I bought two female lionheads. they had a large space and were very happy bunnies! one was fine in the morning when i fed them, on return frm work it was not behaving normally, quiet, not eating, and the next morning was dead. No vet understood it. I bought another one for companionship, dwarf, it was younger, 1 month old at most, it also dies in an identical fashion. we had taken it to the vet, and antibiotics administered, didnt work, less than 24 hrs and gone. Now we have just the one lionhead. She is doing ok, but I wonder whether to get her a companion? I couldnt take more bunnies dying on me! we spend time with her in the evenings, and she seems happy jumping around playing with us, but she is alone during the day in a large space. To buy another bunny or not to buy another bunny!?
2007-01-13 20:32:06 · 9 answers · asked by Dee 1 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
ps - the bunny lives indoors with us.
2007-01-13 20:43:54 · update #1
The bunnies were fed hay, pellets adn water. I have grown up with bunnies and so am aware fo how to feed them...thats why we were so shocked. I have only ever had many bunnies at a time, 20 at one time! - and so having one is new to me hence my question - I have never had one and am unsure how she will cope! She is very friendly and loves other rabbits - no fighting - !!!
2007-01-13 21:14:43 · update #2
The vets have no idea what happened - i am in dubai - they dont seem to have regular dealings with rabbits...i even wondered if the second one was given too much antibiotics - she was so young ...and rabbits are often allergic to antibiotics, she seemed to get worse after the visit to the vet. I am fine having one rabbit, i worry for her thats all - i would be so lonely! the pet shop got one lionhead in yesterday and it is on hold for me....but i am apprehensive as you can understand! There are only two reputable pet shops out here!
2007-01-13 21:21:06 · update #3
Thanks Yorkshire, but temperature wise - the weather out here is cool, and we dont even need ACs on and the house is nippy if anything at times. ni the summer with acs on they will be kept cool. We dont have carpets, and the place is pretty bunny proof - nothing in chewable reach! its baffling and so sad!
2007-01-13 21:41:10 · update #4
The rabbit flu u r describing sounds similar to what they had...maybe they are too young to stand the flight over? the pet shop is below our house - and so we bought the rabbits literally the day they arrived.
As for vaccinations- I took ours to the vet as soon as I bought them for their jabs and the doc told me that they dont have vaccinations for rabbits out here .... any suggestions or advice as to the cosequences of that?
2007-01-14 17:31:24 · update #5
Please visit the house rabbit society website (http://www.rabbit.org) and the ARBA site (http://www.arba.net) and make sure that you are feeding your bunny properly. From what you have written, this sounds like GI stasis. The best way to feed is unlimited timothy hay and water, small amount of pellets (16-17% protein), and vegetables very sparingly, like half a carrot here and there. No lettuce. I would keep this bunny alone for a while, at least until she has reached sexual maturity and been spayed, then consider getting her a companion...from a different source.
2007-01-13 20:42:20 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
I had a lion head and one day he was happily bouncing about in his run then by evening he was dead. He had a sort of liquid coming out of his nose, when I asked the vet she said it was rabbit flu (can't remember the correct name) and the rabbit can die in just a few hours of getting it as it effects their breathing. This virus is very contagious and hutch and everything needs to be really sterilised. As for having a single bunny I'm sure she will be fine as you are giving her some attention. I have a lop eared rabbit on his own at the moment and he is perfectly happy.
2007-01-14 07:35:05 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I can think of 2 possible causes:
If your rabbits are house rabbits, did they chew any fabric or carpet or have they eaten lots of cardboard (mine love cardboard boxes to play in)? If they had ingested carpet, they might have had a blockage which caused them to die.
Last year my female house bun had 2 bouts of static gut (GI statis). Didn't start for any particular reason although it was when the weather was really hot. The vet though she may have got dehydrated by not drinking enough water and that's what brought it on. Maybe your house is very hot? Rabbits tend to tolerate cooler temperatures better than hot ones.
When she was ill, she was not moving much, she was off her food and she felt quite cold to touch. If a rabbit doesn't eat anything for more than 12 hours, it's time to get it to a vet quick. I got mine there in time. She had antibiotics and I had to syringe feed her with Oxbow Critical Care every hour for 24 hours. Luckily she pulled through.
I would definitely adopt another bunny companian, they're much happier in pairs.
2007-01-14 05:29:47 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I'd be wondering what could have caused the othe 2 to die so suddenly, did the vets now? Your bunny should be fine, give her lots of attention and chew toys. I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who keeps their bunny in their home. Let her run around supervised in the evening while your home. Some clean up will be necessary afterwards. We've never had more then one bunny at a time. Our first, a mixed angora albino, died from cancer a year ago just before Thanksgiving, he was 7. We got our new one, a black part lopped ear, just before this Christmas. She is spoiled rotten. Give it some time before you consider another bunny, for now let her be the only child.
2007-01-14 05:09:18 · answer #4 · answered by wolfinator25840 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
i would say as long as she is happily hopping around, and she's eating well enough, her coat and eyes are shiny, shes pooing ok, shes eating the soft poo and u only have the hard pellets, she has hay in her diet plus veg like carrots etc... then i wouldnt get another one, they live quite happily on their own as long as you pay them attention. as she is an indoor rabbit i would make sure she cant chew any wires or anything that wouldnt agree with her digestive system. Good luck
2007-01-14 06:09:39 · answer #5 · answered by ecjangel 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It could be that the source - the place you buy your rabbits - is suspect. Rabbits are prone to several diseases and should be vaccinated against myxomatosis and viral haemorrhagic disease.
They are also prone to Coccidiosis; feed rabbit pellets containing a treatment.
Because your rabbits died so fast I'm guessing they were ill before you ever bought them.
2007-01-14 07:54:47 · answer #6 · answered by sarah c 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The vet should have performed a post-mortem (autopsy) to find out what was up. If your bunny is happy, leave it be. It will just be good money after bad.
2007-01-14 06:44:10 · answer #7 · answered by anna 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think you should wait till you know for definite and then make up your mind when you see if its lonely get her another bunny if not leave it till later on when she does feel lonely
2007-01-14 04:44:01 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
i wouldnt bother putting the spade away just yet if i was you
2007-01-14 04:36:54 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