baby bunny care eyes and tail

[freedomfrom4]

14 day old bunnys. ok so most of the bunny rabbits had thier eyes open, but today some were crusted back over. I opened them back up for them and all are ok except for one. His eyes seem swollen and he can't open them. So what do I do? and some have poo stuck on thier rears. The one I broght in just pulled it off. What do I need to do?
Thanks,
Lori

[Bamboorabbit]

Originally Posted by freedomfrom4

14 day old bunnys. ok so most of the bunny rabbits had thier eyes open, but today some were crusted back over. I opened them back up for them and all are ok except for one. His eyes seem swollen and he can't open them. So what do I do? and some have poo stuck on thier rears. The one I broght in just pulled it off. What do I need to do?
Thanks,
Lori

You can use Terramycin ointment in the eye to clear it up it is simply called "nest box eye". Far as the dirty rear ends you can peel it off but don't pull too hard as their skin is thin and you can skin them very easily if not careful.

[freedomfrom4]

Do you think my kids old eye antibiotic ointment would work?

[Bamboorabbit]

Originally Posted by freedomfrom4

Do you think my kids old eye antibiotic ointment would work?

I don't know.....you have to be careful with unknown ingredients so hesitant to say sure go ahead. You can also use sterile eye wash with a bit of Betadine in it like 8 parts wash to 1 part betadine. Couple times a day and it is something where a stitch in time saves 9.

If you use nest boxes it is best to clean it after the kits are a week or so old. I use larger nesting compartments and I only clean them when the litter is shut out of the compartment permanetly. I never have goopy eyes but some breeds are more prone to it than others.

[freedomfrom4]

I'm the one was given a rabbitry,so I'm learning as I go

[MaggieJ]

If you can't get the antibiotic ointment that Bamboorabbit suggests, plain black tea (like Orange Pekoe) or chamomile tea both work well as a gentle eye wash. There are more complete instructions in the Natural Preventatives and Remedies sticky at the top of the page. Although they are not cure-alls, there is something in the teas that seems to help.

As far as the dirty butts, is it diarrhea or just the odd pellet stuck to the fur? At fourteen days they are just beginning to nibble the odd bit of hay or whatever... supplying nice clean grass hay in the nest box gets them off to a good start.

[Bamboorabbit]

Originally Posted by freedomfrom4

I'm the one was given a rabbitry,so I'm learning as I go

Thats ok...everyone learns....heck Maggie just mentioned the tea for the eyes and I have had rabbits all my life and never knew that so I am still learning also

The problem with the eyes is I think bacteria. So the wash helps and even just rinsing the eyes with sterile saline would help to flush the bad stuff out.

[MaggieJ]

Yes, the sterile saline makes a good eye wash too. The nice thing about the teas is that most homes have them in the cupboard. A lot of us are not around the corner from a drug store. We try to go to town no more than once a week.

Freedomfrom4, you will hit the odd snag along the way. Don't let it get you down. Nest box eye is treatable and is usually a relatively minor ailment. It happens to just about everyone, some time or another, no matter how clean one keeps the nest boxes.

[Pony]

For nest box eye, I carefully clean away the crust and apply neosporin in the eye once a day. It works for me.

For poopy butt, I put warm water in the bathroom sink and hold the popple's bottom in it to loosen the dried fecal matter. VERY gently, VERY slowly, because I don't want to add to the poor creature's misery by pulling a chunk of skin off its butt.

If I have plantain leaves in the yard, I'll feed those to the kits. Otherwise, good old fashioned oatmeal (dry) will help to firm the stools nicely.

[MaggieJ]

Are these kits eating solids? If so, I second Pony's suggestions. The leaves of raspberry, strawberry and blackberry will also do the job nicely, as will Shepherd's Purse.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago_major

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsella_bursa-pastoris

[johnsmb]

When my Hollands start coming out of the nest box and eating pellets, I will trim the fur on their bottoms so that the fur is very, very short. This helps to keep the poo from sticking. I also check each and every baby daily, because if their bottoms do get crusted with poo, it can stop them up and they can go downhill very fast. Also I give the babies lots of hay and some oatmeal, too.