very small white rabbit fails to grow

[anaotilia]

An orphan little rabbit who live with us in the house (about 200 grams of weight) fails to grow.
this already happened to us with small rabbits without mother milk, but in this case, the situation is very worrying.
It also have the expression of someone is soon to die.
We gave him a lot of various food to increase his size and it eats a lot, but nothing.
Only the belly increases but not the body.
What you suggest we can do?
thanks.
ana otilia

p.s. it had some scabies but we eliminated it, the belly with very little hair is of a violet color.

 

[Jackelope]

Is it a peanut? Can you take a picture? How old is it? And what are you feeding it?

 

[anaotilia]

it is a normal rabbit we have others like him that grow in a normal way.
we give him pellets, green lettuce, carrots, broccoli, apple, grass.
Sometimes wholegrain cereals and bread, fruit juices, fruit puree for babies.
i will try to post a pic.
thanks.

 

[Jackelope]

It doesn't sound very normal if it's not growing. That also sounds like a deadly diet for a rabbit, especially a baby. Baby rabbits should be eating primarily hay and pellet feed. No fruits, vegetables, or any of the other stuff you listed. That may be why it's having trouble, in addition to a possible genetic defect.

 

[majorv]

How old is the rabbit? His digestive system may not have fully developed and so he can't absorb enough nutrients from the food he eats.

 

[anaotilia]

here are the pics.
thanks for yr advices.

ana

 

[anaotilia]

I thinks about 2 months.
it is a orphan.

 

[Kayota]

...it looks like it has been soaking in its urine and may have some severe urine scald. That's also an improper way to lift a rabbit.

 

[Azerane]

The lack of fur on the legs and belly is likely caused by urine scald. Which as said before results from the rabbit sitting/soaking in it's urine.

I agree that a diet so rich in vegetables is likely not helping one so little. Feed unlimited pellets and hay, the pellets will help to increase weight. I would advise seeing a vet regarding the urine scald since it is so extensive, you may need to get something to treat it with.

Also, please support the rabbit's back legs when holding them like that, if they kick out they could really hurt themselves.

 

[I_heart_Fraggles]

No that is not a proper way to hold a rabbit and that rabbit needs to see a vet.

 

[Jackelope]

Yeah, this looks like severe urine scald. It should see a vet. In the meantime, you should clean its living space thoroughly and keep it clean, and dab off any urine currently on the rabbit with lukewarm water on a paper towel (don't use any cleaning products or shampoos, even baby shampoo is too harsh for rabbits and may cause more skin damage).
Here's a page full of information on urine scald, how to treat it, and how to prevent it in the future: http://www.disabledrabbits.com/urine-scald.html

As Azerane has said, you'll need to stop feeding the rabbit everything but pellets and hay.

The way the rabbit here is being handled isn't as much concern to me as the fact that the rabbit doesn't appear to struggle and lets its legs dangle without appearing at all tense, which near-death rabbits tend to do.

 

[Kayota]

Lifting a rabbit like that is fine. Keep your opinion out of it.

That isn't my opinion, as a vet tech student I knew long before I ever was interested in having a rabbit that not supporting their back legs can result in them kicking and breaking their own back. Way to be rude. I hope your rabbit doesn't end up snapping its own spine one day.

 

[anaotilia]

the position of the bunny is just the time to take pictures to show the belly.
for the urin, I don't understand because it is not in a cage, is is free in a room (since 3 weeks) and it walks a lot
thanks and regards

 

[ladysown]

THAT is a very sick rabbit.

mostly like has coccidia, or possibly mega colon.

Should be a on a diet of hay and oatmeal.

You should also not be picking it up like that. That large a belly should be supported well.

 

[JBun]

Please keep this friendly everyone. ALL opinions are welcome, if shared in an appropriate manner.

Anaotilia, I'm aware that because of your location you don't have access to the type of vet care needed to help this little bunny. I will try and share what I can, but just be aware that I am NOT a vet and I am only sharing what I have learned from my own experiences and research. Normally a rabbit in this condition needs immediate vet care, but I understand you are doing the best you can to help this bunny without access to good vetcare.

