Fader Rabbit

Question
Just to let you know our bunny died.  However, we are taking care of another rabbit with the same symptoms from a different mother.  We started on critical care today.  giving plenty of fluids.  No diarrhea yet!!! However, the bunny is very lethargic and is not eating unless we feed it.  It too, is 5 weeks old. Thank you for all your help. I am copying it and going to try to see if I can go to a vet 2 hours away tomorrow.   
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The bunny is 5 weeks old.  I have been told that a fader is one that just sits hunched and won't eat anything due to a problem with digestion and it kills them in a week once discovered. I have been giving it fluid by way of dropper with a mixture of goat milk, whey, colostrum, and cream. The poor thing still has diarrhea. It weighs only 5.3 oz, The others weigh in the 8-9oz range. Knowing all this extra do you still feel the same course should be taken.  We have no bunny vet in our immediate area.

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I think that I have a fader rabbit. I noticed that it was smaller and not hoping around like the others.  It does not eat hay nor pellets.  I started feeding it a formula that you had once given me and it developed diarrea.  i continue to keep it warm but because of the diarrea it has gained not weight.  Is this a fader and can it be saved so that it will catch up to the other ones?
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Dear Corinne,

I am not familiar with the term "fader," but from context it sounds as if you have what might be termed a "runt."  You also don't mention how old the baby is, which would be helpful for me to know.

If the baby is no longer nursing from his mother, and has at least in the past eaten solid food, then you might try giving him some Critical Care from Oxbow Hay Company:  www.oxbowhay.com

This is an excellent emergency food for compromised rabbits, and it may help get his GI tract jump-started.  It is also possible that he has a bacterial infection of the GI tract, and it may be useful for you to take a sample of the runny stool to your good rabbit vet and ask for a culture and sensitivity test:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/culture.html

Baby rabbits who are not as strong as their littermates can be more susceptible to pathogens, and it's not difficult for a baby to be infected with E. coli from your hands.  This can be treated with ciprofloxacin, but I would confirm the I.D. of the bacteria before administering any antibiotics, and never give antibiotics without the supervision of a good rabbit vet.  You can find one here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

If the baby has chronic diarrhea, s/he may need subcutaneous fluids as supportive care.  I've also found that milk thistle extract (we use the extract suspended in glycerine in capsules) can really help support liver function while a baby is thus compromised.  Cecotropes from a healthy rabbit with established gut flora can also help the baby develop hs own intestinal ecosystem, which is vital for his complete health.  It sounds as if he has enteritis and/or cecal dysbiosis:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/poop.html

either of which can be life-threatening unless proper supportive care is administered.

I hope this helps.

Dana

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Dear Corrine,

Oops!  Forgot to mention pediatric simethicone, which can really help with gas pain.  About 0.5cc every 4-8 hours is fine.

Dana

Answer
Dear Corinne,

Aw, I'm sorry about the baby.

I hope you can save this one.  Is there any chance that the babies have some congenital problem?  Are their parents closely related?  This, of course, will result in more frequent genetic problems.

Good luck with the little one.

Dana