Friday, January 22, 2010

We saved a wild baby rabbit from the dog, what can I feed it?

A baby rabbit ran into the back yard last night with the kids and the dog. The dog thought she got a new toy, my daughter saved the rabbit and we only found like a surface wound. We put some medicine on it. I have no idea how old this baby is. It fits in the palm of my husbands hand and has hair all over, the fact that it was away from its mother might lead me to beleive it is old enough to be weened. So if we let it go will it be able to take care of itself or if we nurse it back to good health are we stuck with a new ';pet';. Can you have a wild bunnie for a pet? Would you need to get it shots? I know people have rabbits for pets but aren't they domesticated animals not from the wild? What can I feed this little guy? Do they drink milk or water? Any good advice would help. ThanksWe saved a wild baby rabbit from the dog, what can I feed it?
Wild rabbits do not make good pets. They can die very easily. If the rabbit fits in the palm of your hand and the fur is fluffed out.Then is is ready to be on it's own. Find a nice meadow away from animals and let it go. It will be fine on it's own. I often get wild baby rabbits and I always let them go at our chuch. (No animals there and near woods for shelter)We saved a wild baby rabbit from the dog, what can I feed it?
Take it to a vet %26amp; have them check the wound, and give you advice on how to raise a rabbit. Regardless of the sex, have it fixed at about 3 months of age. Females will get uterine cancer if they aren't spayed or bred, and males will get aggresive %26amp; territorial.





If it is not weaned yet, get kitten formula from the pet store %26amp; put it in a dish for it to lap up. NO COW'S MILK.





My first bunny was a wild baby I rescued from a cat.


She was a WONDERFUL pet. Very mellow %26amp; independent. Bunnies need a lot of attention, they are social animals.
I think you should give it lukewarm milk and water to begin with. Make sure the baby is warm, they get cold very quickly. Take it to the vet as soon as possible to make sure it's ok - they will tell you what to feed it and how to take care of it. Good luck!
We just had our dog bring us two baby bunnies whose eyes were not yet opened. I have thus done ALOT of research on this topic. It has been a week now, and he (the bunny) is doing really well. If the ears on the bunny are at least an inch long, or the bunnies' body is 4-5 inches long, then he is okay on his own. If not, then feed him kitten milk that you will find at your local pet store. If his eyes are open, then he won't need milk for very long and you can start feeding him grass and clover. No nuts or fruits as this will mess up his digestive system at the young age. Hope this helps.
You could ring a vet and ask someone there - they should have all the answers.
of course you should take the bunny to the vet to have the wounds checked. rabbits are considered ';exotic'; pets tho, so vets jack up the prices a lot. if the rabbit survives the initial shock of being attacked, it needs a diet of water (not milk) and an unlimited supply of timothy and (limited) alfalfa hay (pellets were made in labs for meat rabbits and are NOT healthy, like other people have suggested). iceburg lettuce should not be fed to the bunny because of the high water content. onions are fatal. they eat mostly veggies, carrots and broccoli give them gas so use those sparingly, but basil, kale, bok choy, and other green leafy veggies are GREAT for bunnies. Fruit should also be given like a couple tablespoons a day. apple, banana, raspberries and blueberries are some favorites. good luck with your bunny! i hope it turns out ok!
I had a similar situation with raising a tiny baby rabbit that had been the only survivor of a fox attack on the nest. My veterinarian recommended Esbilac ( a mother's milk replacement) which I fed to her from a bottle for about 2 weeks. I slowly weaned her onto grass, pansies, etc. that she would be eating naturally in the wild, and took her outside whenever possible (in a large basket) so she would become accustomed to being there. About 2 weeks after that I released her into my garden. Under no circumstances should a wild animal of any species be kept as a ';pet';. The rabbits sold as home pets are domesticated animals.


If you are unable to commit the time to caring for this rabbit during the weaning period, it would be best to contact your town's Natural Resources Department or a local wildlife rehabilitation facility.
Take the bunny to the vet and they will check out it's wound and address all your concerns.
yes you can keep it as a pet, i would take it to the vet first thought to get its shots especally if you have small children. Since it is a wild rabbit you would want to make sure it doesn't have rabies or anything in that nature. Rabbit drink WATER not milk and as for food carrots and lettus are okay for now but go to your local pet store and get some pellet rabbit food. A store associate could help you with that. Good luck!
Wild rabbits are just that, they do not domesticate well. Compared to a domestic baby the same size, there is less instinct to flee when danger is perceived.


It will accept liquid if thirsty, milk at any time if not weaned. introduce hay, they need to nibble, try some carrot shavings, done with a vegetable peeler.


If you try to raise it until it can be set free, provide a tube so it can hide. I used an oatmeal cardboard tube.


If it weights 5-6 oz.( I used a mail wgt. scale) and appears to be eating on its own, you can let it go.


Hopefully, you know an area where there are few predators.


Good Luck

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