Miscarriage?

Question
How do I tell if my female has miscarried her litter?

The male that was bred to her accidentally got to her, and I do not know if he re-bred her. I have heard that this, if he did, could cause her to miscarry. How do I tell if she has? She is only 1 week pregnant.

Answer
Dear Erin,

There is no simple way to tell if a rabbit is pregnant until she is fairly far along.  A good vet can palpate her, but at this early stage, there's no way to know for sure without radiographs, which would be dangerous to the babies and not really that necessary.

If they mated only a week ago, it may not be too late to have her spayed for her health and longevity, and so that the bunnies can live together in bliss (with him neutered, too).  Please see:

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

and find a good rabbit vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

Please also read:

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

Hope that helps.

Dana