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    mftaylor2's Avatar
    mftaylor2 Posts: 43, Reputation: 1
    Junior Member
     
    #1

    May 19, 2011, 04:33 AM
    Baby rabbit keeps rolling over
    My friend just rescued a baby rabbit. We have no idea how old it is. It's vey small, fits in 1 hand and it's eyes are open. She thought it had a broken leg but now we are not so sure. It can't move around without rolling over. It's like it has no balance or the legs are not working properly. There are no vets in our area, we live in a place were pets are not a common thing. She bought the animal from a man who thought she was buying it for dinner. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. She is drinking water and has eaten a little lettuce. She is very snuggly and likes just being held and snuggled, maybe because she is having so much trouble moving around.
    joypulv's Avatar
    joypulv Posts: 21,591, Reputation: 2941
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    #2

    May 19, 2011, 04:43 AM
    Look through her fur for any signs of being hit (by a car) or bitten.
    It's possible she was born with a hip defect and abandoned.
    You can buy rabbit food (pellets) online.
    Lettuce is mostly water, so try some other veggies. I'm not sure about dairy products to substitute for mother's milk or not.
    Snuggling might be the need for a mother.
    Make sure she is able to excrete her waste.
    Alty's Avatar
    Alty Posts: 28,317, Reputation: 5972
    Pets Expert
     
    #3

    May 19, 2011, 02:35 PM

    Lettuce is a treat and not nutritional for a rabbit. She needs so much more then just lettuce. The staple food she needs now is alfalfa or timothy hay. Pellets are also a must. The hay and pellets must be a daily diet. Rabbits cannot survive without eating. They need food available 24 hours a day, otherwise their digestive system will shut down and the rabbit will die.

    If she's very small then she's likely been taken away from her mom way too soon. Sadly, the only thing you can do is make sure her nutritional needs are met, plenty of water, and hope for the best.

    Rabbits taken away from their mothers too soon have a very high fatality rate.

    Although veggies won't hurt her, they aren't enough to keep her alive. There really is no substitute for mothers milk. Dairy products are not a good idea with a rabbit.

    Snuggling will stress her out. Rabbits really don't enjoy being held or cuddled by humans. Make sure she's warm, and for the most part let her be alone so she can feel comfortable enough to eat.

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