# fur



## littleangel01 (Jul 3, 2011)

first thanks for all the advice on not only the baby bunny im getting but also my surprise/not really planned adult.  


however i have a bit of a worry. 

just been to check on lyra ( stole the name  ) and she seems to have pulled a lot of fur out. there was a bit in the box she came in but now there seems to be a lot more 

is it stress? or.......


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## MrRustyRead (Mar 14, 2011)

My first questions are how old is she? Where did you get her from? And has she been neutered?

As fur pulling is a common behaviour in unneutered females as it is how they build their nests, is their any chance she could be pregnant? As failing that if she is unneutered she could be having a phantom pregnancy.

But yet if she is neutered it could be due to stress, has she had any changes or trauma recently?


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## littleangel01 (Jul 3, 2011)

sorry most is explained on my other thread, 

end of april i am picking up my new baby bunny on advice from some very nice people on here i started thinking about another to keep her company. i heard about this girl from a friend. some one she knew has 15small hutches with two rabbits in each. this girl is about12months. unspayed and was offerd free but the ad said suitale for breeding or breeding for reptile food. im guessing that means breed and kill the babies. she was brought to me today. very unsure runnig hiding freezing ect. last few hours shes been pulling fur. she was rehomed because she was fighting with the female she shared the hutch with. 

hope that helps


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

............


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## MrRustyRead (Mar 14, 2011)

I shouldn't imagine she is either pregnant or having a phantom, but I could be wrong. I'd take her to the vets for a once over.


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## Guest (Mar 19, 2013)

The stress of the move will have caused a phantom, this happens in many entire does 

Get her spayed and you should be all good


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## littleangel01 (Jul 3, 2011)

Dont think she could be. Will get her booked in.


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

the only way a vet would be able to tell for sure if its a phantom or not is xrays, you would be best just to get her spayed


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## littleangel01 (Jul 3, 2011)

Well i have booked her in to be spayed tomoz. Was planning on haveing it done befor baby bunny arrives so its not to bad. 

Bit of progress today she let me change the water with out running of  she did stamp at me but then carried on munching her food.

Edit - thats should be she isbooked in for a check up tomoz not a spay. She will be spayed if vet says shes healthy.


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## Summersky (Aug 11, 2012)

Glad you are having her spayed as soon as poss - the last thing you would want is a litter of buns, because you could never return them to the breeder, when you know how they would be disposed of.

Very possible she is pregnant, although it could be the stress of the move.

She is likely to take a whiel to settle down, but take it softly, softly, and she will hopefully begin to relax when you are around.

Ask the vet to check her for mites, etc when he gives her the once over.


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## littleangel01 (Jul 3, 2011)

she wont be at the vets tomorro. 

she was pregnant  

had tea with my mom and after getting back and sorting the dogs out i went up to take her some fresh od ect to find she had had a litter but they were scatterd  she had 8 in total - 3 were coverd (in diffrent plces) and were moving round a lot with nice round bellys. two were uncoverd and cold i thought they were dead but when i touched them they moved slightly so i put them with the others. the last three were cold and didnt move, two were stiff but one wsnt i did put this one in a towl next to the heat just in case. iv moved the 5 that are alive into a bigger box and added covering them i did wipe my hands on her (she let me) and the bedding fur ect befor i touched them will just have to wait and see if she will go to them. i have a feeling the two who were cold wont make it.

im so pissed of at the old owner  if she had told me there was a chance of her being pregnat then i could of been better prepared. but the stress of moving and being in a new place cant have helped  

can any one help on what to do now?


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## Guest (Mar 19, 2013)

Oh dear 

You have done the best you can, but as she has scattered them once be prepared for her to do it again, she might not, but then she might.

Good luck, oh I would up the does pellets a bit now then as she will need the extra protein now she is feeding young.


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

littleangel01 said:


> she wont be at the vets tomorro.
> 
> she was pregnant
> 
> ...


I've just messaged Bernie on Facebook to see if she can help, I've no experience with rabbits giving birth at all, but hopefully someone will be on soon.

