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HELP PLEASE!! really worried

amysb86

Alpha Buck
please can i have some advice asap im worried about my littlest bun dandelion when i had them out for there play time today she did u wee thier bed which i dont mind but it was really dark and almost thick it stained her fur s litltle but then she gave herself a wash im really worried there is something wrong??
she is eating fine constantly infact and as far as iv seen she is drinking and pooping ok - hard to tell with 5 buns and she is super active and still very friendly??

also my other baby chip was making little squeeky noises whilst playing in their first ever forrage box sound kinda like a chicken?? is this normal?

finally can rabbits be allergic to sawdust? mine only seem to sneeze when in there cage ? am gona get them all to the vets next week for check up, but as iv lost my job i cant afford to till my OH gets paid :(


sorry for long post just feel like im failing them trying so hard to keep them all happy and healthy :oops::(
 
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Hi!

Could you see what colour the wee was? Thick in milky or thick in colour?
If they have been given carrots it can turn their wee quite red...or food with high calcium can turn it whiter...
If the litter tray is not clean or they sit in wee - it can stain their fur...

She sounds active and is eating and pooping...so thats a good sign...not sure about the wee....if there is a problem at all..

Does she strain when weeing or look hunched up when weeing?

As for sawdust - yes - it can irritate & cause respiratory problems....as it has phenols and the buns are so close to the ground its not suitable for small animals. Alot of RU members use mega-zorb...this is cheap & absorbent. I use aubiose as my buns would eat mega-zorb:roll:...aubiose is hemp...is very absorbent...costs about £9 for a compressed bag thats almost bale size and keeps the buns feet dry as the moisture sink to the bottom. It can also be composted. I think mega-zorb is similar price for a massive bag too....
Both these can be bought from horse bedding suppliers.

Not sure about Chips noises either....could he have been excited? Is he normally vocal? Did he only mkae that noise in the hutch where the sawdust is...possibly squeaking from the sawdust?

Youre not failing them at all...youre doing great! hugs!;) Youre finding out what they need and how to provide it...we have all had ot learn this and continue to every day....youre doing fine...Im sorry Im no expert at medical conditions...I can only try too...;)
 
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Id make sure she is def. weeing & pooping...is there any way you can watch her till she does and check the poop size etc? Apart from doing this you will have to seperate her to find out...and if you are anxious already this may pass to her and cause them all stress....so....describe what you can...and deep breathes...:)
 
If she is eating, pooping, drinking and acting normally then I would think it's just normal variation. Rabbits wee can be anything from a milky yellow to quite dark redish depending what the have eaten.

Chelle's advice is litter is great and with no other symptoms I'd tend to agree on excitement for the noise unless he does it again elsewhere.
 
Chelle's post is very good.

Dark wee isn't a problem most of the time. One of mine often has dark wee - it's often dark orange/red, but he's fine.

As for the sneezing. Is it the odd sneeze? Or is it proper sneezing? I've seen mine have the odd sneeze, but I think it's just a sneeze rather than an allergy.

It's very easy when you start to worry about one thing to then start to worry about lots of others, but if your buns seem healthy and are eating and drinking and weeing and pooing fine (albeit a bit multicoloured) and they seem fine in themselves and are as sociable as usual - then it's likely that there's nothing to worry about.
 
right it was thick as in did not soak into bed like the normal wees and it was a very dark orange - but she had just had a little bit of carrot so maybe that was it,

thanks for letting me know about sawdust i will get some of the other stuff at the weekend

chip was making his little noiseys whilst trying to find basil leaves in the hay then did so many binkys lol so i assumed he was just very excited never heard a noise from any of them before but as they are getting older they are getting more confident :D

they have also been doing a wired shakey thing like a dog shaking but super fast and having little scratches could this be from saw dust?
also is hay ok for bedding the little ones love it?

thanks for calming me down xx i suffer with panic attacks and get wound up so easy xx
 
Shakey scratching could be any number of things. Unless it seems to be causing them discomfort I'd try not to worry.
 
The shaking could be head binkies. :)

And sexually mature bunnies sometime 'buzz' when they get excited. :)
 
ahh that flipping buzz aha!

and my Gracie is a head flicker, looks like shes having some sort of fit, when really shes as happy as larry just binkying away!
 
Hi!

Could you see what colour the wee was? Thick in milky or thick in colour?
If they have been given carrots it can turn their wee quite red...or food with high calcium can turn it whiter...
If the litter tray is not clean or they sit in wee - it can stain their fur...

She sounds active and is eating and pooping...so thats a good sign...not sure about the wee....if there is a problem at all..

Does she strain when weeing or look hunched up when weeing?

