Cold and stiff kits (Parasite?)

[Anne's rabbit farm]

Yesterday afternoon, I had a 16 day old kit that appeared to have wry neck and way cold and stiff but still alive. I tried warming him up, but he died a few hours later. Now I have another stiff and cold kit, alive for now, but I don't know of anyway to treat this. I'm assuming this is a parasite, based on a couple google searches. I have a coccidiostat, but I don't know if that will work for this, or how to give it to them. I usually handle them after everyone else, but now I'm being more cautious. Has anyone else dealt with this?

Update: The kit is doing a little better, but not out of the woods yet. It's no longer completely stiff and can walk, although it's left side seems to not be working. I've had it on a heating pad for two hours now. It's is a little chilly (52F) but that doesn't explain why a kit ended up like this in the middle of the pile, or why the it happened to the one yesterday afternoon when it was in the 70's.

 

[Miss mouse]

Could also be that they aren't handling the switch from mom's milk to real food very well. I had a runt in an earlier litter who I had been supplementing his feedings from mom with some hand feeding. When he started to eat real food he bloated, got cold and stiff etc. I thought maybe it was coccidiosis too but after he passed we did an autopsy and saw no evidence of coccidiosis so I figure it was enteritis. You might be experiencing something similar. I warmed my guy up in a bowl of warm water (you have to watch carefully because he sucked that heat up fast and chilled the water). He was warmed up two days in a row but the second day he just didn't make it. I'm sorry I don't have a solution for you other than offering him some of mom's cecotropes to help get the right bacteria in his gut for digesting solids but it didn't save my guy. I wish you better luck than I had. Let me know if you find the solution so I know for next time.

❤❤❤❤

 

[Anne's rabbit farm]

Thank you. I'll try to get some cecotropes and see. I've gotten him to drink and eat a couple mouthfuls and have him under a heat lamp. He's gone downhill a bit more but is still somewhat responsive. I've also noticed that they both had a little gunk in their eyes.