I am Worried About my Rabbit

by Nicole
(Missouri)

Hello, I have a Mini-Rex Doe that is a day past due. She is moving around the hay in her nest box but not pulling fur. I am for sure there is kits in her womb because you can see them kick. She won't put her butt down and she is heavily and quickly breathing. I think she is in labor but i could be wrong. She is always laying on her side. Is my rabbit in labor??? Please help me.


***Moderator Comment***
Hey Nicole, sounds like your doe has everything under control. She'll pull her fur when she's ready. Best to just walk away and give her some space for an hour or three. (If I were to guess, I'd wonder if she's in labor but waiting for privacy -- as prey animals, rabbits can hold their litters for a while till they feel safe.)

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Oct 16, 2016
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starstarstarstarstar 		Is my rabbit in labour?
by: Rachel

Hi I am worried that my netherland doe is in labour, we bred her with a netherland buck but we thought it hadn't worked. She showed no signs of pregnancy then yesterday she suddenly started nest building and having what looked like contractions. I thought I'd see kits this morning but nothing, there was a little blood though. I put more hay in today and she burrowed into it. She seems to be contracting again, her abdomen is definitely pushing down visibly and she's squeaking.

I'm not sure if this is labour, she had two litters before I got her and the owner said the births were fine. Having never done this before what should I do? Does she need to go to the vets? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

***** Karen Sez *****
Given the doe's nest-building, labour, bit of blood, and "squeaking," Rachel, my concern is that a kit might be stuck in the doe's birth canal. If the kits are not born within the next 24 hours, I would certainly get a vet's opinion and help.

Raising-Rabbits provides lots of information (linked below), however your doe may still require veterinarian assistance:

Rabbit Raising Problem Solver
Rabbit Reproduction E-Book

Good luck with everything.
Mar 26, 2016
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starstarstarstarstar 		MINI REX
by: Destiny

Hi my rabbit (mini rex) is 30 days pregnant today she started getting all the straw/hay/newspaper shavings and is making a nest she has been shaking kind of panting laying on her side. I'm forsure she is pregnant because I saw the bunnies moving, ANY TIPS?
Jun 07, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		Update
by: Veronica

Thank you so much for all your good advice. I did everything you recommended to help my doe. She finally gave birth sometime between 10:40 pm and 12:30am tonight (34 days after breeding). Sadly the kit was not inside the nestbox, and I assumed it froze. I tried to warm it up for 20 minutes but to no avail. It was a very large kit (my rabbit is only about 3.5 pounds). Very beautiful, too. I am heartbroken.

I checked inside the nestbox and all around the cage. That was the only kit born. I was surprised by this. I thought that even the small breed rabbits have at least two in a liter. Her mom had a liter of six, and she's about the same size.

I am very sad for this lost. And of course very sad for my doe. Hope it wasn't too hard on her.

***Moderator***
So sorry! Yeah, occasionally does do kindle just one kit, and sometimes they land outside the box. I'm strongly suspicious that perhaps your doe was a bit chubby when you bred her. The extra fat can choke the reproductive areas, and reduce litter size, down to zero, even. With just one kit growing inside your doe, it grew very large, and was likely dead at birth. The doe did well to survive.

If you're interested in trying again, you might put your doe on a hay-only diet for a week, and then breed her again. Only give her an amount of food she can clean up in a couple hours. (22 hours of empty feeder every day!) At 2 weeks along, then start increasing her chow till there's always a little bit left all the time in the feeder. Hopefully she'll kindle a larger litter next time, and all will be well.

Good luck, and God bless you,
K
Jun 06, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		My bunny 34 days pregnant
by: Veronica

I am really worried about my Jersey Wooly bunny. This is her first pregnancy and she is 34 days and has not kindled. She pulled out a lot of fur 2 days ago. But no bunnies yet. She also has not eaten any of her dry food for the past 3 days. She will take a carrot and some parsley. She is definitely pregnant but I am just worried that her babies are dying in the womb. Should I take her to the vet if she doesn't have her babies by today?

***Moderator Comment***
Since we're not vets, you'd need to go to a vet if you need a vet's opinion. But, the chances are greatly in favor of a false pregnancy, which can look EXACTLY like the real thing, even to the swelling of the belly and the pulling of fur. Try putting her in with a buck. If she's pregnant, the mating activity may trigger kindling, and if she's not, well, now maybe she will be.

Not eating much *is* a sign of pregnancy. It could also be a sign of being overfed because her keeper *thought* she was pregnant, heheh. (We've been there, done that!)

Please do come back and let us know how it turns out, okay? Good luck...
May 05, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		RE I am Worried About my Rabbit
by: Silver Desert Rabbitry

I would not be worried about it personally. If she has not given birth 5 days after the due date, then either it was a false pregnancy or there was something severely wrong. Hope it works out :)

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