Good news and 3 questions...

Hello all

Thanks to Sooz and others who got me through a tough week when my Orange Rex Lady Marmalade was poorly.

A week last Wednesday went to vets as she had stopped eating.

She had 2 days in the vets being looked after, was on antibiotics, maxolon, then also panacur for suspected EC (though now I wonder if it was just pain when she was head tilting as she only did it when grinding teeth).

By Monday she was very dribbly so back to vets, and she went in on Tues to have anaesthetic and teeth checked out. It was her teeth all along! But vet could not see while she was conscious. Since Tuesday she has been loads better, poos back to normal (I have been dubbed Gillian McKeith at work!), however on the downside the teeth machine in the vets broke before teeth were 100% sorted so she will have to go back and have them done again (at no cost to me...) in a few weeks, as long as she continues eating, if not obviously sooner. Keeping her on the panacur for 4 weeks to be on the safe side.

Am so happy she has pulled through, and after spending time on here I now have some more questions as I want to keep her happy and healthy!

1) Outside - inside - when back outside? She is an ouside bun who has been living in the kitchen in a dog cage for a week. I think she as started moulting her winter coat now so should she stay in until the spring? It is only a small dog cage although does take up half my kitchen ;o) As a half way house I could put her in a porch I have, it is an unheated wooden added bit but probably marginally warmer than ouside.

2) Hay? I think after reading your brilliant forums that her teeth may have got bad as she is not eating very much hay. How can I encourage this? Gave her some yesterday she just used it as a toilet!!! Is a hay rack worth getting?

3) Bonding? Am I being cruel to keep her on her own? She is neutered, as I had heard about the risk on cancer in does. If I was to get her a friend would a neautered/unneutered femal/male be best?

Thanks hoping you will be able to help me

Clare

clare123 said:

1) Outside - inside - when back outside? She is an ouside bun who has been living in the kitchen in a dog cage for a week. I think she as started moulting her winter coat now so should she stay in until the spring? It is only a small dog cage although does take up half my kitchen ;o) As a half way house I could put her in a porch I have, it is an unheated wooden added bit but probably marginally warmer than ouside.

Personally if she has been indoors for a week and is already in moult I would not put her outdoors til the risk of night frosts have gone

2) Hay? I think after reading your brilliant forums that her teeth may have got bad as she is not eating very much hay. How can I encourage this? Gave her some yesterday she just used it as a toilet!!! Is a hay rack worth getting?

How much pellet feed do you give? If she is getting too much of that she wont feel hungry and fill up on hay. Have you tried her on a variety of hays/dried grasses. There are many available. The Hay Experts are very good
http://www.thehayexperts.com/

3) Bonding? Am I being cruel to keep her on her own? She is neutered, as I had heard about the risk on cancer in does. If I was to get her a friend would a neautered/unneutered femal/male be best? Clare

Click to expand...

Are you at home all day and can she interact with you and your family most of the time? If she is alone all day and if you are out a lot at weekends/evenings then she would definately benefit from a Bunny friend. The easiest to bond are a neutered male/spayed female


Janex

Thanks for that.

Will wait until it's not frosty then at least until she goes back outside. A shame as she has a lovely hutch/run combination! Might move her to the porch in a few days all being well, it is not warm but completely enclosed and draft free, like a garden room kind of thing.

I use Dodson and Horrell pellets, recommended by the breeder I got her from, am feeding 40g (just covers bottom of bowl) twice a day, would this be too much? Have seen info on here re: Allen and Page, I might try and get hold of that instead for the extra fibre. Thanks for the link, I have some hay from pet shop at the moment looks quite good but I am by no means an expert!

Me and my partner out at work most of the day so I think she must get bored.

I might have to try and get her a boyfriend

If I got one from a rescue do you think they would let me have a boy on trial just in case it does not work out?

Clare

sorry for my neutered/speyed confusion

Mine is a speyed female