batmobile Posted February 23, 2009 Report Share Posted February 23, 2009 Hi everyone, right, before anyone shouts at me, I have tried to do the right thing and bunny will be going to the vets as soon as an appointment is available. A friend of mine who is active in dog rescues got a knock on the door from a man who basically had heard she takes in waifs and strays. He'd seen a bunny hopping along the road. so together they caught said bunny. After visiting all the locals in the neighbourhood and leafleting, no one came forward (unlikely considering the area etc). So I said I would have the bunny as my friend cannot afford the hutch and has guinea pigs already and no space etc. I bought a hutch etc and spent a fortune on the bunny. I have another bunny and wanted them separate as they would need to bond and so on. So, Pets at Home (nearest store, sorry) sexed the bunny. My friend reckoned boy basing her determination on guinea pig bits, PAH were convinced (it is a lady I know well actually) it's a girl. Bunny has a definite dewlap and is very young (something about the face still says baby though she is not small, about a kilo). Her (if that is the case) poo is very small but firm (is that normal in young bunnies?) she is very bright eyed and inquisitive, though she does lie down a lot (could be owing to stress with moving around etc). PAH also said her teeth are misaligned and her claws are a little long. Right, so, she is gorgeous but i am so worried as I don't know the history, am worried she could be pregnant (who knows) and most of all worried about her teeth as I am thinking this is a lot to take on. I always intended on getting a pair of rescue buns like my last two, but was waiting for my current bunny who is 10 to go to the Bridge first as he has now got antisocial and probably doesn't want the hassle of bonding with a new pal since his brother died (he has seen new bunny and sniffed a bit and then carried on eating). I guess I am asking: how serious and difficult to manage is a tooth problem? How can I tell if (heaven forbid) I have taken in a pregnant bunny and does her lying stretched out in a 'relaxed' position indicate illness? I am going to the vet's on thursday but am worried that I have taken in a 'dud'. It's not so much not liking the poor thing but I have already lost sleep about the problems she may have, having no history. She lets herself be handled (as much as a relatively calm rabbit, bit of kicking and struggling when about to release her). Would a young female rabbit have a dewlap already? I didn't want to leave her with a rescue as I have enough experience with rabbits to manage and they are over full but now I am worrying about what I might have let myself in for, not having 'chosen' her. That is not meant nastily, I guess I am so worried I'll get her to the vet's and they'll find she is really ill. (Or pregnant!) the things we do for the love of animals, eh? x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neoclassic Perk Posted February 23, 2009 Report Share Posted February 23, 2009 I did a mercy dash to collect two rabbits last winter, offered on freecycle under the threat of release into the wild Like you, as soon as I got them home, I panicked! They were much bigger than I expected, (with dewlaps) and I analysed their behaviour minutely and was worried about whether they were pregnant, sick etc etc They were unhandlable, too, and began to fight soon after I got them home! Two things helped me hugely I joined www.rabbitrehome.org.uk, which is an excellent website with an active, experienced forum, and I took them along to the free nurses clinic at the vet practice I use, and met with their bunny specialist They have been an incredible addition to our family - we have converted my daughters old wendy house as accomodation, and they have become friendly and comical; they love to play and have great fun teasing the dogs Well done you for taking this bunny in, and I'm sure you will soon have put your worries behind you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cycas Posted February 23, 2009 Report Share Posted February 23, 2009 Teeth problems do cost a bit, unless you have all the problem teeth removed, they will probably need to be regularly filed under anaesthetic. Your vet should be able to tell you more about this. ISTR that my rabbit vet charged about £40 a time for this: not a huge amount but it needed doing regularly: removing all the teeth is an option but it's quite a major op. On the other hand, with rabbits there is always a risk of major expense, I would say. They are cheap pets till you get unlucky, then they are little money pits! You can get rabbit insurance if you are worried. As her claws are long the lying down could well be because she's been shut up in a little box all her life and this is the biggest adventure she's ever had. If she's not used to exercise, new people, experiences etc,etc. that can be quite tiring. Or she could be ill. Or pregnant. If she is pregnant, you'll know quite quickly, the gestation period is only about a month. Working out the age of rabbits is very difficult: an elderly one will be bony on the top, but to be honest, there's little to choose between a 1 year old and a 4 year old in my experience. It's probably a bit late now, but I would keep her away from your oldie bun until you know a little more about her health. It is possible that she is carrying something. Dewlap normally means a girl, and if this is definitely a fully adult rabbit there is no way you can miss the testicles on an adult boy who has not been neutered, they are huuuuuge! Assuming she is a girl, you definitely want to get her spayed. Unspayed female rabbits are very prone to problems with their reproductive systems as they get older, and they are also a LOT stroppier and harder to bond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
batmobile Posted February 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 Update: Well panic over. Bunny, who it turns out is definitely a little girl, has been given a clean bill of health. She is not pregnant, she is about 9 months old and her teeth are fine. She has a clear discharge from her nose which the vet said can be due to stress but to phone if it turns yellow. He said Please name her - I expect something great - and gave her a myxo jab. I am pleased and will be taking her back for her other jab in two weeks and then booking her in for a spay come next pay day. Then I will find her a friend to bond with as my old grumpy lad has shown no interest and I think it would be too stressful in the long run for him at 10.5 years old. I shall post some pics when I have some decent ones. At the moment am letting her settle properly into her new home and relieved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddyboy Posted February 26, 2009 Report Share Posted February 26, 2009 Well done you - and if anyone had shouted at you they should not be on a friendly forum where people help each other!!! (unless of course they were willing to pay the emergency vet fee for you to get her there straight away!). Come on then - what is her name?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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