# Baby rabbit rescue.... advice?



## GartenSpinnen (Apr 27, 2009)

Went out mushroom hunting tonight in a small wooded area down the road, where everyone else must have had the same idea because the woods were packed with people. Anyway, while looking for mushrooms i found a displaced baby rabbit. It is still a baby, but eyes are open, so i am guessing 10-14 weeks old or so? After a nice long thought on the matter, i decided to take the little fellow home with me. There was just way to many people in the woods, and he was bound to get stepped on or ran over. 

When i picked him up he was quite scared and didn't move much. I could tell he had been hunkered down in that spot for a bit, and probably a bit dehydrated because of the heat, and lack of getting his mothers milk. So when i got him home i went out and got some formula for baby animals, got some advice on what type to get, and basically its a small puppy formula that can be used for raccoons, rabbits, etc. plus the guy there said he has rescued several wild rabbits and used it successfully for the most part. Wild rabbits are extremely hard to care for  and keep alive as babies as it is, but i have done this before as a child successfully, so why not as an adult?

I rescued a rabbit when i was in 6th grade and its eyes were barely open. Fed it with an eye dropper, and successfully raised it into an adult, at which point i kept it for several years, then finally let it go, and it came back to my moms garden every year and ate her vegetables (hehe).

Anyway, at first the little guy wouldn't eat the formula i got, so i was getting kinda worried. I got an eye dropper instead of the bottle and tried force feeding him a little bit, and ended up getting him to lick it out the dropper. I also went and got some pedialyte and mixed a small portion with the formula and finally got him to drink a bit from a bottle. Not a whole lot, maybe like 15 ml or so, but he is much more energetic now to say the least.... little things can jump let me tell you...

I am not 'to' worried about rabies, but i am curious what the probability with a baby rabbit having rabies would be? He appears quite healthy apart from being frightened, and partially dehydrated. But i have been wearing gloves as a precaution with him and trying to keep everything as sanitary as possible when dealing with him. 

Tommorrow i am going to try to get ahold of a wild animal rescue and get him into somewhere. Hopefully i find something suitable for him. He is so cute though . Anyone with any comments or advice would be appreciated...

Thanks,
nate


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## Lindze (Apr 27, 2009)

If i remember right....

Mothers feed their babies once a day, and they do not stick around the nest. Rabbits are weaned as early as 4 weeks.

Chances are if you found the baby rabbit... s/he was just fine. Keeping still cause of all the people (preditors) around.


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## kitty_b (Apr 27, 2009)

the little guy was probably fine and weaned (as mentioned above, mom doesn't stick around and only comes back to feed 1-2 times a day), but i understand how you could feel he was in need of rescuing. nearly every bunny i was ever called for was perfectly fine on its own.

the big thing to remember (if you haven't been told this already) is to absolutely minimize contact and handling until a licensed rehabber can get it. bunnies are extremely prone to stress and will die easily from it. also, a low heat source under one end of the container (ie, heating pad set on low) is important. 

finally, even though the rule is not to offer any food or water to an animal before a rehabber can get it, you may want to leave a small, shallow dish of water with the bunny along with some local grasses (and i only say this because the risk of stress from administering food/liquids and the issues with people giving the wrong foods are the main reasons for this rule). it's most likely on solid foods already and so a clean source of food and water without you having to handle or even disturb it would be best. 

i wish you and the bunny the best of luck!


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## Mushroom Spore (Apr 27, 2009)

On another pet forum we get a lot of "I found a baby rabbit threads" and from what I've picked up the other posts here are very right. I've also seen time and again that many wildlife rehabbers just cringe when a little rabbit gets brought in because they almost never make it. They can apparently be killed if you even slam a door in your house, that's how sensitive they are.

Be as careful as you can and don't get your hopes up.


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## RoachGirlRen (Apr 27, 2009)

I agree with the posters above. While your heart was in the right place, the rabbit should have been left where it was; wild rabbits become independant at a much earlier age than their domesticated counterparts. If it had its eyes open and was on its own, chances are it would have been fine and was merely grazing, and froze since you were a "predator." I would not be feeding formula; they have very sensitive stomaches and need to be slowly acclimated to new formula over the course of many feedings. The chance of developing a bought of fatal diarhea is very high, and the animal is probably already weaned; offering grasses, as already mentioned, is a much safer bet. I am glad you are looking for a wildlife rescue; keep us posted.


