|
I am so unsure what to do with our rabbit  Pickles head seems to be permanently at an angle now, she eats, drinks and hops about fine, just a bit wonky. Recently though, if we pick her up she will practically act dead, and put her head in the most uncomfortable looking positions... She will stay like that, limp and dead until finally flipping out, has a little feet. It looks as though she is trying to get onto her feet but can't seem to straighten her body out. When she does eventually get back onto her feet she seems to be ok... it's just very worrying. Is my bunny dying? 
|
#
?
Aug 7, 2007 21:46
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 25, 2024 11:34 |
|
|
Head tilt. Read all about it. If she can eat, drink, and eat her cecals, you just need to protect her from injury, and she could live a long and happy life despite this. She's flipping out when you hold her because has no sense of balance, so without all 4 feet on the floor she can't tell which way is up. Instead of picking her up (unless needed for therapy or treatment), interact by holding her next to you on the floor.
|
|
#
?
Aug 7, 2007 21:54
|
|
|
Oh, reading all that seems to make me feel really uncomfortable. Me and my partner both work full time, does the rabbit need extra attention or can she live ok in her hutch on her own? I feel terrible saying this but we don't have the time to give her the extra care she needs
|
|
#
?
Aug 7, 2007 22:11
|
|
|
Yes, she absolutely needs extra attention. You need to weigh her frequently to be sure she's eating enough, and monitor her cecal production to be sure she's getting them too and not leaving them uneaten. She may not be able to groom herself so you'll need to make sure her butt stays clean. You'd need to modify her hutch so she can't injure herself (many people talk about putting blankets everywhere on the walls), and be prepared to check her frequently for signs of injury. Some head tilt bunnies end up scratching the lower eye, for example, and this would need to be checked daily and treated if she injures it. Did you actually get a definitive diagnosis of EC? (If so, did you notify the place where you got her?) Or was it just "this might be the problem"? If it's an inner ear infection, a little antibiotic could clear her totally up. But if you can't take care of her, I recommend just putting her down. You MIGHT be able to find a rescuer who wants to take her as a project, but it's unlikely. Check the HRS ally page for local rescues if you want to try to go that route. However, if you do put her down, DON'T plan on getting another rabbit any time soon. If you never find out for sure what the problem is, you have no way of knowing whether it's something in the environment that will kill the next rabbit too. Also rabbits are HIGHLY prone to labor-intensive illnesses - even simple to fix ones like stasis take a lot of effort during the crisis - and if you don't have the time for this, the next illness won't be any easier either. Try a cat instead, their illnesses are a lot less time-consuming (in my personal experience).
|
|
#
?
Aug 7, 2007 22:53
|
|
|
I'm so sad to hear about pickle I have a question for all you other house rabbit people: Whenever I have Annie in my lap and we're just chilling, she is always nibbling at my shirt. Its not hard enough to break the fabric but it hurts if I'm not wearing a sweatshirt. It's just constant nibbling. Look, nibble, look, nibble, sometimes she'll look up at me for like 20 seconds, then go back down and nibble. She can't be hungry (well too hungry, she is on a diet though). My only idea is that she's a bit antsy. Because of her toe she's not allowed outside, and until I move into my new place shes not allowed to free roam. So she's pretty cooped up and I guess my lap isn't doing it for her. It's taken a while to finalize her cube cage, but tomorrow it should be fully operational, so at least she'll get more exercise in there. Anyone have any tips until I move? (or perhaps another diagnosis of this nibbling?)
|
|
#
?
Aug 8, 2007 07:41
|
|
|
My bunnies nibble on me to indicate that they've had enough and don't want to be held anymore. Can you let her run around (supervised!) in a small room like a bathroom? Even that might be enough to get her to be less antsy.
|
|
#
?
Aug 8, 2007 15:01
|
|
|
I love rabbits I find they make the best pets. Ive had a Netherlands dwarf and a lop eared rex. The Netherlands dwarf lived to 11 years. The lop eared rex lived to 8 years and might of lived longer, but we had to put her down since she was in a lot of pain. Now I have a Dutch dwarf which has been my best one so far. Here she is playing in one of my old comic book boxes. 
|
|
#
?
Aug 8, 2007 15:36
|
|
|
Here's another picture of Belle. Her other ear finally lopped. When she gets that crazy hair up her butt, that ear goes straight up. We were told that she was 5.5 weeks old (7.5 weeks now). If I took her to the vet, would they be able to tell how old she is without my saying anything?
|
|
#
?
