|
I cannot believe how other people can just have cords lying around that don't immediately get severed by rabbit teeth. I can't even imagine what that's like. So anyway after a trip to the vet for that weird lump my girl has ("well it's not a cyst, that's about all we can tell you, give her these antibiotics and hope it goes away") I find myself with a bit of a problem. It is... IMPOSSIBLE to give her oral antibiotics. I have to do this alone, which works fine when giving Billy his meds but with her there is so much fighting that the antibiotics go everywhere but in her mouth. Even with friends helping and doing the bunny burrito in a towel there is still only a small amount that actually gets ingested. She's a spitter. She knows how to push that syringe out with her tongue too. If I rub it on her nose or paws she won't lick it off. If I put it on her favourite treat she'll refuse it. The bottle is 2/3rds empty and she's had almost none of it. I'm supposed to give her this stuff twice daily. There's no point in trying anymore. I'm kind of at a loss for what to do here. I might call back the vet and see if there's an injection they can give or something.
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2012 17:56
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 15, 2024 18:28 |
|
|
DS at Night posted:I cannot believe how other people can just have cords lying around that don't immediately get severed by rabbit teeth. I can't even imagine what that's like. My vet gave me the following suggestion when I have to give Metacam to this monster of a bun I was fostering last year (very active and very large): Kneel on the floor and put him between your knees, with your feet touching in back of you and the bun so that he can't go anywhere but forward, where you will be blocking him with hands and medicine.
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2012 18:19
|
|
|
One trick that worked for 2 of our rabbits who were on oral antibiotics - I got some raspberries, froze them, then put some of the oral antibiotic inside the cup of the raspberry - then froze that again with the mixture. Finally, when giving them the frozen raspberries, I would put a bit of nutri-cal or high-cal on the top of the raspberry. This way, being frozen, the smell of the antibiotic does not become as apparent. It worked for about 4 days before they became wise and refused the raspberries, but at least that was 4 days of fewer struggles.
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2012 18:54
|
|
|
pseudonordic posted:She looks like Cilantro! Love your bunny, but for images this big either resize or use the [timg] tags please.
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2012 20:44
|
|
|
blinkeve1826 posted:My vet gave me the following suggestion when I have to give Metacam to this monster of a bun I was fostering last year (very active and very large): Kneel on the floor and put him between your knees, with your feet touching in back of you and the bun so that he can't go anywhere but forward, where you will be blocking him with hands and medicine. This does sound like a good idea, unfortunately my biggest problem is not restraining her but actually getting her to ingest the stuff. She's such a stubborn rear end in a top hat I really can't even begin to explain it. Guigui posted:One trick that worked for 2 of our rabbits who were on oral antibiotics - I got some raspberries, froze them, then put some of the oral antibiotic inside the cup of the raspberry - then froze that again with the mixture. Finally, when giving them the frozen raspberries, I would put a bit of nutri-cal or high-cal on the top of the raspberry. This way, being frozen, the smell of the antibiotic does not become as apparent.
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2012 07:41
|
|
|
DS at Night posted:This does sound like a good idea, unfortunately my biggest problem is not restraining her but actually getting her to ingest the stuff. She's such a stubborn rear end in a top hat I really can't even begin to explain it. She gave me a syringe with which to administer it orally, like one you might use with an infant (I don't know why I forgot to mention that), so you might wanna try that--I wouldn't have been able to do it either if I was using a spoon or something. Good luck!
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2012 15:59
|
|
|
DS at Night posted:I cannot believe how other people can just have cords lying around that don't immediately get severed by rabbit teeth. I can't even imagine what that's like. Haha, that perfectly intact cord was the first thing I noticed in the picture.
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2012 21:20
|
|
|
Harriet, if I use fruit based shampoo it means I ran out of mine, and had to borrow my roomates. It does not mean my hair is a special treat for you to snack upon when I'm lying on the couch.
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2012 21:58
|
|
|
The cord is his favourite part. They don't really chew them anymore... he likes laying across it though!
|
|
#
?