Just thought I'd add what a despicable person letting a pregnant animal go through the stress of rehoming  so many awful people around, I dread to think about the welfare of the bunnies still with them 

Sorry for the loss of the 3 little ones, sending healing thoughts to the other 5 xxxx


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

youve done all you can, unfortunatly the stress may be too much and she could scatter them again, up her pellets and make sure she has lots of bedding to add to her nest.

fingers crossed the litt;e ones make it


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## littleangel01 (Jul 3, 2011)

thanks im gutted  i no i didnt know she was preg but seeing them scatterd and the three dead was so upsetting. im just glad i had closed the pen again instead of just giving her the room (nothing in there no wiers ect ) but theres a bed in there and i may not have found them. 


have lost another. one of the two that were cold and hardly moving. and little black skined thing. just been up to look/check on mom and he was one  the other 4 seem to be ok the other one that was cold is moving a bit move. moms eating.


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## Guest (Mar 19, 2013)

Sorry to hear another has gone  Sorry that you're having to go through this, you have done all you can. xxx


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## littleangel01 (Jul 3, 2011)

i think what makes it worse is noing there is nothing i can do  

a dog or a cat i could run to my vet and get some milk, but a rabbit  

i can see the nest from the door so going to look in every so often. i am expecting to loose the other one tht was cold but the three that were coverd nd warm and wiggling away.


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## Summersky (Aug 11, 2012)

So sorry you have been put in this position. The breeder is bound to have known, and is clearly a low life.

As the doe has probably been bred from before - possibly over and over again, she may well know how to look after the remaining kits.

However, some breeders remove the kits and put them with another doe and her kits, so that they can breed from the doe again straight away. So she might not know what to do. 

She has also had the upset of moving, so only time will tell.

So - what can you do to increase the chances of the remaining kits survival?

Keep her as calm as possible, by keeping the room where she is quiet, and dogs and cats away, if you have any.

Keep the room warm. If she is in a wired cage, cover top/back/sides with a fleecy blanket, to make it feel safer.

If they are outside, use covers to minimise draughts.

Pile in the hay.

Increase the pellets (keep her to the ones she was on - the breeder should have given you a supply). If they are low quality, you should aim to gradually switch her across to Science Selective or Allen and Page, but for now she needs as much stability as possible.

Because she has scattered, you will have to keep a closer eye on her and the kits (which will be stressful for her). Rub your hands in the used hay (sorry) before moving any kits back to the nest.

Don't worry if you don't see her feeding them. Buns only need to feed the kits once daily. 

Then it is just a case of letting nature take its course.

As the breeder has shown herself to be so poor, you would be wise to quarantine them - ie. keep them away from the little one, if you still plan to get her. 

At this stage, you won't be able to take the doe to the vet, but you will need to to have her checked for mites, etc., and they will advise you on treatments (Panacur, etc).

I think you will have to assume, unless you were given a vaccination card, that she was not vaccinated too.

Good luck.


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## littleangel01 (Jul 3, 2011)

thanks summersky. 

she is in a pen in one of the bedrooms as her and new baby are going to be house rbbits. 

no food was given i didnt collect her so dont know what she was on but shes eating loads. have put loads of hay in and i think she has moved some to the nest i put the babies in as i only coverd them slightly. all four are wiggling away and have heard one or two noises  

have one blck and three pink. 

dos and cats are beingkept away and down stairs. 

new baby due to be picked up on the 23rd april so i will see how she goes ect how ever i do have another unused bed room which can be used untill she is able to have her vacs ect. 

have also put the heater on low in the room - its only small and heats up fast. 

have put the other four under my rose bush  may seem silly but there is a small tradition in my family were if someone dies (person or animal) they have roses. the box my loverly rios ashes are in has roses carved on the lid.


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## Summersky (Aug 11, 2012)

Not silly - we have a garden full of roses too, for the same reason.

These babies have a far better chance with you than where they were. Now it's down to Mum.