Can you tell me what the hairloss is due to? Is if from urine soaked fur, diarrhea soaked fur, or both? If it is due to urine soaking the fur and the bunny is being kept in clean living conditions, then it is possible it has a urinary tract infection. In which case it would need the appropriate antibiotics to clear it up. If at all possible, it's best to have the urine tested to determine which bacteria is causing it and what antibiotic would work best, but I don't know if that is something you have available to you. I know that enrofloxacin is sometimes used for UTI's. Just make sure that the antibiotic used is safe for rabbits, as some can kill rabbits, and others if given by the wrong route can prove fatal. It is often helpful to give a rabbit probiotics when you are giving it antibiotics, to try and help keep it's gut flora in balance. It's best to use a non dairy probiotic if you have that available to you, as dairy based probiotics can sometimes cause digestive upset. You also want to give it at least an hour after giving the dose of antibiotics.

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/urinary.html
http://www.medirabbit.com/Safe_medication/Antibiotics/Safe_antibiotics.htm with dosing information
http://www.medirabbit.com/Unsafe_medication/dangerous_antibiotics.htm

These links also have some info on the best ways to properly clean a rabbit when it is having these types of problems, and also some products you can apply to protect the skin from the urine( link previously posted).
http://www.disabledrabbits.com/baths--cleaning.html
http://www.disabledrabbits.com/urine-scald.html

Is the bunny having watery diarrhea or mushy stools as well? Are you seeing any mucous in it? A swollen and distended belly is not a good sign. It's possible that this rabbit has an overgrowth of bad bacteria in the digestive tract or as ladysown mentioned, it could be coccidiosis. In which case, additional antibiotics or meds will need to be given. But along with that the diet that this bunny is on, needs to be changed. You need to stop the fruit, veggies, grains, and bread, and possibly the fresh grass too, if that is what you are giving. That is far to many sugars and carbs for a baby rabbit to be getting. Too many sugars and carbs in a rabbits diet, can upset the balance of digestive flora and cause an overgrowth of bad bacteria, which can lead to digestive problems and illness. And at it's young age, the veggies could be causing problems as well. Do you have access to dried grass hay or are you already feeding it? That is really the best thing to give a rabbit when it is having digestive problems, when the rabbit is still eating well on it's own. Is it still eating on it's own or are you having to syringe feed it? What are the pellets like that you are feeding?

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

 

[anaotilia]

That isn't my opinion, as a vet tech student I knew long before I ever was interested in having a rabbit that not supporting their back legs can result in them kicking and breaking their own back. Way to be rude. I hope your rabbit doesn't end up snapping its own spine one day.

I never thought the possibility of breaking their back.
thanks for yr advice.
ana

 

[Millinex]

If you do end up going the route of a vet- make sure they do cultures and bloodwork. Do NOT let them just give you some horrible antibiotic (with terrible side effects) like Baytril and wish you good luck. That is the exact reason I HATE 95% of vets and why I got out of the field all together.

 

[anaotilia]

At the moment He has a thick pasty diarrhea, but not abundant,, just a little.
so we start the usual treatment against diarrhea 0,75 cc of trimetoprim twice a day , 3 drops of baycol for 3 days, 0,30 cc of febendazole for 2 days, electrolite and sometimes metronidazolo.
this combination almost always gave me good results.
the legs without life in the pictures probably because we took the pics at midnight and he was very sleepy. ,where we live, to get hen is almost impossible, we use the normal dry food for rabbits coming from USA and sometimes dry leaves of banana tree.
hairloss I don't know the reason, but I have already saw this in other rabbits to start and finish alone.
thanks
ana

p.s. hairloss in feet and legs probably for a little escabiasis He had.

 

[Millinex]

I'd take out the excess leaves from the trees for now and see how he does. Pellets/hay, water- the basics. Make it simple for him.

 

[Kayota]

If you do end up going the route of a vet- make sure they do cultures and bloodwork. Do NOT let them just give you some horrible antibiotic (with terrible side effects) like Baytril and wish you good luck. That is the exact reason I HATE 95% of vets and why I got out of the field all together.

I got out of the field because of nasty attitudes, but I would never recommend someone go against what their vet is telling them to do for a sick animal. You can't examine the animal yourself so you just don't have enough info to know what's best.