Our baby bunny in South Korea

Question
Hi Dana,

We really need your help.  My boyfriend and I are currently living in South Korea and have just bought a baby dwarf rabbit.  I'll fill you in on what happened.  People here don't generally keep pets like they would at home and we really feel that they don't know how to look after rabbits properly.  Recently we went to the grocery store where the rabbits where being sold - it isn't even a proper pet store.  None of the animals had any water and there was one dead rabbit.  When we tried to explain to the shop assistants they did nothing so we took matters into our own hands and gave them all fresh water.  We just had to save some so we bought 2 little dwarf rabbits.  We think they were taken away from their mothers far too soon as they were absolutely tiny.  Within 24 hours one died and we were absolutely devastated.  We have had little Whiskey (the other one) for about a week and and he seems to be healthy.  He is very energetic - skipping and doing little flicks and is very affectionate.  Our problem is that we can only find one type of food here which our little bunny doesn't really like.  The food had dried corn and canadian peas in it which we read on the internet are very harmful for rabbits as they can't digest them so we are now picking those out.  He doesn't really like the plain pellets but is eating a litle bit.  The other problem is hay as we know that rabbits need this.  All they have here is alfalfa hay and we have researched this on the internet and found that timothy hay is much better for them.  We have given him a little bit of alfalfa hay because we thought it would be better than nothing and he has eaten a little bit but doesn't seem overly fussed on it either.  He seems happy and like I said, has a lot of energy but we definitely think he is losing weight because he's not eating very much.  We can easily get vegetables here but we know that he is too young for these also.  Is 2 -3 months ok to start giving him these gradually?  Basically we need your advice.  Do you know if there is anywhere where we can order better food and if they would send it to South Korea?  Also, should we continue to give him alfalfa hay or should we try to order some timothy hay?  If so, do you know where from? We are in a real dilemma because we love him to pieces and just want what's best for him.  We really don't want him to get sick.  Our friends, like us also tried to save one of the bunnies and theirs just died today - it's so sad.  I have had quite a few pet rabbits before while I was growing up but have never been in a situation like this before!  One last thing, our little bunny licks like crazy - he is always licking our hands and face.  Is this him trying to look for milk?  It is harmful for him to be licking us so much?  I really hope to hear from you soon and I really really hope you can help us.  Thanks in advance,
Jude and Nathan

Answer
Dear Jude and Nathan,

Thank you for your kindness in trying to be the advocate for the baby bunnies.  It's so hard to see that not all cultures value non-human life the way we do.

Alfalfa hay is okay for him for now, as it has plenty of protein and calcium that his growing body needs for development.  You can start to add fresh vegetables at any time, but do so *very* gradually, and be sure they are very well washed.  If he's a tiny baby taken from mama too soon, then his intestines are still susceptible to foreign bacteria, and he doesn't have the protection afforded by his mother's milk.

I really doubt you'd be able to get any colostrum powder where you are, but it's worth a shot.  If not, you might be able to order it online:

http://www.google.com/products?q=colostrum&btnG=Search+Products&hl=en

A little sprinkle on his food will give him a bit of a boost, as it contains immunoglobins that will bind harmful bacteria and keep them from causing infection in his intestines.

As far as food supply is concerned, you might have to go online to get that, too.  I know Oxbow Hay Company ships overseas, and I don't see why they wouldn't ship to South Korea (it won't be cheap!).  You can contact them here:

www.oxbowhay.com

In the meantime, if you can find a source of fresh grass that is very clean and hasn't been sprayed with pesticides or fertilizers, that will be a good substitute.  If he's not gaining weight as he should, then you could give him a tiny bit of rolled oats daily (this will have fiber in the hulls, too)--though too much starch is not good.  Just a little bit (maybe half a teaspoon over the course of a day) for extra calories.

For all the best information on rabbit care, please go to:

www.rabbit.org/

Hope this helps, and that he'll do well in your tender care!

Dana