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## littleangel01 (Jul 3, 2011)

my nans garden is the same - dark red and white roses 

iv been looking on google at the dif stages of development also on tips for mom. 
cant believe how quick they get fur and start hopping around. 

not gettin my hopes up. on last check all four were still wiggling around and coverd mom was sat in the litter tray eating hay.  i think if they all survive the night and are still wiggling round il will feel better about there chances. 

shes about 12 months and i wouldnt have called the person a breeder however it sounds like she doesnt know much about rabbit care so i surpose there is a chance the other rabbit was male and she didnt knwo. 

lyra - as she is now called - is brill still scared but has taken food from me and has taken to using the litter tray right away  

she seems to be drinking alot i have refilled the bottle - large rabbit - twice today as it was empty. is this normal?


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## Summersky (Aug 11, 2012)

Bunnies drink more water for all sorts of reasons, but a she will be making milk, I wouldn't worry.


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## Guest (Mar 19, 2013)

littleangel01 said:


> my nans garden is the same - dark red and white roses
> 
> iv been looking on google at the dif stages of development also on tips for mom.
> cant believe how quick they get fur and start hopping around.
> ...


Could the bottle have a leak at all?


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## littleangel01 (Jul 3, 2011)

i thought that and have checked even tho its a new bottle. but its fine no leaks. someone else said it could be a compo of having the litter and stress. 

but she relaxed, sat in with her for 5min and she lay down about 20inch away from me  also happy to say all four are still doing well. the remaining black one manaed to get right out the box and was wiggling his way across the floor. so iv put a blanket by the side.


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## littleangel01 (Jul 3, 2011)

Well we are down to three  

Found the 5th out side the nest this morning. It one the one i thought wouldnt make it so not to surprising.

Last three are doing well. When i was in there this morning they were wiggling away. Mom was busy moving more straw to the nest so fingers crossed.


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## hazyreality (Jan 11, 2009)

Oh, how awful that she's been got rid of while pregnant 
Just aswell because it doesn't sound like the previous owners would have cared for them 

Also sad you lost some, glad the 3 left are warm and wiggly. I will keep fingers crossed x

And you chose one of my suggested names for her  I love the name Lyra, and was very close to calling Jana it 

Heidi x


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## littleangel01 (Jul 3, 2011)

always loved the name lyra 

if the lady had told me there was even a chance of her being pregnant then i could of been more prepard but coming home and seeing them scatters and some already dead was a big shock  

is there any treats i should avoid giving her whilst shes feeding the babies? 

im thinking mom might be a lion head cross she got a cool hair style going on


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## emzybabe (Jun 30, 2009)

I hope she's ok poor girl what an ordeal to go through.

provided the babies are now in the nest they stand a fair chance if mum feels safe and feeds them. Rabbits can't pick up their young so you may find the odd one that wriggles out of the nest. You won't see her feeding or paying any attention as she will try to ignore them to keep them secrete from you/potential predators.


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## littleangel01 (Jul 3, 2011)

the five that have died when i found them had one or two bite marks/blood on them im guessing its from lyra taking them out the nest?

last three are still wiggling away  mom seems much happier now. shes come running over when ever iv gone in the room. she still freezes and moves away when i move. 

the little black one is def gonna be trouble  lost count of the times iv put him back i no he is getting out and not beeing tken out because iv seen him wiggle his way out  

also had a quick look when i put him back and im 90% sure he is a he. other two i believe are femail but i will habe a better look when there a bit bigger.


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## Guest (Mar 20, 2013)

littleangel01 said:


> the five that have died when i found them had one or two bite marks/blood on them im guessing its from lyra taking them out the nest?


This could be a few things, either mum over groomed (some young mums can be a bit over zealous when grooming the babies, even taking a whole ear off on some instances), or mum culled them because she was stressed and/or there was something wrong that mum could sense.

Glad the other 3 are still doing well


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## littleangel01 (Jul 3, 2011)

B3rnie said:


> This could be a few things, either mum over groomed (some young mums can be a bit over zealous when grooming the babies, even taking a whole ear off on some instances), or mum culled them because she was stressed and/or there was something wrong that mum could sense.
> 
> Glad the other 3 are still doing well


makes sense

the marks were on either legs ear and on one back.


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