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Is it fine for rabbits and guinea pigs to share the same run?

Sue_P

Young Bun
I have two guinea pigs that live indoors at my house and I used to take them to my mum’s empty outdoor pen in summer to graze on the grass. She’s thinking of putting two bunnies permanently in the pen, they can easily be put away in the hutch when the guinea pigs come to visit but is it alright using the same area in regard to diseases and them spreading nasties to each other? My guinea pigs tend to pee all over. Would you advise against using the same run?
 
Its probably fine if they are all healthy and vaccinated. I'd be tempted to move the run to a new section of grass etc away from the guinea pigs droppings
 
I can't move the run, it's cemented down.
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I'd be picking up the guinea pig poops before I leave though I guess, although my mum doesn't seem keen on having the guinea pigs over at all now she's decided on getting bunnies.
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She's worried about diseases. The ones she's gonna get are babies and haven't had any jabs but I'll get her to give them mixy jabs but we're not bothering with the VHD jabs. We started the last rabbit off with them but even the vet and vet assistants don't bother vaccinating their own rabbits against that so I don't see why we should.
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But I doubt my guinea pigs are gonna give them VHD seeing as they don't leave my home.
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I suppose spreading mites is the biggest worry, one of mine has just had them and still looks dandruffy.
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its not the vhd you have to worry about its the
Coccidiosis and bordatella spp i think you have to be careful of im not sure i would risk it personally is there any way to have a large seperate pen? x
 
I can't move the run, it's cemented down.
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I'd be picking up the guinea pig poops before I leave though I guess, although my mum doesn't seem keen on having the guinea pigs over at all now she's decided on getting bunnies.
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She's worried about diseases. The ones she's gonna get are babies and haven't had any jabs but I'll get her to give them mixy jabs but we're not bothering with the VHD jabs. We started the last rabbit off with them but even the vet and vet assistants don't bother vaccinating their own rabbits against that so I don't see why we should.
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But I doubt my guinea pigs are gonna give them VHD seeing as they don't leave my home.
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I suppose spreading mites is the biggest worry, one of mine has just had them and still looks dandruffy.
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aalso what a shame tehy wont do the vhd as this is a silent killer adn can be spread even by you walking through an area it offers full immunity are they going to change vets sounds like the vets is not rabbti savvy and would be unable to treat a rabbit who is ill. how about your mum getting a pair of ready neutered rescue bunnies who will arleady have had their first vaccs and will ikely get a long better too rememebr unnuetered buns even siblings can fall out and fight causing nasty expensive injuries or death.

also i would be worried bout an unrabbit savvy vet administering the myxi jab as it needs to be done 10% intradermally and also every 6 months. it will cost a lot of money stress sand worry if they are neutered at an unrabbit savvyvet too! x
 
Could you not buy a fold up run for your piggies?
That way they wont have to share with the bunnies, and you can simply fold it away and store it somewhere?

:wave:
 
its not the vhd you have to worry about its the
Coccidiosis and bordatella spp i think you have to be careful of im not sure i would risk it personally is there any way to have a large seperate pen? x
I’d never heard of them diseases before, I’ve just briefly read what they are on google, on dear.
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My mum has decided that I can’t take my rodents to her pen now though anyway even though I was wanting to take them there.
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aalso what a shame tehy wont do the vhd as this is a silent killer adn can be spread even by you walking through an area it offers full immunity
Well she could get them vaccinated for VHD but we didn’t think it’s a disease rife in Yorkshire and is mainly down south, the vets didn’t see it as an issue.



are they going to change vets sounds like the vets is not rabbti savvy and would be unable to treat a rabbit who is ill.
Tell me about it.
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My mum recently wrote to the vets to complain about the lack of knowledge they had about cat litter being bad for bunnies. (My Henry ate it and I think it was the cat litter that killed him after two weeks but they insisted it was down to his teeth.
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I don’t believe that.
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) I have no faith in vets PERIOD!
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I sure do hope the new bunnies are healthy ones. The people that have them now (a mini rescue centre) lied to my mum about taking them to the vets which is weird.
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My mum phoned the vets to ask them to confirm they’re healthy and they hadn’t been at that time but said they had to her.
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They did go later and vet nurse said they looked fine though, it’s just weird that they’d lie, it makes you wonder what else they’re lying about.
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But my mum has phoned the people and told them we’re picking them up on Saturday so that’s that I guess.
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how about your mum getting a pair of ready neutered rescue bunnies who will arleady have had their first vaccs and will ikely get a long better too rememebr unnuetered buns even siblings can fall out and fight causing nasty expensive injuries or death.
These are girls, it’s not totally nessaessary to spay is it?
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We decided against it due to the cost and she’s convinced she’ll kill them some other way before they reach old age and get cancer.
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(Our usual life expenancy of pets is 2 years.
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) The people flogging them say they’re not sisters. They say they’re 14 weeks old and they’ve had them since they were 9 weeks old and that someone had bought them from a pet shop as they felt sorry for them as they were in crampt conditions and gave them to the rescue centre. Of course that’s what we’ve been told, who knows if it’s true.
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Female non-sisters are supposed to get on aren’t they?
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We were told they’ve been together since they were little, they share a hutch now and I’ve seen them cuddled up to each other.
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also i would be worried bout an unrabbit savvy vet administering the myxi jab as it needs to be done 10% intradermally and also every 6 months. it will cost a lot of money stress sand worry if they are neutered at an unrabbit savvyvet too! x
I haven’t found a decent vet surgery yet.
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We were only thinking of giving them mixy jabs once a year, we’ve been told that’s OK.
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It’s gonna cost a lot doing it every 6 months. Our first rabbit (well the next-door neighbour’s actually but we considered him as being ours as we took over looking after him) lived his whole life without any jabs and he lived to 6 or 7. He died from being eaten.