Aug 8, 2007 15:54
|
|
|
Last night I went to bed earlier than usual, and at 1:30 am Claude started tearing up his cardboard box VERY loudly, and after a bit I had to move to another room to sleep. I'm glad he learned to do that instead of chewing/shaking the bars of his cage, but can I get him to be quiet during the night? Should I just move the cage to another room if he does it regularly?
|
|
#
?
Aug 8, 2007 17:10
|
|
|
Vonbrigšum posted:Last night I went to bed earlier than usual, and at 1:30 am Claude started tearing up his cardboard box VERY loudly, and after a bit I had to move to another room to sleep. I'm glad he learned to do that instead of chewing/shaking the bars of his cage, but can I get him to be quiet during the night? Should I just move the cage to another room if he does it regularly? My bunny is now free range around the house, but when we first got him we put him in in a cage, putting a blanket over the cage and taking anything that can make too much noise out of the cage was the only solution that worked even slightly. In the end we used earplugs until we ditched the cage totally when he was oneish. Bunnies that dont like being in their cage will never like being in their cage, I have had friends that had similar problems.
|
|
#
?
Aug 8, 2007 23:15
|
|
|
Vonbrigšum posted:Last night I went to bed earlier than usual, and at 1:30 am Claude started tearing up his cardboard box VERY loudly, and after a bit I had to move to another room to sleep. I'm glad he learned to do that instead of chewing/shaking the bars of his cage, but can I get him to be quiet during the night? Should I just move the cage to another room if he does it regularly? I have two bunnies in my bedroom. If I get really irritated with the noise, I just take the toy away. I feel guilty because then I know they're bored. Earplugs are definitely a necessity. Otherwise, just give "quieter" toys when it comes to bedtime.
|
|
#
?
Aug 9, 2007 03:01
|
|
|
ritjet posted:Here's another picture of Belle. Her other ear finally lopped. When she gets that crazy hair up her butt, that ear goes straight up. They would be able to give a good guess (if thats how old she really is). I really wish people wouldn't wean bunnies so young. It's really best if they can stay with their mother until 8 weeks of age. *shrugs* One of my lop's ears stands up occasionally too, so cute!
|
|
#
?
Aug 9, 2007 03:02
|
|
|
Hanpan posted:Oh, reading all that seems to make me feel really uncomfortable. Me and my partner both work full time, does the rabbit need extra attention or can she live ok in her hutch on her own? I feel terrible saying this but we don't have the time to give her the extra care she needs I'm so sorry to hear about Pickle, if you haven't already get her to a vet a.s.a.p. My roommates and I have a dwarf named Panda that survived parasite-infection-induced head tilt. It was touch and go for awhile but she recovered almost completely, so don't give up hope. She's in good health now except for her head tilting to one side and the tendency to prefer turning to the right rather than the left when she runs. I hope everything works out for you and Pickle!
|
|
#
?
Aug 9, 2007 17:55
|
|
|
Honk posted:This is our new pet, Frou-Frou. Aww! Cute orange creamsicle bunbun. . . Oh Dear God! 
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2007 19:08
|
|
|
Got a new problem with Momo, guys. Come December I will be moving from my current house, which is all tile, and Momo runs around free, back to my mom's, which is newly carpetted, and Momo will -not- be free range 24/7. Mom is thinking it would not be fair to Momo to go from having an entire house to roam in to just a cage (I plan on building him a new two-tier one, like some of the ones in this thread, the Target wire things), so I should find him a new home, in her words. He could stay at the zoo, where he is friends with the rabbits on display, but they only have one room (small at that) for the rabbits, and I wouldn't get to see Momo again. My mom did say that part of the yard could go to Momo, so he'd have supervised outside time, but it's quite a change, I know, from going where he pleases in my house to a limited yard space and a cage.
|
|
#
?
Aug 11, 2007 00:45
|
|
|
This is Laser playing his second favourite game "Licking my clothes" His favourite game is called "Running around me in a circle like some kind of mad bunny", but that one is harder to capture in a photo. I got him for my wife for our third anniversary (which was in January) about 2 weeks ago from the RSPCA. We are going back to get a second today. We wanted 2 bunnies to begin with, but the only 2 they had last time were this one, and a massive one that was bonded with a guinea pig. I am currently trying to work out how to redesign the cage so that the 2 bunnies can sit in separate but equal parts until they have become friends, and I think the best way to do it is to go and by some more cubes so I have more parts to work with. The cage is currently a 3 level open roofed design:  I'm thinking of moving to something more like:  Laser is confined to a corner of the lounge room until I have been able to sufficiently rabbit proof all my electronic gadgets.
|
|
#
?