As for sawdust - yes - it can irritate & cause respiratory problems....as it has phenols and the buns are so close to the ground its not suitable for small animals. Alot of RU members use mega-zorb...this is cheap & absorbent. I use aubiose as my buns would eat mega-zorb:roll:...aubiose is hemp...is very absorbent...costs about £9 for a compressed bag thats almost bale size and keeps the buns feet dry as the moisture sink to the bottom. It can also be composted. I think mega-zorb is similar price for a massive bag too....
Both these can be bought from horse bedding suppliers.

Not sure about Chips noises either....could he have been excited? Is he normally vocal? Did he only mkae that noise in the hutch where the sawdust is...possibly squeaking from the sawdust?

Youre not failing them at all...youre doing great! hugs!;) Youre finding out what they need and how to provide it...we have all had ot learn this and continue to every day....youre doing fine...Im sorry Im no expert at medical conditions...I can only try too...;)
hey hun just wanted you to know wasnt ignoring you must have posted at the same time as you when i said please can some tell me if need to got to vets xxx thanks so very much for the help xx
 
ahh that flipping buzz aha!

and my Gracie is a head flicker, looks like shes having some sort of fit, when really shes as happy as larry just binkying away!

lol cool so thats normal to lol god im starting to sound so paranoid they are just so small and i love them soooo much xx
 
ok - sounds ok...the wee colour is prob from the carrot. Keep an eye on her and make sure she eats her hay & drinks water.

It sounds like Chip was excited....also keep an eye on him and again ensure hay is eaten and he is drinking water too. My bun Archie used to honk at me before he was neutered...so perhaps Chips is a chatty bun!

The "weird shaky thing"...could also be excitment...do you mean they shake their heads from side to side and kinda give a body wriggle? My buns do this when they are happy...and often a little skip, jump or binky comes after. They will also, almost mid play suddenly sit and scratch their ears or groom themselves before continueing to play..or have a snooze.

If you can video them doing this...we can ensure they are very happy! (hint..we want videos!)

Its possible that the sawdust is irritating them...especially if they are sneezing...Im not sure, but I guess it could irritate their skin too. Perhaps lay some hay over the top for tonight...will waste it as they will wee etc on it butit will form a layer away from the sawdust until you can replace it.

Hay is fine for bedding...in fact it encourages them ot eat more hay if its where they like to rest..they will happily graze away whilst relaxing and snoozing...which is exactly what you want them to do...the younger they become great hay eaters...the better chance they have of being healthy and having great teeth.

Do you put sawdust all over their hutch floor?
Is the flooring wood or plastic?

i use aubiose in the litter tray and thats it...with hay rack above it and a swing ball of hay etc...they tend ot then do all their wee & poops in the tray. they do occasional poops elsewhere and a possible naught wee...but if they have a large litter tray where they can all sit together and munch away...they will become litter trained. I dont have anything else o the hutch floor...mine is plastic and i wipe it every day. i use newspaper where they tend to be naught...otherwise they think its a litter tray everywhere. i use fleece blankets here 7 there too...which they use more in the winter. If oyu decide to introduce fleece..make sure its in the daytime when yu can supervise to ensure no buns strart ti digest it. My buns bite it,...but they dont eat it.

Hope this helps and you feel abit better...sounds to me that htose buns are very happy & are showing you how very pleased they are with the love, care & attention you are giving them! well done you!:D;)
 
hey hun just wanted you to know wasnt ignoring you must have posted at the same time as you when i said please can some tell me if need to got to vets xxx thanks so very much for the help xx

:lol: dont worry - its fine! i saw we posted at the same time...and thought...eek better type faster here! i cant help to write essays sometimes!:roll::lol:

thanks guys for saying my post was good and agreeable! Ive learnt so much here too! lovely to be able to pass it on!:oops::D

:oops::oops::lol:think Im gettin tired...my spelling is getting worshe!:lol:
 
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thanks so much for the advice Chelle the bottom of the hutch is plastic , they do have some blankets but they are drying as i washed them today:D
will get rid of the saw dust tomorrow nasty stuff bloody man in pet shop was like yeahh its fine for rabbits grrrr

def think the shaking is what u described they do it then often leap in the air and binky then run like crazy have got a video just gona try and up load them :D

and oh yes my 5 are definitively hay eaters they do not stop including chloe i find myself wondering if i did fill their box a few hours or go or if i dreamt it as il come back and they sit there just looking at me like mummeh?? where is the hay we is hungry?? and they all drink lots to and my god they love their veg so am hoping their diet is good oh and they also polish of rabbit food like iv been staving them!!

hang on lets see if can get these videos xxx
 
thanks so much for the advice Chelle the bottom of the hutch is plastic , they do have some blankets but they are drying as i washed them today:D
will get rid of the saw dust tomorrow nasty stuff bloody man in pet shop was like yeahh its fine for rabbits grrrr

def think the shaking is what u described they do it then often leap in the air and binky then run like crazy have got a video just gona try and up load them :D

and oh yes my 5 are definitively hay eaters they do not stop including chloe i find myself wondering if i did fill their box a few hours or go or if i dreamt it as il come back and they sit there just looking at me like mummeh?? where is the hay we is hungry?? and they all drink lots to and my god they love their veg so am hoping their diet is good oh and they also polish of rabbit food like iv been staving them!!

hang on lets see if can get these videos xxx

can i also just ask is it normally to be able to see how fast a rabbit is breathing even when they are chilled? this is chloe not the baby she seems very happy very chilled but i always worry she is breathing to fast?
 
can i also just ask is it normally to be able to see how fast a rabbit is breathing even when they are chilled? this is chloe not the baby she seems very happy very chilled but i always worry she is breathing to fast?

