Helpp, pleasee!!! rescued rabbit from road!! dry ears and black specks on male parts?

So, on monday night at half eleven, my dad who had been out a walk with the dog rang and said to come and help catch a rabbit, a pet rabbit, black dwarf. IT was out in the street, near a main road, and there are loads of cats around were i live. It was too late to contact anyone, so he is currently living in a spare rabbit cage in my bathroom, away from my other rabbit who is also male, who is in a shed outside.
Anyway, this rabbit appears to be quite old.

His teeth look old, and his fur is going grey. He had been in the lady who contacted us garden since 7 tn the morning, and was quite cold and hungry and thirsty. i gave him water and food, but not too much food, just the usual amount straight waway and he is eating, drinking, pooping and peeing fine. His male rabbit parts appear to have black specks which look like dirt on them. Is this just dirt? they dont seem to be moving. I have checked his fur, and cant find and mites, fleas etc.

We have found the owner of the rabbit, but the whole family has gone on holidays for a week and left the rabbit, called nettles behind! so we are now looking after him until they get back, as he had no food etc, and had got out of his hutch.

One of my main concerns is his ears. The inside of them are fine, but the outside of them are quite dry and scaly, and have some fur coverage, all over, but the fur is very thin, unlike my other rabbit's. What is this? What can i do? and what are the black dirt specks on his rabbit parts?



Sorry for such a long post, but please help me! he is very tame! thanks, please answee quick x

also , he doesnt seem to be in any pain or itchy, and he hasnt got dry skin anywhere alse elcept outside of ears x

Sounds like he could well have mites, if he's come from a fairly neglected home, this is quite likely. Mites are tiny and often you can't see them visibly moving like you would fleas.

do you have a picture ?

would he not be scratching, or in pain with mites? and would they not be all over his body and on inside of ears rather than ears only? xx thanks. Just trying to get up pics now!! xxx

ive looked up pics of mites on google- looks nothing like the pics. His ears arent dandruffy, just scaly like it would be if we had dry skin on our hands. And the inside of his ears are clean and pink. x

maybe he's made a bid for freedom and a new life!!!

Can you get him seen by a vet? and maybe give them the bill when they get home?

parsnipbun said:

Can you get him seen by a vet? and maybe give them the bill when they get home?

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i'd do that too

Parsnipbun, yes, i would like to get him seen by a vet soon. I really want to keep him, as i know he would have a better home here (his owner is a young girl who is quite rough with him) but unfortunately they know we have him as we contacted them, and are coming up to collect him once they are home we contacted them to see who was meant to be feeding their rabbit, but apparently, no one!

saffron24 said:

Parsnipbun, yes, i would like to get him seen by a vet soon. I really want to keep him, as i know he would have a better home here (his owner is a young girl who is quite rough with him) but unfortunately they know we have him as we contacted them, and are coming up to collect him once they are home we contacted them to see who was meant to be feeding their rabbit, but apparently, no one!

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Thats awful!! The no feedig bit). Perhaps they would hand him over rather than pay a vets bll?

could you not ask if they want to find him a new home ? as to be honest they dont give too monkeys about this bunny cmon who would leave a bunny a week without hay,food,fresh water,veg

i might do that, but the owner is an 8 year old girl who is very attatched to him , so i dont think she would want to get rid of him. I suppose he is probably like a cuddly toy to her, she just wants him to have him, not to do the work. And his hutch isnt secure, and there are loads of cats where i live, at least 15, and it's only an area of a few houses but i really want to keep him, he has a lovely temperment , but the only other problem would be my other male rabbit, i dont want to upset him, ive had him 4 years, and i dont know how he would take to a new rabbit, even if it wasnt too close to him, he would still smell it and sense that it was there. I know most of you probably have several rabbits, but little socks is used to being an only rabbit, and i really dont want to upset him, he is so good and gentle, and we are often told by vets he is one of the best tempered rabbits they've ever come across. But i really dont understand how they could leave him with no food etc. When i go on holidays, or even away for the day, socks is left to a breeder up the road who takes care of him, who has been breeding and showing and providing a petsitting service for rabbits for 50 years.

i would contact the owners and say he has escaped from you and try to find him a better home if you cannot keep him poor bun will be glad of a better home,people like that should be banned from having pets:evil:well done you for givng him some well earned love:thumb:

I would not want to give him back if they think they can leave him for a week!
I would say to them that that's not acceptable. You could offer to look after him if they go away again or you would report them to the RSPCA. You could also offer to keep him but the girl can come and visit. He might even bond with your rabbit....
If you did want to keep him I think the vet idea might work. Get him seen, keep the bill and demand they pay the bill if they want him back.

It is in no way acceptable to leave a rabbit for a week. If you can't keep him but don't want to give him back you could hand him over to the RSPCA now.

Best idea I think is to educate the owners if you can and offer to look after him if they go away.

It does sound like he has ear mites though and the vet treatment will probably be about £10 plus a consultation of about £25.