Our baby rabbit has not opened her eyes and she is 13 days old. Her eyes appear to have a very light crust? over them. The other babies born with her have died but we did not see anything wrong with their eyes and their bellies were full. All of this litter was on the small side.

Does anyone have ideas on what to do? I have antibiotic tincture, and ointment would these be ok to put on her. I am afraid she may be dead by morning.

I know the babies could have had something wrong with them and may not have been meant to live.

Lynn

-- Lynn (johnnypfc@yahoo.com), April 08, 2002

Answers

Wipe her eyes with a moist warm paper towel to get the crust out. Then you can squirt a little antibiotic ointment on the eyelid, repeat this for about 7-10 days, if it was a bacterial infection it should clear up. Actually 13 days isn't really late for their eyes to open but wipe them anyway, it will probably clear up. How did all the other babies die? Good Luck! cara lewis

-- cara lewis (cnllewis@midcoast.com), April 08, 2002.

We are not sure why they died, there were no symptoms.

Lynn

-- Lynn (johnnypfc@yahoo.com), April 08, 2002.

Was this the mothers first litter?

-- kathy h (ckhart55@earthlink.net), April 08, 2002.

I usually wipe the eyes with warm water and just pull the lids open. I wouldn't bother with the antibiotic if there is nothing wrong. I agree that 13 days isn't too long.

Were the other babies out in the open, out of the fur nest? They could have become cold.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), April 08, 2002.

I have bred rabbits for show for 10 years. If a doe loses a litter we rebreed the next day; as she will come into a raging heat, and be eager to breed. Your doe probably has an infection in her uterus. A 1 cc shot of long acting penicillin, for a 7-10 lb rabbit; half of that for a 3-5 lb rabbit; followed 5 days later by a second shot; give probiotics for 4 or 5 days after each shot, or buttermilk soaked oats, or yogurt (unflavored, with active culture). If she has an untreated infection, she will go sterile and eventually die. Check your buck's genitals for pimples or discharge, check your does vaginas for red spots, sores or discharge. The early baby death and sore eyes are symptoms of such an infection, which is passed to the babies as the doe gives birth to them. If you foster them to another doe, they can spread the infection to her.

-- Deidre Edder (edderland@yahoo.com), April 14, 2002.