Aug 3, 2012 00:00
|
|
|
blinkeve1826 posted:She gave me a syringe with which to administer it orally, like one you might use with an infant (I don't know why I forgot to mention that), so you might wanna try that--I wouldn't have been able to do it either if I was using a spoon or something. Good luck! Did the same thing, luckily the medicine came in a syringe and the vet showed me how to do it when they gave my buns their first dose. basically get someone to hold them or hold them yourself. (but that's more tricky) Than insert the syringe in the side of their mouth behind their large front teeth and push down on the plunger. I have two bunnies and bubbles hates the stuff while buttercup would actually lick it off the syringe as it was banana flavoured, but bubbles could tell it was still just covering up the medicine taste hehehe.
|
|
#
?
Aug 4, 2012 05:50
|
|
|
To clarify: I have given Billy lots of meds before for different reasons so I most definitely know how to do it, and how to hold them, and yes it's administered with a syringe. The problem I'm having is that Tsjoe is just too much of a monster. She knows no mercy, she will never surrender, she's a biter and a spitter. But I have managed to successfully administer her meds over the last few days so that's good. It's a long and soul-crushing struggle but now I get most of it in her mouth. The bad news is that that weird lump isn't getting any smaller... ugh.
|
|
#
?
Aug 4, 2012 11:27
|
|
|
Does anyone have good litter box solutions? My bun lives in an old dog crate (for a big dog), an I put a small plastic litter box at the end of it. Where she just naturally decided would be her bathroom. The problem is that the bathroom is at the opposite end of the cage from the door, making it hard to reach. She also likes to sit at the edge of the box and whiz into the corner... onto the tiny little spot of cage the box doesn't cover. So every time I change the box I have to do a full or half cage clean. I cover the box with a plastic bag and fill it with newspaper/wood shavings, change it about 1 - 2 times a week. I really don't like using so much plastic due to environmental reasons, and the cage becomes a mess annoyingly fast. The bunny is in my room so having essentially a furry poop machine and no easy way to clean it is not fun. Ideas? Am I missing some obvious solution? I was also considering making her a new cage out of those modular wire organizers eventually... are those easier to fit with an effective litter box? And does anyone have a link to a good tutorial on how to make them? The adorable monster in question 
|
|
#
?
Aug 6, 2012 02:28
|
|
|
I've had to replace hundreds of dollars worth of things just because of their amazingly delicious cords. Thank god microsoft finally came out with a USB stick wireless combo, my old version had a usb dongle thing that was dessert to my hungry monsters. ALSO: today's (Aug/5th) teefury shirt is a homage to the Monty Python Holy Grail bunny. I keep my rabbits in a little wire pen-thing that is attached to a dog crate, and I keep the litterbox turned sideways in the entry part of the crate, with water bottles on the opposite side so they like to sit in the box, do their thing, and then drink during / after. :rabbits: The wire pen gives them plenty of room to run around like morons, but you can drape a blanket or something over the crate and let them hide out when they feel like it. Try to leave it near the front but give the bunny room to hop around inside of it? Lobsterboy fucked around with this message at 02:32 on Aug 6, 2012 |
|
#
?
Aug 6, 2012 02:30
|
|
|
Haha... I'm thinking there's no way she'll follow the box if I move it. She's been peeing in the 'same' spot across 2 different cage changes. Hell, half the time it's like she purposely tries to whiz outside the box, in order to get her pee in the all-important corners. It might be worth a try though.
|
|
#
?
Aug 6, 2012 03:48
|
|
|
She's probably sticking her rear end over the edge of the box - their pee stream goes backwards rather than straight down and depending on how they prefer to angle themselves it can easily go up and over. Most litterboxes' sides are too short to contain rabbit rear end. Get a rubbermaid container and cut it down so it has an entrance and fits where you want it to fit, but make sure the corners are still about 6" high.
|
|
#
?
Aug 6, 2012 14:27
|
|
|
I am so happy but kind of confused right now. My vet clinic offered to clip my bunnies' nails at $6 per rabbit. That's insane to me. I would rather clip a cat's nails any day and they charge more for cats.  Oh well, at least it means I can get that done every once in a while there because it's worth it. I hate clipping any of my animals' nails, I'm just so afraid I might hurt them, but especially rabbits because of how much they struggle sometimes.
|
|
#
?