Has she been running about? I often see their tums moving all over the place when they laying down..as the furs moves in different ways.

I find that when I go close or even they just get a small fright or they see me their noses go faster...not panting..but their breathing does quicken...even if they look relaxed and are laying there.
 
One thing I've been umming and ahhing about saying since the beginning of the thread.

If your buns are showing signs of being allergic to woodshavings then remove them, and I know some owners worry about the phenols. But it is much more complicated than that, and I actually use woodshavings in my litter trays - covered in hay - but I do use woodshavings, and I do think they are okay for some buns.

I tried megazorb, but they kept trying to eat it. So to me, woodshavings are preferable to ingested megazorb.

As for the fast breathing. Some buns just do that. One of mine does. She has little patches of just breathing 10 to the dozen.
 
thanks so much for the advice Chelle the bottom of the hutch is plastic , they do have some blankets but they are drying as i washed them today:D
will get rid of the saw dust tomorrow nasty stuff bloody man in pet shop was like yeahh its fine for rabbits grrrr

def think the shaking is what u described they do it then often leap in the air and binky then run like crazy have got a video just gona try and up load them :D

and oh yes my 5 are definitively hay eaters they do not stop including chloe i find myself wondering if i did fill their box a few hours or go or if i dreamt it as il come back and they sit there just looking at me like mummeh?? where is the hay we is hungry?? and they all drink lots to and my god they love their veg so am hoping their diet is good oh and they also polish of rabbit food like iv been staving them!!

hang on lets see if can get these videos xxx

Bless you - go tell that petshop man and tell to stock whatever oyu decide to try out.;)
The "shaking":lol:...bless them...its funny, my buns all binky in different ways.....Indiana is dainty and skips along, Arrabella kind of does 360's and jumps and Master Archie kinda stumbles and flaps his ears about:lol::lol::love::love:

Rabbit pellets/food...dont be decieved by their little cute we are hungry mummeh looks! Its been the downfall of many!:lol::lol::lol::lol: Seriously though, commercial rabbit food is made to taste moreish..its like sweets for kids! yummy! Its good that young buns do have them for the extra nutrients that we cant provide them as they would getin a natural diet....but dont over feed them...it can cause mucky bums and also fills them up so they stop eating as much hay..which means bad digestive systems, not great teeth and they get fat!...Have a look at the 2011 forage thread...there is so much you can forage for this summer and store towards the winter months too and add a variety of natural wild diet for them to eat....very healthy! If you finding they have eaten most of their hay - then double it up!;) They sound very happy buns!
i dont feed my buns much veges as it messes up their gut flora and they can get mucky buns...so I try to give them a natural diet as much as possible..not nearly as much as some RU's....but Im learning.:)
Dont forget...some veges can be quite gassy...so dont give too much of those...and also not veges that are high in calcium, either...can also cause problems!

Cant wait to see the video's! off to bed soon..so might see tomorrow! xxx
 
One thing I've been umming and ahhing about saying since the beginning of the thread.

If your buns are showing signs of being allergic to woodshavings then remove them, and I know some owners worry about the phenols. But it is much more complicated than that, and I actually use woodshavings in my litter trays - covered in hay - but I do use woodshavings, and I do think they are okay for some buns.

I tried megazorb, but they kept trying to eat it. So to me, woodshavings are preferable to ingested megazorb.

As for the fast breathing. Some buns just do that. One of mine does. She has little patches of just breathing 10 to the dozen.

hi! Sorry...I dont think its complicated at all...sawdust is not good for small animals.....its just that some animals cope better than others...which doesnt mean its fine. It is a personal choice:)...but the stuff makes me sneeze like mad too...so Im quite happy to change, would hate to have to live in it.

I totally understand about the mega-zorb.....I used carefresh.....which is very similar to mega-zorb..and it was a nightmare...Indiana just started eating it like hay...so I hid it under newspaper and she dug for it...and then Arrabella started copying her....so for safety...I dont use it. I used aubiose instead as its hemp, is cheap, doesnt have phenols, can go in the compost, lasts ages and doesnt have the dust that sawdust has. way better....it might work for you too instead of sawdust if you feel you want something similar without the phenols.;)
 
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