Aug 11, 2007 00:53
|
|
|
TheDeadKnow posted:Got a new problem with Momo, guys. DON'T put him outside. His lifespan will go from 12 years to 5 or less. It's far crueler to subject him to heat, flystrike, cold, predators, and lonliness outside, than it would be to simply confine him inside with you. I'm not fond of the zoo idea either because you have no idea and no say in what they may decide to do with him. They could decide to cull their rabbit herd by euthanizing them for tiger food... Why not build the multi-story cage that you have in mind, and then just get a couple of big sheets of coroplast, and build a pen that he can run around on? I've known several people with pens in excess of 10'x10' and their rabbits seem perfectly happy despite not being truly "free range". This worked well to protect my hardwood from my guys frantic digging habits.
|
|
#
?
Aug 11, 2007 01:02
|
|
|
alucinor posted:DON'T put him outside. His lifespan will go from 12 years to 5 or less. It's far crueler to subject him to heat, flystrike, cold, predators, and lonliness outside, than it would be to simply confine him inside with you. Or, if you can't find coroplast, you can get some scrap carpeting or wool rugs or something that can protect the current flooring. My rabbits are not 100% free roaming, and even when I let Murphy out, he likes to just chill in his cage. As long as the enclosure is large enough to move around in, and he can have a few hours of run time, Momo should be just as happy. It may take some time to adjust, but you should both be fine.
|
|
#
?
Aug 11, 2007 01:14
|
|
|
TheDeadKnow posted:Got a new problem with Momo, guys. I agree with the previous posts. I would build a bigger cage and protect a room or two with rugs or whatnot to protect the flooring. I definitely am against the zoo idea, only because I know a bunny who was a display bunny at the zoo and then I don't know if they got sick of him, or what, but he was nearly lion food. I'm not sure how my friend's rescue found out about him, but she went and got him from the zoo, and he is still there. Also, I seriously doubt if he ever got sick at the zoo they would nurse him back to health, again, probably lion/tiger food.
|
|
#
?
Aug 11, 2007 01:45
|
|
|
Oh, I wouldn't be leaving Momo outside! He'd come out with me in the evening or early dawn in fall and winter, when it's cooler out, to graze in the grass and generally run around. He would NOT be left outside. And I would much rather take him with me. Thing is that he is not a lounge-in-his-cage rabbit; his previous owner never let him out of his cage, so I think he loves the freedom of running amok. But I have some months to build him his new digs so he'll get used to more limited freedom. And when I go to build said cage, what exactly do I call these wire parts and bits? I already will look like a fool to whatever employee I run into trying to explain the parts. I'm sure he'd like a buddy, but my mom loves guinea pigs more than rabbits, so she'd probably not object to one of those as a buddy for him. But do rabbits usually bond with cavies? Most everything I read about cavies and rabbits mentions that they shouldn't be kept together overall.
|
|
#
?
Aug 11, 2007 02:20
|
|
|
TheDeadKnow posted:I'm sure he'd like a buddy, but my mom loves guinea pigs more than rabbits, so she'd probably not object to one of those as a buddy for him. But do rabbits usually bond with cavies? Most everything I read about cavies and rabbits mentions that they shouldn't be kept together overall. Bunnies and cavies can bond, but you're right that it's really not recommended. Mainly because their diets are so different.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2007 02:16
|
|
|
girlscoutdropout posted:Bunnies and cavies can bond, but you're right that it's really not recommended. Mainly because their diets are so different. Also because rabbits can easily kill guinea pigs, either through unintended roughhousing, or through the bacteria that's in their GI tract. Bordetella is a natural organism in rabbit intestines (just like we have E. coli) and it can cause severe respiratory problems in guinea pigs. It's not recommended that pigs be allowed to play or eat where rabbits have pooped, and many people (myself included) keep them totally separated in different rooms. TheDeadKnow posted:when I go to build said cage, what exactly do I call these wire parts and bits? I already will look like a fool to whatever employee I run into trying to explain the parts. Coroplast is found at sign supply shops. Wholesale places are cheaper. You should be able to get a 4'x8' sheet for around $10. The grids are modular wire shelves, often sold at places like Target and Bed Bath & Beyond for around $12 for 20+ grids. The zip ties are used to bind wire together, also called cable ties, and are found at hardware stores, about $3 for 50. Pictures of all three items, along with different brand names and names of stores that sell them, can be found here.
|
|
#
?
Aug 13, 2007 14:23
|
|
|
Help me! My new bun Foo Foo has decided that her favorite place to sleep is her litter box, which means she won't poop there but she will everywhere else. I had grass mats in the bottom of the cage at first but I changed them out for a small rug because I thought she didn't like how hard they where. I tried moving the litter box to where she was pooping the most and putting all the poop in the litter box thinking that if it was dirty she would know what to do. However I woke up this morining to find a stubborn bun lounging in the box that she had cleaned all of the poop out of by herself. My only other idea is getting her two litter boxes, one for using and one for lounging. Should I just put litter all over the bottom of her cage and let her go where she wants?
|
|
#
?
