| My days as a rehabber have begun. Got a call last night from Barbara. She said she had five bunnies that were one week old and wanted to know if I wanted to take them on. Gulp, yes, sure. And she's got a raccoon baby that's two weeks old but she was getting two more from someone else soon. Did I think I could handle doing that, too? Gulp, yes, sure.
Bill's part in this is driving me to and from Barbara's house. He likes to drive out in the country as much as I do so he didn't mind that. And then his other part will be to construct a small cage that I can put the babies into when they get old enough to weather the outdoors. Rabbits can be released in four to five weeks. Raccoons are released in August. You put them in a pen outside so they can get used to being out. A bunny's survival rate is lower than the other mammals because they startle so easily. So, I know that it may be harder to keep these babies alive and strong. Knowing that, I'm hoping that I won't get too sad if they do die. But I'm going to do my best for that not to happen. On the drive home, Bill and I were checking out possible release spots out there in the country. That will be the fun part, and the sad part, too. As we got there, she said she had just gotten a call from someone who lived close by who had just found one bunny. He was able to bring it over while we were there so we walked away with six bunnies in total. No raccoon yet. Barbara didn't want to overwhelm me. Plus she's waiting on those other two raccoons to come from another rehabbers house. When I do get them, they will be well-trained on being bottlefed and easier for me. Okay, I can handle that although my heart had already gone out to the little striped girl. When she gets the other two raccoons in with her, she ought to settle down better. They can all snuggle together and be of comfort to each other. Hope so, they shriek pretty loud and it tugs at your heart strings like a human baby would when you can't calm them. |
So, we went over to her house this afternoon and picked up the bunnies. She had me sit there and feed them so that I'd know the technique. And she let me feed the raccoon. Now, the bunnies are cute and sweet-looking but...uhm, they just kinda sit there. The raccoon on the other hand is totally frenetic and heart-warming. She was a good, holdable size but her eyes were still closed. I held her and she found my knuckle and latched onto it thinking it was a nipple. She was very restless and was making shrieking noises. Barbara had fed her a bit earlier but decided the baby could use some more. They are fed more like a human baby with a bigger nipple and they put their little feet up to hold onto the bottle.
The bunnies have to be fed every four hours with Ebsilac--puppy replacement milk. You use a tuberculin syringe to feed them. Carefully and slowly trying to not let the liquid get backed up into their nose. If they get milk down their lungs it can cause pneumonia so you have to set them more upright, wipe their noses, and give them a gently swing back and forth facedown to help get the liquid out of their nose. Before or after they eat, you also have to do something they call piddle. Piddle is the expression rehabbers use to describe stimulating the genitals so the animal will urinate and defecate. Works pretty well. I got some mustardy-colored stuff on me from one of the rabbits after piddling it.