I must say getting bunnies already spayed and jabbed would be good but even if we went to the rescue centre where I got Henry my last rabbit from and the guinea pigs, she doesn’t spay babies.
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Henry was neutered just before we got him but we paid for that (that made no difference to his temperament
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). It’s actually gonna cost my mum more to get these bunnies mixy jabs than it is to buy them, how daft is that?
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Oh and at the other rescue centre bunnies aren't given mixy jabs but have a slight resistance to mixy as she gives them homeopathic meds. We had to give Henry a jab when we got him. Actually he got one VHD one too.



Could you not buy a fold up run for your piggies?
That way they wont have to share with the bunnies, and you can simply fold it away and store it somewhere?

:wave:
It looks like I’m going to have to.
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It was convenient last summer as I’d drop them off at my mum’s pen and then go for a two hour walk and pick them up later. I feel I’ll have to stand guard on my front lawn just in case someone nabs them or incase they manage to escape somehow or if a dog pays an interest in them. My lawn isn’t very large or good grass though either. I’m thinking I’m going to have to put turf over one of my flowerbeds.

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Nothing grows well there but that area doesn’t get much sun and I’m sure it’ll get mossy as the back of my house is moss heaven. I’ll feel more confident leaving them alone for a short time around the back of my house though as no one ever goes round there.
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I just hope I can get my rodents to and from a mesh ark or portable pen without losing them though.
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I can’t handle the blighters, I grabbed them last night and they screamed their heads off and were desperate to escape.
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It took me 5 minutes of chasing them too.
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I sure wish they were tame.
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2 girls bought as babies, not neutering, i'll comment next when a thread comes up the girls are fighting, its spring very soon hormones are gonna be rife once they set in, spesh as you have other animals, granted not alllllllllllllll same sex animals fight, but its more common they do, once they start fighting its even harder to rebond after a spay, and both have to be done, not just one,

neutering, vax, are all good starts to having an animal longer than 2 years
 
These are girls, it’s not totally nessaessary to spay is it? We decided against it due to the cost and she’s convinced she’ll kill them some other way before they reach old age and get cancer. (Our usual life expenancy of pets is 2 years. ) The people flogging them say they’re not sisters. They say they’re 14 weeks old and they’ve had them since they were 9 weeks old and that someone had bought them from a pet shop as they felt sorry for them as they were in crampt conditions and gave them to the rescue centre. Of course that’s what we’ve been told, who knows if it’s true. Female non-sisters are supposed to get on aren’t they? We were told they’ve been together since they were little, they share a hutch now and I’ve seen them cuddled up to each other.

I would definately advise spaying them both. Most if not all baby rabbits are happy in each others company but at 6 months when the hormones hit it could be a different story entirely.

As for cancer, the rabbit doesn't have to be 'old'. Rabbits can live up to 10 years or more, when you consider the fact 80% of unspayed rabbits can develop cancer by the time they are 2 it's suddenly not that 'old'.
 
Holy cow!
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I didn’t know this.
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I thought females just got on with eachother.
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I need to tell my mum and then we can think about pulling out of taking them.
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This sounds too costly, how much is two spays these days????
 
As for cancer, the rabbit doesn't have to be 'old'. Rabbits can live up to 10 years or more, when you consider the fact 80% of unspayed rabbits can develop cancer by the time they are 2 it's suddenly not that 'old'.
Where did you get that stat from?
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These are from a rescue centre.
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I’ve talked to my mum about it and because she’s already said yes to getting them and has her heart now set on them she says she’ll pay for getting them spayed when they’re old enough. (£76 each.
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) I’m not sure I would, I think I’d rather get two older ones paired up already and preferably done already but she has always wanted babies. I sure hope they don’t die on her another way after she’s invested all this money in them.
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We pick them up on Saturday, my mum’s booked mixy jabs straight after we’ve picked them up so it’ll be straight to the vets. Here’s a pic of them. (I found it online, for some reason they’re still being advertised for sale
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BTW, my mum’s hutch has only one bed compartment, is that sufficient?
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I figured they’d just snuggle up together but I thought I’d better check, is one bed bit OK? It’s not very big but they’re small rabbits.
 