Aug 13, 2007 18:16
|
|
|
Ring of Light posted:My only other idea is getting her two litter boxes, one for using and one for lounging. You nailed it. This is the perfect solution and works like a charm. Almost all of my bunnies have two (or more!) boxes. Ring of Light posted:Should I just put litter all over the bottom of her cage and let her go where she wants? Don't do this, she'll break any semblance of litter training and no carpet will be safe. 
|
|
#
?
Aug 13, 2007 20:58
|
|
|
Ring of Light posted:My only other idea is getting her two litter boxes, one for using and one for lounging. Exactly.
|
|
#
?
Aug 13, 2007 23:34
|
|
|
so, due to some added restrictions by my dad (probably a safe idea anyways) I juuust finished her awesome cube cage. Once I move in about a week or so, then I can start looking into getting annie a new friend. I can tell she already loves the cage, she races around it!
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2007 06:41
|
|
|
Deceptor101 posted:so, due to some added restrictions by my dad (probably a safe idea anyways) I juuust finished her awesome cube cage.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2007 13:46
|
|
|
girlscoutdropout posted:Aww she looks so happy! yeah she keeps doing her happy dance while racing around the cage!
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2007 05:11
|
|
|
guys! Paterson has become so much more outgoing in the last little while. He lets me pet him all the time, snuggle with sometimes and then the other day he gave me three kissies! the bunnies totally like where I'm living right now more than where I did before. So sweet.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2007 05:22
|
|
|
luscious posted:guys! Paterson has become so much more outgoing in the last little while. He lets me pet him all the time, snuggle with sometimes and then the other day he gave me three kissies! happy to hear it! or maybe they just like your new nose better???
|
|
#
?
Aug 17, 2007 03:22
|
|
|
So I just got back from dropping Hazel off at the vet's for a little snippy snippy. Anything I should be aware of when I bring him back home? Any particular foods or precautions? I understand he'll probably be a little annoyed with me, but is there anything in particular I should be doing? I'm looking forward to my ball-less bunny. No humping/spraying/licking-then-nipping. Or buzzing, but I always thought that was kinda cute.  A picture for good measure - look who's stylin!
|
|
#
?
Aug 17, 2007 15:49
|
|
|
So a friend of mine just sent me this absolutely adorable video, some of you may have seen it, if not, you really really have to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7a3ByQjDY4 it just makes me smile so much!
|
|
#
?
Aug 17, 2007 17:40
|
|
|
Deceptor101 posted:So a friend of mine just sent me this absolutely adorable video, some of you may have seen it, if not, you really really have to: How cute! This makes me miss my bunnies. Even though they haven't gone anywhere I've been working 10 hour shifts all week and have barely had time to let them run around for more than an hour or so. Thankfully I go back to my four hour shifts next week.
|
|
#
?
Aug 17, 2007 20:05
|
|
|
Tricknee Hacksaw posted:So I just got back from dropping Hazel off at the vet's for a little snippy snippy. . Solar Jetman fucked around with this message at 03:00 on Mar 26, 2008 |
|
#
?
Aug 18, 2007 18:46
|
|
|
My girlfriend and I recently bought a mini lop. Tomorrow we are taking him into the vet to get him fixed. So far he's been great on not chewing on cords or anything you generally wouldn't want him to chew on. Except carpet. Can anyone give me advice on how to get him to stop eating the carpet? Also, we really want him to be able to free to roam whenever he wants. Should rabbits be free to roam at night when not supervised, or only when we're around the house? I've read through this thread, and it's been tremendously helpful. We give our bunny lots of love and try to take care of him the best we can, but we (I) would love to see some of you bunny veterans write up a faq or tips to taking care of a bunny that new owners like myself wouldn't know. Anyway, this is Severus!  
Chiken n' Waffles fucked around with this message at 07:16 on Aug 21, 2007 |
|
#
?