Aug 8, 2012 22:55
|
|
|
So my buns are getting worse about using the litter box. They used to be great, then good, then horrid, then good again, and now inching back to horrid. I come home after a day and there is poop everywhere. They're both middle-aged (like 5-ish), is there any chance of retraining them properly? There are currently two litter boxes in my room (where they live with me), which is not even 100 square feet, half of which is taken up by my bed and things that are blocked off (although they do bounce up on the bed now and again). They mostly hang out on the floor, which is probably at most 10'x5'.
|
|
#
?
Aug 9, 2012 01:48
|
|
|
Bear Rape posted:I am so happy but kind of confused right now. My vet clinic offered to clip my bunnies' nails at $6 per rabbit. That's insane to me. I would rather clip a cat's nails any day and they charge more for cats. Wow - that is a steal; it costs us around 44$ to have all 3 of our rabbits nails trimmed. We used to do it ourselves, but a few bad experiences with hitting the quick (they all have very dark black nails) made us change our minds.
|
|
#
?
Aug 9, 2012 13:46
|
|
|
This vet seems really cheap in general. $160 for a rabbit spay, $30 for a normal exam, less than $20 for most medications, I have no idea how they do it. Dogs and cats are more expensive to treat there than small animals, and I think it's in part because they want people to actually BRING small animals to the vet, which is good! Or maybe I'm thinking about it too hard, who knows. My guinea pigs' nails are black though, so I know that pain. And so do they, unfortunately 
|
|
#
?
Aug 9, 2012 14:28
|
|
|
angelicism posted:So my buns are getting worse about using the litter box. What sizes are the boxes, and how tall are they? Five isn't elderly yet, but in general as buns get older, they tend to get arthritic, which means they get lazier. They don't want to climb over tall walls or crowd into too-small boxes with their partner, if they can just poo poo where they stand. I typically end up having to migrate older rabbit pairs to large rubbermaid containers with a door cut in the side. The high sides prevents peeing over the edge; the low door makes it easier for them to get in and out while still containing most of the mess, and the larger footprint makes it easier for both rabbits to get in together without crowding. I also find that they get lazier about pooping while eating as they age, so I also have to make sure that all food (hay, pellets, AND veggies) are delivered right into the litterbox. In some cases this requires two litterboxes side by side - I have a couple larger pairs who can reach their hay manger while standing outside the box and will sit and poop outside while doing so, unless the second box is blocking them.
|
|
#
?
Aug 9, 2012 15:33
|
|
|
alucinor posted:What sizes are the boxes, and how tall are they? One is a large "cat" litterbox that is probably 20" x 15" and about 5" high (the front is about 4" high). The other is a smaller ~13"x13" high-back-but-super-low-front (like 2" at most) square. I'll see what I can do about rearranging their food situation such that they can just sit in the litterbox and eat, though. They still use the litter box like 80-90% of the time, they also just kind of seem to like the poop'n'walk.
|
|
#
?
Aug 10, 2012 01:12
|
|
|
So I've noticed lately that SAMe's litter gets like, soaking wet. I don't really know whats going on since she drinks probably the same amount of water, but I have started feeding her primarily fresh greens instead of pellets, but the wet litter started quite a while after the diet change. Currently I'm using carefresh and recently tried some other thing that I can't remember right now but both get soaked after about 2-3 days. Is this just a normal fresh greens issue and I have to change the box more or is there some better litter secret anyone knows of?
|
|
#
?
Aug 13, 2012 01:24
|
|
|
okiecompy posted:So I've noticed lately that SAMe's litter gets like, soaking wet. I don't really know whats going on since she drinks probably the same amount of water, but I have started feeding her primarily fresh greens instead of pellets, but the wet litter started quite a while after the diet change. Currently I'm using carefresh and recently tried some other thing that I can't remember right now but both get soaked after about 2-3 days. Is this just a normal fresh greens issue and I have to change the box more or is there some better litter secret anyone knows of? How often are you changing her litter? Cilantro gets three small plates of fresh greens a day (approx 1-1.5 cups total volume) and one bowl of water a day (about 2/3 cup). We change her Carefresh about every 3rd day.
|
|
#
?
