2-week-old bunny with diarrhea

[Dutchgirl]

At first I just thought it had peed on itself, but now it's clear, jellylike, foul-smelling diarrhea.

The diarrhea is clear or pale green. I don't see any blood. This kit is only 14-15 days old - could it have even had time to come down with cocci? If it is cocci, what then? We have a bottle of Sulmet but I've read that it's hard on little stomachs. We bought that a while back for some chicks, because Corid was way more expensive.
Should I be concerned about the other kits, rabbits, or myself or other people?

I don't know if the kit's growth is quite retarded. I believe it's been small since birth, but it seems to be growing at the same rate as the others.

 

[orpington13]

You really want to get a hold of bunnylady. because this is can get bad really fast. But first, quarantine the kit to make sure it doesn't spread if it is cocci. Also don't handle him with your bear hands, wear gloves. I'll try to get bunnylady.

 

[Dutchgirl]

Thanks, Orpington! We have the kit in a box inside now, and I'm being careful about touching it.
Should I just keep checking every few hours to see if it will nurse? I don't want to starve the poor thing. It does want to move around a little, which I hope is a good sign.

 

[orpington13]

You can, but then your doe may catch it, if she hasn't already.

 

[Dutchgirl]

Will I be able to tell whether it's cocci or not? What if it's E. Coli or something like that?

 

[Bunnylady]

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Orpington13, but I think y'all have pretty much covered it. Cocci are the first thing I'd suspect, too. I particularly like the Nature Trail website; she managed to mention almost everything that I could think of (including the concern about GI Stasis).

If it is cocci, the doe shouldn't be in danger. Most older rabbits have developed a resistance to cocci; the rabbit's immune system keeps the numbers down to a level that doesn't cause a problem.

Two week old bunnies can be very fragile. If you can pull this kid through, this'll be a real feather in your cap. Good luck!

 

[Dutchgirl]

Thanks, Bunnylady.

I read the Nature Trail article again, more thoroughly this time. Do you think that I should be at all concerned about people catching the cocci?
Should I keep the bunny inside tonight, thus preventing it from nursing?
Should I be feeding it anything else? I know I've heard of feeding pureed pumpkin to older kits for GI Stasis, and the Nature Trail page mentioned feeding bananas and peas, but would those be too much for a 2-week-old tummy?

 

[Dutchgirl]

And is it a good idea to keep feeding the sugar solution? It's 1 tsp sugar to 1/2 cup water, plus roughly 1/16 tsp salt. Or should I mix up some Pedialyte with no sugar? I don't want to be feeding the bad stuff.

 

[Dutchgirl]

The bunny seems to be doing much better. He still shows no interest in nursing, but he doesn't appear to be as sick as before. His feet and bottom were mostly dry before we did our best to wash him off. There are several small, dark poops squashed into the towel he's on, which I assume is a good sign (since it was just clear jelly before). He is squirmy and active and was hopping around the cardboard box and scratching on the sides earlier. He still seems sleepy, but of course that's normal for kits his age.

I'm anxious to get something into him in the morning besides sugar-water, though. What can I give to a kit so young?

 

[Dutchgirl]

He's not so well tonight as last night, but still hanging on. Still refuses to nurse. What can I feed him? I have canned pumpkin, fresh banana, and rolled oats on hand.
Would it work to puree hay and water in the food processor and feed that through an eyedropper?