new rabbit dont have a clue what to do :/

hey so i havent had my rabbit long maybe a few months and i need some help with a few things because im new to all this.

firtly i think she is getting the begining of sore hocks ive researched it and its only a little she has. i cant afford to sort her living conditions out until i get paid end of the month which i am buying her a new cage and everything (she is an indoor rabbit)

i have put a towel in her current home for a softer bedding

now the vets is so exspensive im not sure i can afford it

is their anything im suposed to do to help it get better before it gets worse? i live in the uk and im not sure if there is any thing i can use from the chemist on her feet to help it without spending fortunes on the vet.

also i am having trouble catching her and picking her up to clip her nails, i have managed it with help but how can i eventualy get her tame. because the nail cutting duty usualy takes around an hour to catch her and stop her from kicking and such. will she eventualy calm down?

i cant affod to get her sprayed yet i probably wont be able to do that for another 6months to a year.

any help would be so appreciated i dont want to be lookign after her wrong

start saving, keeping bunnies isn't cheap and you are going to need vet visits sooner rather than later! is she vaccinated? even indoor rabbits benefit from vaccinations, just had my two have their myxi boosters and that was £30 for the two.

for the sore hocks, make everything in her environment soft, use carpet offcuts, pet blankets (can get them cheap from pound shops!) etc. keep everything super clean and soft and hopefully they will start to heal, my doe started to get slightly sore hocks, has now completely recovered without any vet interference (although the vet did see them, was not completely bald and had some hair covering anyway).

But yes, start putting money away. Bunnies are accident prone little monsters!

My rex gets very sore hocks (He is also an indoor bunny) If you can, try putting a little sudocream on them. This should help soothe them but as its cream it does rub off onto the carpet very quickly

With sudocream dont overdo it. The smallest amount that you can get on is the best. You dont want your bun to lick at it either.

The more you handle her the better she should get... though some bunnies dont like being handled, all four of mine hate being handled!

Spaying will help calm her down too, so the sooner the better...

Theres lots of information around the forum you can take a look at about taking care of your bunny. Though you should have done some research before getting the new addition, but we all make mistakes!

Looking after rabbits isnt cheap... they do need vet care, they do need large accommodation and everything else. I do hope you are able to take her to the vet when she needs it...

Putting money aside for vet costs is a good idea, you never know when you might need it!

As someone has said start saving those pennies. Rabbits are the most expensive pet I've ever owned. Everything from the proper diet, to vaccinations, to vets trips (which always crop up when you're most skint), to neutering doesn't come cheap.

Welcome to the world of bunny ownership!

Bunny ownership def isnt cheap. Following another thread on here, i worked out my my minimum spend per year on my two is £800 per year - that doesnt take impromptu vets visits into considertation.

You need to have funding available (credit card/pet insurance etc) in case of emergencies.

It's about £8 for a nail clipping with the vets - i'd rather them do it rather than getting my bunnies in a state.

Spaying will help clam behaviour - as will spending time with her. It takes a lot of patience and sitting on the floor allowing her to check you out before she'll trust you.

Good luck and you've certainly found a fab place for lots of fab advice! :wave:

mystic.kitty said:

As someone has said start saving those pennies. Rabbits are the most expensive pet I've ever owned.

Click to expand...

Agree with you there and this from someone with birds, reptiles, amphibians, rodents and fish.

Might be worth thinking about insurance if you think you'll struggle with vet bills. My rabbit Honey went into the vet just over a year ago with an upset stomach which ended up costing us £400 in total.

I have to agree that rabbits are the most expensive pets we own (3 cats, a dog and a snake aswell) scince we adopted Mae (in may) we have spent well over £400, probably close to £600 on vet bills, this includes 2 emergency vet trips costing £120 each :shock:

Agree with Grin - emergencies WILL crop up where your bun will have to see a vet, so a credit card to be used in such cases is a good idea. Buns can fall ill quickly and often need immediate vet treatment.

Fleece blankets are better than towels, which can sometimes be abrasive. Look in the baby aisle of a pound shop, I've got several from there.

You may be better adjusting the area bunny is running on rather than putting cream on, sometimes that can make it worse as it flattens the fur on the foot that protects the skin. Also make sure the nails aren't too long.