How to Know if Your Rabbit is Pregnant

Determining If Your Rabbit Is Pregnant

Palpate your rabbit. Unless a female rabbit (also called a doe) is carrying a large litter, she will not show any external signs of pregnancy. That is why veterinarians and rabbit breeders palpate, or gently inspect (using the fingers or hands), the abdomen of a rabbit to determine if the rabbit is pregnant. Within two weeks of conception, you should be able to feel the young rabbits inside the mother rabbit's abdomen. But knowing how to actually feel for the fetuses without injuring them takes some skill. This is merely a general guide, and if you are not a veterinarian or experienced animal breeder you should not attempt to palpate a pregnant rabbit on your own. Do not palpate a pregnant rabbit if it's been more than 14 days since the rabbit bred. Doing so may cause damage to the developing fetuses. Gently hold the rabbit's ears and a flap of shoulder skin in your right hand. This will secure the upper portion of the rabbit's body. Use your left hand to gently cradle the rabbit's lower body, between the hind legs and the pelvis. Gently place the thumb on the right side of the abdomen and the fingers of your hand on the left side. If the doe is pregnant, you should be able to feel the developing embryos inside her abdomen. Each embryo should feel about the size of a grape.

Have a veterinarian palpate your rabbit. If you're unfamiliar with how to safely palpate an animal, it's recommended that you take your rabbit to the vet. Your vet will know how to safely inspect your rabbit without harming the fetuses.

Weigh your rabbit. A pregnant rabbit, much like a pregnant human, will gain weight during the pregnancy. However, that weight is not a large, noticeable difference. The best way to detect a rabbit's pregnancy by weight is to use an accurate digital scale and to compare that figure to your rabbit's weight before she became pregnant. A pregnant doe, on average, gains 0.029 kg (about 0.064 lbs) during the first week of pregnancy, and gains approximately 0.057 kg (0.126 lbs) by the end of the second week. After the second week, the doe's weight will not change noticeably.

Have a vet conduct an ultrasound. An ultrasound is the best method to determine a rabbit's pregnancy, as it is 100% accurate after the first six days of gestation. Your vet can perform an ultrasound in his office to quickly and accurately determine whether your rabbit is pregnant.

Learning Rabbit Physiology

Learn about rabbit life cycles. Most breeds of rabbits reach sexual maturity between three and six months of age. Female rabbits can conceive as early as 12 weeks of age, though this is generally not recommended for the health and safety of the rabbit. If your rabbit is younger than 12 weeks of age, she most likely is not pregnant. However, if she falls within the three to six month age range, she may have reached sexual maturity, and there is a chance that she could be pregnant. If your rabbit is older than two to three years of age, she may be too old to conceive. In this case, your rabbit most likely is not pregnant. EXPERT TIP Pippa Elliott, MRCVS Pippa Elliott, MRCVS Veterinarian Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years. Pippa Elliott, MRCVS Pippa Elliott, MRCVS Veterinarian Pippa Elliott, a licensed veterinarian, urges caution: "Never rely on the rabbit being 'too old' to breed as a means of contraception. Rabbits are prolific breeders and nature has a habit of finding a way to boost the rabbit population!"

Understand rabbit breeding tendencies. Rabbits are capable of breeding year-round, though fertility in males tends to decrease during extreme weather in winter and summer. Rabbits are most likely to conceive during the mild weather in spring or fall, though again, a rabbit is physically capable of conceiving at any time of year. Unlike many animals that go "into heat," rabbits are induced ovulators. This means that a female rabbit's body physically prepares for conception within eight hours of meeting a male rabbit.

Look for signs of a nest. Female rabbits have a hard-wired instinct to build a nest when expecting offspring. An expecting rabbit will typically line her nest with fur, and she will become protective of her nest. If your doe is building a nest, there's a chance that she may be pregnant. However, some female rabbits experience a "false pregnancy," in which the doe displays nesting behavior but is not actually pregnant. For this reason, nest building is not necessarily an accurate way to determine pregnancy, though it does suggest maternal instincts.

Preparing for the Litter

Separate the female from all males. Once you know for certain that a doe is pregnant, it's important to keep her and all male rabbits separate. This is because a male could re-impregnate the female within mere hours after she gives birth. This can cause tremendous stress for the female, and make it impossible for the female to finish weaning her first litter before the second litter is born. Some animal experts recommend trying to find a way to allow the male and female rabbits to interact without being in the same cage or hutch. This is because it may become difficult to reintroduce the two rabbits after the female has given birth if they are not properly socialized during the separation. If at all possible, try keeping their cages next to each other or allowing them to interact through a fence. There is a chance that the male rabbit may try to mate with the female offspring he has fathered. Rabbit owners should keep the male and females completely separated to prevent this from happening.

Know the gestation period. Rabbits gestate for between 31 and 33 days. If the pregnancy goes on much longer than this, it may be a false pregnancy, or the litter may have died inside the doe. Some veterinarians recommend inducing labor after 32 days to prevent the risk of complications from the litter dying inside the mother.

Ensure that the doe is properly fed. If your rabbit is pregnant, it's important to ensure that she is getting enough food and water. Experts recommend gradually increasing the amount of food you give to a pregnant doe. You should also provide the doe with plenty of alfalfa hay, as this type of hay is very rich and provides the extra nutrients a pregnant or nursing doe will need.