cleaning up after them, the babies can get sick or die.)

Have patience. (Yeah, I've been known to say that before!) As long as there are no problems, I wouldn't take her to the vet. Further stressing her before she kindles could cause more problems. If she isn't pregnant, and it is a false pregnancy, the vet can't do anything anyway. If she is pregnant, she's been through a lot over the last few weeks. She needs peace and quiet. (JMHO).

 

[Hop.And.Skip]

Well yesterday we rescued an english lop rabbit, we were told by a vet we didnt use before, that it was a female. Today gwen and the new girl had time in the big run together.

I wasnt happy with what the other vet had said about the new girl, shes badly underweight and felt she needed some veterinary help to give her a boost. So we took her to our normal vet who said that she is infact a male!

Im kicking myself, I should have checked myself. Gwen welcomed the new rabbit like it was an old buddy. They were cuddling up together, there was no mounting. So I can be assured now that it was a phantom pregnancy.