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fighting rabbits

C

CDW

Warren Scout
Hi

Can anyone help? I have two ten week old dwarf lop rabbits (both sisters). I went in to check on them a wee while ago and there was fluff everywhere! I checked Faith and she is fine. Ebony has a small bite on her ear which I have bathed. Will it be okay to wait until tomorrow before having this checked over by a vet or would this need attention today?

Both of them seem to be eating and drinking and pooing fine at the moment, will keep an eye on this.

Also, I've currently got one of them confined to the cage and the other one getting free run of the room - I keep alternating every half hour or hour so they are both getting exercise. The reason I did this is that Faith seemed to be chasing Ebony and there was a lot of foot stamping going on. Is it safe to let them out together again or will they both have to be kept separate now that this has happened?

Please advise...

Thanks
 
Hi,

Its teenage hormones kicking in.

The chasing and fur pulling are ways of showing dominance between two rabbits.

Ideally they should be neutered, this will mean that the hormones will die down and they can be bonded properly in a neutral area. Neutering also means that the rabbits will have a significantly reduced chance of getting Uterine cancers, which shorten a female bunny's life
 
Thanks, we will be getting them neutered as soon as they are old enough but our vet doesn't neuter till six months (they are only ten weeks). Will they be able to be kept together in the meantime?

Is the bite on Ebony's ear likely to be very painful for her? Can this wait till tomorrow before taking her to the vet do you think?
 
CDW said:
Thanks, we will be getting them neutered as soon as they are old enough but our vet doesn't neuter till six months (they are only ten weeks). Will they be able to be kept together in the meantime?

Is the bite on Ebony's ear likely to be very painful for her? Can this wait till tomorrow before taking her to the vet do you think?
Click to expand...

No they can't really live together any more i'm afraid if the fights are serious enough to cause injury. Next time it could be more serious. I would chat to your vet about bringing the spays forward to 4-5 months potentially and in the meantime house them side by side so they can maintain some sort of bond and exercise them separately. Be aware that buns can bite through gaps in wire so you may want to use a barrier. Hopefully by being neighbours you will be able to maintain some familiarity so that bonding when spayed is easier.

Yes the cut to her ear could be painful, it's hard to tell. It depends how bad it is. I would perhaps ring the vet for advice on this? It may need pain relief to prevent a pain related stasis as a secondary issue from the pain/stress of fighting - stress is a big thing with buns. Or it may be ok to monitor for now. I would ask the vet for advice. Good luck with it all. :)
 
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