Aug 13, 2012 01:42
|
|
|
pseudonordic posted:How often are you changing her litter? Cilantro gets three small plates of fresh greens a day (approx 1-1.5 cups total volume) and one bowl of water a day (about 2/3 cup). We change her Carefresh about every 3rd day. When you change the box is it because it's totally soaked through, though? If so, then I will also start changing it that often, it just seemed a bit strange to me, and it wasn't always like that.
|
|
#
?
Aug 13, 2012 15:19
|
|
|
okiecompy posted:When you change the box is it because it's totally soaked through, though? If so, then I will also start changing it that often, it just seemed a bit strange to me, and it wasn't always like that. She tends to only pee in the back corners of the litter cage and when I dump it the litter's wet and compressed all the way down to the plastic.
|
|
#
?
Aug 13, 2012 16:20
|
|
|
Okay, good to know! I'll just clean out her box more often. I also tried putting some stove pellets (which we use for cat litter) which I hope will help absorb along with the normal bun litter. Sam went crazy when I first put them in the box because she thought they were giant food pellets, what a brat!
|
|
#
?
Aug 13, 2012 17:12
|
|
|
This page needs more pictures! No, not those kind  Sit still for like 2 seconds!  
|
|
#
?
Aug 13, 2012 17:14
|
|
|
Bear Rape posted:This page needs more pictures! You probably know of this, but just in case: are you sure your bunny doesn't carry the Pasteurella bacteria (at least that's what it's called in finnish)? Around 80% of bunnies do, and it's harmless to them but lethal to guinea pigs, chinchillas and such. Can't be tested for on live animals, either, or so my vet says. A friend of mine didn't know of it and lost her guinea pig to it some time after getting a rabbit.  Cute bunny, still!
|
|
#
?
Aug 13, 2012 23:09
|
|
|
I did not know about that. My guinea pigs are actually being moved to a separate room from my rabbit/s tonight so hopefully they didn't catch anything. I've never allowed them to interact beyond touching noses, can it be passed like that? Also is there any way a vet can check for that bacteria? I'm taking both my rabbits to the vet for a nail clip on Wednesday so I could check for that too while I'm there if they're able to.
|
|
#
?
Aug 13, 2012 23:25
|
|
|
Bear Rape posted:I did not know about that. My guinea pigs are actually being moved to a separate room from my rabbit/s tonight so hopefully they didn't catch anything. I've never allowed them to interact beyond touching noses, can it be passed like that? At least my vet said it can't be tested for while the animal is alive. I asked him if it'd be okay to get some chinchillas to my place with my bunny if I keep them in separate rooms and he said I should change my clothes every time I interact with one so it doesn't pass on them to the other, and not to let the chins touch any objects the bunny has touched. He said I still might just get unlucky and have the chins get it even if I did all that, so I didn't take the chins here. Do ask your vet as well, anyway - I'm not 100% certain mine is an expert in this sort of thing!
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2012 06:31
|
|
|
I don't think a lot of people even know about that. Several people I know keep a guinea pig in the same cage as a rabbit. Even the pet store does it.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2012 06:35
|
|
|
DS at Night posted:I don't think a lot of people even know about that. Several people I know keep a guinea pig in the same cage as a rabbit. Even the pet store does it. I did a bit of googling to check, there's a bunch of results about Pasteurella being pretty murderous to guinea pigs etc: http://www.guineapigcages.com/rabbits.htm (under Immunity, hard to paste stuff.from this drat phone)
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2012 06:54
|
|
|
Dropbear posted:At least my vet said it can't be tested for while the animal is alive. I asked him if it'd be okay to get some chinchillas to my place with my bunny if I keep them in separate rooms and he said I should change my clothes every time I interact with one so it doesn't pass on them to the other, and not to let the chins touch any objects the bunny has touched. He said I still might just get unlucky and have the chins get it even if I did all that, so I didn't take the chins here. Our vet did a swab of our 10-year old mini lop's eye discharge (it comes and goes) and just as he predicted there was Pastuerella bacteria. Thing is, she's had it ever since we got her, and I understand it is often passed on close to birth. Her partner, who was with her for 7 years, strangely enough did not show the presence of the bacteria - despite being the one who cleaned her eyes on a daily basis. Unfortunately, he passed away from a Fibrosarcoma he acquired earlier last year.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2012 16:36
|
|
|
Rabbit is moved and I'm taking extra precautions when I do things now (feed them first in the morning after I shower and change clothes, changing into PJs before I feed them at night after I feed the other animals since I have 2 rabbits). Do anyone know if it can be transmitted to rats?