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## pouchedrat (Apr 27, 2009)

I've hand reared a baby wild rabbit once a few years back (the nest was accidentally dug up by construction crew, killed the sibling and the mother flew off of course), they're fed once or twice a day with formula, and that's it.  However if the rabbit was out on it's own, it's more than likely weaned or almost weaned.  

It's definitely best to find some grass not sprayed by pesticides and offer that to it and see if it takes it.  

As far as rabies in rabbits goes?  Not likely.  Rabbits, squirrels, rats, mice, etc, are pretty much never infected by rabies.  Especially in the US.  That doesn't mean it can't happen, it just isn't likely.


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## RoachGirlRen (Apr 27, 2009)

pouchedrat is correct: Rabies is a low risk in this case. But, do remember that wild rabbits can be a host to other zoonoses. They are a vector for a number of external and internal parasites, and can also carry Pasteurella, Tularemia,  Cryptosporidiosis, and other potentially harmful microbes. Therefore the animal should only be handled with gloves and any skin, clothing, linens, etc. that comes in contact with the animal should be disinfected, and obviously contact with one's pets should also be avoided.


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## Craig (Apr 27, 2009)

I would say as a general rule for any animal that is a wild baby (there are exceptions) LEAVE IT ALONE!! I can't tell you how many calls I answer like this at 2:00am at work.

Like stated below be careful of zoonoses. But you do not need to be overly paranoid about it. I would say that I have handled hundreds of wild rabbits without gloves with no issues what so ever. And Tularemia is a nasty bacteria but would more be a problem if you were going to eat the rabbit. 

As far as rabies you do not have to worry. Technically it is a mammal so it can carry rabies but bites from rabbits,squirrels, prairie dogs, chipmunks, rats..etc.. 

have never caused a single rabies case.  I have been bitten by all of these animals. I have had serious enough bites from wild rats and squirrels to have to go to the ER and each time the DR was overly concerned by tetanus. Also interestingly enough do you know there has never been a reported case of a ferret transmitting rabies to a human? I had a fairly serious ferret bite in 2008 and I had a lengthy discussion with the ER doc. about the subject. 

I did have to take the ferret's head to Cook County's lab just a a precaution.

But anyways about the bunny. At this point medical intervention might be necessary (maybe needs SQ fluids etc.) 

I have seen a few people raise baby bunnies but the chances of survival are very,very slim. 

Oh and he may likely have mites etc...


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## Craig (Apr 27, 2009)

Hey roachgirlren... I just noticed on your profile you are vegan. That is so awesome!


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## Ritzman (Apr 27, 2009)

> Went out mushroom hunting tonight in a small wooded area down the road, where everyone else must have had the same idea because the woods were packed with people.


Totally OT:
I assume you are talking about morels. :drool: 
Any luck? I went out over the weekend and......nothing. Lots of promising spots though.
Seems like you went to a well known area(hot spot?).


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## Pacmaster (Apr 28, 2009)

I would wonder how a rabbit would just let somebody pick it up in the first place . . .
Everyone I tried to get close to ran off like a bat outta heck . . .
Maybe its sick?


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## RoachGirlRen (Apr 28, 2009)

While it's possible that the rabbit is ill, baby rabbits often tend to hunker down and hide rather than bolt when a predator is near. They wean very early, well before they have the stamina and speed of an adult rabbit. As a result you see plenty of these young but independant rabbits in as wildlife patients when they are hit by lawnmowers, stepped on, or picked up as "orphans."


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## Firedrake15 (Jul 12, 2009)

Youll want to massage it's stomach after meals.  They can explode if not.  Seriously.  It helps them digest, like some animals eat rocks to crush food.


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## Mushroom Spore (Jul 12, 2009)

Firedrake15 said:


> Youll want to massage it's stomach after meals.  They can explode if not.  Seriously.  It helps them digest, like some animals eat rocks to crush food.


This thread is from months ago, the OP probably doesn't even have the animal anymore.


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## Craig (Jul 12, 2009)

Firedrake15 said:


> Youll want to massage it's stomach after meals.  They can explode if not.  Seriously.  It helps them digest, like some animals eat rocks to crush food.


*100% false!* Seriously that is just plain silly!


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## RoachGirlRen (Jul 12, 2009)

Haha yeah, no explosions. They _can_ get impactions or go septic if not stimulated when very young (they poo on their own fairly young though), and they definitely need to be stimulated to urinate. But, as mentioned, this is an old topic. If the rabbit isn't dead it's grown up and out on its own by now.


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