Hello Sue :wave:

Mostly, I just want to echo what everyone else has already said - two unneutered bunnies aren't a great idea.

If the bunnies your mum has her heart set on are 'for sale' I'm not sure they can really be from a rescue?! Are you sure they're not available 'for adoption'? (This basically means you still pay something for them but the price covers vet bills, food bills etc they have aquired during their time at the rescue. Rescues do not sell for profit).

Those bunnies are very cute and I can see why your mum wants them! :love: If she's willing to get them neutered and vaccinated, I'm sure they will live more than two years. Two years is very young for bunnies to die. :( Also, providing they are neutered, one bed compartment is fine. Bonded bunnies love to snuggle up.

About neutering - it is quite expensive but in the case of females, it eliminates the risks of cancer and will save their lives so it is worth every penny. Also, I know my local RSPCA gives out 'neutering vouchers' with their younger rabbits so you can get them neutered for free once they're old enough. I'm not sure if this is done at all RSPCA's though. It might also be worth asking your vet for a discount if you bring them both in at once. I got 10% off getting mine done in twos. It isn't a huge discount but once I'd got six bunnies done, I'd saved quite a lot. :)

Guinea pig wise - I kind of think, if you're worried about not being able to get them from their pen to your back yard, you're surely going to have trouble getting them from your house to your mums house? Personally, even if your mum said it was ok, I wouldn't do it. The journeys can be stressful for little animals like piggies and I wouldn't think it was worth the stress for two hours in a concrete run. I think turfing that flower bed and putting a run on it would be a brilliant idea though :) They'd be easier for you to put in/take out as it'd be raised off the floor. :)
 
Hello Sue :wave:
Hiya Georgie.
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Mostly, I just want to echo what everyone else has already said - two unneutered bunnies aren't a great idea.

If the bunnies your mum has her heart set on are 'for sale' I'm not sure they can really be from a rescue?! Are you sure they're not available 'for adoption'? (This basically means you still pay something for them but the price covers vet bills, food bills etc they have aquired during their time at the rescue. Rescues do not sell for profit).
I guess technically they’re up for adoption, they’re £20.
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Those bunnies are very cute and I can see why your mum wants them! :love: If she's willing to get them neutered and vaccinated, I'm sure they will live more than two years. Two years is very young for bunnies to die. :( Also, providing they are neutered, one bed compartment is fine. Bonded bunnies love to snuggle up.
Phew.
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Thank goodness for that.
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I thought she may have to get a second hutch. I know my guinea pigs refuse to sleep together, if I alter their sleeping arrangements in any way they start to fight and get real tetchy.
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They have separate bed areas.
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About neutering - it is quite expensive but in the case of females, it eliminates the risks of cancer and will save their lives so it is worth every penny. Also, I know my local RSPCA gives out 'neutering vouchers' with their younger rabbits so you can get them neutered for free once they're old enough. I'm not sure if this is done at all RSPCA's though. It might also be worth asking your vet for a discount if you bring them both in at once. I got 10% off getting mine done in twos. It isn't a huge discount but once I'd got six bunnies done, I'd saved quite a lot. :)
Vets around here don’t do deals,
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they like to fleece s*ckers like us.
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It’s a shame we didn’t know about RSPCA bunnies getting vouchers though, it’s too late now because my mum doesn’t want to back out of this sale.
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Or adoption or whatever.
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Guinea pig wise - I kind of think, if you're worried about not being able to get them from their pen to your back yard, you're surely going to have trouble getting them from your house to your mums house?
It was easy, I’d chase them around their pen ‘til they entered the cat basket and walk the cat basket to my mum’s and open the door. Simple.
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There’s no danger of escape. Getting them into a mesh ark is another thing entirely,
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the cat basket won’t fit in one, I’d have to handle them.
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Personally, even if your mum said it was ok, I wouldn't do it. The journeys can be stressful for little animals like piggies and I wouldn't think it was worth the stress for two hours in a concrete run.
Psst, my mum’s run is turfed.
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It’s a 10 minute walk and I did it every weekend last summer when my mum’s pen was empty, they loved it there.
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It’s such a shame if they can’t go there any longer.
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The lady at the rescue centre where I got them from said they'd be fine being walked and that that would be better than driven.
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I think turfing that flower bed and putting a run on it would be a brilliant idea though :) They'd be easier for you to put in/take out as it'd be raised off the floor. :)
Yes, I think I’ll have to do that. My dad was saying last night that I could put a fence around it’s perimeter, if I did that then I could transfer them via the cat basket, it might be better than getting an ark.
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