Orphaned cottontail rabbit

Question
        My daughter found a baby cottontail rabbit shivering near the door of a business we visited today.  It was about 50 degrees out, windy, and had been petted by several children.  There appears to be some trauma, with a small amount of blood around its nostrils and some weeping from one one, which is kept almost closed.  I stopped by a vet, where the receptionist said all they could do was put it to sleep, or just give me some information to take home.  The info gave me a formula recipe. I first tried to see if it ate grass or alfalfa, which it didn't seem interested in.
    The baby has taken both water and some of the formula, but has not eliminated that I am aware of.  I have tried to stimulate it, to no avail.  It appears to want to spend it's time hiding, but snuggles up to warmth when held.  It appears a little strong, as it fights to stay hidden, and has moved around some in its box. It is about 3-4 inches long with its eyes open.
     Am I fighting a losing battle?
Any advice would be appreciated.  

Answer
Dear G,

The bunny was probably a "crow drop"--a baby rabbit caught by a crow and then dropped in flight.  The blood around the nose is typical of these babies.

That he's interested in hay is a good thing.  If you can get the vet to prescribe some Baytril or cipro for the baby, this will increase his chance of survival if he's been touched by many children.  One of the main killers of orphaned cottontails raised by humans is infection by E. coli bacteria.  Very young rabbits do not have the immune system to deal with these human bacteria, and develop fatal diarrhea.  Cipro, however, is excellent for keeping these nasties at bay.  Most strains of E. coli are sensitive to cipro and/or Baytril.

Whole goat milk (ultra-pasteurized, Meyenberg, available at many supermarkets and surely at a whole foods market such as Wild Oats) can be a good milk supplement if the baby is still nursing.  But if he's about 4 inches long, he can probably get by on hay and grass (free of pesticides!) until he's of releasable size.

If you write to me at dana@miami.edu I will send you a longer article on how to save wild orphaned cottontails.  I hope you are able to save him.  It's not easy, but it can be done.

Dana