Aug 21, 2007 07:05
|
|
|
Chiken n' Waffles posted:My girlfriend and I recently bought a mini lop. Tomorrow we are taking him into the vet to get him fixed. So far he's been great on not chewing on cords or anything you generally wouldn't want him to chew on. Except carpet. Can anyone give me advice on how to get him to stop eating the carpet? He is painfully cute! I wish I had advice for the carpet thing, but I don't. My whole house is hardwood and so that's just not a problem for me. About letting him run free at night, I wouldn't, at least not at first. My buns are running free anytime I'm in the house. I'll leave them out if I'm just going to be out 20-30 minutes too. Unless the room he's in is 100%, without-a-doubt, bunny proof I wouldn't leave him out unsupervised. Maybe in a few years, but he looks really young. Even though he doesn't chew cords now, he could decide tomorrow that his life goal is to destroy every cord he can get his little teeth on. Bunnies' personailites can change as they get older. I'm so glad you're getting him fixed, it makes living with a bunny so much more pleasant in my opinion. Congrats!
|
|
#
?
Aug 21, 2007 14:47
|
|
|
Chiken n' Waffles posted:My girlfriend and I recently bought a mini lop. Tomorrow we are taking him into the vet to get him fixed. So far he's been great on not chewing on cords or anything you generally wouldn't want him to chew on. Except carpet. Can anyone give me advice on how to get him to stop eating the carpet? Reminds me of my Murph as a baby, adorable! For carpet munching, it's a difficult habit to break. Neither of mine do it to a destructive degree anymore, but sometimes Debbie will get into her bitchy moods and want to destroy something - anything. And If I'm not watching, she'll go for carpet or furniture. I broke the habit with Murphy simply with thumping. If I noticed him doing something he shouldn't, I would give the floor a good solid thump with my hand or foot. He'd quickly stop and move onto something else. Debbie just doesn't really care. I do provide plenty of toys however, and scratching posts borrowed from the cats. Various cardboard objects and willow toys can help redirect the need to chew. Extra litter pans with hay in them helps to distract a bunny as well. If you want a 100% free roaming bunny, you will need to do extensive bunny-proofing of your home. Think of it like having a very active and curious baby. Anything they can fit in their mouth will probably end up in it. Make sure you don't have any plants in reach or exposed cables and outlets. Close up all small gaps and spaces behind heavy furniture where a bunny could crawl in and get stuck. You may want to just get some baby gates and block off certain areas too. I personally let my rabbits out for a few hours at a time each day. Supervised if running through the whole apartment, and if just in their room, they can run around unsupervised.
|
|
#
?
Aug 21, 2007 17:07
|
|
|
girlscoutdropout posted:I'm so glad you're getting him fixed, it makes living with a bunny so much more pleasant in my opinion. So I took Severus into the Vet today and after surgery I got a call and the Dr. said that he went in and couldn't find anything. Severus is supposed to be about 6 mo.s old, so, as I haven't talked to the Dr. yet I'm tripping out. Maybe he's too small or hasn't grown enough? I don't know, but I'm really worried. They did say over the phone that they aren't sure if it's a boy or a girl either, so I don't know what is up. But I love my rabbit so much I don't want him to be internally mangled, which is what I'm worried about, since we got him from a shelter to save him.
|
|
#
?
Aug 21, 2007 20:40
|
|
|
Chiken n' Waffles posted:So I took Severus into the Vet today and after surgery I got a call and the Dr. said that he went in and couldn't find anything. Severus is supposed to be about 6 mo.s old, so, as I haven't talked to the Dr. yet I'm tripping out. Maybe he's too small or hasn't grown enough? I don't know, but I'm really worried. They did say over the phone that they aren't sure if it's a boy or a girl either, so I don't know what is up. But I love my rabbit so much I don't want him to be internally mangled, which is what I'm worried about, since we got him from a shelter to save him. I would be concerned about a vet that can't distinguish between penises and vulvas. I'd be taking my pet elsewhere. Rabbits aren't like birds where sex is difficult to determine.
|
|
#
?
Aug 21, 2007 20:57
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 25, 2024 11:34 |
|
|
Moraine Sedai posted:I would be concerned about a vet that can't distinguish between penises and vulvas. I'd be taking my pet elsewhere. Rabbits aren't like birds where sex is difficult to determine. If the bunny is actually very young, so young that the testicles haven't descended, it *could* be possible to make this mistake. Most people think "if it pops out it's a boy, if it doesn't it's a girl", but in bunnies BOTH have something that pops out. But a vet should know this and be able to distinguish by shape, I would think.  This page has links to fairly high-res pictures showing the difference. I've had techs and staff at both vet clinics and at shelters tell me "these rabbits are all boys" (because all of them had something that looked like a tiny penis) despite the CLEAR difference between the ones who had GIANT BALLS and the ones who didn't. Similarly, they've told me "all these guinea pigs are girls" because NONE of them have an obvious penis, again discounting the GIANT BALLS on half of them.  But I've never had a vet not be able to tell the difference.
|
|
#
?
Aug 21, 2007 21:27
|
|