Exhausted Rabbit

Question
We have three typical breed rabbits.  One is lifeless the other two are fine.  The one seems near death with no other symtoms.  Not eating or drinking.  Tempitures have been chilly at night (40s - 50s) and it rained on them a couple nights ago.  I wonder if he just got sick from being in the weather.  They are only a few months old.  Any thoughts?  

Answer
Unless they were already ill, 40 to 50 degree weather should not really affect fully furred rabbits.

What is their daily diet like? Do they get plenty of grass or timothy hay? If not, the may be suffering from lack of fibre, which can cause deadly results. Are there any extra small or runny poops in the cage? These are both signs of digestive problems, which can turn very bad very quickly.

To help him out now, you need to get liquids in him ASAP, to start with. Pedialyte is great because it is not full of sugar (which is the last thing you want with a rabbit that may intestinal problems), but does contain electrolytes which may help bring him back. If you just cannot find this right away, at least get water down him. Turn him over on your lap (you might want a towel between the two of you), and put the top of the dropper (or syringe wtith no needle) in his mouth behind the front teeth. There is a gap where there are no teeth that starts just behind the front teeth. If you get the dropper in there, he cannot chew on it. Squirt some liquid in from the side. Make sure the dropper is not pointing back toward his throat, or liquid could get into the lungs and drown him. If he does not swallow it, or tries to spit it out, you can use the tip to sort of part the front teeth a little. This will cause an automatic reaction that should force him to swallow at least a little.

He may be in pain from gas bubbles in the gut. Simethicone (which can be purchased at pharmacies or grocery stores) can help pass the gass through the gut.

If he will take down the Pedialyte, you can try a syringe formula to get food in him, too. Grind up some rabbit pellets into a powder. A coffee grinder works well. Pick out any chunks that are too large to fit through the dropper. Put 2 to 4 tablespoons of the powder into a bowl and slowly add warm water (or add the Pedialyte, for more electrolytes). Mix as you go, and keep going until it is like thin pudding. Wait a few minutes for the water to absorb in, then add more water to make it like thin pudding again. Again, wait for it to be absorbed. Finally, add more water to bring it to the same consistancy. At this point, it should pass through the dropper. If it won't, add a little more water.