Orphaned and hurt

Question
QUESTION: Hi i have 3 outside labs and by nature they go hunting early every morning because we live in the country. they brought home a baby bunny that it probably the size ha a hand but i dont know what to feed it please help because none of the vets of supply stores are opened yet

ANSWER: Haleigh,

If it is injured there isn't much hope for it. Especially if the skin is open or a bone is broken. Perfectly healthy wild baby rabbits are really hard to keep alive. An injured one is much less likely to be kept alive. If you really want to save it, take it to the vet and find a wildlife rehabilitator.

If it isn't too injured, it is plenty old enough to release. Wild rabbits mature faster than domestic rabbits and can live on their own at just a few weeks.  

When I saved wild baby rabbits I kept them in a hutch in my backyard and was careful not to handle them. In the hutch I put a water dish, fresh grass, and apple slices. They were old enough to be released and were probably smaller than a hand I just had to move them to a better area for various reasons. It's best not to spend too much time touching wild babies. They stress easily and they aren't used to the stress that your little one has been put through.



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the baby bunny   QUESTION: hi again you were the little bunny passed away but i thought it was very strange because she looked like she was doing fine and breathing well but when i went to check on her and she had died to you have any suggestions on the reasons she died other than her legs... i attached a pic of her and didnt know if you could give me any info about like her breed ect.

Answer
It isn't unusual for wild baby rabbits to look fine one minute and be dead the next.
I had a friend who took in a litter of them and they were doing great the first couple of weeks then all of a sudden they started dying one after another for no apparent reason.

I'm not sure of its exact reason for death. I just know that it is very hard to keep wild baby rabbits alive. It is always best to find a wildlife rehabilitation center to take the bunny to immediately. They are licensed and know how to care for these delicate creatures.

The breed depends on what is native to your area. It is probably a species of Cottontail. The most common is the Eastern Cottontail.   

http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?A=2723%26Q=325996