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Question for rescues who bond

weeble

Moderator
This morning I am trying to bond my foster bun Fudge with my dutch lot. All ok so far but sitting here watching them got me wondering. When rescues take in someones single bun to bond with their bun where does responsibility for vets bills lie if anything goes wrong?

No ulteria (sp?) motive just wondering?
 
Vet bills for the adoptee's rabbit are the adoptee's responsibility and vet bills for the rescue's rabbit are the rescue's responsibility :) ( in my experience)
 
When Daisy went to BARC to meet Jester I signed a form saying I was responsible for any vet costs incurred if Daisy was injured during bonding. It also stated that BARC would cover the costs for any injuries to Jester (which unfortunately they had to do after the silly boy humped himself silly and got his willy stuck :roll: ).

Probably depends though on the policies of individual rescues.
 
Interesting question but I am not sure that it should be necessary to have any vet treatment as bonding should not be allowed to develop to the stage where injuries occur.

When I am bonding for ARC, the owners have already spoken or met me and they know exactly what I am going to do; I explain that I watch the bunnies overnight and for some days if necessary to ensure that they are happy before they are left to be on their own and then progress to a stage where they go home. I'll also go over what I will allow and when I stop something.

If the bonding looks like it could work but there is a bit of topping and tailing then I stand over it until it stops and they settle. This can mean several days/nights on the sofa - last week two nights and the bond didn't work so the bunnies had to go home alone for now.

I'd never let it get beyond that. Having said that accidents can happen and I imagine (never having had this happen) that each rabbit would receive the treatment from it's own carer.

I have to say this is one reason why I'd not recommend someone who hasn't got lots of experience of the different behaviours bonding a strangers rabbit/rabbits as it could cause issues if there is a horror story.

I'll be very interested to know how other rescues deal with this issue and it may be something we need to address at ARC.

Helen
 
Interesting question but I am not sure that it should be necessary to have any vet treatment as bonding should not be allowed to develop to the stage where injuries occur.

Oh no I did mean just accidents or anything else really we all know how sensitive and unpredictable buns can be.
 
Oh no I did mean just accidents or anything else really we all know how sensitive and unpredictable buns can be.

Hiya

Yes, I totally understand your point and that you mean accidental injuries, but as I said, it shouldn't get to that stage where veterinary intervention should be necessary. The worst that should really happen is a bit of nipping or a few marks on the ears where nails have caught them and usually these would be very quick to heal on their own and not require treatment. Obviously if it gets to ear tears or chunks out of the back/bum then that's very different - but I wouldn't see it getting to this stage as I would have my trusty broom or towel handy to put between the rabbits to stop it.

I can see how it could happen very easily and a trip to the vets may be necessary. I could say I've been lucky so far that this hasn't been necessary, but then I have sent bonding rabbits home unbonded because I've not felt that they were going to work - before it was too late.

Helen:)
 
I should add that if a bunny looks like they are very unhappy and possibly not going to eat/poo/wee then I'd speak to the owner.

I actually go over the owners rabbits normal behaviour before they are left with me so that I know if they aren't terribly happy.

I have had one bunny who came to me for bonding (with the owners other rabbit) who was immediately not how I'd want a rabbit to be - not interested in eating hay, sitting quietly, laclustre, so I sought her input and then had a look at his teeth. Sadly his teeth were not in good shape and he couldn't eat properly. He had a trip immediately to the vet who sought the ladies consent to do a dental - her expense not mine.

Sadly on this occasion the bonding didn't go ahead, but the bunny was poorly already.

Not quite the same thing as the rescue being involved, but similar in that the owner could have suggested to me that the bunny was ill due to my attempt to bond.

Your question is a very good one, and I think it has made me think about how a rescue should seek volunteer help to do bondings too - at what point does someone become experienced enough to do bondings for other people? You have to do bondings to get experience, you have to start somewhere.
 
:wave: How is i going? Sending lots of bonding vibes..... Any photos yet?

Really well so far the boys are being really good Bella has been humping Chloe and chasing Fudge but nothing serious and he hasn't caused any trouble which was my main worry
 
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When Daisy went to BARC to meet Jester I signed a form saying I was responsible for any vet costs incurred if Daisy was injured during bonding. It also stated that BARC would cover the costs for any injuries to Jester (which unfortunately they had to do after the silly boy humped himself silly and got his willy stuck :roll: ).

Probably depends though on the policies of individual rescues.