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2012 16:46
|
|
|
Dropbear posted:I did a bit of googling to check, there's a bunch of results about Pasteurella being pretty murderous to guinea pigs etc: http://www.guineapigcages.com/rabbits.htm (under Immunity, hard to paste stuff.from this drat phone) Oh I believe you. But it seems to be a very unknown fact. You'd think a pet store would have a clue about this though. But that's probably giving them way too much credit.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2012 17:45
|
|
|
More updates! Pandora's personality is awesome, she's always excited to see me when I come home from work and tends to do figure 8s around me until I can play with her. She is a fiend for food, and is extremely motivated by it. Pandora has really settled into the house and is loving it all. She's taking brief forays into the main house, which has hardwood floors. We've also started letting her into our backyard, which was previously set up for small dogs to stay, and required a minimal amount of work to make it bunny safe. We also picked up a friend for her! His name is Lionel; he's about the same age (2~3 months) and already neutered.   We got him on Sunday, and bonding is going super well.   She's a little bit alpha.  So far they're absolutely in love, with the bonding process going INCREDIBLY smoothly. When we went to the rescue show with Pandora, we put the two of them into a cart together and it was love at first sight. They've only had 1 fight, which was quickly stopped. The rest of the time is spent cuddling, bouncing around and playing with each other. They're sharing food, litter boxes and space, so obviously something is going right. For the actual bonding process, we brought them upstairs to the living room (neutral territory with hardwood floors) and put them in a dog pen for half an hour while we made dinner. Before that, she was chasing him around the room and biting at him. After the trip, she had calmed down immensely and was no longer chasing him. Another trick we were told: putting them in a box together and moving it around, carrying it while we walk, or just picking it up and putting it down while we watch TV. After about 15 minutes of that, we put them in the room together and see how they react. Too many words, not enough bunnies (video): 
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2012 21:19
|
|
|
One of our local rescues has taken in 15 strays in just the last week, including one that gave birth immediately and one that is likely pregnant. They're absolutely filled to the brim and already have 2 more on a waiting list. We're going down there on Saturday to see about fostering one temporarily. It will be a bit of a stretch on top of our trio but we feel like we really want to give back after all the help rescues have given our buns.
|
|
#
?
Aug 16, 2012 16:24
|
|
|
Noise Complaint posted:One of our local rescues has taken in 15 strays in just the last week, including one that gave birth immediately and one that is likely pregnant. They're absolutely filled to the brim and already have 2 more on a waiting list. The rescue near me had like, 15 as well recently. They got them all fostered / adopted but holy crap.  I threw them some cash.
|
|
#
?
Aug 16, 2012 20:40
|
|
|
Does anyone else's bun act like they're starving all the time? I feed Sam plenty, probably even more than she really needs for her size, but every time I let her out she just climbs all over me begging for food or searches all corners of the room and under everything for food! Yesterday when she was sitting on me while I was on the phone she groomed my shirt though and that made me feel like she at least kind of appreciates me!
|
|
#
?
Aug 17, 2012 02:46
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 15, 2024 18:28 |
|
|
Kahlua is like that too! At first I worried I was underfeeding her, but turns out I'm feeding her just fine, but wherever she came from apparently never fed her anything besides lettuce. At all. I'm kind of surprised she's in good shape now.
|
|
#
?
Aug 17, 2012 12:45
|
|