my bunny had cramp attacks

Question
QUESTION: hi lisa, i'm wanie from malaysia. i'm here to figure out what's going on with my bunny. he's a mixed breed, and he's only 4 weeks old. I place him and his brothers in a small basket here in my room.and he's still drinking from his mom + plain water.

the problem is that he started to have this cramp-like episodes since last week. i have no idea what is it but his legs would be outstretched and his head would be extended and stiff. it usually lasts for 30 seconds and he'll get back to normal after that. what really bothers me is that he'd scream so loud and it really scares me.and he'd also grind his teeth afterwards. and today he had 3 attacks already. he had this almost everyday now. im thinking of bringing him to the vet but im really afraid if the vet wont know what to do...

really hope you can help, maybe he's in pain but i really dont know. i just cant see him that way, he's so little...

thanks lisa.

ANSWER: Hi Wanie:

Before I can help you, I need a bit more information.

Is the bunny (and his brothers in the basket) still in the cage with his mother, or have you taken them out of the cage?

Has he been eating any solid food or just nursing?  What types of food has he tried?

How big is the litter (number of babies) and are any of the others showing similar symptoms?

Lisa

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I put them apart from their mother since birth because i put the mother outside my house, I'm just afraid they'd get cold if I put them outside.

He's still nursing twice daily. I've tried feeding them with pellets but they were not interested.

There were 5 babies. None of his brothers were showing similar symptoms. I forgot to mention whenever he had the attack, his head would be tilted pointing upward. (because I've read somewhere that if the head is pointing upward, he's probably having some difficulty breathing).

Thanks lisa.

ANSWER: Hi Wanie:

I'm guessing you are new to raising rabbits, correct?  I base that on your thinking that it would be too cold for the 4 week old kits to be left outside with mom.  Rabbits are incredibly cold hardy and even newborns will survive just fine at temps far below zero.  My bunnies are outside (no barn, no building, no shed - just outside) and newborns are born all winter in -20 to -30 degree temps with no issues at all.  In fact, they thrive in the cold.  Just the opposite is true with heat.  Temps above 80 can be fatal.

I suspect the problem with your bunny is a malfunctioning digestive system and improperly functioning cecum from not being left with its mother.

Let me explain.

Rabbits produce two kinds of droppings, fecal pellets (the round, dry ones you usually see in the day) and cecotropes (which look like a small bunch of grapes and are produced only during the night). The cecotropes are produced in a region of the rabbit's digestive tract called the cecum, a blind-end pouch located at the junction of the small and large intestines.

The cecum contains a natural community of healthy bacteria and fungi that provide essential nutrients and protect the rabbit from potentially harmful pathogens.

How does the rabbit get those essential nutrients from the cecum? Simple - she eats the cecotropes as they exit the anus. They actually eat the cecotropes (night poop) directly out of the anus as they exit each and every night.  Without this very necessary healthy bacteria, a rabbits digestive system would fail.

Rabbits deprived of their cecotropes will eventually succumb to malnutrition and die. Cecotropes are not feces. They are nutrient-packed dietary items essential to your companion rabbit's good health.

A baby rabbits first meal is cecotropes from its motehr.  The doe will take fresh cecotropes from her anus and feed it to her kits starting about the age of 14 days.  Between 3 and 4 weeks, the cecotropes from mom is what forms the baby bunnies digestive system.  Its a very crucial step that is absolutely necessary for the young rabbits health.  Since your bunnies have not been left out at night, which is the only time mom produces cecotropes, they have not had any and as a result, their digestive tract is failing - which is why you are seeing cramps.  You are only seeing it in one kit, but they are all suffering from the same malnutrition.

Bunnies cant eat solid food until their digestive process is functioning and that only happens with moms night poop.  This is the reason your 4 week old kit is refusing pellets - he cant digest them.

Hopefully its not too late and the damage can be undone.  The solution is simple - but the nestbox (with a nice bed of hay and moms fur) in with mom and leave the kits with her at all times.  She will begin feeding them night cecotropes and hopefully repair the damage that was done.  It might be too late for this one kit - you might lose him, but hopefully it's still early enough that the others don't get sick.

Please let me how he does.

Best of luck.
Lisa L - BunnyGal

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hai lisa. thanks for the reply.

I'm actually not so new to raising rabbits. I've been raising more than 10 rabbits, but this is first time that I separated them from the mother. Since the weather in my place now is not so good. However, thanks for such good information that u gave me, about the mother giving their cecotropes to the litters. I really have never known about it.
By the way, thanks again and I'll put them together from now on.Just for your information, he has not had the attack for 2 days already, I don't know how but I'm so glad that he's better.

Answer
I'm glad he seems better.  Future litters should be fine as long as they are left with mom.
As far as introducing solids.  Baby rabbits should be given orchard grass or timothy hay starting at about 2 weeks old.  They will begin to nibble on it.  About 3 weeks old, introduce pellets.  They wont immediately eat them, but will "mouth" them (roll them around in their mouths).  It gets them used to the taste while their digestive system is being formed from cecotropes and hay.

Best wishes to you and all your bunnies.

Lisa L.