dillion the psychopath bun!

ok haven't been on in a while so some of you might not know who i am but i'm dillion's rather bruised and battered owner.
i've always had problems with dillion but now i really am struggling to cope!
he is so big have no idea what he is but the vet reckons cross giant something or another he's roughly the size of a large cat.
thing is he is not a nice natured bun at all.

i love him to bits but i've had 2 trips to accident and emergency already this month once withs a bite to my wrist which needed 2 stitches and the second time with a cracked rib because he kicked me.
i don't want to give him up so the only option i can see is not handling him which isn't ideal.

please help any ideas on how to get him to tolerate me?

Poor you! Inky's taken a few chunks out of me over the years but nothing like that!

Will he tolerate you stroking him on the ground? My rabbits are not fans of being picked up but love being fussed on their level.

i can't get near him to be honest i get within a few feet and he starts grunting and growling then when i do go to stroke him he runs away or tries to bite me.
vet suggested i just have to make a point of picking him up otherwise he'll learn i'm afraid of him and he'll create all the more but thats easy for him to say he doesn't have to wrestle with dillion to give him his food ,to clean his hutch, to put him in the pen etc dillion seems to hate everything

oh dear a cracked rib, he must be a strong bunny! Guinness wont stand being picked up either, I would suggest stroking him (with gloves if you think he will bite) and get him used to being handled on the floor, not big chunky gloves though as it might scare him! I have found that it is much easier getting them used to you on the ground to build up the trust, i dont pick Guinness up unless its absoloutley neccessary because i know he doesnt like it and it stresses him out! Now he knows im not gonna try picking him everytime he out hes more and more tame and friendly daily.

P.S, the only way i got guinness to stop running away and let me stroke him was to bribe him with food, now he is quite happy and content with being stroked with or without food! Has your rabbit had the snip?

If I was you I would get some xrays done or even a scan as their could be something wrong with him. I am only going of experience as I took in a bun who's owner said he bites but being a rescue I thought good excuse. Oh he bit alright he would swing off my hand, arm and anything. I gave him a chance and got him castrated but it still didn't make any difference, I ended up having him scanned and it turned out it was a tumour on his brain. My vet even named him Physco as one minute he was ok and he would love a snuggle and the next minute he would launch at me and take a grip of my arm the decision was made when it took me 5 minutes to prise his mouth of my arm and I knew then I had to do the right thing. I am not saying that Dillion as a tumour but it may be a help if you can find out if there maybe something and then at least you know if it is just sheer aggression or medical.
I am thinking of you and I am here if you need to just chat about it.

kayj said:

If I was you I would get some xrays done or even a scan as their could be something wrong with him. I am only going of experience as I took in a bun who's owner said he bites but being a rescue I thought good excuse. Oh he bit alright he would swing off my hand, arm and anything. I gave him a chance and got him castrated but it still didn't make any difference, I ended up having him scanned and it turned out it was a tumour on his brain. My vet even named him Physco as one minute he was ok and he would love a snuggle and the next minute he would launch at me and take a grip of my arm the decision was made when it took me 5 minutes to prise his mouth of my arm and I knew then I had to do the right thing. I am not saying that Dillion as a tumour but it may be a help if you can find out if there maybe something and then at least you know if it is just sheer aggression or medical.
I am thinking of you and I am here if you need to just chat about it.

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Oh that is sad

he has back feet like a horse! i'll try the gloves i always make sure i'm well padded and wear long sleeves but the day he cracked my rib i was running a bit late in feeding them and he appeared to be in a good mood so i picked him up just with a t shirt on and we settled down in front of the tv ad one minute he was fine the next he went mad and let fly with his back feet and caught me in the chest i was in agony still am the staff just laughed when i told them in the A&E department what happend

sorry to hear that Kayj it's so sad
i have had dillion at the vets he's had brain scans blood test and he's castrated vet can't find any medical reason for his behaviour
would it be worth getting a 2nd opinion ?

is he neutered? If not that might help a bit, although it may be ingrained by now.

I think your vet is right that handling him more may be the only way to help.

Wear something like a pair of skiing gloves (very thick) or industrial strength gardening gloves.....or maybe both. This should hopefully protect your hand. Put lots of layers on yourself like fleece so you have about an inch of long sleaved stuff on, which should hopefully protect your arm and chest.

Now you are all wrapped up start with some hand feeding for a week or so and maybe hop into his run to do so, sit down read a book/listen to the radio. If he approaches, give him a pellet. Once he'll happilly take pellets from your hand try a little nose or head rub whilst he's eating. I usually try and say thing like good boy when they are eating so they associate the praise. Once you think he's happy with this, try stroking without food encouragement, giving him praise the whole time & if he's good he gets a reward.

When it comes to picking up, I start off small, just a short, low of the ground lift & get higher and longer. Always reward big time when you put them down if they've been good. Approaching from behind is easiest. Try and do it about twice a week to begin with and only when you think you've gained his trust. As he gets to know you better you can increase the frequency.

I had a rescue bun who was very skittish when she came to me. We've had her now for about 4 months and we've got to the stage where she will sometimes allow you to stroke her without food, especially if it's in the afternoon and she is sleepy and she's taking longer and longer to run away when you do stroke her. It's very small steps but you keep going.

willowflower27 said:

he has back feet like a horse! i'll try the gloves i always make sure i'm well padded and wear long sleeves but the day he cracked my rib i was running a bit late in feeding them and he appeared to be in a good mood so i picked him up just with a t shirt on and we settled down in front of the tv ad one minute he was fine the next he went mad and let fly with his back feet and caught me in the chest i was in agony still am the staff just laughed when i told them in the A&E department what happend

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Maybe you could try and write down what you were doing everytime he acts up like that, there may be a pattern, there may be something in particular that spooks him! This sounds silly but everytime i have a shower or bath Guinness will not come anywhere near me for a while, he'll sniff my hand and dash back into his hutch and wont come out- must be the smell of the soap or something.

thanks for all the advice will definitely try the tips out
yes he's neutered i had that done when i first noticed the agression.
sometimes i do get a cuddle but even on his terms i still end up feeling like a punch bag he'll be 2 soon so i hope i can tame him a little and that his behaviour isn't to ingrained