Oh dear - i hope he's ok but PMSL!!! I couldnt help but laugh!!! :lol:
 
Interesting question but I am not sure that it should be necessary to have any vet treatment as bonding should not be allowed to develop to the stage where injuries occur.

When I am bonding for ARC, the owners have already spoken or met me and they know exactly what I am going to do; I explain that I watch the bunnies overnight and for some days if necessary to ensure that they are happy before they are left to be on their own and then progress to a stage where they go home. I'll also go over what I will allow and when I stop something.

If the bonding looks like it could work but there is a bit of topping and tailing then I stand over it until it stops and they settle. This can mean several days/nights on the sofa - last week two nights and the bond didn't work so the bunnies had to go home alone for now.

I'd never let it get beyond that. Having said that accidents can happen and I imagine (never having had this happen) that each rabbit would receive the treatment from it's own carer.

I have to say this is one reason why I'd not recommend someone who hasn't got lots of experience of the different behaviours bonding a strangers rabbit/rabbits as it could cause issues if there is a horror story.

I'll be very interested to know how other rescues deal with this issue and it may be something we need to address at ARC.

Helen


thats what we thought until we had an incident where two buns locked on to each other within the first few seconds of introducing them....resulted in a bun needing stitches and the bill came to £140 :?
we were stood there and intervened straight away but the damage was done by the time we got them apart
it was not the BARC bun that was injured

then we had one of our females injured when someone elses bun caught her eye ..it wasnt a viscious attack but still needed stitches ...again this happened at forst introduction .

sometimes there isnt time to to get in there and stop injuries no matter how close you watch and no matter how quick you are .

as mentioned by a couple of people we now have a form for people who bring their buns for bonding to sign .

we pay for injuries to our bun ...they pay for theirs .

apart from the two instances above we have only ever had one other needing vet treatment ..and yes that was jester ..and his willy :roll: :roll:
 
apart from the two instances above we have only ever had one other needing vet treatment ..and yes that was jester ..and his willy :roll: :roll:

:oops: My boy is very naughty :oops: but is so cute you just have to forgive him instantly :love:

I think it's a really sensible policy - no matter how experienced a bonder is (like BARC's Michelle who is brilliant :D ) you can never be 100% certain what will happen. I'm sure I've read on here of bondings that have gone really smoothly, and then after a day or two suddenly one bunny attacks out of the blue.

And Jester's willy incident wasn't a result of the two bunnies fighting, just him getting over excited :oops:
 
thats what we thought until we had an incident where two buns locked on to each other within the first few seconds of introducing them....resulted in a bun needing stitches and the bill came to £140 :?
we were stood there and intervened straight away but the damage was done by the time we got them apart
it was not the BARC bun that was injured

then we had one of our females injured when someone elses bun caught her eye ..it wasnt a viscious attack but still needed stitches ...again this happened at forst introduction .

sometimes there isnt time to to get in there and stop injuries no matter how close you watch and no matter how quick you are .

as mentioned by a couple of people we now have a form for people who bring their buns for bonding to sign .

we pay for injuries to our bun ...they pay for theirs .

apart from the two instances above we have only ever had one other needing vet treatment ..and yes that was jester ..and his willy :roll: :roll:

I can absolutely see how it can be that quick and nothing could prevent the injury. I have been lucky enough not to have to experience this - hope I never will. I does only take a matter of moments too - a nail across the eye for example

I would be very interested in seeing the form you use to see if we could have something similar here at The Rabbit Crossing and possibly even for ARC. Would you be happy to share it with me?

Helen
 
Alvin ripped Jubilees ear when after appearing to be great mates they locked and rolled.. hopper haven covered the vets costs of thier own bun, had it gone the otherway i would of expected the bill for Alvin after he was treated at thier vets before coming home a very sore boy and then any treatment continued at my own vets.

i dont think until the actual adoption forms are signed the other bunny belongs to the adoptee but still belongs to the rescue, and i think only someone abit dense would expect the rescue to fund any treatment for injuries incurred to thier bun during a bonding. its a risk we take and hopefully 9 times out of 10 the atmosphere is sensed before it gets to the injury stage :D
 
I can absolutely see how it can be that quick and nothing could prevent the injury. I have been lucky enough not to have to experience this - hope I never will. I does only take a matter of moments too - a nail across the eye for example

I would be very interested in seeing the form you use to see if we could have something similar here at The Rabbit Crossing and possibly even for ARC. Would you be happy to share it with me?

Helen

just gunna have tea then ill send it to you ...do you have an e mail addy ;)
 
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