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Important When Taking In A Rabbit/s

honeybunny

Wise Old Thumper
Most of you will know this but as there have been so many rabbits in dire conditions advertised on the forum needing to found safe places..and so many of you have been great with offering to foster them..

just wanted to point out the importance of quarantine again
PLEASE if you take a bun from one of these situations keep it well away from your own rabbits
Make sure you wash your hands and change your clothes in between handling .
Do not put them out on a grass area which your own bunnies may use in the near future..remember EC can stay active in soil for up to 6 months:(
If they use a paved exercise area which you will need for your own or other buns..please wash down with a bleach solution allow to dry..then rinse well

It's great that so many are offering help to all these animals but don't want resident bunnies to be put at risk:D
 
Most of you will know this but as there have been so many rabbits in dire conditions advertised on the forum needing to found safe places..and so many of you have been great with offering to foster them..

just wanted to point out the importance of quarantine again
PLEASE if you take a bun from one of these situations keep it well away from your own rabbits
Make sure you wash your hands and change your clothes in between handling .
Do not put them out on a grass area which your own bunnies may use in the near future..remember EC can stay active in soil for up to 6 months:(
If they use a paved exercise area which you will need for your own or other buns..please wash down with a bleach solution allow to dry..then rinse well

It's great that so many are offering help to all these animals but don't want resident bunnies to be put at risk:D

Good post Jill :)

I am so saddened to read of all the poorly Buns out there and wish I could help more of them :cry: But my first responsibility has to be to all the Buns I already have.
I am affraid I no longer look at any of the Freeads etc, it just depresses me and there is nothing I can do to help :cry:
 
Could this be a sticky, I think its really important, esp as quite a few of us with rabbits could learn, maybe a few more comments on quarentining etc,
 
Isn't it Coccidia that stays active in the soil for up to 6 months? I thought EC was around the 4 week mark.
*goes to check*

........................................................................................................

Yep it's 4 weeks for EC:
but the main concern is the excreted urine and feaces as the spores shedded in this way can survive in the environment for up to a month. Spores can be excreted by the carrier for up to 3 months.

and Coccidia:

Coccidiosis is spread through a rabbit eating the eggs (Oocysts) of the parasite which have been excreted by an infected rabbit. The oocysts can remain active for more than a year and thrive in warm, humid conditions. Common sources of infection are grass or green foods contaminated by infected wild rabbits.

It's also important to remember that even veterinary grade disinfectants such as Virkon and Trigene cannot eradiate EC spores or Coccidia Oocysts so the use of bleach against EC and heat treatment and Jeyes fluid for Coccidia is necessary when these diseases are noted.

Both most be used with caution, but especially Jeyes fluid which is highly toxic...especially to cats.

It is also important to keep seperate set's of cleaning equiptment for each hutch to avoid cross contamination. I also wear disposable latex gloves when cleaning my hutches which I change between rabbit's.
 
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We've just spent a small fortune taking up all the grass and flagging over the hutch and run area to make it easier to clean and more hygenic. Always , always use disposable gloves too. Our quarantine area is indoors, but you can never be too careful. Even with things like mites, if they go unspotted on a bun and it's put in a grass run there is every chance they will be transferred to the next occupant.
 
My foster buns are on slabs but I have taken to putting a roll of turf in their as they seem to miss the grass and this can be changed with each new bun easy.
 
we too have flagged areas but we do use some grass areas but we now burn off the grass every few months as that is said to kill germs to but during the summer we can't always grow grass back quickly so are now opting to grow grass pots and other plants rabbits like,

I have a 2 quaranteen areas for rabbits, and guineapigs which is very important and have the use of a third should it ever be needed. I think you can never be to careful, I also use alcohol wipes on me when handling different bunnies.
 
Good post.

Just as a matter of interest, how long should these buns be kept in quarantine if they show no symptoms?
 
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