Guess what i got today

[dandysmom]

A bunny! Snowflake? Snowdrop? Pics, yes!!!

[kado]

They have decided to call her angel. They have a DS game about bunnys and thats they call the one on there. Ive regestered her with out vet and i am waiting a week and then taking her to get her vacs. Before the summer is out i am going to get a run. Sorted out a unlimited supply of free bedding as well. I will post photos as soon as i find my camera printer cable packed it when we moved and no idea where it is now. My daughters are giving us a £1 wk each out of there pocket money for food etc. It was there idea and i thought it was a realy nice gesture as well. The cats dont seemed to be that bothered either guinness just sat on a chair all night and watched her.

jane

[farthing]

Hi, nice to meet another rabbit owner.
I don't know how much your vet knows about rabbits, but she should get 2 vaccines, one for myxi and one for VHD, 2 weeks apart. With the myxi jab, 10% should be given intradermally and the rest subcutaneously. Sorry, I don't mean to sound patronising, but know of many vets who aren't aware of these things, cause they know less about rabbits.
It may also be worth thinking about getting her neutered, it can make them less aggressive and removes the risk of uterine cancer. 80% of entire female rabbits will develop uterine cancer by the age of 4, I lost my favourite bun recently because I wasn't aware of the risks, I am in the process of getting all the others speyed now.

I heard recently that rabbits are now the second most popular pet, they have overtaken cats!

[kado]

Thanks for that.and you didnt sound patronising.The vet said about the vacs being 2 wks apart. What do you mean about the myxi one though. I am going to get her speyed but i am not quiet sure what age can it be done. Do you know any garden plants that are posionus to rabbits and have you any bunny tips that would be great. I have owned rabbits before but it was over 7yrs ago. I have hand reared them as well. So i am bit rusty at the moment but with everybody help on here i am sure i will get to no more soon.

jane

[farthing]

Well, if you've done hand rearing, you must be pretty experienced. I've hand reared a 3 week old wild bunny, sadly she broke her leg when she was 1 and had to be PTS, very upsetting.
The myxi vaccine should have 10% injected into the skin rather than under it, some vets inject this into the ear and then put the rest into the scruff, other pull back the needle at the end if injecting and inject into the skin of the neck.
Most vets spay rabbits at about 6 months old, it is quite a stressful op and the most important thing is to get the rabbit eating as quickly as possible, DO NOT STARVE THE RABBIT, before the op, rabbits can't be sick and they're stomachs must constantly be working or the go into gut stasis, this can kill them. After the op I would ask for painkiller, they can have metacam, many vets do not give painkillers and a sore rabbit will not eat.
If your rabbit stops eating get it to a vet.
Another, recent thing development, is worming your rabbit with panacur rabbit wormer, it is effective against worms and E. cunculi, this is a microscopic parasite which can cause many symptoms, including- liver damage, kidney failure and head tilt. They should be wormed 2-4 times a year, the spores of the parastie are spread in the rabbit's urine.
Hve you thought about a boyfriend once she is spayed, they love company!

[kado]

I think she would love a partner. It took me ages for my OH to agree to Angel. Once OH comes around and gets to like her a bit more and after her vacs you never know. I was so inexperisend and silly when i got my first rabbits and allowed them to breed and the rabbit rejected her first litter, so i hand reared about 6 and only 2 survived i fed them every 2 hours for 3 weeks. I kept them because i couldnt bear to part with them. You helped me alot with the advice about worming and the spey as well.

[farthing]

Just thought you'd like to meet my Snowey and his girlfriends. Jess the black and white one amazed the vets as she had her front teeth removed and then developed an abcsess in her mouth, she's still her after a year and living happily with Snowey (white) and Jessica (grey). They've only been together 6 months but loving the company. Snowey seems to prefer Jess though, even if she has no front teeth and one eye, it just goes to show he's not a shallow bun.