Day 21

I lost the skinny brown baby today. The other one is still bloated and I'm afraid I will lose him/her too.

I have tried feeding all sorts of things, but they just don't eat it. The only things they will eat are greens (parsley - I had been giving dandelion greens too but was advised against it) and they will nibble at the hay. When I can find it, they will eat the night feces, but I cannot find much of it, about every 4th day I spot a little from one particular buck.

Here is some further advice from the list:

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Give them time...try ordering some Critical Care from OxbowHayCompany and
make it to a crumbly consistency. Soak some pellets until they expand and
are crumbly/falling apart (make fresh twice daily to avoid mold). They will
get the point eventually; right now a variety of nutrition will get them
through to where they can and will eat what they're given.

(My note: Critical care is not available through the website, It is only available through a licensed vet)

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Donna,
What do you think about adding Nutracal to your formula? I have used
this for years to help a rabbit get thru bad health issues where they
are not getting enough caleries.
The litter I was able to save were 3 weeks old when mom died so they
also were fed oatmeal, hay, and a few pellets. I added to the pellets
a few at a time till they were 8 weeks and no longer needed the formula.
Good Luck!!
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In my opinion I would not offer oats to young animals. If their digestive system is not working properly oats can add to the problem of bloating, extra gases, and even diarrhoea. If the gut is lacking some of the digestive enzymes and good bacteria needed to break down the oats, then what happens is that there will be a build up of undigested carbohydrates. The undigested carbs will ferment, cause the gases, and create a build up of toxins, which could lead to enteritis or other more serious problems and death.

My suggestion would be to just offer timothy hay and pellets if they want to try them. Also electrolytes might be good to offer as well to help replenish the system and help flush through any unwanted build up of toxins.

Continued good luck.