Bunnies! Need advice please :)

Re: Bunnies! Need advice please :)

Vicky RVN — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 08:47:18 GMT

Glad introductions have gone well Let us know how the next bun does!

Re: Bunnies! Need advice please :)

Karen S — Thu, 27 May 2010 09:17:08 GMT

Hi guys

Just an update and to answer some of your questions:

I am not in the UK and the rescue place who does this work help out all the poor communities and their case load is just massive. They are supported by IFAW else they would not be able to help the millions of animals that the poor need help with every year. Ask Caro, she will understand :P

They see thousands of horrendous cruelty cases each year too, many of which are from pure ignorance - literally, the owners are uneducated and do not know any better. This is Africa after all.

Anyways, we have two of the bunnies. We got a girl and a boy - and the boy was neutered a couple of weeks back. We kept them in the dog crate for 48 hours so they could all meet and greet etc. Then we let them out but left the crate down and all was fine. There was a bit of kicking going on, but no biting and a bit of chasing, but that was it.

Now they are all settled together and all is fine. We are going to take one more bunny, when we saw him we felt he needs a home. He is pure white and because he has lived out all his life he is a cancer risk. He is not ready to go yet as they are treating him for an abscess (from a cat attack) and he was only neutered about a week ago. He is a big loaf of a bunny so instead of taking two as planned, we are taking three. He will probably come home to us in about two weeks.

I have never seen such emaciated bunnies ever. They are skin and bone and full of scars. But we shall have that sorted out in no time!

Re: Bunnies! Need advice please :)

Vicky RVN — Fri, 21 May 2010 23:00:51 GMT

Good luck introducing them

Re: Bunnies! Need advice please :)

Doolally — Thu, 20 May 2010 20:34:47 GMT

[quote user="Karen S"]

Spoke to the rescue this morning and seems the vet is blissfully unaware that males are still fertile after being neutered. They dont really deal with bunnies, so i dont think they have a clue

[/quote]

Umm maybe the vet needs a little refresher on the reproductive system as it's not just bunnies that are still fertile for a while after being neutered.

Is this a legit rescue if they didn't want to do a home check and don't seem to know a lot about rabbits?

I don't know much about rabbits myself, but maybe try emailing Burgess. I had a client email them during Rabbit Awareness Week and they gave him some good advice about introducing a new rabbit to their pair bonded males

Re: Bunnies! Need advice please :)

Nicola Smith — Thu, 20 May 2010 20:20:20 GMT

What area of the country are you in? Which rescue centre is it?

Re: Bunnies! Need advice please :)

Karen S — Thu, 20 May 2010 13:12:29 GMT

Well i dont have a vet anywhere near me who is willing to spay a female. I have had a number of female buns in the past and yes, they have landed up getting cancer and being put down before the point of suffering. However, the cancer they all got was not uterine and it was removed yet came back with a vengeance so they were put down.

Spoke to the rescue this morning and seems the vet is blissfully unaware that males are still fertile after being neutered. They dont really deal with bunnies, so i dont think they have a clue.

Anyhow, going on Saturday to fetch two bunnies. What has also surprised me is that i offered for them to come and do a home check, yet they want me to just go fetch two bunnies without checking first? I dont get it... anyways, they will have a HUGE garden which is fully grassed, in which to dig and be happy. We are going to get a boy bun and a girl and keep the boy separate for a tad longer to ensure we dont land up with more.

Re: Bunnies! Need advice please :)

Steph Phillips — Thu, 20 May 2010 12:36:44 GMT

If left un-neutred, Female bun's can get uterine adenocarcinoma - and will affect about 80% of un-neutred females!!!! if your not sure what it is, it's a malignant uterine cancer!! SURELY thats a good enough reason to get them spayed??!!!

Sorry that I have not answered your question about rehoming.. only the 'not spaying females' bit threw me

Re: Bunnies! Need advice please :)

dinkyd — Wed, 19 May 2010 21:44:43 GMT

Agree!

How interesting!

Have you asked the rescue what they would recommend - some rescues will bond bunnies so they can be rehomed together....is there any of this lot that are already paired together so they you know they get on already?

Re: Bunnies! Need advice please :)

Nicola Smith — Wed, 19 May 2010 21:39:14 GMT

I think any way thre is always the risk it will upset the balance you have as bunnies can be quite upset by any new arrivals. Apart from that cant offer much advice except if you are getting boys to go in with yor girls bear in mind 4-6 weeks post op before guaranteed sterile.

Re: Bunnies! Need advice please :)

Emily Hibbs — Wed, 19 May 2010 19:42:33 GMT

Does seem a little odd!! I had a brother and sister from same litter (still got the boy, unfortunately lost the girl 18 months ago) who got along brilliantly - had male castrated at 6 months and had female spayed when she was 3 (hadn't really thought about it before) but did get her done as she was having hormonal issues! She recovered well - although the little madam did have to be re-sutured!

Re: Bunnies! Need advice please :)

Kim Buckley — Wed, 19 May 2010 11:11:51 GMT

But the health reasons for getting a female rabbit spayed are so much bigger than a male rabbit! That's just crazy.

Re: Bunnies! Need advice please :)

Karen S — Wed, 19 May 2010 10:37:26 GMT

No idea, he will only do the boys. Have had a number of boy buns done with my vet, but he wont do a female :/

Re: Bunnies! Need advice please :)

Kim Buckley — Wed, 19 May 2010 10:05:08 GMT

Why won't your vet spay female rabbits?? Seems very odd!